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I made an $800,000 mistake at my job. It taught me what good bosses do when an employee screws up.
BusinessBusiness Insider1d ago

I made an $800,000 mistake at my job. It taught me what good bosses do when an employee screws up.

Alex Levin, CEO of Regal Courtesy of Regal A few years ago, Alex Levin said he misspent $800,000 on an ad campaign for a former employer. Now a startup CEO, he credits the experience for teaching him how to react when a team member flubs. Punishing workers for making a mistake can discourage them from taking risks, Levin said. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alex Levin, cofounder and CEO of Regal, a New York-based maker of AI agents for customer experience. Previously,...

Virši-A Named Best Employer of 2025 in Latvia
Businesslsm-lv2d ago

Virši-A Named Best Employer of 2025 in Latvia

The company Virši-A has been recognized as the best employer of 2025 in Latvia, based on a survey where participants expressed the most desire to work there. Latvijas Mobilais telefons and Swedbank also made the top three.

Men almost twice as likely as women to earn high salaries in ‘reality check’ on Australia’s gender pay gap
PoliticsThe Guardian2d ago

Men almost twice as likely as women to earn high salaries in ‘reality check’ on Australia’s gender pay gap

Workplace Gender Equality Agency report shows a slight increase in number of women in highly paid roles, which are still dominated by men Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Men are nearly twice as likely as women to be making $220,000 a year, with minimal progress made on closing Australia’s gender pay gap in the past 12 months. The federal government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) published its gender pay gap results for 10,500 employers on Tuesday. It r...

Serbian Journalists' Union Addresses Minister Bratina
Politicsdanas3d ago

Serbian Journalists' Union Addresses Minister Bratina

The Union of Journalists and Media Workers of Serbia (SINOS) has called on Minister of Information and Telecommunications Boris Bratina to organize a dialogue between unions and employers to sign a branch collective agreement in the media sector.

Domestic help carries out 'fake ED raid' at retired employer's house
WorldTimes of India6d ago

Domestic help carries out 'fake ED raid' at retired employer's house

A domestic help orchestrated a fake Enforcement Directorate raid on her elderly employer's home in Delhi, enlisting relatives and associates. The plan unraveled when the victim's grandson, an ED lawyer, confronted the imposters by phone, leading to their escape with a portion of the stolen cash. The maid and her sister-in-law have been arrested.

Pension cuts shelved
Politicsin-cyprus6d ago

Pension cuts shelved

Following a wave of public outcry, the proposal to cut higher pensions in order to fund increases for those on the lowest payouts appears to have been quietly dropped. During discussions at the Labour Advisory Body, all social partners — both employers and trade unions — made clear they would not accept such a solution, […]

Marc Wagener Departs UEL for Red Cross
Politicsluxemburger-wort9d ago

Marc Wagener Departs UEL for Red Cross

Marc Wagener is leaving his position as director of the Luxembourg employers' association UEL after nearly two years to join the Red Cross, with no successor yet announced.

Employee Loyalty and Flexible Work Schedules
Businessdelfi-lt9d ago

Employee Loyalty and Flexible Work Schedules

Employers are increasingly finding that financial benefits alone are not enough to secure employee loyalty; workers are seeking more, including flexible work schedules and meaningful roles, especially during periods like school holidays which pose a quiet risk to employers.

Debate on Wage Increases and Business Costs in Spain
Businessla-vanguardia10d ago

Debate on Wage Increases and Business Costs in Spain

A discussion is ongoing in Spain regarding salary increases, with the government advocating for higher wages while employers express concerns about social contributions burdening businesses, despite recent recovery in purchasing power.

Silent suffering: how a domestic helper’s Hong Kong dream became a nightmare
WorldSCMP11d ago

Silent suffering: how a domestic helper’s Hong Kong dream became a nightmare

Sanju*, a foreign domestic helper of Nepalese ethnicity, never imagined her Hong Kong dream would turn into a nightmare. The 34-year-old arrived in Hong Kong in 2023, driven by a simple wish to work in the city of her dreams. However, her first employer paid her 30 per cent below the statutory minimum wage, allowed her only two hours of sleep a day, and gave her just three rest days over six months, during which she was only paid two months’ salary. After six months, she was dismissed and thr...

Judge grants hearing, expresses concerns ex-Michigan coach Moore may have had due process violated
SportYahoo15d ago

Judge grants hearing, expresses concerns ex-Michigan coach Moore may have had due process violated

A judge on Tuesday granted a request for a hearing to learn more about the investigation that led to charges against former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, who was arrested soon after he was fired due to his relationship with his executive assistant. Judge J. Cedric Simpson set the date of the hearing to March 2. Simpson expressed concerns that a police detective didn’t disclose Moore had a employer-employee relationship with the woman when a magistrate authorized a warrant for his arrest in December.

Cyprus business groups at odds over ‘independence’ claims
Businesscyprus-mail6h ago

Cyprus business groups at odds over ‘independence’ claims

A recent exchange has highlighted delicate relations between the Federation of Employers and Industrialists (Oev) and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve), following a social media post by Oev general director Michalis Antoniou. The post described Oev as the largest and truly independent employers’ organisation in the country, a statement that has unsettled […]

Vox Demands for Extremadura Presidency Investiture
Politicsel-mundo23h ago

Vox Demands for Extremadura Presidency Investiture

Vox has presented 23 demands to María Guardiola for her investiture as president of Extremadura, Spain, including the elimination of subsidies for unions and employers, and opposition to the distribution of 'illegal immigrants.'

Alternative Career Paths in Technology
Technologyirish-times3d ago

Alternative Career Paths in Technology

As technology rapidly evolves, employers are increasingly prioritizing practical skills and the ability to learn quickly over traditional university degrees for careers in the tech sector.

Indian man deported from Singapore in alleged job visa scam
BusinessTimes of India7d ago

Indian man deported from Singapore in alleged job visa scam

A Bhayandar man was deported from Singapore after his work visa and job offer were found to be fake, costing him INR 3.6 lakh. Immigration authorities discovered the company didn't exist and the visa was forged. Police are investigating the suspected job scam. Experts urge job seekers to verify employers and visa procedures independently to avoid such fraudulent schemes.

When Both Sides Go Quiet
PoliticsFox NewsYahoozerohedge+1Tehran Times15d ago4 sources

When Both Sides Go Quiet

When Both Sides Go Quiet Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance There is a political instinct that I’ve developed over the last few decade or so: when both parties are shouting, it’s business as usual. When both parties go quiet, pay attention, because something ugly is probably getting passed or covered up, and the American taxpayer is likely footing the bill of consequences. Few public controversies in recent memory have generated as much bipartisan distrust as the handling of the Epstein files. Republicans accused Democrats of failing to pursue full transparency while President Biden was in office. Now Democrats accuse Republicans of withholding or slow-walking the release of the complete records. The blame shifts with political control, but the underlying fact pattern remains the same: both parties have figures of influence whose names have surfaced in connection with Epstein’s orbit. That reality complicates the politics of accountability and fuels public suspicion that neither side is entirely comfortable with full disclosure. What should have been a straightforward matter of transparency, identifying networks of power, influence, and possible criminal complicity, has instead unfolded as a slow humiliating drip of redactions, procedural delays, partial disclosures and cagey congressional testimony. Each release seems to raise more questions than it resolves. These questions revolve around sex trafficking, exploitation, abuse of minors, coercion and manipulation, elite complicity, obstruction of justice, etc. But the deeper damage taking place now is not only about the crimes associated with Jeffrey Epstein. It is about institutional response. If only one political party had meaningful exposure to the scandal, the other would likely have been far more relentless in demanding transparency. But this is different. Despite Democrats harping on the files now, they were quiet in the years prior to Trump’s second term and, because Epstein’s connections span media, finance, academia, and politics, the discomfort still appears bipartisan. And that is precisely what unsettles me. When both political parties fail to press aggressively on something meaningful, especially something morally explosive, it often suggests that the issue cuts deeper than surface narratives allow. Bipartisan hesitation can signal overlapping vulnerability. Silence across the aisle is rarely accidental. The horror here is not just what may have occurred in private circles of power, but the perception that the institutions tasked with accountability are reluctant to fully illuminate it. Justice delayed in cases involving elites feels less like procedural caution and more like reputational risk management. Whether or not that perception is entirely fair, it is corrosive. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs’ chief legal officer Kathryn Ruemmler announced her resignation after new emails with Epstein came to light, prompting internal pressure at the firm. British political figure Peter Mandelson resigned from the House of Lords and the Labour Party, and Scotland Yard has opened a criminal investigation into his ties with Epstein. In Norway, parliament has launched an external inquiry into prominent diplomats for their connections to Epstein, and police are investigating corruption allegations against former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland and others. 🔥 50% OFF FOR LIFE: Using this coupon entitles you to 50% off an annual subscription to Fringe Finance for life: Get 50% off forever Across Europe, these disclosures have triggered formal probes, resignations, and institutional reviews that contrast sharply with the relative lack of accountability for high-profile figures in the United States, where calls for investigations and resignations have largely stalled. I mean, is Les Wexner really allowed to just walk around free at this point? How can that be possible? How are Kimbal Musk and Elon Musk allowed to remain on Tesla’s board? Why isn’t Bill Gates being hauled in front of congress? I have long argued that Americans should apply the same “when both parties agree, the American public is getting screwed” scrutiny to monetary policy for a similar reason. It is one of the few areas where both major political parties display remarkable convergence. While they wage visible battles over cultural issues and tax rates, they tend to align on central banking frameworks, large scale liquidity interventions, and deficit tolerance. Like other cover-ups, that alignment deserves examination. Monetary policy operates largely outside daily partisan warfare, yet it shapes purchasing power, asset prices, debt burdens, and wealth distribution. When balance sheets expand aggressively and markets are repeatedly stabilized during downturns, the effects are uneven. Asset holders often benefit first and most. Meanwhile, wage earners experience the lagging side effects such as inflationary pressure, higher living costs, and diminished purchasing power. Supporters of Modern Monetary Theory argue that sovereign currency systems provide more fiscal flexibility than traditionally assumed. Critics counter that, in practice, repeated interventions risk entrenching a cycle in which gains are privatized and losses are socialized. When markets rise, the wealth effect accrues to those with substantial exposure. When markets falter, public backstops prevent collapse. The middle class absorbs the inflationary residue. And the wealth gap widens: The structural similarity matters. When both parties avoid aggressive debate on a policy that materially burdens the average American, it raises the same instinctive question of what incentives are being protected. Monetary policy may not carry the visceral grotesqueness of the Epstein scandal, but it carries long term economic consequences that most Americans don’t know they are bearing, and don’t understand that they are being lied to about. The comparison is not moral equivalence. It is structural parallel. In one case, alleged networks of power may be shielded by mutual hesitation. In the other, a financial architecture persists with limited democratic scrutiny because challenging it would destabilize shared political comfort. In both cases, bipartisan alignment dampens confrontation. Two forms of silence. Two different domains. Both revealing. Foreign policy, particularly the authorization and funding of wars, has often followed a similar pattern. While domestic issues produce loud partisan divides, military interventions abroad frequently pass with overwhelming support from leadership in both parties. Public debate may flare at the margins, but institutional consensus tends to solidify quickly once action begins. History shows that major military engagements, from post 9/11 authorizations to prolonged overseas conflicts, have often been backed by broad congressional majorities. The initial votes are decisive. The funding continues year after year. Only later, when costs mount and public opinion shifts, does meaningful dissent emerge. By then, strategic commitments and financial obligations are deeply entrenched. Again, the pattern is not about moral equivalence between policy domains. It is about incentives. When both political parties converge quickly on matters involving immense money, immense power, or immense liability, scrutiny tends to narrow rather than widen. And when scrutiny narrows at the highest levels, the public’s role shifts from participant to spectator. When both political parties fail to address something meaningful, when they close ranks instead of competing for exposure, the public should not assume the issue is trivial. More often, it suggests the truth behind the surface may be larger and more consequential than advertised. Democracies depend not just on disagreement, but on adversarial pressure. When that pressure disappears, citizens are right to lean in, not tune out. When both sides go quiet, the story is rarely over. As the Epstein files are showing, it may simply run far deeper than we are being shown. Now read: Today's Epstein’s Records Destroy Official Narratives Our Liquidity Addiction Continues Do DOJ Docs Show Epstein Death Notice A Day Early? The Hijacking Of Bitcoin: Epstein’s Hidden Network Why America’s Two-Party System Will Never Threaten the True Political Elites QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning. Contributor posts and aggregated posts have been hand selected by me, have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author, reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions. All positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. If you see numbers and calculations of any sort, assume they are wrong and double check them. I failed Algebra in 8th grade and topped off my high school math accolades by getting a D- in remedial Calculus my senior year, before becoming an English major in college so I could bullshit my way through things easier. I am an investor in Mark’s fund. The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour. Also, I just straight up get shit wrong a lot. I mention it twice because it’s that important. Tyler Durden Tue, 02/17/2026 - 14:00

Instacart salaries revealed: Here's how much the delivery service pays data scientists, engineering managers, and others
BusinessBusiness Insider17d ago

Instacart salaries revealed: Here's how much the delivery service pays data scientists, engineering managers, and others

Instacart hired software engineers and data scientists on H-1B visas last year. illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images Instacart is growing beyond its traditional grocery delivery business. The company's advertising and retail tech businesses are expanding. Here's what the company paid some of its corporate employees in 2025. Delivery service Instacart is moving further into new areas, such as advertising and retail tech. The company's roughly 600,000 gig workers, who shop and deliver groceries and other retail goods, are its most visible face for many people. But Instacart's business is growing in many directions, CEO Chris Rogers said on a November earnings call. "We have the leading online grocery marketplace, a best-in-class suite of enterprise technologies for retailers, and a growing advertising ecosystem," Rogers said on the call, his first as CEO after assuming the position in August. Instacart needs people to make good on its growth plans. The company had about 170 open roles on its careers website as of early February. "We're hiring selectively, with priority on roles that support our core marketplace, Instacart Enterprise solutions for retailers globally, and our ads and data platform," an Instacart spokesperson told Business Insider. "We regularly review compensation to ensure it's competitive and aligned with market benchmarks, location, and role," the spokesperson said. That hiring can include some employees from outside the US on H-1B work visas. Business Insider analyzed how much money companies from Apple to Walmart are paying for tech jobs and other roles. Explore salary data from America's biggest employers. Business Insider analyzed 157 H-1B visa applications submitted by Instacart and certified by the Department of Labor in the year ending September 30, 2025. These applications provide insight into how much employees in certain roles make. Many of the salaries were for tech roles, including data science, engineering, and product management positions. The Trump administration has initiated changes to the H-1B visa system. In September, Trump imposed a $100,000 fee on new applications. He's also proposed changes to work visa rules that could tilt the already competitive visa lottery in favor of the highest-paid applicants, lawyers told Business Insider. However, these changes were largely initiated after this reporting period. Here's a look at some of the jobs for which Instacart has disclosed salaries in the work visa data. Data Scientist: $125,000 to $210,000 Director of Engineering, Machine Learning: $320,000 to $380,000 Engineering Manager, Software: $220,000 to $290,000 Manager, Machine Learning Engineering: $260,000 to $280,000 Principal Software Engineer: $350,000 to $380,000 Senior Computer Vision/AI Engineer: $180,000 to $290,000 Senior Data Scientist: $170,000 to $265,000 Senior Engagement Manager: $235,000 to $285,000 Senior Engineering Manager: $275,000 to $305,000 Senior Engineering Manager, Software: $275,000 to $305,000 Senior Machine Learning Engineer: $185,000 to $300,000 Senior Machine Learning Engineer: $190,000 to $298,000 Senior Product Manager: $185,000 to $280,000 Senior Software Engineer: $176,000 to $285,000 Software Engineer: $165,000 to $215,000 Staff Software Engineer: $250,000 to $310,000 Have a tip? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider

Spanish Courts Divided on Workplace Bag Checks
Politicsla-vanguardia6h ago

Spanish Courts Divided on Workplace Bag Checks

Spanish courts have issued conflicting rulings on whether employers can compel employees to show the contents of their bags. One ruling favored an employee against Mediamarkt, while another upheld a dismissal for refusing a bag check.

SPIRE partners with national company
BusinessYahoo2d ago

SPIRE partners with national company

HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — A $6 million, multi-year partnership, was recently announced by SPIRE Academy and Vensure Employer Solutions, said SPIRE Academy Chief Executive Officer Steve Sanders. “The partnership connects youth athlete development with workforce innovations, a growing trend as brands look to engage families in trusted high-attention environments,” a press release from SPIRE ...

US contractors in Kuwait decry meager bunkers and pay cuts amid Iran war: ‘We’re treated as expendable’
WorldThe Guardian4d ago

US contractors in Kuwait decry meager bunkers and pay cuts amid Iran war: ‘We’re treated as expendable’

Employees say they have heard little from major defense contractor V2X Inc about safety and evacuation protocols Employees of major defense contractor V2X Inc on US military bases in Kuwait say they lack adequate bunker facilities and have had their pay reduced amid Iranian missile attacks across the Persian Gulf region, while receiving limited communication from their employer about safety and evacuation procedures. The Guardian interviewed three V2X employees on the US bases Camp Arifjan a...

Employer Disciplinary Penalties in Poland
Businessrzeczpospolita7d ago

Employer Disciplinary Penalties in Poland

In Poland, employers are restricted from inventing their own disciplinary penalties, with a limited catalog of permissible sanctions for workplace infractions such as non-compliance with work order or safety regulations.

Hospitality Industry Job Fair Held in Riga
Businesslsm-lv7d ago

Hospitality Industry Job Fair Held in Riga

A job fair for the hospitality industry was held in Riga on February 25, aiming to connect employers with job seekers amidst increasing difficulty in finding staff for hotels and restaurants.

Cyprus pushes ahead with minimum wage reform despite disputes
Politicscyprus-mail8d ago

Cyprus pushes ahead with minimum wage reform despite disputes

Cyprus moved a step closer this week to adopting a long-delayed EU directive on adequate minimum wages, as the updated draft law was presented to social partners, with key disagreements between employers and unions still unresolved. The proposed Adequate Minimum Wages Law of 2025 aims to improve living and working conditions by ensuring that statutory […]

Greek Tax Declaration Platform Opening Soon
Financenaftemporiki9d ago

Greek Tax Declaration Platform Opening Soon

Employers in Greece have until Friday, January 27, to submit income certificates to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) to facilitate the pre-filling process for tax declarations, with the platform expected to open shortly after.

AI and Future Job Market in Romania
Businessdigi2412d ago

AI and Future Job Market in Romania

Specialists in Romania identify jobs that are resistant to automation by AI, while also discussing the changing demands of employers and the impact of AI on the workforce.

Do you remember your first crappy job? Today’s young people would wish for half your luck | Gaby Hinsliff
PoliticsThe GuardianNew Statesman13d ago2 sources

Do you remember your first crappy job? Today’s young people would wish for half your luck | Gaby Hinsliff

The youth minimum wage is set to rise over this parliament, but it’s putting off employers from hiring people into their first roles When Keir Starmer was 14 years old, he got a part-time job clearing stones from a local farmer’s field. At 16, Kemi Badenoch was flipping burgers and cleaning toilets in McDonald’s. Me, I waitressed at weekends from the age of 15 in an Essex pub owned by an ex-paratrooper with two formidable rottweilers roaming behind the bar, which was a life lesson all of its own. But whatever your first job may have been, there’s a reasonable chance it combined the thrill of hard cash with several mortifying mistakes and a crash course in handling stroppy customers, taking criticism more or less gracefully and moaning about it only out of earshot. Though teenage starter jobs have been in decline for decades – for reasons varying from academic pressures on sixth-formers to the rise of side hustles on Vinted that don’t show up in official statistics – everyone still has to start somewhere, even if it’s now more likely at 18 than 14. But getting that start is becoming harder than it was. Continue reading...

Teacher Loses Career Over Two-Word Facebook Post Supporting ICE
PoliticsFox Newszerohedge14d ago2 sources

Teacher Loses Career Over Two-Word Facebook Post Supporting ICE

Teacher Loses Career Over Two-Word Facebook Post Supporting ICE James Heidorn, who taught at Gary Elementary School in West Chicago, found himself at the center of a community firestorm that cost him not just his teaching position but his identity as an educator, all for posting two words on Facebook: "Go ICE."  The incident began in late January when Heidorn, a 14-year physical education teacher, responded to a news story about a local police department pledging cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His personal Facebook post sparked immediate backlash in the heavily Hispanic district, with local activists circulating screenshots and demanding action against him. School officials quickly notified Heidorn on Jan. 22 about growing social media chatter. After meeting with HR staff that same day, he resigned briefly, then rescinded his decision hours later. He was set to return on Monday pending an investigation. The investigation never got that chance. "This process has been professionally and personally devastating and surreal," former West Chicago teacher James Heidorn told Fox News Digital. "I’ve spent 14 years building my career, pouring my heart into teaching kids, building relationships and being a positive role model. To see it all upended over two simple words, ‘Go ICE,’ where I expressed my personal support for law enforcement felt like a severe blow to my career." Indeed, the outcry was relentless.  Illinois state Sen. Karina Villa, a Democrat, publicly condemned the post. "I stand in unwavering solidarity with families upset about the disturbing comments reportedly made by an educator," Villa said. West Chicago Mayor Daniel Bovey joined the pile-on before any investigation concluded. In a Saturday Facebook video, he explained why Heidorn's comments were "hurtful" and "offensive" to the community. "So to have someone cavalierly rooting on—as if it's a football game or something, yeah go—events which have traumatized these children… that is the issue," Bovey said. Meanwhile, parents organized online, planning a boycott by keeping their kids from school, and the city held a “listening session” on Jan. 26 at Bovey’s request, complete with a Spanish translator. Attendees described the post as "cruel" and said "kids do not feel safe." Heidorn maintained that his post meant nothing beyond supporting law enforcement. "This started with a two-word comment on my personal Facebook page supporting law enforcement—nothing more," Heidorn said. "It wasn't directed at any student, family or school community." The distinction made no difference to the community or to the school administrators. "I was placed on leave and faced intense pressure before any full investigation or fair process could play out, with this it led to my resignation," Heidorn said. He resigned a second time rather than face termination after a hearing with school officials. A West Chicago Elementary School District 33 spokesperson called the post "disruptive" and said it "raised concerns and caused disruption for students, families and staff." The district declined to specify which rule Heidorn violated or whether teachers who publicly disrupt in favor of opposing immigration enforcement would face similar consequences. In fact, teachers across the country have protested President Trump's immigration policies without repercussions. In Chicago specifically, teachers even stormed a Target and harassed employees over the same policies without losing their jobs. But expressing support for law enforcement in Chicago is apparently controversial.  "It does feel like a double standard—due to my viewpoint being different from others within the community that I taught in," Heidorn said. "Fairness should apply equally, regardless of those viewpoints. If personal political speech is grounds for punishment, it should be consistent—not selective based on what side you're on." The fallout extended beyond his teaching position. Heidorn lost his coaching job at a nearby private school. He must now inform future employers that he resigned and explain why. "I really don't know what is next for me, as the teaching profession has been, up to this point in time, all that I ever wanted to do," Heidorn said. He earned a master's degree in educational leadership to become the best teacher possible. Now he spends time healing. "I lost my career, my income and the chance to close out my time with my students properly—no farewell, no goodbyes," Heidorn said. Despite the loud outcry, Heidorn has received some local support, including a GoFundMe being set up for him.  “James Heidorn, a beloved physical education teacher at Gary Elementary School, resigned after a single social media comment ignited outrage and a one-sided account that quickly spiraled beyond control,” the GoFundMe page reads. “What followed was not reflection or fairness, but permanent consequences that have changed the course of his life.” As for his future, he’s not sure what’s going to happen. "I really don’t know what is next for me, as the teaching profession has been, up to this point in time, all that I ever wanted to do," he said. "It is all I have ever studied for and teaching is what has defined me. Even advancing my education with a master's degree in educational leadership because I wanted to become the best teacher I can be." Heidorn said he’s exploring other options in education or related fields. “I want people to know I’m grateful for the outpouring of support from those who reached out, donated or shared my story,” he said. “It reminds me that most people value fairness and second chances. I’m determined to move forward positively and keep contributing to kids’ lives in whatever way I can.” Tyler Durden Wed, 02/18/2026 - 16:40

Miami is not the next Silicon Valley. It's something much weirder.
BusinessBusiness Insider14d ago

Miami is not the next Silicon Valley. It's something much weirder.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/BI Tech's elite are taking their talents to South Beach — again. In January, David Sacks, the venture capitalist and crypto and AI czar, proclaimed that Miami will soon replace New York City as America's financial capital. Stripe's Patrick Collison has been marveling at the city's "boomtown" vibes. With California flirting with a one-time tax on billionaires, said billionaires like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Mark Zuckerberg are buying oceanfront mansions. And on Tuesday, Palantir announced that it's moving its headquarters from Denver to Miami. Is Miami the next Silicon Valley? We've been here before. The pandemic sent waves of coastal workers to the city, turning it into a Zoomtown full of online venture capitalists like Keith Rabois and Delian Asparouhov, bitcoin bull runners, and purveyors of the finest NFTs. Billboards went up in San Francisco featuring a mock tweet from then-Miami mayor Francis Suarez: "Thinking about moving to Miami? DM me." Here's the thing: It's easy to fall for Miami when a big chunk of the workforce is stuck at home and online. Five years later, it's a lot harder to build companies there. "Miami is great three months out of the year," says one prominent venture capitalist who moved to the city during the pandemic but is now returning to an established hub. While the Floridian tax benefits are real, the investor has found that the social scene hollows out in the summer as residents leave, making it "hard to build roots or have reliable friends." More critically for the startup ecosystem, the scene lacked the "hustle" of San Francisco or New York. Silicon Valley practically runs on a conveyor belt from Stanford and Caltech to Y Combinator's Dogpatch offices. The machine turns students into founders, builders into companies, and companies into the next wave of founders. Miami, meanwhile, lacks a major university to pipe in tech talent. Instead, the investor says, the city tends to attract people who have already "made it." Miami and Fort Lauderdale-based startups raised $3 billion in 2025. Bay Area-based startups raised $177 billion. The Miami market, while busy, significantly lags behind the major hubs. Startups in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro raised about $3 billion in 2025, per PitchBook, down from $8.6 billion in 2022, when money and crypto sloshed about. The Bay Area, by contrast, still grabs 52% of the nation's venture funding, with $177 billion in capital pouring in last year. Alligators may be all around in Miami, but unicorns are hard to find. In January, Cast AI, a startup that helps companies cut cloud costs, crossed the $1 billion valuation mark, becoming the region's first homegrown unicorn in years. Before that, Adam Neumann, the ousted WeWork cofounder, debuted his Miami residential real-estate venture, Flow, at a $1 billion valuation in 2022. Even Garry Tan, the Y Combinator president and gadfly who's usually first in line to dunk on San Francisco's politics, has been blunt about where the breeding grounds are best. Tan recently said on X that the accelerator still hasn't opened offices outside the Bay Area because founders are simply more likely to build unicorns there. According to a Business Insider analysis of Crunchbase data, of the at least 97 new unicorns that investors minted in 2025, 43 of them were based in the Bay Area. But those who dismiss the city entirely miss the point. Miami isn't the next San Francisco. It's establishing itself as something else. Patrick Murphy, a former Florida congressman and entrepreneur, says that Miami's tech scene is growing, it's just being built in "reverse order." Silicon Valley, he says, emerged from an if you build it, they will come approach: Engineers built great companies first, which eventually created fortunes that cycled back into the community to fund the next generation of companies. Miami, however, has a more if you come, they will build it tact. It's attracted the "wealth achievers" first — the family offices, private equity names, and already-successful founders who emigrated for lifestyle reasons. Finance heavyweights like Citadel and Thoma Bravo arrived early. Vanguard, one of the world's largest asset managers, is eyeing an expansion in Miami as it targets more Latin American wealth. The city is now importing the machinery that follows them. Legal, accounting, and consulting firms are opening local offices to stay close to clients — and scoop up star talent that no longer needs to live near HQ. This dynamic has established Miami as a "control center" for decision-makers, Murphy argues, but not yet the "factory floor" where the actual work gets done. Murphy says that despite running a successful construction-tech startup, Togal.AI, his engineering team has been offshore from the beginning because the local talent pool simply "didn't exist" when he started in 2019. "If you go to Miami, you're not going to see dozens of engineers at a Starbucks cranking away," he says. "That's not here yet." Still, Miami's flood of wealth is creating demand for startups built on the city's local economy, especially in property tech and fintech, Murphy says. Togal.AI's annual recurring revenue has grown 1,000% over the past two years, Murphy says, and is now raising fresh venture funding in order to hire dozens of new employees this year. Palantir's move immediately became a kind of Rorschach test for Miami's future. "Florida is the new crypto," one user wrote on X. Maya Bakhai, a Fort Lauderdale resident and founder of the early-stage venture firm Spice Capital, tells me that the city will flourish alongside "net new" industries that are still taking shape and where the center of gravity isn't locked in yet. Crypto firms like MoonPay and QuickNode still treat South Florida as a home base, she notes. A new space-tech accelerator backed by the state is trying to persuade founders to stick around by pairing them with funders. Bakhai's bigger bet is that just as New York became the hub for e-commerce, Miami could become the place where creator businesses get built. Research out of the University of Hong Kong found Miami has more top influencers per capita than New York or Los Angeles. And then there's Palantir, the strongest signal flare yet that tech is taking America's Playground seriously. It's hard to know what the data giant's HQ move will mean in practice — Palantir hasn't said how many employees it plans to relocate, or whether it will offer moving packages to lure talent south. The company did not respond to an email request for comment. If Palantir does move a meaningful slice of its workforce, it would give Miami something it's been short on: a marquee tech employer that can recruit and keep technical workers on the ground year-round. On X, Palantir's move immediately became a kind of Rorschach test for Miami's future. ""Florida is the future," cheered Andreessen Horowitz investor Katherine Boyle. Others were less convinced. "Florida is the new crypto," one user wrote. "For the next 20 years, nothing will change, but they will always tell you 'big things are happening in Florida.'" Turning Miami into Silicon Beach is a long game, Bakhai argues. It won't be built by the billionaires buying houses to snowbird in today, she argues, but by the young strivers arriving for their first serious jobs — the entry-level analysts heading to Citadel and the junior lawyers starting at firms like Orrick. For the first time, she says, ambitious graduates can launch careers in Miami instead of treating New York or San Francisco as the default. The payoff, she says, comes years later, when they eventually spin off to start their own companies. Until then, Miami remains largely a playground for the "made it" crowd, waiting in the sun for the builders to come. Melia Russell is a reporter with Business Insider, covering the intersection of law and technology. Read the original article on Business Insider

'Dress for the job you want' is dead. Now, it's 'dress for the job you want to keep.'
CultureBusiness Insider15d ago

'Dress for the job you want' is dead. Now, it's 'dress for the job you want to keep.'

Brands like Toteme are becoming more popular as investment dressing resurges. Edward Berthelot/Getty Images Workwear is recalibrating to styles that balance comfort with a more polished look. The tightening job market and return-to-office mandates have chipped away at pandemic casualness. Employees may also be using more polished workwear to create a boundary between work and home. Dress for the job you want to… keep? In a job market where power has shifted toward employers, at least one thing remains within an employee's control: how they choose to show up to work. With layoffs and slow hiring shaping the labor market and RTO mandates pulling employees back into offices, experts say workers are dressing more carefully to project competence. In periods of uncertainty, clothing is less about comfort and self-expression, and more about job security, Lizzy Bowring, a creative strategist and trend forecaster, told Business Insider. "Dressing smarter serves as career risk management," she said. The business casual era gave way to full-on casual Business casual had an era — a long one. Over the past 30 years, suits and ties have given way to blazers and sweaters in many white-collar industries. By the early 2000s, the casual look was ubiquitous in tech. Think Mark Zuckerberg's signature gray T-shirt, hoodie, and jeans. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers the opening keynote address at the f8 Developer Conference April 21, 2010 Justin Sullivan/Getty Images When the pandemic hit, casual dressing went from trend to default. There was no need to dress up for your living room. But times are different now. Workers are being called back into the office, and the franzied "Great Resignation" period post-pandemic, when employers were scrambling to retain staff and thrust into bidding wars to scoop up talent, is well behind us. The balance of power has shifted from employee to employer. US businesses are hiring at one of the slowest rates since 2013, and the early impact of AI is beginning to show up. Last month saw more layoffs than any January since 2009, as big companies like Amazon and Citi announced plans to cut thousands of jobs. Because of this, "employees are becoming more conscious of how they present themselves, not because they're being told to, but because uncertainty changes behaviour," Frances Li, founder and director of Biscuit Recruitment, a boutique recruitment agency based in London and New York, told Business Insider. Recalibration, not return An example of a more tailored silhouette is the oversized blazer, pictured here on content creator and writer Alba Garavito Torre. Edward Berthelot/Getty Images Still, experts say we aren't seeing a full return to suits and straight-cut dresses. Trend forecaster Lizzy Bowring describes this as an "'intentional recalibration' — blending comfort with sharper silhouettes, structured tailoring and more deliberate styling." The jacket you once wore over a T-shirt to look smarter for a Zoom meeting is now shifting to a more tailored look, said Bowring. Think oversized blazers and fitted dresses. Fashion's messaging is reflecting this. There's a focus on tailoring and silhouette-forming pieces across luxury brands like Prada, Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta, she said. A model walks the runway at Bottega Veneta's Spring/Summer 2026 fashion show at Milan Fashion Week in September. Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Economic uncertainty has also revived interest in investment dressing: wardrobe staples that work in the office and beyond, cut with precision and built to last. Brands like The Row and Toteme have gained cultural relevance by positioning their pieces as investments, reinforcing the appeal of clothing "that communicates stability, longevity and professional credibility," Bowring added. TikTok content about what to wear to the office and why it matters has also grown in popularity. Younger members of Gen Z, entering office settings for the first time, are questioning how to balance their personal style with work-appropriate attire. Grace McCarrick, a content creator who delivers soft skills training to companies such as Uber and Spotify, said her TikTok videos on being intentional with your appearance at work have been some of her most viral — garnering hundreds of thousands of views. @graceforpersonalityhires The cheat no one is telling you about- you don’t have to look super polished if you look rich. In the north east, the look tends to be a bit dull lol but do what feels right for you ♬ original sound - grace mccarrick "It is so complicated to move up and get noticed in the workforce today," she said. The idea of 'dressing for success' is one of the only levers you can control to help you progress at work, she added. "People who put in the effort stand out like neon signs. They've upped their charisma factor by simply not being as schlubby as everyone else. They could be the most awkward person, but because they look good in a sea of wrinkled khakis with black sneaker 'dress shoes,' they're magnetic," she said. Setting boundaries Formal dress is also a way for employees to clearly distinguish between work and home life. "Work wear cues a performance state, whereas home wear signals a relaxation state," Hajo Adam, an organizational psychologist and professor at the University of Bath, told Business Insider. This separation might help people to actually switch off when work finishes. So, once the clock strikes 5 p.m. — go ahead, loosen up, and hang up your blazer, whether your desk is in the office or in your living room. Read the original article on Business Insider

Nvidia was his dream job. An international student facing a visa deadline shares how he landed it.
BusinessBusiness Insider16d ago

Nvidia was his dream job. An international student facing a visa deadline shares how he landed it.

Sylendran Arunagiri Sylendran Arunagiri Sylendran Arunagiri wanted to work at Nvidia, his "dream company." He said the US job market felt far more challenging than what he'd experienced in India. After being rejected for an internship, he reflected on what went wrong — and made a plan. As Sylendran Arunagiri considered moving from India to the US to pursue a master's degree, some friends and mentors advised him to delay his move. They warned that the US tech job market had become too challenging. Arunagiri's goal was to move to the US in late 2023, begin a master's program in product management at Carnegie Mellon University, and land a Big Tech internship for the summer of 2024. He hoped this would be a stepping stone toward landing an AI-related role, ideally at Nvidia, his "dream company" because of its central role in the AI technologies he'd long wanted to work on. However, there were several things working against him. For one, the US tech hiring landscape was already creating headaches for job seekers. Openings had plummeted from highs reached a year earlier, and industry layoffs were increasing competition for available roles. Additionally, Arunagiri had grown accustomed to the job market in India, where he earned a bachelor's degree and an MBA from top institutions that he said relied on structured campus placement programs to funnel many students directly into jobs. But from what he'd heard, the US was very different. Job fairs were often more like networking events than recruiting opportunities. "You're completely on your own," said the 30-year-old, who now lives in San Jose. Arunagiri is among the many job seekers who have struggled to navigate a US hiring landscape that's become more challenging in recent years. Amid economic uncertainty, the early effects of generative AI adoption, and a broader push to streamline operations, US businesses are now hiring at one of the slowest rates since 2013. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); Still, some people have managed to break through in a challenging market. Arunagiri shared how he pursued his goal of working at Nvidia — a company he described as his dream employer — and offered his top advice for other job seekers. Striking out on Nvidia Many of the tech companies Arunagiri was targeting had conducted summer internship interviews the previous fall, so he began applying before moving to the US. After sending out many applications, he landed an interview with Nvidia in November 2023. Arunagiri said the interview process went so well that he stopped applying to other internships. But after moving to the US and completing his final interview in February, he learned that he wouldn't be getting the role — which left him scrambling to find another internship. "I had to start from scratch, but by then many of the applications had dried out," he said Arunagiri was able to land an AI product manager internship based in India at the tech company Informatica. However, that summer, he found it difficult to stop thinking about what went wrong during his interview process with Nvidia — and began setting his sights on eventually landing a full-time role with the company. Business Insider is speaking with workers who've found themselves at a corporate crossroads — whether due to a layoff, resignation, job search, or shifting workplace expectations. Share your story by filling out this form, contacting this reporter via email at jzinkula@businessinsider.com, or via Signal at jzinkula.29. A second chance at Nvidia Upon reflection, Arunagiri suspected that his final Nvidia interview may have doomed him. He said he was lower energy than usual because he was feeling sick that day, and that he'd been hesitant to postpone it out of fear that the opportunity would be filled in the meantime. In hindsight, he said that decision was likely a mistake. "I came off as a dull candidate, but I'm usually energetic and conversational," he said. "I should have probably postponed it to a day that I was feeling better." Arunagiri decided to reach out to an HR professional from Nvidia to get insight into where he fell short, and they agreed to jump on a call with him. While they didn't provide specific insights into his candidacy, he said they recommended he try to connect with people at Nvidia in current roles, including hiring managers and interns, to get insight into the kinds of projects they were working on and how he could better align his profile. He eventually connected with about five Nvidia interns, who he said provided valuable insights. Those conversations helped shape the personal AI-related projects he began pursuing and sharing on LinkedIn in hopes of standing out. After the summer, Arunagiri dove back into the job search, eager to land a role before he graduated in December 2024. He knew that if he didn't land a job within 90 days after graduation, his F-1 visa restrictions would force him to return to India. In September 2024, he submitted a cold application for a technical product marketing role in agentic AI at Nvidia —a role he described as his "dream AI role" at his dream company. He was asked to interview starting in October, and around the same time, he was also invited to interview for a more junior product management role at Microsoft. Advice for other job seekers In December, with his graduation looming later that month, Arunagiri received offers from Nvidia and Microsoft within days of each other. Given that Nvidia was his dream employer, the role checked a lot of his boxes, and the pay was higher than Microsoft's, he said the decision was fairly easy — and he accepted Nvidia's offer. He said that so far, working at Nvidia has been "everything that I've dreamed of." Arunagiri believes that his LinkedIn presence helped him stand out. During the interview process, he said, the hiring manager told him that he'd reviewed his LinkedIn profile and noticed the projects he'd been working on, including small experiments with new generative AI tools and models he'd shared publicly. He has a few pieces of advice for job seekers. First, he said, time management is key, particularly because applying for jobs and connecting with people can be time-consuming. Second, he said, never compare your job search journey to anyone else's, since a variety of factors can influence how it plays out. Rather than quietly applying and networking, he recommends sharing tangible projects publicly — such as posting about AI tools you've explored and linking to projects on LinkedIn or a personal website — so hiring managers can see your work. "You need to find something that sets you apart from others," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider