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Forget “digital native,” the term that refers to those who began interacting with digital technology at a young age. “AI native” is the new label getting entry-level college graduates six- or seven-figure salaries right out of school — and it’s all about capitalizing on young workers’ ability to use AI. According to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal, though the unemployment rate for entry-level workers as a whole was 4.8% in June, higher than the 4% for all workers, companies are still hiring college graduates with AI experience. Data analytics firm Databricks, for example, is hiring three times as many recent college graduates this year than last year because of their ability to use AI. The company’s CEO, Ali Ghodsi, told The Journal that some junior staff members having a “big impact” are getting paid a million dollars — and they’re under 25 years old. Related: How Much Does Apple Pay Its Employees? Here Are the Exact Salaries of Staff Jobs, Including Developers, Engineers, and Consultants. “They’re going to be all AI-native,” Ghodsi told the outlet, referring to the college graduate hires. “We definitely have people, quite junior people, [who] have a big impact, and they’re getting paid a lot. Under 25, you can be making a million.” Databricks’ careers page shows that an entry-level AI research scientist working in New York City or San Francisco can make anywhere from $150,000 to $190,000 in base salary. Ghodsi isn’t the only tech leader using the term “AI-native.” Scale AI, an AI training service that received a $14.3 billion investment from Meta in June, pays employees right out of college salaries of $200,000 per year, according to The Journal. Scale AI’s Head of People, Ashli Shiftan, told the outlet that Scale AI was “eager to hire AI-native professionals, and many of those candidates are early in their careers.” Meanwhile, at Roblox, a virtual gaming platform, machine learning engineers with little to no experience can earn more than $200,000 annually, according to salary site Levels.fyi. Related: Here’s How Much a Typical Microsoft Employee Makes in a Year The market for those with AI experience is divided into two categories, Stanford University Professor of Computer Science Jure Leskovec told The Journal. The first refers to some doctoral students who complete Ph.D. studies in machine learning and AI and receive large offers from companies without any experience. The other category encompasses programmers who use AI to become more effective, increasing their value on the job market. “It’s almost like a next generation of a software engineer,” Leskovec told the outlet. Read More

Amazon is completing its takeover of Whole Foods, eight years after buying the grocery brand for $13.7 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that on Nov. 10, Amazon plans to give new job offers to U.S. Whole Foods corporate employees, complete with new titles, salaries, and benefits. The affected employees work in positions ranging from merchandising to marketing, and will be offered a month to review the new compensation packages, according to the report. Under the new job offers, corporate Whole Foods employees will gain Amazon discounts and healthcare benefits, but lose perks, including four weeks of remote work a year. Amazon implemented a return-to-office mandate requiring five days a week in the office beginning in January. Related: Some Whole Foods Locations Are Experiencing Empty Shelves After a Main Distributor Was Hacked Additionally, Whole Foods corporate workers will receive Amazon stock instead of an annual bonus, starting next year. Corporate employees will keep a 20% discount at Whole Foods stores for a year, but lose the perk in 2027. Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017 and offers a discount to shoppers with Amazon Prime subscriptions. It has also implemented its technology to make stores available for Amazon package pickups and returns. Since the acquisition, Whole Foods has increased sales by more than 40% and expanded its footprint from 467 stores in 2017 to 535 stores in October 2024, per The Business Journals. Amazon previously allowed Whole Foods staff to keep their job titles and their benefits. Whole Foods even had its own dedicated CEO, Jason Buechel, until January, when Amazon expanded his responsibilities to include Amazon Fresh grocery stores and Amazon Go convenience stores. Buechel is now Amazon’s vice president of worldwide grocery. Related: ‘I Hate Bureaucracy’: Leaked Internal Amazon Document Reveals How the Tech Giant Is Cutting Down on Middle Management In a leaked meeting in June for Amazon’s grocery team, Buechel said that internal bureaucracy slows down Amazon’s grocery business and holds the team back. He mentioned that it was “taking too long” for spending approvals and other decisions to occur. “Ultimately, we’re wasting time,” Buechel said at the meeting. “It’s taking too long for decisions and approvals to take place, and it’s actually holding back some of our initiatives.” Whole Foods falls under Amazon’s physical stores segment, which also includes Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores. During the second quarter of 2025, Amazon’s physical stores generated $5.6 billion in sales, a 7% increase from the same time last year. Read More

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Starting a business with limited resources is a road many solopreneurs find familiar — myself included. I’ve observed many small business owners turning modest startups into success stories, but it doesn’t happen overnight. They turn their humble ideas into successful ventures with resilience, creativity, smart technology use and a never-accept-defeat attitude. For this article, I’ll draw on my personal experiences and the stories of five founders who started small. These practical lessons apply to your entrepreneurship journey as well. Related: Boost Your Solopreneur Business with These 3 Proven Tips Start by solving authentic problems Sara Blakely launched Spanx in 2000 when she was under 30 years old and had $5,000 to her name. But her self-employment journey started with a simple notion: her personal frustration with not finding comfortable, flattering undergarments to wear. Even though her idea, which later turned out to be worth $1 billion, was rejected by multiple manufacturers, her conviction kept her persistent until she finally found someone willing to take a chance on her. Her story tells me that entrepreneurs must start with a problem they’re actually familiar with and deeply understand. Authenticity resonates with your core audience; it builds trust from day one. When your product stems from your own experiences and frustrations, you create an immediate connection with your would-be buyers, leading to strong word-of-mouth. Turn setbacks into stepping stones Calling himself a lousy employee, Mark Cuban admits that keeping a steady job was difficult for him. But Cuban never quit on himself and ultimately founded and sold MicroSolutions for $6 million. What I learn from his example is that setbacks are inevitable — and necessary. What matters is how quickly you bounce back from failure and what lessons you learn from your past mistakes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 20% of small businesses shut down in a year or so. But successful solopreneurs treat these setbacks as experiments. When you start treating obstacles as stepping stones, you can easily adapt after failure and launch a working product. Launch small and use what you have Fubu’s founder, Daymond John, started this fashion brand in the 1990s by sewing hats and shirts in his mother’s living room. He didn’t have big budgets or state-of-the-art facilities. But he relied on grassroots marketing and community support to end up selling $6 billion worth of products by 2024, turning a kitchen-based hustle into a global fashion powerhouse. John’s story tells me that a lack of capital shouldn’t hold solopreneurs back. Instead, they should fall back on their skills, their immediate network and whatever resources are available at hand. Grit and creativity often outweigh money. This lesson speaks to me personally, since I built Selzy with a minimal viable product while relying on customer feedback for improvement. Related: Building Your Business With Limited Resources? Here’s the Mindset You Need to Succeed. Embrace digital-first and lean growth Automation, social media and efficient scaling. That’s how anyone can launch on budgets under $10,000. Technology lets small businesses thrive and expand into other markets. You can use email marketing tools to reach out to potential leads and advertise your business. Syed Balkhi’s WPForms is a great example here. Balkhi’s WordPress tutorial blog led to the creation of a $1 billion software company, and he did all that without raising a single dollar of his own. That’s how many modern-day solopreneurs are scaling past six figures. Technology allows founders to go global earlier than was possible a decade ago. Smart customer segmentation and personalized communication help them drive more engagement. And with the right tools, even small teams working remotely can achieve impressive growth with fewer resources. Turn your mistakes into learning opportunities Sophia Amoruso’s example teaches us to fuel our future successes with past failure. When her startup, Nasty Gal, became shaky after turning into a $100-million brand, she simply pivoted and launched another brand, Girlboss, a platform focused on redefining success for a new generation of women. Solopreneurs must always be ready to reinvent and adapt to changing consumer demands to position their business for long-term relevancy and success. Accepting that my idea didn’t work helps you thrive in a competitive industry. Related: How to Turn Your Mistakes Into Opportunities Put all these real-life lessons into action Growth is about your vision, resilience and continuous learning — the sign of a solopreneur who is ready to bend to fluctuating market standards and customer expectations. In fact, my experience with digital marketing and AI-powered growth tells me that these principles are universally applicable. Starting small isn’t a limitation for future-ready solopreneurs; it’s an opportunity to build strong foundations. It’s not how big you start (some of the world’s biggest brands were started by their founders in garages), but you keep learning and moving forward. I’ve tasted defeat and I’ve met setbacks — I recommend adaptability. Read More

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has triggered a seismic shift in U.S. labor policy, issuing a final rule that effectively bans new non-compete agreements. Long used to restrict worker mobility, these contracts are now in limbo after immediate legal challenges halted the rule. This guide breaks down what you need to know to protect your business and turn disruption into advantage. A deep dive into the FTC’s final rule The FTC’s final rule declares that “non-compete clauses represent an unfair method of competition and therefore violate the FTC Act.” This sweeping protection extends beyond employees to interns, contractors, volunteers and sole proprietors, aiming to boost worker mobility and innovation. States are following suit — New York, for example, has proposed banning non-competes for lower-wage workers. The key exception: Selling your business The rule carves out an exception for founders and business owners: non-competes are still allowed in selling a business, ownership interest or substantial assets. This lets entrepreneurs include non-competes in exit deals, a common condition for preserving company value. What about existing non-competes? The FTC’s rule is retroactive: most existing non-compete agreements will become unenforceable. An exception applies to senior executives — policy-making employees earning over $151,164 annually — whose current agreements remain valid. However, no new non-competes may be created or enforced, ensuring future workers cannot be restricted. Related: What to Know About These Tricky Employment Agreements The court challenge halting the rule Business groups, joined by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sued to block the FTC’s non-compete ban. In July 2024, a Texas federal court issued a nationwide injunction, finding the FTC likely lacked authority. The ban is on hold, leaving businesses under state laws like the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act. The FTC’s shifting stance adds uncertainty. With new leadership, the agency has asked for 60 more days to decide whether to defend the non-compete ban, signaling it could be withdrawn or altered. For entrepreneurs, the takeaway is clear: even if the federal rule stalls, cultural and state-level momentum against non-competes is growing — making it wise to prepare for fewer talent restrictions. Shifting from restriction to proactive protection This period of legal uncertainty offers entrepreneurs a chance to modernize HR and compliance strategies. Proactive business owners can strengthen defenses now rather than wait for final court rulings. This is precisely why proactive businesses are shifting their focus. It’s no longer just about reacting to potential legal challenges; it’s about building a framework that makes your company an employer of choice, insulating you from disputes in the first place. Failing to adapt is costly: defending and settling an employment claim averages $75,000, while jury awards can reach $217,000 — making proactive compliance a smart business investment. Related: 5 Situations That Require a Non-Disclosure Agreement Your new legal toolkit With non-competes in doubt, entrepreneurs must turn to narrower, more enforceable tools that protect business interests without blocking former employees from making a living. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs): Essential for protecting proprietary information; must clearly define trade secrets without being overly broad. Non-Solicitation Agreements: Help safeguard clients and staff by preventing ex-employees from poaching for a set period; some jurisdictions allow limited clauses. Trade Secret Policies: Written policies should define trade secrets and establish strict handling procedures, strengthening legal protection. Invention Assignment Agreements: Critical in tech, creative and R&D fields to ensure employee-created IP belongs to the company. When to seek expert guidance Navigating state laws, federal rulings and the uncertain FTC non-compete rule is complex. With high-profile challenges and specialized cases emerging, expert counsel is vital to ensure agreements are enforceable and safeguard your business against litigation. The decline of non-competes is a major opportunity for entrepreneurs. Without restrictive agreements, startups and small businesses can finally recruit top talent, once locked into big corporations, leveling the playing field and fueling a new wave of innovation. Related: This AI-Driven Scam Is Draining Retirement Funds—And No One Is Safe, According to the FBI Winning the war for talent with culture, not contracts Business owners must shift from restriction to retention. The best defense is a workplace where top people never want to leave — built on culture, loyalty, engagement and shared mission. Investing in your team is now your strongest competitive edge. Focus on culture: Create a positive, transparent and rewarding work environment where people feel valued and psychologically safe. Invest in growth: Offer clear career paths, mentorship programs and professional development opportunities that show employees you are invested in their future. Competitive compensation: Ensure salaries, benefits and equity packages are competitive for your industry and geographic location. Recognize and reward: Implement formal and informal systems to acknowledge hard work, celebrate wins and reward your team members’ valuable contributions. Navigating the new frontier of employee mobility Regardless of its final legal fate, the FTC’s non-compete ban has fundamentally altered the conversation around employee rights and corporate strategy. For savvy entrepreneurs, this isn’t a time for panic but for preparation. You can position your business by strengthening your NDAs and other protective agreements, doubling down on a positive company culture that retains and attracts talent and viewing greater employee mobility as an opportunity rather than a risk. The era of locking in employees with restrictive contracts is ending; the era of winning their loyalty has begun. Read More

Nvidia is once again putting the market’s AI obsession under the microscope. The company reported fiscal second-quarter 2026 earnings after the bell on Wednesday, posting revenue of $46.7 billion and earnings per share of $1.05 (non-GAAP) — topping Wall Street’s consensus forecast of about $46 billion in revenue and $1.01 EPS. Suggested Reading That top line was up 56% from a year earlier and 6% from the prior quarter, underscoring the still-insatiable demand for Nvidia’s AI accelerators. Its data center division — the beating heart of the AI boom — delivered $41.1 billion in revenue, also up 56% year-over-year and 5% sequentially. Within that, Nvidia’s new Blackwell architecture surged 17% sequentially as shipments ramped. Gaming, its legacy business, added $4.3 billion, up 49% year-over-year. Related Content Other divisions also delivered double-digit growth. Professional Visualization revenue rose 32% from a year ago to $601 million, while Automotive climbed 69% to $586 million, reflecting Nvidia’s push into robotics and autonomous driving platforms. Though those areas are still small compared with its data center business, those lines are increasingly positioned as future growth pillars. Shares were little changed in after-hours trading, reflecting a market that had already priced in a swing of about 8–10%. With a market capitalization hovering above $4.4 trillion, Nvidia has become the single most important stock in the S&P 500 — accounting for roughly 8% of the entire index. Profitability also surged. Net income nearly hit $26.4 billion (GAAP) for the quarter, up 59% year-over-year. Gross margins climbed to 72.7% on a non-GAAP basis, excluding one-time adjustments linked to its H20 chip inventory. Free cash flow reached $13.5 billion, giving Nvidia ample room to fund both research and shareholder returns. And shareholder returns are now a headline in their own right. The company returned $24.3 billion to investors in the first half of the year through buybacks and dividends, and its board just added another $60 billion to its repurchase authorization — without expiration. That buyback firepower is among the largest ever announced by a U.S. corporation. The geopolitical wild card increasingly lives in Washington, not Santa Clara. U.S. export restrictions continue to block Nvidia’s most advanced chips from reaching China. The company has created workarounds such as the H20, but those shipments have been whipsawed by shifting licensing rules. In the second quarter, no H20 sales were made to China, though Nvidia booked about $650 million in H20 sales to a non-Chinese customer and recorded a one-time $180 million release of previously reserved H20 inventory. Meanwhile, Beijing regulators have discouraged adoption over security concerns, highlighting how policy rather than technology can dictate demand. Looking ahead, guidance will be just as closely watched as the backward-looking numbers. Nvidia told investors it expects revenue of about $54 billion (up 2%) in the third quarter, with non-GAAP gross margins in the 73–74% range. That outlook assumes no H20 shipments to China, suggesting any policy shifts could create upside. CEO Jensen Huang was characteristically bullish: “Blackwell is the AI platform the world has been waiting for,” he said in a press release, adding that demand is “extraordinary” and production is “ramping at full speed.” CFO Colette Kress said the company expects to exit the fiscal year with margins in the mid-70s, pointing to sustainable profitability even amid volatile geopolitics. Beyond the quarter, Nvidia’s results are a proxy for the broader AI economy. Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are projected to spend more than $325 billion in capital expenditures in 2025, much of it on AI infrastructure. Each cloud capex update now serves as a shadow earnings guide for Nvidia. Still, the longer Nvidia dominates, the more rivals circle the moat. AMD is pushing its MI300 accelerators, while hyperscalers are designing their own silicon. Even modest defections could shave billions off Nvidia’s trajectory. And because Taiwan’s TSMC manufactures most of its chips, any disruption in the supply chain — from fabs to high-bandwidth memory — could rattle results. For now, though, the story remains familiar: Nvidia delivers another blowout quarter, and the market keeps rewarding it. But with a sky-high valuation riding on quarterly beats — and policy risks that can rewrite its order book overnight — the stakes for Huang’s empire have never been higher. 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Read More

6 grid innovations quietly powering the EV revolution These electric grid innovations could make EVs more commonplace and reduce the country’s carbon emissions People have been dreaming about using electric vehicles for over a century. You may be surprised to learn that the first battery-powered electric car debuted in 1834 — long before accessible, affordable grid technology existed. Modern electric infrastructure has been slowly catching up to vehicle innovations, creating a greener future one creative solution at a time. There are numerous reasons why highways aren’t full of electricity-fueled futuristic cars yet. Companies need time to get investors interested in groundbreaking projects, then for engineering and safety testing. Even if you see any headlines about an effort getting that far, the entity still has to handle manufacturing timelines and meet federal regulations. The grid poses its own challenges. While experts with the U.S. Department of Energy expect efficient transformer upgrades to reduce public electricity consumption by 3.83 kilojoules, local power grids still need to catch up to technological advances. The outdated cabling and transformers you see around town may not be able to handle the local population all charging their cars. Updating transformers is a critical step in making EV-reliant roadways that are easier on the planet. A mix of private businesses and government branches has varying degrees of ownership over them. Waiting for them to work together, finalize project plans, and complete upgrades might take time. While that progresses, creative minds are busy dreaming of ways to empower the national grid. The latest inventions could make it easier for electrical grids to support increased EV usage. You might get excited about a more sustainable future once you know how people are reshaping the country for battery-powered transportation. 2 / 7 1. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging If you don’t already have an electric car, you might not know that vehicle-to-grid (V2G) arrangements already exist. V2G technology lets EVs feed extra energy storage into the grid during peak electricity demand when someone charges their vehicle. The grid gets immediate support, and EV owners potentially earn financial rewards, depending on their car’s manufacturer or energy provider. 3 / 7 2. Leak detection sensors American Public Power Association | Unsplash Electricity doesn’t visibly leak like a broken faucet, but it still happens. You may see your local energy company installing smart sensors to stop electricity waste. LEM is an electrical measurement firm that manufactures leak-detecting RCM type B sensors, which save power grids from overworking. They’re easy to install and able to make older transformers work efficiently while local teams strategize their replacements. 4 / 7 3. Surge alert devices American Public Power Association | Unsplash Internet of Things (IoT) sensors are more accessible than LEM’s high-tech units. While they can’t provide the same services, basic IoT models can send real-time information to power companies and connected smart devices. When the sensors understand that a power surge is about to happen based on historical data and current electricity demand, they communicate that to EVs, smart thermostats, and any other electrical device. Those products automatically reduce their consumption until the surge ends. 5 / 7 4. Renewable energy integration Andreas Gücklhorn | Unsplash Every time someone connects a sustainable energy source to a power grid, it can feed electricity back to generator facilities. The two-way system reduces how much a local plant needs to generate, which minimizes grid strain. Berkeley Lab research found that existing green electricity storage and generation technology can power 80% of the country’s electricity demand, so making two-way connections more common could significantly fuel the grid without overworking it. 6 / 7 5. Smart grid valves American Public Power Association | Unsplash SmartValve technologies are expanding current grid capacity during trial runs. The Central Hudson Gas & Electric company in New York installed SmartValve sensors and produced 185 megawatts of extra power during the deployment. The tech makes it easier for the grid to carry additional electricity while managing its typical production. Innovative resources like grid add-ons could help the nation improve its carbon footprint with fewer intense public or private works projects. 7 / 7 6. Self-healing transmission technologies You might soon live in a world where transmission lines heal themselves after minor damage. Self-healing technology is becoming more mainstream as companies like Duke Energy in North Carolina test them. The hardware routes power to outages through backup pathways for faster service restoration. If the grid can withstand the effects of climate change and prevent outages in more situations, it can charge the EVs people use to access help or get food during emergencies. Read More

The Trump administration took another swing at California’s high-speed rail project, pulling millions more in funding after withdrawing billions in July.  Suggested Reading U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the Federal Railroad Administration removed an additional $175 million in federal funding from four projects related to the California project in a statement Tuesday.  Related Content Duffy pulled $4 billion in federal funding from the project in July after the FRA released a compliance review report of the project in June in which it concluded the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which runs the project, was not likely to deliver on its end of the agreement.  He said that so far the project, which he has repeatedly referred to as a “boondoggle,” has racked up about $15 billion in costs. On top of stripping the project of millions more in funding, the transportation secretary instructed the FRA to review all obligated grants from the project.  The high-speed rail would travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in under three hours during its first phase, with future plans to include Sacramento and San Diego. The project’s website says it would total 800 miles and 24 stations.  “As of today, the American people are done investing in California’s failed experiment,” Duffy said in the release. “Instead, my Department will focus on making travel great again by investing in well-managed projects that can make projects like high-speed rail a reality.”  The California High-Speed Rail Authority did not immediately respond to Quartz’s request for comment.  After the FRA pulled billions in funding from the project, the CHSRA filed a lawsuit to challenge a move that California governor Gavin Newsom called “illegal,” Reuters reported.   Newsom said the removal of funds was “petty, political retribution, motivated by President Trump’s personal animus toward California and the high-speed rail project, not the facts on the ground,” the outlet reported. California’s high-speed rail project is just one rumble within an ongoing battle between the Trump administration and California — or, more specifically, the president and Newsom.  Most recently, Trump threatened to sue the state over Newsom’s proposed redistricting ballot measure, which Newsom announced in response to Texas’ congressional redistricting efforts.  📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Read More

Delta Air Lines has agreed to pay nearly $79 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over a 2020 fuel dump that drenched homes, schools, and playgrounds across Los Angeles. Suggested Reading Tens of thousands of properties were coated in jet fuel when a Delta flight bound for Shanghai dumped about 15,000 pounds of fuel at low altitude shortly after losing engine thrust on takeoff from LAX. More than 50 people, including schoolchildren, were treated for minor skin and breathing irritation. Related Content Residents argued the crew could have released the fuel over the Pacific or at higher altitude, where it would have dissipated, per court filings. Delta denied wrongdoing, saying its pilots “did exactly what federal regulations and their FAA-approved training required them to do to respond to that in-flight emergency and ensure the safety of the passengers, crew, and people on the ground.” The airline also said a Federal Aviation Administration investigation later cleared the pilots of wrongdoing. The agreement, filed this week in federal court and awaiting a judge’s approval, sets aside about a third for attorneys’ fees and costs, with the remainder to be distributed among roughly 38,000 property owners and residents. If everyone files a claim, payouts would average $889 per household and $104 per resident. Part of the case centered on whether the fuel left lasting damage. A lab study found no petroleum hydrocarbons in soil after a week, undermining contamination claims. Delta also pointed to home sales data showing no fall in property values. Lawyers for residents nonetheless argued families deserved compensation for the disruption, calling the settlement a “fair and reasonable” outcome. The deal caps more than five years of litigation and consolidates multiple lawsuits, including claims from local teachers. For affected communities in southeast LA, attorneys said, it marked the first meaningful recovery since the day jet fuel unexpectedly rained from the sky. In a written statement, plaintiffs’ attorney Filippo Marchino of the X-Law Group said: “We are especially pleased to obtain this result for residents of the southeast LA communities, comprised of hard-working families who asked only for respect and just treatment and rightly deserve this result.” Delta declined to comment but directed Quartz to its position in the settlement document in which it denied wrongdoing. The statement said the company had decided to settle “without any admission of liability to resolve the uncertainty involved in the litigation”. It said this would also “avoid the significant legal expenses that it would incur by litigating the case through trial and any subsequent appeal, and eliminate the distraction and other burdens this litigation has caused to Delta’s business.” 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Read More

American Eagle announced a new collaboration with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce the day after Taylor Swift shared news of her engagement to the football star, sending the retailer’s stock soaring.  Suggested Reading Shares jumped more than 8% Wednesday as of 1:50 p.m. Eastern.   Related Content American Eagle shared news of its limited edition line — AE x Tru Kolors by Travis Kelce — in a statement Wednesday one day after Swift shared news of their engagement in a post on Instagram Tuesday.  With a caption that read “your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” Swift’s post garnered more than 30 million likes in a day.  Not only did Swift and Kelce’s engagement help American Eagle’s stock pop, but other retailers gained some market momentum from the announcement, too. Signet Jewelers’ stock jumped about 3% Tuesday following Swift’s post as fans detected what style ring the pop singer was sporting, CNBC reported. The jeweler’s stock is up more than 4% Wednesday as of 1:50 p.m. Eastern.  Ralph Lauren also saw some market gain Tuesday thanks to the newly engaged couple apparently wearing some of the retailer’s clothes in their engagement photos, the outlet added.  American Eagle’s collaboration with Kelce comes about a month after its controversial ad campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney.  The retailer’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign at first sent its stock soaring 20%, but after facing public backlash for what critics say was a marketing misstep that promoted eugenics, “white supremacy,” and “Nazi propaganda,” its store traffic dropped.  The ad that sparked the backlash shows Sweeney in head-to-toe denim. “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring,” the actress says in the video. “Often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.” The video has since been removed from the company’s social media accounts.  American Eagle said its collaboration with Kelce “merges fashion, sports and culture — pairing the #1 jeans brand for Gen Z with one of the most recognizable faces in football and entertainment.” The limited edition line is being released in two drops on Wednesday and Sept. 24 with more than 90 pieces.  — Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins contributed to this article.  📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Read More

The director of the nation’s top public health agency has been fired after less than one month in the job, and several top agency leaders have resigned. Susan Monarez isn’t “aligned with” President Donald Trump’s agenda and refused to resign, so the White House terminated her, spokesman Kush Desai said Wednesday night. Her lawyers said she was targeted for standing up for science. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had announced her departure in a brief social media post late Wednesday afternoon. Her lawyers responded with a statement saying Monarez had neither resigned nor been told she was fired. “When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted,” attorneys Mark Zaid and Abbe David Lowell wrote in a statement. “This is not about one official. It is about the systematic dismantling of public health institutions, the silencing of experts, and the dangerous politicization of science. The attack on Dr. Monarez is a warning to every American: our evidence-based systems are being undermined from within,” they said. Her departure coincided with the resignations this week of at least four top CDC officials. The list includes Dr. Debra Houry, the agency’s deputy director; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, head of the agency’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, head of its National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; and Dr. Jennifer Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology. In an email seen by The Associated Press, Houry lamented the crippling effects on the agency from planned budget cuts, reorganization and firings. “I am committed to protecting the public’s health, but the ongoing changes prevent me from continuing in my job as a leader of the agency,” she wrote. She also noted the rise of misinformation about vaccines during the current Trump administration, and alluded to new limits on CDC communications. “For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political pauses or interpretations,” she wrote. Daskalakis worked closely with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy remade the committee by firing everyone and replacing them with a group that included several vaccine skeptics — one of whom was put in charge of a COVID-19 vaccines workgroup. In his resignation letter, Daskalakis lamented that the changes put “people of dubious intent and more dubious scientific rigor in charge of recommending vaccine policy.” He described Monarez as “hamstrung and sidelined by an authoritarian leader.” He added: “Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults.” He also wrote: “I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality.” HHS officials did not immediately respond to questions about the resignations. Some public health experts decried the loss of so many of CDC’s scientific leaders. “The CDC is being decapitated. This is an absolute disaster for public health,” said Public Citizen’s Dr. Robert Steinbrook. Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease researcher, said the departures were “a serious loss for America.” “The loss of experienced, world-class infectious disease experts at CDC is directly related to the failed leadership of extremists currently in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services,” he said. “They make our country less safe and less prepared for public health emergencies.” Monarez, 50, was the agency’s 21st director and the first to pass through Senate confirmation following a 2023 law. She was named acting director in January and then tapped as the nominee in March after Trump abruptly withdrew his first choice, David Weldon. She was sworn in on July 31 — less than a month ago, making her the shortest-serving CDC director in the history of the 79-year-old agency. Her short time at CDC was tumultuous. On Aug. 8, at the end of her first full week on the job, a Georgia man opened fire from a spot at a pharmacy across the street from CDC’s main entrance. The 30-year-old man blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal. He killed a police officer and fired more than 180 shots into CDC buildings before killing himself. No one at CDC was injured, but it shell-shocked a staff that already had low morale from other recent changes. Monarez had scheduled an “all hands meeting” meeting for the CDC staff — seen as an important step in addressing concerns among staff since the shooting — for Monday this week. But HHS officials meddled with that, too, canceling it and calling Monarez to Washington, D.C., said a CDC official who was not authorized to talk about it and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The Atlanta-based federal agency was initially founded to prevent the spread of malaria in the U.S. Its mission was later expanded, and it gradually became a global leader on infectious and chronic diseases and a go-to source of health information. This year it’s been hit by widespread staff cuts, resignations of key officials and heated controversy over long-standing CDC vaccine policies upended by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. During her Senate confirmation process, Monarez told senators that she values vaccines, public health interventions and rigorous scientific evidence. But she largely dodged questions about whether those positions put her at odds with Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic who has criticized and sought to dismantle some of the agency’s previous protocols and decisions. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, praised Monarez for standing up to Kennedy and called for him to be fired. “We cannot let RFK Jr. burn what’s left of the CDC and our other critical health agencies to the ground,” she said in a statement Wednesday night. The Washington Post first reported Monarez was ousted. ___ AP reporter Amanda Seitz in Washington contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives