Rice, the worlds most consumed grain, will become increasingly toxic as the atmosphere heats and as carbon dioxide emissions rise, potentially putting billions of people at risk of cancers and other diseases, according to�new research�published Wednesday in The Lancet.�
Eaten every day by billions of people and grown across the globe, rice is arguably the planets most important staple crop, with half the worlds population relying on it for the majority of its food needs, especially in developing countries.
But the way rice is grownmostly submerged in paddiesand its highly porous texture means it can absorb unusually high levels of arsenic, a potent carcinogenic toxin that is especially dangerous for babies.
Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist and associate professor at Columbia University, has studied rice for three decades and has more recently focused his research on how climate change reduces nutrient levels across many staple crops, including rice. He teamed up with researchers from China and the U.S. to conduct a first-of-its-kind study, looking at how a range of rice species reacted to increases in temperature and carbon dioxide, both of which are projected to occur as more greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. The new study was published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Previous work has focused on individual responsessome on CO2 and some on temperature, but not both, and not on a wide range of rice genetics, Ziska said. We knew that temperature by itself could increase levels, and carbon dioxide by a little bit. But when we put both of them together, then wow, that was really something we were not expecting. Youre looking at a crop staple thats consumed by a billion people every day, and any effect on toxicity is going to have a pretty damn large effect.
For six years, Ziska and a large team of research colleagues in China and the U.S. grew rice in controlled fields, subjecting it to varying levels of carbon dioxide and temperature. They found that when both increased, in line with projections by climate scientists, the amount of arsenic and inorganic arsenic in rice grains also went up.
Arsenic is found naturally in some foods, including fish and shellfish, and in waters and soils.
Inorganic arsenic is found in industrial materials and gets into waterincluding water used to submerge rice paddies.
Rice is easily inundated with weeds and other crops, but it has one advantage: It grows well in water. So farmers germinate the seeds, and when the seedlings are ready, plant them in wet soil. They then flood their fields, which suppresses weeds, but allows the rice to flourish. Rice readily absorbs the water and everything in itincluding arsenic, either naturally occurring or not. Most of the worlds rice is grown this way.
The new research demonstrates that climate change will ramp up those levels.
What happens in rice, because of complex biogeochemical processes in the soil, when temperatures and CO2 go up, inorganic arsenic also does, Ziska said. And its this inorganic arsenic that poses the greatest health risk.
Exposure to inorganic arsenic has been linked to cancers of the skin, bladder and lung, heart disease and neurological problems in infants. Research has found that in parts of the world with high consumption of rice, inorganic arsenic increases cancer risk.
Ziska and his colleagues took the data from their field trials and then, based on per capita consumption data in seven of the top rice-consuming countries in Asia, projected how disease risk could also increase. They found that in those seven countriesVietnam, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Indiadisease risk rose across the board.��
There is a toxicological effect of climate change relative to one of the most consumed staples in the world, Ziska said, and the consumption is one of the hallmarks of whether youre going to be vulnerable to that effect.
Researchers have known that rice can contain high levels of arsenic and regulators have suggested exposure limits, especially for infants who are particularly vulnerable and tend to eat a lot of rice. This new research should put extra pressure on regulators to set more stringent thresholds, the authors say. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has never set limits for arsenic in foods.
The researchers also point to the potential of various interventions that could limit exposure to inorganic arsenic from rice, including developing strains of rice that are less absorbent and educating consumers about alternatives to rice.
Rice has always been a food where arsenic is an issue, and climate change is making it worse, said Keeve Nachman, one of the reports authors, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and a longtime researcher of health risks related to food production and consumption. This is one more reason to interveneto control peoples exposure. The number one thing we can do is everything in our power to slow climate change.
Georgina Gustin, Inside Climate News
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here.
When Chinese automaker BYD announced plans to build a massive factory in the hardscrabble city of Camacari, in Brazil’s northeastern Bahia state, locals saw a new beginning. After years of economic stagnation following Ford’s exit from the region in 2021, there was hope that the global leader in electric vehicles would bring back well-paying jobs and a brighter future.The timing seemed right. Brazil, the world’s sixth-largest auto market, is seeing a surge in EV salesand BYD is leading the charge. For Camacari, the deal promised to fill the economic vacuum left by the American company, which had once been the city’s largest employer.
Then plans went off track.A December raid led by Brazilian authorities rescued 163 Chinese nationals said to be working in “slavery-like” conditions at the site. A video from the Labor Prosecutor’s Office showed dormitories with beds lacking mattresses and makeshift cooking facilities. The company postponed plans to begin its first production line in March and has not established a new timeline, spreading fears among Camacari workers.“When BYD announced it was coming here, it sparked a lot of hope in us,” said Luizmar Santana Pereira, a metalworker and former Ford employee, who has been working as a taxi driver. “We’ve been waiting for this job opportunity, but so far, we haven’t seen it.”After the raid, a spokesperson based at BYD’s China headquarters denied wrongdoing, saying in a post on the Weibo social media site that the accusations were an attempt at “smearing” Chinese brands and China. The post also blamed “foreign forces” for the allegation and criticized media reports.In a statement disseminated in Brazil, the carmaker adopted a more conciliatory tone. The company said it “does not tolerate disrespect for Brazilian law and human dignity” and rescinded the contract with Chinese construction company Jinjiang, which had brought the workers.
In Brazil, ample room for BYD to grow
EVs are spreading fast in Brazil, Latin America’s most populous nation. Sales jumped 85% in 2024, reaching over 170,000 units, including fully electric and hybrid vehicles, according to the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles. That accounted for about 7% of new car sales in the country.The growth is spearheaded by BYD. Seven out of 10 EVs sold in the country are from the brand, which also leads hybrid sales. In major cities such as Sao Paulo and Brasilia, imported BYD cars and dealerships have become a common sight. In Brazil’s capital, it’s the best-selling brand, whether EV or gas-powered.Another Chinese EV maker, GWM, also recently announced plans to open a factory in Brazil after acquiring a shuttered Mercedes-Benz facility in the industrialized state of Sao Paulo.BYD’s inroads in Brazil are in tandem with the company’s global growth. The world’s leading EV company logged a record $107 billion in revenue in 2024 as its sales of electric and hybrid vehicles jumped 40%, surpassing American rival Tesla. This year, plans include the inauguration of its first car factory in Europe, currently under construction in Hungary.Brazil’s policies are driving EV sales and production, according to Adalberto Maluf, national secretary of Urban Environment and Environmental Quality.In an interview with The Associated Press in Brasilia, Maluf cited incentives enacted in 2024 that favor electric motors, tax reductions for lower-emission cars and a new air quality program with nationwide monitoring and pollution reduction goals.Brazil is the one of the top 10 emitters of greenhouse gases, contributing around 3% of global emissions, according to nonprofit Climate Watch. However, pollution from energy does not play a big role, as about half of greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation, mostly in the Amazon, followed by agriculture. About 85% of the country’s electricity comes from renewable sources.For Maluf, who worked for almost nine years at BYD Brazil, the country is attractive to Chinese electric car makers for reasons ranging from the size of its market to the presence of several auto parts suppliers and the strong political relationship between the two countries.“Brazilians have no geopolitical issues with China. If you ask, ‘Are you against China?’ most people won’t have a strong opinion about it,” he said.“In the U.S., however, they do, because it’s part of the president’s rhetoric,” he added, referring to President Donald Trump’s frequent comments about China “ripping off” America on trade.
It’s unclear what is next for BYD factory
Since the raid, BYD has not allowed press visits inside its Camacari premises, citing concerns about trade secrets. It’s unclear if BYD is still on track to turn the former Ford site into its largest plant outside China by the end of 2026.When AP journalists visited in March for several days, they saw only a few construction workers at the large site. And one day, while standing on the street adjoining the premises, three BYD guards, one who kept his hand on his gun, incorrectly accused the journalists of flying a drone inside factory boundaries and demanded to see identification. Minutes later, security guards on motorcycles approached, honking and ordering the journalists to stop filming workers.BYD said its security guards acted appropriately and declined to answer other questions about its operations in Brazil.While the future of the factory is unclear, the raid and the presence of Chinese workers have gotten the attention of labor unions.“The Metalworkers Union will not tolerate Chinese workers on the production line. If that happens even in the beginning of the production, we will call for a work stoppage,” J�lio Bonfim, the union president, told AP. Bonfim added that there were no objections with BYD employing Chinese technicians and managers, but the factory floor must employ only Brazilians. It was unclear if BYD had agreed to that.Despite the raid and seemingly slow pace of construction, in the Camacari region the shift from Ford to BYD is increasingly visible. A three-decades-old dealership for the American brand named Indiana, in tribute to the U.S. state, now shares space with a BYD reseller, Mandarim. A local hotel started distributing instructions specifically to Chinese guests, asking them not to hang washed clothes in common areas. And a state lawmaker introduced a bill to rename the city’s Henry Ford Avenue, where the plant is located, to BYD Avenue.
Fabian Maisonnave, Associated Press
A Wall Street Journal report this week gave an extensive look into how Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a senior Trump adviser, handles his companies and his more than a dozen children.
The answer, it seems, is by relying heavily on his longtime right-hand man, Jared Birchall. Birchalls role, as he reportedly said in a phone call, is to protect Elon. Here’s what to know about Musks fixer.
Birchalls Early Career
Birchall graduated from Brigham Young University in 1999 and spent a year as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. In 2000, he moved into private wealth management at Merrill Lynch but was fired after a decade for sending correspondence to a client without management approval, according to a regulatory report cited by Bloomberg. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2010, where he managed Musks money as part of a small team. In 2016, Musk recruited Birchall to run his family office, Excession.
A Quiet Contrast to Musk
Birchall and Musk present starkly different public personas. Birchall, according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, is a practicing Mormon who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Musk, by contrast, thrives on attentionhaving hosted Saturday Night Live and frequently sharing his views on X, the social media platform he owns.
The Fixer’s Role
Birchalls responsibilities are wide-ranging. According to Bloomberg, he helped arrange the loans from Wall Street that enabled Musk to purchase what was then known as Twitter. He also handled disbursements from Musks super PAC, which supported Donald Trumps presidential campaign. More recently, The Wall Street Journal reported, Birchall has acted as a go-between for Musk and several of the mothers of his children. That has allegedly included acquiring a property in Austin for them to live in and offering secrecy agreements in exchange for large sums of money.
Loyalty and Wealth
Birchall has remained at Musks side throughout the billionaires meteoric rise. While his exact income is unknown, Bloomberg cited a report estimating that the typical head of a large family office earns between $1 million and $3 million annuallythough his salary may be much higher. In 2020, Birchall reportedly purchased a $2.25 million home in Austin, complete with a pool and tennis court.
He also serves as the head of Musks neurotechnology firm, Neuralink. However, Bloomberg noted that Birchall holds no actual executive authority there. His name was added to company documents as a legal formality, and he does not participate in day-to-day operations.
Imagine two interns. The first follows instructions to the lettercompiling research, scheduling social media posts, and managing your calendar.
The second completes the same tasks but takes it a step furtherfinding additional research sources, streamlining the social media workflow, and proactively suggesting optimal meeting times based on past interactions and behaviors.
These two interns, with their overlapping but distinct capabilities, capture the essence of automation versus AI. Both liberate users from tedious manual work, but only one, with its built-in autonomy, is changing the nature of how we interact with technology.
At Jotform, weve incorporated automation and AI into our daily processeswe also offer both types of solutions to users. Heres how each serves a unique purposeand how you can leverage them to work smarter.
Automation versus AI
Im a strong proponent of automation. Its the foundation of my career and my company. I even wrote a book about itto show how automation can free people from the dull, repetitive parts of their jobs.
But automation itself is nothing new. Over a century ago, Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing with the moving assembly line, cutting production time for the Model T from 12 hours to just 90 minutes. That was mechanical automationa system designed to streamline repetitive tasks.
The 21st century brought a similar revolution to knowledge work. If you break down your daily workflows, youll likely find parts that can be automated using the right tools or technology.
Take a reporter covering breaking news: instead of manually checking for updates every half hour, she sets up Google Alerts to track developments in real-time.
Or consider a recruiter: rather than sifting through thousands of applications, they use a tool like Harver to automatically screen candidates based on preset criteria, bringing the most promising applicants to the fore.
When I published my book in 2023, we were only beginning to grasp AIs potential. Fast-forward to today, and tools like ChatGPT have evolved dramaticallyexcelling in speed, accuracy, memory, and multimodal capabilities. Automation executes tasks. AI mimics human thinking and reasoning.
AI doesnt just follow instructions; it reasons, adapts, and makes decisions. And now, AI agents are taking things a step furtheroperating autonomously, dynamically reasoning through complex situations, and acting without human intervention.
I like the analogy Google used in a recent white paper: agents are like chefsgathering ingredients, planning a dish, and making adjustments as they cook. I would add that automation is like a line cookhighly efficient, but following instructions rather than innovating.
In todays workplace, automation and AI complement each other. The real power comes in knowing when to use which.
Leveraging their strengths
Painting with broad strokes, automation tools are ideal for repetitive tasks that require clear, rule-based actions. For instance, you can set an automation tool to redirect any email containing X to a specific folder or flag any X security issue in a system for review by a human employee. Automation shines when it comes to tasks meant to be executed consistently and without variation.
AI tools, on the other hand, can add a human-like reasoning element to a task or workflow. Its ideal for situations that require dynamic responses.
For example, imagine an AI agent that doesnt just transcribe your meetings, but also provides a personalized recap, compiles action items, and even drafts follow-up emailsall tailored to your role in the organization or meeting. While executing tasks, the agent applies judgment and adapts as it goes.
The beauty of agents, the latest advance in AI, is the power to design them based on your unique needs and circumstances.
For instance, I wanted an AI agent to help wrangle my email inbox, so I built one according to my personal goals: parsing out spam, flagging time-sensitive messages, and redirecting items to read later. That way, I can check email twice or three times a day, knowing Ill be alerted about any urgent messages. I redirect my focus to more impactful work that requires deep focus.�
So, is AI always the best option? Not necessarily.
Consider it like using a laser cutter for a task that a pair of scissors could handle perfectly well. Sometimes, the added investment in AI tools isnt justified when simpler automation will do the trick.
It starts with mapping out your workflows and deciding which type of task youd like to delegatewhether it requires mere execution or a higher level of judgment and reasoning.�
Final thoughts
Automation and AI are two sides of the same coinoffloading work that doesnt require your direct involvement and recapturing more time for meaningful tasks involving creativity and strategic thinking.
By removing boring, tedious work from your plate, they also serve in the battle against burnout, which has become all too common in a world obsessed with busyness.�
The key is knowing when to use each. If automation improves your efficiency, AI tools can boost your reasoning and decision-making. Combined, AI and automation dont just save time; they change how we approach work.
Netflix fared better than analysts anticipated during the first three months of the year, signaling the world’s largest video streaming service is still thriving as President Donald Trump’s policies cast a pall on the economy.The numbers released Thursday indicated Netflix is still building on the momentum that enabled it to add 41 million worldwide subscribers last yearthe biggest annual gain in the company’s 27-year history.But it’s unclear precisely how many more subscribers Netflix picked up during the January-March period because this report marks the first time that that the Los Gatos, California, company hasn’t provided a quarterly update on its total subscribers.Netflix announced last year it would no longer report subscriber numbers beginning with this quarter as the company seeks to shift investors’ focus to its profits after topping 300 million global subscribers in December. As part of that emphasis, Netflix is working to sell more advertising to supplement subscription dollars.Netflix’s sharper focus on its finances paid off in this year’s first quarter with earnings of $2.9 billion, or $6.61 per share, a 24% increase from from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 13% from the same time last year to $10.54 billion. Both numbers exceeded forecasts compiled by FactSet Research. Without providing details, Netflix cited ongoing subscriber growth as the main reason for its strong start this year.The robust growth came against a background of economic chaos and Trump’s fluctuating trade war. The tech industry has been hit particularly hard by the sweeping tariffs that Trump unveiled April 2 because so many bellwether companies rely on international supply chains that have been provided some relief by temporary freezes and exemptions from the fees.But Netflix’s global streaming service hasn’t been touched by Trump’s tariffs yet, making the company a notable exception that has enabled its stock price to increase 9% so far this year, while the market values of most other major tech companies have plummeted.“Netflix remains a standout in an otherwise volatile tech landscape,” said Andrew Rocco, a who tracks the stock market for Zacks Investment Research.The company’s shares rose nearly 3% in extended trading after its report came out.The trade war could still hurt Netflix if it triggers a recession or fuels inflationary pressures as many economists fear. In those scenarios, more consumers may curtail their discretionary spending on entertainment.The economic volatility could also result in a slowdown in advertising to the detriment of Netflix’s efforts to sell more commercials for a low-priced version of its streaming service that accounted for most of its last year’s subscriber growth.“We’re paying close attention clearly to the consumer sentiment and where the broader economy is moving,” Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said during a Thursday conference call. “But based on what we are seeing by actually operating the business right now, there’s nothing really significant to note.”Peters also said Netflix’s low-cost option, currently priced at $8 per month in the U.S., should help insulate its video streaming service if households start tightening their belts.In a sign of its confidence, Netflix reaffirmed its previous prediction for annual revenue of roughly $44 billion, up 13% from 2024.“Historically in tougher economies, home entertainment value is really important to consumer households,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos noted during the conference call.
Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer
Donald Trump has stepped up his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the same time that the Supreme Court is considering a case that could make it easier for the president to fire him.The developments are occurring against a backdrop of wider turmoil in the economy and financial markets, brought on by Trump’s sweeping taxes on imports. Most economists worry that an assault on the Fed’s longstanding independence from politics would further disrupt markets and add to the uncertainty enveloping the economy.In comments at the White House Thursday, Trump suggested he has the power to remove Powell and criticized him for not aggressively cutting interest rates.“If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me,” Trump said. “I’m not happy with him.”All the scrutiny threatens the Fed’s venerated independence, which has long been supported by most economists and Wall Street investors. Here are some questions and answers about the Fed.
Why does the Fed’s independence matter?
The Fed wields extensive power over the U.S. economy. By cutting the short-term interest rate it controlswhich it typically does when the economy faltersthe Fed can make borrowing cheaper and encourage more spending, accelerating growth and hiring. When it raises the ratewhich it does to cool the economy and combat inflationit can weaken the economy and cause job losses.Economists have long preferred independent central banks because they can more easily take unpopular steps to fight inflation, such as raise interest rates, which makes borrowing to buy a home, car, or appliance more expensive.The importance of an independent Fed was cemented for most economists after the extended inflation spike of the 1970s and early 1980s. Former Fed Chair Arthur Burns has been widely blamed for allowing the painful inflation of that era to accelerate by succumbing to pressure from President Richard Nixon to keep rates low heading into the 1972 election. Nixon feared higher rates would cost him the election, which he won in a landslide.Paul Volcker was eventually appointed chair of the Fed in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, and he pushed the Fed’s short-term rate to the stunningly high level of nearly 20%. (It is currently 4.3%). The eye-popping rates triggered a sharp recession, pushed unemployment to nearly 11%, and spurred widespread protests.Yet Volcker didn’t flinch. By the mid-1980s, inflation had fallen back into the low single digits. Volcker’s willingness to inflict pain on the economy to throttle inflation is seen by most economists as a key example of the value of an independent Fed.
What do Wall Street investors think?
An effort to fire Powell would almost certainly cause stock prices to fall and bond yields to spike higher, pushing up interest rates on government debt and raising borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit card debt.Most investors prefer an independent Fed, partly because it typically manages inflation better without being influenced by politics but also because its decisions are more predictable. Fed officials often publicly discuss how they would alter interest rate policies if economic conditions changed.If the Fed was more swayed by politics, it would be harder for financial markets to anticipateor understandits decisions.
So does that mean the Fed is completely unaccountable?
Well, no. Fed chairs like Powell are appointed by the president to serve four-year terms, and have to be confirmed by the Senate. The president also appoints the six other members of the Fed’s governing board, who can serve staggered terms of up to 14 years, though most governors leave before the end of their terms.Those appointments can allow a president over time to significantly alter the Fed’s policies. Former president Joe Biden appointed five of the current seven members: Powell, Lisa Cook, Philip Jefferson, Adriana Kugler, and Michael Barr. As a result, Trump will have fewer opportunities to make appointments. He will be able to replace Kugler, who filled an unexpired term ending January 31, 2026.Congress, meanwhile, can set the Fed’s goals through legislation. In 1977, for example, Congress gave the Fed a “dual mandate” to keep prices stable and seek maximum employment. The Fed defines stable prices as inflation at 2%.The 1977 law also requires the Fed chair to testify before the House and Senate twice every year about the economy and interest rate policy.
But can the president fire Powell?
Powell says the law establishing the Fed does not allow a president to fire a chair except for cause. There is some complication in that Powell was separately appointed as a member of the Fed’s board of governors, and then elevated to the position of chairby Trump, in 2017.Most legal scholars agree that Trump can’t fire Powell from the Fed’s board of governors, but there is less agreement over whether a president can remove him as chair. In January, Michael Barr, who was vice chair for supervision, stepped down from that post but remained on the board to avoid a potential legal clash over whether Trump could fire him.Should Trump try to fire Powell anyway, the ensuing fight would almost certainly end up at the Supreme Court.
What could the Supreme Court do?
We may get an early sign of how the Supreme Court would decide it this summer. There is already a case before the court on the issue of whether the president can fire top officials at independent agencies.The case stems from Trump’s firings of two officials, one from the National Labor Relations Board and the other from an agency that protects workers from political interference. The Supreme Court last week let the firings stand while it considers the case. It could rule this summer that the president, as the head of the executive branch, could fire officials at any federal agency even if Congress had intended it to be independent.The case would overturn a 90-year old precedent known as Humphrey’s Executor, in which the court ruled that the president couldn’t fire such officials.Powell said Wednesday he is watching the case closely, adding that it might not apply to the Fed. Lawyers for the Trump administration, seeking to narrow the focus of the case, have argued that it doesn’t involve the Fed.Both the Trump administration and the Supreme Court justices have carved out exemptions for the Fed before. In February, the White House issued an executive order that placed several financial regulatory agencies, including the Fed and the Securities and Exchange Commission, more directly under the president’s control. Yet the order specifically exempted the Fed’s ability to set interest rates from that order.And in a case in 2023, Justice Samuel Alito said in a footnote that the Fed is a “unique institution with a unique historical background” that made it different than other independent bodies. If the court does give presidents more poer over the heads of independent agencies, it could potentially exempt the Fed.
Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the agency created to serve as a watchdog for American consumers against predatory business practices, said on Thursday it planned to dismiss as much as 90% of its remaining workforce, resuming mass firings less than a week after a federal court ruling granted the Trump administration leeway in setting staff levels.
Multiple agency sources said staff members had begun receiving formal notices on Thursday afternoon. A CFPB spokesperson confirmed the agency was moving to fire roughly 1,500 people across core divisions, including enforcement and supervision, leaving only 200 staff. Fox Business had earlier reported those numbers.
The workforce action comes in the middle of legal action brought by an employee union and consumer advocates working to prevent what they said was the agency’s illegal destruction.
In an emergency motion filed Thursday evening, lawyers for an employee union and consumer advocates told a federal judge the CFPB was flouting court orders requiring a “particularized assessment” prior to any such workforce reductions and that the agency retain enough staff to perform functions required by law.
“It is unfathomable that cutting the Bureau’s staff by 90 percent in just 24 hours, with no notice to people to prepare for that elimination, would not ‘interfere with the performance’ of its statutory duties,” they said in the motion.
According to one official notice seen by Reuters, the agency said the recipient’s dismissal would take effect in 60 days but that access to internal email systems and IT systems would be cut off on Friday evening.
President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk called earlier this year for the CFPB’s elimination, accusing it of politicized enforcement, and with a court hearing showing the administration’s initial goal was to shut the agency down entirely.
However, administration officials subsequently said the CFPB would continue to exist in some form, noting that Trump has nominated a new director.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Created after the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB is the sole federal agency with power to enforce consumer financial laws at nonbank institutions such as mortgage originators and payment services. The agency, long criticized by conservatives, has been facing an onslaught of firings and changes under President Donald Trump.
An appeals court last week partially reversed a decision handed down by a district court that ordered the administration to halt efforts to fire workers, scrap contracts and close offices.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who championed the creation of the CFPB, earlier this year said no one other than Congress could dismantle the agency and criticized Republican attempts to weaken the agency that has paid $21 billion in financial restitution to thousands of Americans.
In a statement, Warren called the mass firings “yet another assault on consumers and our democracy by this lawless Administration.”
(Additional reporting and writing by Pete Schroeder)
Douglas Gillison and Tim Reid, Reuters
Friday, April 18, 2025, is Good Friday. But when it comes to what places are open and closed on Good Friday, things can be a bit tricky. Thats because Good Friday is not a federal holiday but a religious one. It’s the Friday before Easter, which is always celebrated on a Sunday.
Yet Good Friday is also a state holiday in select states. This means that public institutions may be closed in one state but open in another on Good Friday.
Heres what you need to know about whats open and closed on Good Friday 2025.
Is Good Friday a federal holiday?
No. Good Friday is not one of the officially recognized federal holidays. Of the 12 federal holidays in 2025, the last one was Washingtons Birthday on February 17, and the next one will be Memorial Day on May 26.
Is Good Friday a state holiday?
Yesin some states, anyway. According to the Federal Times, Good Friday is a recognized state holiday in 12 states:
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Hawaii
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
New Jersey
North Carolina
North Dakota
Texas
Tennessee
In most of these states, public offices will likely be closed on Good Friday.
Are banks open on Good Friday?
Yes, most major banks should be operating as normal on Good Friday. This includes banks like Chase, Citibank, PNC, and more. Online banking services will be available via the banks website and smartphone apps, in addition to physical bank branches being open.
Are ATMs open on Good Friday?
Yes. ATMs will be open on Good Friday. However, as it is the start of a holiday weekend for many people, ATMs may get picked over sooner than usual.
Is the post office open on Good Friday?
Yes, as the United States Postal Service (USPS) is a federal organization, it will be open and operating as normal on Good Friday. This includes both at USPS branches and at home mail delivery.
Is mail delivered on Good Friday?
Yes. The USPS will deliver mail as normal on Good Friday.
Are FedEx and UPS operating on Good Friday?
According to FedExs holiday schedule, some FedEx delivery services will have a modified schedule on Good Friday, including its FedEx and FedEx Freight services. FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, and FedEx Logistics will be open as normal.
UPS says it will be operating pickup or delivery services on Good Friday. It also notes that UPS Store locations will be open.
Is the stock market open on Good Friday?
No. Major U.S. stock markets will be closed on Good Friday. This includes the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq.
Are schools open on Good Friday?
Many schools should be closed on Good Friday, but its best to check with your school. Despite not being a federal holiday, many public schools choose to be closed on Good Friday. Most private, religious schools will also be closed.
Are restaurants open on Good Friday?
Most restaurants should be open on Good Friday. This includes well-known chains like McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, Arby’s, and Chipotle, which should be open. However, note that some franchise locations could be closed, as Chick-fil-A points out.
Likewise, many sit-down restaurants should remain open, but you should call ahead first to make sure.
Are retail stores open on Good Friday?
A majority of big-box retail stores will be open on Good Friday. This includes major chains like Target, Costco, Best Buy, and Walmart.
Are pharmacies open on Good Friday?
You can expect most pharmacies to be open on Good Friday, including those found in Walgreens. However, pharmacies may have adjusted hours on Good Friday. Its best to check with your preferred pharmacy to confirm their hours on Good Friday.
Are grocery stores open on Good Friday?
Many regional grocery store chains should be open on Good Friday. However, they may have reduced hours. Its best to check with your grocery store directly to see what their operating hours are on Good Friday.
Hello! Next Thursday, April 24, Ill be moderating two fireside chatswith Runway cofounder Alejandro Matamala Ortiz and F-35 pilot Justin Hasard Leeat Artist and the Machines AI & Creativity Summit in Brooklyn. The event promises to be an invigorating exploration of the intersection of technology and art from multiple perspectives, and I hope to see some of you there.
Sam Altman wants to build a social network. Given the OpenAI CEOs unbridled ambitionand the potential to turn 400 million ChatGPT users into some semblance of a communityit would be weird if he didnt. And the timing makes sense: On Tuesday, The Verges Kylie Robison and Alex Heath reported that OpenAI is looking to capitalize on the new ChatGPT image-generating features that have already been going viral on other networks since arriving late last month. Whether the company plans to fold social aspects into ChatGPT itself or create a new app remains to be seen.
The news of Altmans interest in bootstrapping an OpenAI social network around ChatGPT came less than three weeks after Elon Musk announced that his AI company, xAI, had acquired his social network, Twitter X for $45 billion. Its still unclear whether this move amounts to more than the worlds richest man shuffling assets around the way you or I might rearrange our shelf of Funko figures; after all, xAIs Grok chatbot already occupied prime real estate inside the X app. But xAI, whose wellspring of AI technology and talent is, by all accounts, formidable, now owns a decent-size (if reputationally challenged) online community. That gives it access to hundreds of millions of potential customers, plus a vast, endlessly replenished stream of content it can use to train its algorithms. The potential to do interesting things is there, if Musk can divert his attention from dismantling civic institutions for a moment or two.
Even if its obvious why OpenAI and xAI might want to meld their respective generative AI engines with social platforms, it wont be easy. Consider whats going on at Meta, which has more social-network users than any other company and owns a top-tier LLM, Llama. So far, AIs impact on Facebook has been to junk up feeds with spam posts about imaginary people and pointless interjections from the Meta AI bot. If theres a way for the technology to make itself welcome in a communal setting, it probably doesnt look anything like this.
For all the ways generative AI is astoundingit recently coded my dream app for mesocial networking may be one of the tougher assignments for it to crack productively. The technology excels at churning out lowest-common-denominator content, but online gathering places need less of that, not more. Nor does its uncanny glibness mean its ready to join conversations the way humans do. Using machine vision, for example, the Meta AI bot can suss out the gist of a posted image, but that has little to do with whether it can say anything interesting about it. In my encounters, the conversation starters its generated have been stultifyingly synthetic.
Still, when I heard about OpenAIs social aspirations, my instinct was to be intrigued rather than repelled. For one thing, many of us have spent the last few years obsessing over the companys tools and sharing our creations: I started tweeting DALL-E 2 oddities in August 2022, months before there was a ChatGPT. The company should be able to facilitate that discussion by building some community infrastructure of its own, such as ways to post items for public consumption and comment. Ive been disappointed by its failure to do much with the store for custom GPT applets it launched in January 2024, which could have been a springboard for features that let ChatGPT users talk to each other. The vitality of its newest image-generation technology is an even better such opportunity.
More socially aware AI products might also help counteract the AIs tendency to suck users down rabbit holes of solitude. Recent research conducted by OpenAI itself suggests that heavy ChatGPT users tend to be lonely, though its unclear whether thats because the chatbot fosters loneliness or simply a sign that lonely people are drawn to it. Either way, I find my own jags with AI chatbots to be both addictive and isolating in a way that doesnt feel entirely healthyat least when I discover Im still at it an hour or two after I meant to go to bed. Anything that nudged AI devotees back toward engaging with society couldnt hurt.
Part of my measured willingness to believe OpenAI could construct a worthwhile social networkmaybe, in theory, if were luckystems from the fact that the company has shown it can create software thats pleasant to use. Any community it built would be a fresh start, which is not true of xAI/X and Meta, both of which are cobbling together AI experiences atop social platforms that are well into middle age, and showing it. That guarantees nothing: Google+ was also quite pleasant but couldnt overcome Facebooks deeply entrenched place in peoples lives, particularly at that time. But an OpenAI social network wouldnt have to displace Facebook to have value. In fact, the less Facebook-like it was, the better the argument for it existing at all.
If OpenAIs project turns out to be a soon-abandoned lark rather than a top priority, somebody else might give AI a measure of social grace. For instance, Microsoft consumer AI chief Mustafa Suleyman recently told me that the company is working on priming its Copilot companion to participate in conversations with multiple humans at once, with a sensitivity to their varying interests and attitudes. Or maybe a company that doesnt even exist yet will do the jobwhich would make sense, since every social network that has ever mattered has been the brainchild of a tiny startup.
The one scenario that seems implausible is that tomorrows social experiences wont have a far heavier element of generative AI than anything that exists today. We already know what can go wrong when they get smooshed together. Fingers crossed well get to see what can go right.
You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fas Company‘s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to youor if you’re reading it on FastCompany.comyou can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard.
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Curiosity isnt just a good personality trait or an indulgenceits a leadership superpower. In a business environment where innovation dictates success, curiosity serves as the catalyst for breakthroughs and industry reinvention. Yet, despite its transformative potential, it remains one of the most undervalued tools in leadership today.
According to a Harvard Business Review study, curiosity fosters openness and collaboration while reducing decision-making errors. Yet only 24% of organizations actively encourage it, leaving a wealth of untapped potential on the table. The best leaders dont just seek answers; they reframe problems. Instead of asking, How do we fix this? they ask, What if we reimagine this entirely? Leaders who embrace this mindset uncover opportunities for reinvention that others overlook because they only focus on immediate challenges.
Curiosity begins with observation
In the world of art and design, curiosity begins with observation. Georgia OKeeffe once remarked, Nobody sees a flower, reallyit is so small we havent time, and to see takes time. Her words offer a lesson for leaders: True insight comes from taking the time to observe and understand what others overlook. The design thinking process mirrors this ethos, emphasizing empathy, iteration, and a willingness to embrace failure. Leaders who adopt these principles uncover unmet needs and rethink stagnant paradigms.
For instance, I once worked with a biotech executive who revitalized their R&D team with a single question: What are we missing in the data that could change the trajectory of our discovery? This curiosity-fueled inquiry led to a cross-disciplinary exploration, resulting in a groundbreaking treatment that shifted the companys competitive position.
Curiosity in action
One of my clients is a CTO in the high-tech sector whose team was stuck in a cycle of diminishing returns during a critical product launch. Instead of defaulting to conventional troubleshooting, they asked a provocative question: What would this look like if we started from scratch? Initially, the team hesitated, but once framed as a thought experiment, the question sparked a creative dialogue that dismantled assumptions. The result? A novel approach that solved the immediate challenge and laid a foundation for long-term innovation.
Another client is a CEO at a multinational organization who embarked on a listening tour to understand their global workforce. They asked a simple yet profound question: What inspires you to do your best work? This inquiry revealed a blend of universal motivators and culturally specific insights, enabling the CEO to craft a new, inclusive company mission. The initiative boosted engagement, fostered a sense of belonging, and unified the workforce across continents.
A framework for leaders to cultivate curiosity
To harness curiosity as a leadership tool, leaders must commit to intentional practices that foster curiosity-driven innovation:
Ask Bigger Questions. Shift from tactical fixes to expansive, open-ended questions. Replace How can we cut costs? with How can we create more value with fewer resources? These questions inspire fresh perspectives and out-of-the-box thinking.
Practice Empathetic Observation. Adopt an artists lenstaking the time to truly see your team, customers, and market dynamics. Listen deeply and observe without preconceived notions. Empathy is the foundation for uncovering unmet needs and fostering trust.
Prototype Curiosity. Treat curiosity like a skill to be honed. Run curiosity workshops where no idea is too wild. Encourage iterative brainstorming and test small ideas before scaling them, creating a low-risk environment for experimentation.
Embrace Failure as Discovery. Curiosity-driven leadership requires psychological safety. When teams see failure as a learning opportunity rather than a liability, they are more willing to take risks and innovate. Leaders must model this openness.
Stay Open to Being Wrong. Curiosity isnt about confirming what you already knowits about exploring the unknown. The best leaders I have worked with are those willing to challenge their own assumptions and learn from unexpected perspectives.
Curiosity doesnt just spark innovationit strengthens connections. By demonstrating a genuine interest in your team, their challenges, and their aspirations, you build a culture of trust and collaboration. Leaders who lead with curiosity create workplaces where people feel valued, heard, and inspired to contribute their best.
Curiosity allows leaders to navigate complexity with agility and vision in a fast-paced environment. It enables them to ask the questions others avoid, see patterns others miss, and find solutions others never imagine. In doing so, they transform their organizations and the lives of those they lead. One thing is clear: The leaders who thrive will be those who lead with curiosity. The future belongs to those who dare to be curious.
