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A recent report by the Government Accountability office found that 3.8 million college students23% of the total student populationexperienced food insecurity, forcing them to skip meals because they couldnt afford to eat. While past administrations have made strides in addressing student hunger, the current political landscape presents new challenges that demand urgent action at the institutional and state levels. I know this firsthand. When I started college, I quickly realized that tuition was just one part of the financial burden. I worked multiple jobssometimes 30+ hours a weekwhile juggling classes and struggling to afford food. I often skipped meals or relied on cheap, unhealthy options just to get by. I met countless other students in the same situation, many unaware that food assistance programs existed or unsure how to apply. Through my research job studying food insecurity, I saw how colleges and financial aid offices were failing to connect students to the support they needed. That experience drove me to co-found the Student Basic Needs Coalition (SBNC) in 2019; the student-led movement focuses on ensuring all students have the support they need to stay in school. The urgency of this issue has only grown with reports that the Trump administration is drafting an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education and weaken provisions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the 2025 Farm Bill. These proposed changes threaten the progress made in recent years and could exacerbate existing disparities. Now, more than ever, we must strengthen social support mechanisms and ensure that colleges and states take proactive steps to protect students from food insecurity. A Critical Moment for Student Food Assistance The threat to SNAP and student benefits is not hypothetical; it’s already unfolding. The House Ways and Means Committee has proposed harmful policies that would restrict access to food assistance, including limiting broad-based categorical eligibility, expanding work requirements, and capping SNAP benefits based on household size. These reflect changes that Trumps administration supported during his first term. While the federal government has authority over the SNAP eligibility requirements in general, the rules currently provide several flexibilities that states can leverage to allow more people to qualify. These measures would disproportionately harm students, many of whom already face significant barriers to accessing SNAP due to complex eligibility rules and inconsistent state policies. One of the most alarming changes for students is the threat to Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility. BBCE allows states to expand SNAP eligibility up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, preventing abrupt loss of benefits due to small income increases. Currently, 19 states have leveraged this full flexibility, while nine states have increased the income limit to 130% of federal poverty. Without BBCE, students and low-income families face a hunger cliff, where exceeding 130% of the federal poverty leveljust $25,820 annually for a family of three in 2024would immediately disqualify them from food assistance. BBCE also allows states to remove SNAP asset limits, enabling families to build savings and cover unexpected expenses without jeopardizing their benefits. Currently, 36 states use this flexibility. This is especially important for students, who often face financial instability due to irregular income, limited access to emergency funds, and unexpected costs like medical bills or car repairs. Without BBCE, students who save money for tuition or emergencies could risk losing their SNAP eligibility, making it harder for them to stay enrolled and succeed in college. Rolling back BBCE, as mentioned in the Ways and Means Committee proposal, would push more students into food insecurity, undermining college retention and completion rates. Scaling Solutions That Work Despite federal uncertainty, there are clear steps that colleges and state governments can take to ensure students have access to food assistance. One of the most effective strategies is improving outreach and application assistance. Many students who qualify for SNAP never apply because they don’t know they’re eligible or struggle with the cumbersome application process. Recent guidance from the Department of Education clarified that institutions can notify students of their potential eligibility without violating FERPA regulations, yet many colleges remain hesitant to act. Institutions must take advantage of this guidance and implement proactive outreach strategies, similar to the CalFresh Outreach Project. Through the Foundation for California Community Colleges, this project has helped more than 5,500 students apply for food assistance. These efforts can serve as a model for other states looking to reduce administrative burdens and ensure students receive the support they need to stay in school. While institutional and state-level interventions are crucial, student-led initiatives have also proven to be highly effective in addressing food insecurity. At the Student Basic Needs Coalition, we run a peer navigator program that empowers students to support their peers in accessing SNAP and other essential resources, which has unlocked $1.6 million in food assistance across 9 active partner institutions. Peer navigatorsstudents who have experienced food insecurity themselveshelp their classmates navigate complex applications, understand eligibility requirements, and connect with campus and community resources. While the training takes place virtually, these students partner with their campus food pantries to provide in-person outreach and application assistance to their peers. Research shows that students are more likely to seek assistance when information comes from their peers rather than administrators, making this model particularly effective. Investing in student leadership not only helps connect more students to benefits but also builds long-term capacity for advocacy and policy change. Technology presents another opportunity to improve benefit access at scale. AI-driven tools are being developed to proactively identify eligible students and simplify the application prcess, reducing the administrative burdens that often deter students from applying. Complete College America has launched an AI Council that brings together higher education leaders and technology experts to explore ways AI can enhance student success, including basic needs support. Additionally, SBNC is developing an AI-driven tool with support from the GitLab Foundation to streamline SNAP enrollment, ensuring that students are connected to benefits before they reach a financial crisis. Still, these moves are largely happening at the grassroots level. Policymakers and university leaders must embrace these innovations to create a more efficient and equitable support system for students. Moving Forward in the Face of Uncertainty With potential cuts to SNAP and the Department of Education looming, colleges and states cannot afford to wait for federal solutions. The reality is that the current financial aid and social support systems were never designed with low-income students in mind. To create an equitable higher education system, we must acknowledge that tuition is only part of the financial burden students face. Ensuring that every student has access to food is not just about alleviating hunger; it is about enabling students to stay in school, complete their degrees, and break cycles of poverty. Institutions must take action by expanding SNAP outreach, establishing peer support programs, and leveraging technology to connect students with critical resources. States should invest in data-sharing agreements and policy changes that simplify SNAP access for students, ensuring that eligibility pathways are clear and accessible regardless of shifting federal priorities. These efforts are essential to making sure students do not have to choose between staying in school and putting food on the table. Now is the time to act. Colleges and policymakers must prioritize solutions that help students access the nutrition they need to succeed.
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E-Commerce
Just a couple of years ago, pundits were warning of streamings demise. From Netflix to Spotify, these companies were burning through cash. How could they keep operating? Now, almost all of the streamers have made it to positive profits. Netflix is the envy of the entertainment industry, while its underlings like Disney+ and Max have also turned around their losses. Last Tuesday, Spotify shares jumped 13% after the company announced its first full year of profitability. There are still stragglers, but on the whole, streaming has formed itself into a successful business model. Theres a lesson here: For emerging tech, theres value in patience. It took streaming over a decade to get it right, to effectively combine user growth and ad sales in a way that manifested profits. We should expect the same from all of our tech innovators. How streaming became profitable In the late 2010s, things werent looking positive for Netflix. Sure, they were making positive profits, but their debt was staggering. The company had amassed $15 billion in long-term debt by the end of 2020; compared to quarterly profits of just around $1 billion, Netflix seemed ready to capsize. CNNs headline at the time: Netflix is burning through cash. This cant last forever. Now, everyone wants to be Netflix. Their profit margin is now 22%, earning $8.71 billion last year in profits (from some $39 billion in revenue). Remarkably, the business is expanding. They added a record-breaking 19 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2024, mostly thanks to the live fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. And their ad tier, which used to be a tiny subsidiary of their business, is now scaling rapidly. Its good to be in the business of Netflix. The smaller streamers, once the butt of Wall Streets jokes, are now reaching profitability. Max eked out its first positive profit of $103 million in 2023. Compare that to 2020, where WarnerMedia blamed their $1.2 billion in losses on investments in the streamer. Disneys streaming division, which compromises both Disney+ and Hulu, just reached their second straight quarter of profitability. In 2022, the division was losing the company over $3 billion. Now, Spotify has joined the club. For years, Spotify failed to put up positive profits. Their losses reached a peak in the second quarter of 2023, when Spotify lost about $256 million. The Wired headline from that year: Spotify is Screwed. Now, theyve reached a full year of positive profits. The virtue of patience with emerging tech The sheer scale of money lost made streamers an easy target. In 2020, when Netflix was saddled with some $15 billion in long-term debt, the company also had a marketcap of $238.89 billion. How could we so blindly trust a company that was burning through money? But these are long-term bets, and the bets eventually paid off. The same could be true for dozens of emerging tech fields of today. Look at AI. OpenAI, the golden child of the industry, lost $5 billion in 2024. And they keep taking on more money, most recently $6.6 billion in new investments and a $4 billion line of credit. How can we justify this? But AI companies (OpenAI chief among them) are betting on the future. AI might not be profitable now, but it will be. Its hard to trust OpenAI CEO Sam Altman when he makes these grand claims. But, if streaming is any indication, he could be right. The tech market demands patience; not just months of it, but years.
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E-Commerce
Its no surprise that artificial intelligence is transforming the way we learn, but it also has the potential to add a sprinkling of magic to on-the-job training. Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary is especially beneficial in the skilled trades. Were already seeing social media inspire the next generation of tradespeople, and AI-based learning programs can help attract, develop, and retain young talent. In the U.S., hiring for skilled roles, including electricians, industrial machinery workers, plumbers, and HVAC technicians, could be more than 20 times the projected annual increase in new jobs from 2022 to 2032. The current pipeline of skilled trades training cant keep up with the demand for workers, and a significant percentage of high school students interested in training programs find themselves on a waiting list. Employer investments in training and upskilling programs are critical in closing the labor gap. AI training requires a foundational knowledge We have already seen that AI is effective for advanced learning. It synthesizes information, translates it, and creates more personalized learning experiences. However, leveraging AIs power hinges on one critical ingredienta strong digital foundation. This is where many employers will fall short. They have traditionally relied on job shadowing, the occasional in-person classroom training, or limited online compliance training. Further, there is a common misconception that skilled workers will be able to learn in the field with an AI-enabled device as their primary means of information. These devices are useful for troubleshooting or serving as a quick reference tool, but they should only be used in conjunction with substantive foundational knowledge. The cognitive load while working makes it incredibly challenging to learn efficiently and effectively. Imagine being in a setting with safety risks, noise, and multiple distractions competing for your attention. At the same time, youre supposed to be taking in new information, acting on it, and retaining it. But, if that AI-supported in-the-field training was combined with a robust AI-driven digital foundational program, thats where the magic starts to happen. The most effective training takes place when employees have time to internalize the material, reflect on it, and review it. The need to pair AI with people A digital foundation that combines strategic assessments, core course material, bite-size learning, and digital simulations with real-world scenarios can provide the hands-on learning that is essential in the skilled trades. Whats more, all of this can be done in a safe, controlled environment. AI can communicate big ideas and take on the role of mentor, highlighting what is important, assessing skills, offering support, and providing insights into strengths and weaknesses. AI can serve as a personal learning guide, but it can’t provide emotional support and won’t replace people. Instead, great teachers will use AI along with digital learning to make their emotional interaction more useful. AI is advancing at a rapid pace, and many CEOs are asking themselves what their organization should be doing with AI and when to jump in. The answer is to jump in now. The consequences of not adopting digital learning will only get more severe the longer they wait. Learning is essential for every role and at every age, from the Gen Zers who are increasingly skipping college to existing employees requesting upskilling tailored to their specific needs. A digital foundation is the magicor missing ingredientthat lays the groundwork for CEOs to address labor shortages, reduce risk, and increase operational efficiency within their workforce. Doug Donovan is founder and CEO of Interplay Learning.
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E-Commerce
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