Author: wildgreenquest@gmail.com

Due to the war in Iran, companies are looking for creative ways to offset price increases — and that often involves passing hidden costs to you. Fuel prices have surged 95%, and while some businesses are adding direct surcharges, others are using subtler tactics, reports CNN. Amazon added a 3.5% fuel surcharge for third-party sellers using its fulfillment services. JetBlue raised checked baggage fees by $4 to $9, depending on flight times. USPS implemented its first-ever fuel surcharge — 8% on packages starting April 26. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told employees that doubled jet fuel prices mean an extra…

While we are a tech company focused on financial services, we’ve realized a hard truth: in the high-stakes world of regulated AI, your model is only as good as the person who built it. While the rest of the industry is obsessed with “GPU-first” strategies, we are betting on a “human-first” approach to technology. In our newly released white paper, The Making of the Brillianeers, we outline a strategy, inspired by Toyota’s “just-in-time” manufacturing philosophy, that treats engineering talent not as an operating expense, but as a strategic, investor-level asset. THE TOYOTA PARALLEL Toyota revolutionized the automotive industry by moving…

Keith Valory, CEO of streaming platform Plex, had big plans for his company’s 2017 corporate retreat: a weeklong ‘Survivor’-themed bonding experience in Honduras for 120 remote employees. What could go wrong? Everything, according to The Wall Street Journal. Three weeks before arrival, the hotel’s general manager and head chef quit. Just as the first bus arrived, Valory was in his bathroom with E. coli from a salad. A former Navy SEAL made the “not super fit” tech workers do military drills in 100-degree heat until people passed out. One employee landed on a fire ant hill and needed a shot…

The mountaineer, REI visionary, and environmental advocate was the defining figure of 20th-century American climbing.Robert Kennedy and Whittaker pull on a tow line to help free a stuck ski plane at the base site at Mount Kennedy in Yukon Territory 150 miles west of Whitehorse, Canada, in 1965Published April 8, 2026 03:54PMMountaineer Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, died on April 7, 2026, at the age of 97. Whittaker reached the top of the world alongside Sherpa Nawang Gombu in 1963 and was one of the defining figures of 20th-century American mountaineering.Whittaker and his twin brother, Lou,…

If you bought Tom’s of Maine toothpaste in the last six years, you could be eligible for a cash payout stemming from a recent $2.9 million settlement.The class-action lawsuit filed against Tom’s parent company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, “alleged deceptive and misleading business practices with respect to the manufacturing, marketing, and sale” of certain toothpaste products.”Tom’s is best known for its natural products. The toothpaste products were produced at its manufacturing facility in Sanford, Maine, where the company also makes deodorant and bar soap, and sold to consumers through third-party retailers.What’s the issue in the class-action lawsuit?During a May 2024 inspection of…

Elon Musk hosted Intel executives over the weekend, and on Tuesday the chipmaker announced it’s joining Terafab — a massive AI chip project with factories designed for space. Intel announced on X that it will partner with SpaceX, Tesla and xAI to build two advanced chip factories in Austin, Texas. Intel is proud to join the Terafab project with @SpaceX, @xAI, and @Tesla to help refactor silicon fab technology.Our ability to design, fabricate, and package ultra-high-performance chips at scale will help accelerate Terafab’s aim to produce 1 TW/year of compute to power… pic.twitter.com/2vUmXn0YhH— Intel (@intel) April 7, 2026 One factory…

Published April 8, 2026 03:05PMIt’s easy to forget that not too long ago, walking through many U.S. cities was a hazy, smoggy affair. Once the Clean Air Act of 1970 tightened industrial regulations, dramatic air quality improvements followed, with pollutant levels dropping by nearly 80 percent in just a few decades. However, the recent rise in wildfires as a result of  extreme fire weather (extremely dry and windy conditions) and increased pollutants in the air from wildfire smoke is reversing some of this hard-earned progress.As we gear up for another wildfire season, the following tips for monitoring air pollution should…

The spring bloom of cherry blossoms are known to be a stunning sight. Across Japan, Korea, and places like Washington, D.C., the trees burst with dense, pink flowers for just one or two weeks, bringing millions of tourists. But climate change is threatening these blooms.As the planet warms, our winters are getting milder. And those mild winters can delay the flowering of cherry blossom trees by up to 32 days, according to a new study from researchers at the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Kyushu, Japan, and at Boston University. Without enough cold weather, the trees don’t know that…

Key Takeaways Lowe’s is committing $250 million over several years to expand training for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and other skilled trades. The funds flow into programs like tuition-free training. CEO Marvin Ellison frames the trades as “even more important… in the near future,” arguing that hands-on roles are resilient to AI and automation. As AI shakes up white-collar work, skilled trades are starting to look like the smarter bet for steady, high-paying work — and Lowe’s is leaning into that future.  The home improvement company recently told Fortune that its foundation plans to invest $250 million over the next decade…

A bit of cleaning, care, and repair can keep your footwear in rotation for years. Clean your boots after each trip to keep them in good shape (Photo: Andrew Peacock / Moment via Getty)Published April 8, 2026 01:50PMHiking boots are meant to be worn—not kept in a display case like a pair of Nike Dunks. That means, out on the trail, they’re bound to get dirty. Dust finds its way into every crevasse, mud cakes onto the tread, and creek crossings soak the lining. With every mile, your boots take on the terrain and, almost invisibly, begin to break down.…