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Elon Musk is already making a name for himself in Path of Exile 2 after dominating Diablo 4’s leaderboards. Despite being the wealthiest man in the world, the founder of Space X and owning social media platform X, Elon Musk has proven himself to be an elite gamer. The multi-billionaire made waves back in November after technically becoming the best Diablo 4 player in the world by clearing a level 150 Pit in under two minutes. Now, he’s bringing his talents to Path of Exile, a game he says belongs in a Hall of Fame – but he’s so good, he’s having trouble being allowed to play. Elon Musk denies using a macro after getting kicked from PoE 2 In a post on X, Elon posted a screenshot of his Path of Exile 2 game where he got a message alerting him that he had been disconnected. “You have been kicked for performing too many actions too fast,” the notice said. Wasn’t even using a macro lol pic.twitter.com/nDb9REalB5 However, Musk claims that he wasn’t using any software to make the game easier, and was instead just performing a high amount of actions per minute because he’s just extremely skilled. “Wasn’t even using a macro lol,” he joked, prompting a viewer to reply, “They give us like 10+ active skills and don’t expect us to hit the buttons?!” “The penalty for too many clicks/sec is you get executed immediately!” Musk added. “I think this will get patched.” While Elon hopes that this will be patched, other users were impressed by the X owner’s ability to take to yet another game with ease. Seriously 😂 And the penalty for too many clicks/sec is you get executed immediately! I think this will get patched. “I really don’t know where you find the hours in the day,” remarked former HotS pro akaface. “Elon gonna dom the PoE leaderboards too?” someone else chimed in . “Get this man on League of Legends.” Related: Amusingly, Musk has stated he refuses to play LoL , because if he did, “it would damage the space program.” “You should buy Path of Exile now my spaceman son,” another commented , referencing Elon suggesting that he might buy Hasbro to acquire D&D . In addition to being good at games, Elon has also announced plans to start his own AI game studio to “make video games great again,” but hasn’t revealed any further progress on the project since.President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense has ignited considerable debate as liberal critics scrutinize his qualifications and use “unnamed sources” to disparage his alleged past conduct . But Hegseth’s nomination is an opportunity this country cannot afford to miss. I’ve had the privilege of working with Pete at Fox News for seven years, and he’s the right person to bring sanity back to our military. Our armed forces have been derailed in recent years, taken hostage by a relentless march of wokeness — with policy decisions based on social agendas rather than military effectiveness. But our military is not some social experiment. Pete knows this firsthand as a soldier who served on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. He understands what it takes to lead, and knows how dangerous it is when leadership loses sight of the mission. When he recently met with Sen. Joni Ernst (the likely key vote in his confirmation), he didn’t just ask for her support — he laid out a vision for what the military should be. After their meeting, Ernst, herself a combat veteran, hinted at her approval . This is good news for the country. Pete doesn’t just win people over with charisma (though he has plenty of it); he wins them over with substance. He is committed to restoring our military’s focus, and he’s not afraid to challenge the sacred cows of political correctness to do so. We need that desperately. As one might expect, critics have dredged up his past and taken some of his comments out of context. Pete has mounted a vigorous defense: In an exclusive interview with my dear friend, Fox News host Sean Hannity, Pete rightly called out the Democratic Party and the media for the show trial they are attempting. Make no mistake about it: The media, which has become largely an extension of the Democratic Party, will lie, attack, and misconstrue the words of all of Trump’s nominees, not just Pete. That’s, unfortunately, how polarizing our politics has become. But I know Pete. His integrity is unmatched, and his commitment to our country is unwavering. He’s not in this for a line on his resumé. He’s in this because he believes deeply in the mission of the US military and its critical role in defending freedom worldwide. That’s why he’s earned the support of veterans and active-duty soldiers alike — and of his coworkers, too. I’m not the only one at Fox. Far from it. Fox News host Will Cain, another veteran, recently summed it up perfectly on his show: “Pete Hegseth is exactly what the Pentagon needs: A leader who prioritizes strength over optics and results over rhetoric.” Jesse Watters didn’t mince words on “Fox News Primetime”: “Hegseth has the courage to call out what’s wrong and the experience to make it right.” Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary and Fox News host, added on “Outnumbered,” “He stands firm in his values, and he’s not afraid to challenge bureaucracy when it fails our service members.” Brian Kilmeade spoke up on “Fox & Friends.” “Pete understands the mission of the military better than anyone. He’s been there, he’s led, and he knows how to bring us back to what matters: strength and readiness.” And Laura Ingraham emphasized the importance of Trump’s pick. “Pete Hegseth isn’t just a choice for Secretary of Defense — he’s the only choice if we want to restore America’s standing on the world stage,” she declared. All of this support against those notorious — and all-too-common these days in liberal-controlled establishment media — “unnamed sources.” The stakes are too high to let this nomination get bogged down in petty politics or ideological grandstanding. Pete isn’t about maintaining the broken system; he’s about fixing it. He’s about taking on the wokeness that has infected the military, refocusing on readiness, and ensuring that the armed forces are prepared for the real threats we face — not imaginary ones dreamed up in think tanks. At a time when global threats are multiplying, from an aggressive China to a belligerent Russia, we need someone like Pete at the helm. The US Senate should confirm Pete Hegseth without hesitation. This isn’t just about filling a role; it’s about restoring the integrity and strength of our military. Anything less would be an affront to the men and women who serve — and to the nation they protect. Gianno Caldwell is founder of the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety and a Fox News political analyst.X: @GiannoCaldwellPhoto: © Getty Images Miley Cyrus used to struggle to "connect with people" because of her fame. The 31-year-old singer became known around the world when she took on the title role in the Disney Channel sitcom 'Hannah Montana' as a teenager and went on to become one of the world's biggest pop stars in the process but noted that having that kind of notoriety "got in the way" of her social relationships. She told Harper's Bazaar: "Obviously, [being a child star] shaped me into a very different adult than some of my peers or my friends. It is just a really different childhood to have. For a while, I thought it got in the way of me connecting with people." Just before the new interview, the 'Flowers' hitmaker had done a Chinese medicine quiz, and one of the questions was about whether she felt she could easily form relationships with others. Miley wasn't exactly sure how to answer that but did recall that while she can "drop" her celebrity persona whenever she chooses, it can be difficult for others to perceive her as an ordinary person. She said: "I don’t even know how to really answer that because for who I am as a person, yes, I feel like I can connect to people and I feel like I’m a friend to all. But because of how I’ve grown up, sometimes people make it harder. I can drop my persona really easily, but it’s hard for other people to erase that part of you." The Grammy Award-winning star appeared on the hit Disney Channel series alongside her father Billy Ray Cyrus and the success of the sitcom made her a multimillionaire by her mid-teens, but she recalled that it was her mother Tish Cyrus who would often step in to discipline her. She said: "My mom said that I had to get a Nissan or Toyota just like my other siblings. She was never afraid to take my cell phone away. Even when I paid my own cell phone bill! I would always go, like, Mom, that’s for kids that don’t pay their own cell-phone bill. "And she’s like, 'I don’t care. You’re not getting your phone.'"
TikTok edged closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19. The potential ban could strain US-China relations just as president-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20. TikTok said it would now appeal to the Supreme Court, which could choose to take up the case or let the DC circuit court's decision stand. "The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans' right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," the company said. TikTok will also be looking to Trump, who has emerged as an unlikely ally, arguing that a ban would mainly benefit Meta's platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg. Trump's stance reflects broader conservative criticism of Meta for allegedly suppressing right-wing content, including Trump's ban from Facebook after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The US government alleges TikTok allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It also says TikTok is a conduit to spread propaganda, though China and app owner ByteDance strongly deny these claims. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless ByteDance sells the platform by January 19. While recognizing that "170 million Americans use TikTok to create and view all sorts of free expression," the three-judge panel unanimously upheld the law's premise that divesting it from China's control "is essential to protect our national security." They found that the law did not hinder free speech as it was "devoid of an institutional aim to suppress particular messages or ideas." The judges also disagreed with the idea that less drastic alternatives than a sale by ByteDance would solve the security issues. "This conclusion is supported by ample evidence that the Act is the least restrictive means of advancing the Government's compelling national security interests," the judges said in their opinion. Trump's position marks a reversal from Trump's first term, when he tried to ban TikTok over similar security concerns. That effort got bogged down in the courts when a federal judge questioned how the move would affect free speech and blocked the initiative. Trump's newly nominated tech policy czar David Sacks also opposes the ban as government overreach. Trump's shift coincides with his connection to Jeff Yass, a major Republican donor with ByteDance investments. "Donald Trump could be a lifeline for TikTok once he takes office, but halting the enforcement of the ban is easier said than done," said Emarketer lead Analyst Jasmine Enberg. "And even if he does manage to save TikTok, he's already flip-flopped on his stance toward the app and there's no guarantee he won't go after it later." The President-elect launched his own TikTok account in June, gaining 14.6 million followers, but hasn't posted since Election Day. Despite the uncertainty, TikTok's US presence continues growing. The platform reported $100 million in Black Friday sales for its new shopping venture, and Emarketer projects US ad revenue will reach $15.5 billion next year, accounting for 4.5 percent of total digital ad spending in the country. But Enberg warned a ban would significantly disrupt the social media landscape, benefiting Meta, YouTube, and Snap while harming content creators and small businesses dependent on TikTok. arp/dw
(BPT) - The holidays are almost here! It means parties and events, hustle and bustle ... and figuring out what to buy for everyone on your list. Sometimes it's hard to get inspired with great ideas that your nears and dears will love at a price you can afford, right? The good news? Inspiration + savings are covered this year. One of the top gifts of Holiday 2024 is technology, and there are a lot of deals out there right now. Done and done! Here are 5 ideas for hot tech gifts for everyone on your list. Smartphones for the family T-Mobile is running a hot deal right now. Get four new smartphones at T-Mobile — this includes Samsung Galaxy S24 and other eligible devices — and four lines for just $100/month . It doesn't get better than that! These new Galaxy phones are tech-tastic, too, with features like AI, Circle to Search with Google, which can be used to help solve math problems and translate entire pages of text in a different language, and Note Assist with Galaxy AI, which lets you focus on capturing your notes and then Note Assist will summarize, format and even translate them for you. High tech spiral notebook for students We've got to admit, this is pretty cool. The Rocketbook looks (a bit) like a regular spiral, paper notebook. Here's the high tech twist: You can take notes, capture ideas, brainstorm, draw — whatever you do on paper — on the pad, and the Rocketbook digitizes your doodles and saves to the cloud device of your choice. Then you simply wipe the pad clean and it's good to go. Look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales at your favorite online retailer. Wrist-worthy smartwatches for athletes (or those who want to be) Everyone loves smartwatches (if you're not already tracking your sleep and heart rate, where have you been?) and the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm & 45mm) takes it to the next level with features for athletes or anyone who may be setting fitness goals for the coming year. The watch has workout prompts like Real Time Guidance — audio and haptic cues for when to sprint, cool down or maintain pace. It gives you the ability to program your workouts and even monitors your cadence and stride. It also has Offline Maps, with driving navigation, search and maps. Here's the deal of the century: Get it for free at T-Mobile when adding a qualifying watch line. Cute wireless keyboard for people who are all thumbs Who else is annoyed by typing email or texts or social posts on a smartphone? The Logitech Multi-Device Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard solves that problem with style! It comes in sweet colors like lavender, it's wireless, it's small and portable, and it works with just about any device. Pop it into your backpack or purse and you'll never have to thumb-out a message again. Speakers perfect for hosting and giving Have a music lover in your life or need the perfect hosting gift? T-Mobile has you covered. For a limited time, you can get the JBL Clip 5 for free when you pick up a Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 . The JBL Clip 5 is an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker perfect for those on the go and the Onyx Studio 9's sleek design and booming sound will take care of all your holiday hosting needs. For more tech-tastic holiday gift inspiration, check out T-Mobile's holiday gift guide at t-mobile.com/devices/tech-gifts .
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A 7-year-old dispute between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence "dictatorship" is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker's ongoing shift into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year alleging it had betrayed its founding aims as a nonprofit research lab benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. The world's richest man, whose companies include Tesla, SpaceX and social media platform X, last year started his own rival AI company, xAI. Musk says it faces unfair competition from OpenAI and its close business partner Microsoft, which has supplied the huge computing resources needed to build AI systems such as ChatGPT. “OpenAI and Microsoft together exploiting Musk’s donations so they can build a for-profit monopoly, one now specifically targeting xAI, is just too much,” says Musk's filing that alleges the companies are violating the terms of Musk’s foundational contributions to the charity. OpenAI is filing a response Friday opposing Musk’s requested order, saying it would cripple OpenAI’s business and mission to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company. A hearing is set for January before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. At the heart of the dispute is a 2017 internal power struggle at the fledgling startup that led to Altman becoming OpenAI's CEO. Musk also wanted the job, according to emails revealed as part of the court case, but grew frustrated after two other OpenAI co-founders said he would hold too much power as a major shareholder and chief executive if the startup succeeded in its goal to achieve better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence , or AGI. Musk has long voiced concerns about how advanced forms of AI could threaten humanity. “The current structure provides you with a path where you end up with unilateral absolute control over the AGI," said a 2017 email to Musk from co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman. “You stated that you don't want to control the final AGI, but during this negotiation, you've shown to us that absolute control is extremely important to you.” In the same email, titled “Honest Thoughts,” Sutskever and Brockman also voiced concerns about Altman's desire to be CEO and whether he was motivated by “political goals.” Altman eventually succeeded in becoming CEO, and has remained so except for a period last year when he was fired and then reinstated days later after the board that ousted him was replaced. OpenAI published the messages Friday in a blog post meant to show its side of the story, particularly Musk's early support for the idea of making OpenAI a for-profit business so it could raise money for the hardware and computer power that AI needs. It was Musk, through his wealth manager Jared Birchall, who first registered “Open Artificial Technologies Technologies, Inc.”, a public benefit corporation, in September 2017. Then came the “Honest Thoughts” email that Musk described as the “final straw.” “Either go do something on your own or continue with OpenAI as a nonprofit,” Musk wrote back. Musk didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment sent to his companies Friday. Asked about his frayed relationship with Musk at a New York Times conference last week, Altman said he felt “tremendously sad” but also characterized Musk’s legal fight as one about business competition. “He’s a competitor and we’re doing well,” Altman said. He also said at the conference that he is “not that worried” about the Tesla CEO’s influence with President-elect Donald Trump. OpenAI said Friday that Altman plans to make a $1 million personal donation to Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. —————————— The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives. Matt O'brien, The Associated PressSAE Industry Technologies Consortia and Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Advance Universal Plug & Charge
Zefiro Announces Membership in Canadian Public-Private Working Group Addressing Alberta's Orphaned and Marginal Oil & Gas WellsTikTok is challenging the federal government’s order to shut down its operations in Canada. The company filed in documents in Federal Court in Vancouver on Thursday. The government ordered the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business in November after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform. That means TikTok must "wind down" its operations in Canada, though the app will continue to be available to Canadians. TikTok wants the court to overturn the government’s order and to place a pause on the order while the court hears the case. It is claiming the minister's decision was "unreasonable" and "driven by improper purposes." The review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to harm national security. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a statement at the time the government was taking action to address "specific national security risks," though it didn’t specify what those risks were. TikTok’s filing says Champagne "failed to engage with TikTok Canada on the purported substance of the concerns that led to the (order.)" The company argues the government ordered "measures that bear no rational connection to the national security risks it identifies." It says the reasons for the order "are unintelligible, fail to reveal a rational chain of analysis and are rife with logical fallacies." The company's law firm, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, declined to comment, while Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the order would "eliminate the jobs and livelihoods of our hundreds of dedicated local employees — who support the community of more than 14 million monthly Canadian users on TikTok, including businesses, advertisers, creators and initiatives developed especially for Canada." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024. Darryl Greer and Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
By Stephanie Lai and Hadriana Lowenkron, Bloomberg News Donald Trump says he is selecting venture capitalist David Sacks of Craft Ventures LLC to serve as his artificial intelligence and crypto czar, a newly created position that underscores the president-elect’s intent to boost two rapidly developing industries. “David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness. David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,” Trump said Thursday in a post on his Truth Social network. Trump said that Sacks would also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. In Sacks, Trump is tapping one of his most prominent Silicon Valley supporters and fundraisers for a prime position in his administration. Sacks played a key role in bolstering Trump’s fundraising among technology industry donors, including co-hosting an event at his San Francisco home in June, with tickets at $300,000 a head. He is also closely associated with Vice President-elect JD Vance, the investor-turned-Ohio senator. Sacks is a venture capitalist and part of Silicon Valley’s “PayPal Mafia.” He first made his name in the technology industry during a stint as the chief operating officer of PayPal, the payments company whose founders in the late 1990s included billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and investor Peter Thiel. After it was sold to eBay, Sacks turned to Hollywood, where he produced the 2005 satire Thank You for Smoking. Back in Silicon Valley, he founded workplace communications company Yammer, which was bought by Microsoft Corp. in 2012 for $1.2 billion. He founded his own venture capital firm, Craft Ventures, in 2017 and has invested in Musk-owned businesses, including SpaceX. Sacks said on a recent episode of his All-In podcast that a “key man” clause in the agreements of his venture firm’s legal documents would likely prevent him from taking a full-time position, but he might consider an advisory role in the new administration. A Craft spokeswoman said Sacks would not be leaving Craft. In his post, Trump said Sacks “will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship.” Protecting free speech is a keen interest of Sacks. He regularly speaks about “woke” interests that try to muzzle unpopular opinions and positions. The new post is expected to help spearhead the crypto industry deregulation Trump promised on the campaign trail. The role is expected to provide cryptocurrency advocates a direct line to the White House and serve as a liaison between Trump, Congress and the federal agencies that interface with digital assets, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Trump heavily campaigned on supporting crypto, after previously disparaging digital assets during his first White House term, saying their “value is highly volatile and based on thin air.” The president-elect on Thursday said Sacks would “work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.” During the campaign, Trump spoke at a Bitcoin conference, accepted crypto campaign donations and met with executives from Bitcoin mining companies and crypto exchanges multiple times. Trump’s desire to give priority to the digital asset industry is also reflected in his close allies and cabinet selections, including his Commerce secretary pick, Howard Lutnick, and Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent. On the AI front, Sacks would help Trump put his imprint on an emerging technology whose popular use has exploded in recent years. Sacks is poised to be at the front lines in determining how the federal government both adopts AI and regulates its use as advances in the technology and adoption by consumers pose a wide array of benefits as well as risks touching on national security, privacy, jobs and other areas. The president-elect has expressed both awe at the power of AI technology as well as concern over the potential harms from its use. During his first term, he signed executive orders that sought to maintain US leadership in the field and directed the federal government to prioritize AI in research and development spending. As AI has become more mainstream in recent years and with Congress slow to act, President Joe Biden has sought to fill that void. Biden signed an executive order in 2023 that establishes security and privacy protections and requires developers to safety-test new models, casting the sweeping regulatory order as necessary to safeguard consumers. A number of technology giants have also agreed to adopt a set of voluntary safeguards which call for them to test AI systems for discriminatory tendencies or security flaws and to share those results. Trump has vowed to repeal Biden’s order. The Republican Party’s 2024 platform dismissed Biden’s executive order as one that “hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology.” Sacks can be expected to work closely with Musk, the world’s richest person and one of the president-elect’s most prominent supporters. Musk is also a player in the AI space with his company xAI and a chatbot named Grok — efforts which pit him against Silicon Valley’s giants — and he stands to wield significant influence within the incoming administration. The appointment won’t require Sacks to divest or publicly disclose his assets. Like Musk, Sacks will be a special government employee. He can serve a maximum of 130 days per year, with or without compensation. However, conflict of interest rules apply to special government employees, meaning Sacks will have to recuse himself from matters that could impact his holdings. Sacks’s Craft Ventures is known more for enterprise software investing than for crypto, but it has made a few crypto investments, including BitGo and Bitwise. Still, Sacks has firm opinions on the sector. Speaking last month on All-In, Sacks praised a bill on crypto regulation that had passed in the U.S. House but not the Senate earlier this year. The Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act would regulate certain types of digital assets as a commodity, regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “The crypto industry basically wants a really clear line for knowing when they’re a commodity and they want commodities to be governed, like all other commodities, by the CFTC,” he said on the November podcast. He also disparaged some of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s positions on crypto under its chair, Gary Gensler. “The days of Gensler terrifying crypto companies,” he said. “Those days are about to be over.” Earlier this week, Trump nominated crypto advocate Paul Atkins to lead the SEC. With assistance from Zoe Ma, Bill Allison, Sarah McBride, Anne VanderMey and stacy-marie ishmael. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.WEST ENGLEWOOD — When Corie Luckett opened Englewood Branded in 2017, he knew the streetwear clothing shop would help him and his community flourish. Two years earlier, Luckett started selling T-shirts out of the trunk of his car, generating a name for himself and his signature Englewood gear. On Nov. 24, 2017, he opened Englewood Branded as a pop-up store at 1546 W. 63rd St. At the time, he hoped the money he’d make from Thanksgiving weekend shoppers would help him build a permanent store, Luckett said. He didn’t even have a sign for the store. “I was only open Black Friday weekend, but that Monday, people were at the door, coming under the gate knocking on the door,” Luckett said. “Everyone was in there buying shirts. The community didn’t let me close.” Greater Englewood helped Luckett’s store go from pop-up to permanent and “stand the test of time” for seven years, he said. After closing for a few weeks this fall for remodeling, Luckett is using his newly redesigned shop to continue giving back to his community. Englewood Branded reopened Friday with space for community members to host meetings, drop-down projectors for presentations and musical performances and a textile print press where local youth can learn to make their own clothing brand. “I’m pushing the same aesthetic I had growing up. Neighbors, community, everyone wanted me to do well, so they pushed me toward it,” Luckett said. “I want every kid that comes by to see the door is open for them to come in and talk. I’m giving them a ladder to step up and gain notoriety and confidence.” Luckett will still sell his signature selection of vibrant clothing decorated with the store’s logo and EDub, the store’s teddy bear mascot, but he’s limiting new drops to once a month, he said. The store will also now offer items that are “closer to a souvenir shop to catch people’s eyes,” he said. “I want to be creative and push the envelope to produce something new and fresh,” Luckett said. “We want to make sure we keep creating new things that are going to help people flourish.” From now until Dec. 18, visitors to the shop can drop off new toys for the second annual Miracle on 63rd Street . This year’s holiday event will have live entertainment, food and family-friendly activities 1-5 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Englewood Breakroom , 1532 W. 63rd St. More information, including how to support the event, is available here . “I wanted to create a safe, nice, clean space to operate out of where people could have more meaningful opportunities,” Luckett said. “I’m using my platform to help and support those coming up in fashion. We’re getting ready for the future, which means helping our young people.” Before founding his clothing line, Luckett worked in various fields, including a stint as a retail employee at Foot Locker, “but all those things were helping people that didn’t care where I wanted to go,” Luckett said. Popular streetwear brands would drop new styles, but none resonated with Luckett, he said. The clothes “were the same, with the same brands having the same process.” “I felt like I had to take the opportunity and put my stock in something that I wanted to do,” Luckett said. “I wanted to do something more flavorful and community-based to give our community that’s been looked down on looked at in a positive light. I wasn’t doing it alone because people were doing the work to change the narrative, but I wanted to do my part.” Since 2017, Englewood’s 63rd Street has “evolved” from a corridor with vacant buildings and empty lots to community-led developments spearheaded by local organizers . Englewood Branded and the Englewood Breakroom, a pop-up plaza Luckett co-founded with Teamwork Englewood in 2023, have contributed to that revitalization. “I’ve been here for so long that I got to see the evolution of the street,” Luckett said. “I saw the good and the bad, and now it’s coming back to the good. Growth is necessary. If we put in more work, people will catch on and it’ll spread through the city.” Luckett plans to operate Englewood Branded for another seven years, he said. Local youth “cannot be what they cannot see,” and his store will continue to inspire them to aspire for greatness, he said. “I have two children, and I need them to see me getting up and going hard so they can gain the same work ethic and do what I’m doing,” Luckett said. “When I stop doing this, that means my clock stops ticking because the moment you give up on something is the moment you die, especially if it’s something you believe in.” Englewood Branded, 1546 W. 63rd St., is open noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-6 p.m. Saturdays. Get a free neighborhood print! Help us reach our goal of 900 subscribers by Dec. 31 to sustain and expand our coverage and you’ll get a free neighborhood print. There are three ways to qualify: Purchase a new subscription , upgrade your current subscription or gift a subscription . Don’t wait — support Block Club and we’ll send you a print of your choice! Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: RelatedFifth annual MindEdge/HRCI survey finds HR has adapted to the post-pandemic "New Normal" BOSTON and ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Turning the page on the COVID-19 era, HR professionals express a strong interest in expanding HR's role in their organization's business operations, according to the fifth annual collaborative survey from MindEdge Learning and the HR Certification Institute (HRCI®) . The online survey, HR's Role in the Changing Workplace , probed the attitudes of 1,044 HRCI-certified human resources professionals. Almost nine-of-ten (88%) survey respondents say that HR should play a more active role in business operations – while only 8% believe that "HR should stick to its traditional role of managing employee-related issues." The desire to expand HR's role reflects a belief that higher-ups do not see HR as full partners in organizational activities. More than two-of-five (44%) respondents report feeling that leaders "see HR as a department that performs an important but narrow function." In addition, many HR professionals are concerned that leaders are not providing their departments with sufficient resources. Respondents are evenly divided over whether their HR departments had enough budget to do a good job in the past year: 45% say that HR received enough funding, but another 45% say that it did not. Similarly, 45% of respondents say that their HR departments were understaffed in the past year, compared to 47% who say that staffing levels were adequate. HR professionals who work in the Technology sector are most likely to say that HR was underfunded and understaffed and that leaders do not see it as an integral part of the organization. By contrast, respondents who work in Financial Services are most likely to say that HR was adequately funded and staffed and that it is seen as a full contributor to the organization's activities. Looking to the future, HR professionals express confidence in the U.S. economy and in their own organization's financial well-being. Overall, 55% of survey respondents say they are confident in the strength of the U.S. economy, as it affects their organization. Only 38% say they lack confidence in the national economy; another 6% declined to answer the question because they live outside the U.S. [Note: These results were recorded before November 5, and therefore were not influenced by the results of the U.S. presidential election.] Respondents are even more confident in their own organization's financial strength. Three-of-five (60%) respondents say they are confident that their organization's revenues will be enough to meet its goals in the coming year. Respondents who work in the Financial Services sector are very confident (75%) in their organization's revenue outlook. Confidence is somewhat lower among those who work in Education (49%). Top Challenges for HR When asked to name their top one or two job-related concerns (from a list of seven), survey respondents single out retaining employees (42%) and attracting talent (40%). Retaining employees is a particularly acute issue in the Healthcare (57%) and Retail (53%) sectors, while attracting talent is the number one concern in the Manufacturing (48%), Education (45%), and Financial Services (42%) sectors. At 36%, employee burnout ranks third on the list of HR concerns, followed by: Consistent with past survey findings, employee burnout continues to be a significant concern for HR professionals. While this issue ranks third among the concerns of all survey respondents, it is the number one issue for those who work in the Technology sector (45%). In response to a separate question, 74% of HR professionals say they have seen an increase in employee burnout at their organization – up from 68% last year. One-of-four (23%) respondents say they have seen a major increase in burnout. As we saw in last year's survey, burnout remains an especially acute issue in the Healthcare (84%) and Education (84%) sectors. Moving Past the Pandemic Several notable data points indicate that American businesses have arrived at a "new operational normal" in the post-COVID economy – and that HR professionals have, for the most part, adapted well to these new workplace realities. More than half (52%) of respondents say that most employees at their organizations are now working in-person. This figure is consistent with the results of the 2023 MindEdge/HRCI survey (55%). In-person work is most common in the Manufacturing (79%), Retail (71%), and Healthcare (69%) sectors. But almost as many respondents say that most of their employees either work remotely (14%) or on a hybrid schedule (33%). And in some corners of the economy, remote work is the norm: 78% of respondents in the Technology sector say that most of their employees work remotely or on a hybrid schedule, as do 71% of those who work in Financial Services. Remote work is most definitely here to stay. Among those whose organizations are either fully remote or on a hybrid schedule, an overwhelming 86% of respondents say these new work arrangements are permanent; only 8% expect that most of their employees will eventually return to in-person work. Significantly, most HR professionals report no major problems managing remote workers. Only 11% of respondents identify managing remote work as a top-tier concern. Even among those who work in primarily hybrid or remote organizations, only 18% rank managing remote work among their top two concerns. At the same time, one of the major workplace issues of the pandemic era – high employee turnover triggered by the Great Resignation – has noticeably eased. Only 34% of respondents say their organizations are experiencing higher employee turnover than before the COVID-19 pandemic. This figure is lower than we saw last year (40%), and much lower than we saw in 2022 (67%). "Four years after the onset of the pandemic, American businesses have settled on a new mix of work arrangements – mostly in-person in some sectors of the economy, mostly remote or hybrid in others," said Hugo Lallo, chief of technology and staff for MindEdge Learning. "HR professionals have risen to the challenge and adapted to this New Normal with relative ease." HR professionals have also risen to the challenge of remote work – at least, for the most part. Two-of-five (40%) respondents say their organizations conduct HR functions remotely "all" or "most" of the time, and another 34% say they practice remote HR some of the time. And this year, for the first time, a plurality of survey respondents say that remote recruiting and interviewing are easier and more productive than doing so in person. HR professionals continue to give a thumbs-down to remote onboarding, however: by a two-to-one margin, respondents say remote onboarding is harder than in-person. Continued Strong Interest in Online Learning and Certificates Consistent with 2023 survey results, respondents display a strong interest in continuous learning. Four-of-five (79%) say their organizations offer continuous learning to employees, and 75% report taking courses on specific HR topics outside their general certification. Four-of-five (82%) respondents say they would be interested in taking online courses to earn a certificate in a specific HR topic outside their general certification – including 42% who say they would be very interested in taking such online courses. The most popular option? Four-of-five (83%) respondents say they would be interested in earning a certificate in HR Leadership. There is also strong interest in certificates in Workplace Wellness (68%) and Talent Acquisition (60%). "Our findings highlight a dynamic shift toward continuous learning rather than HR certification alone," said David Meginley, aPHR, GPHR, Chief Revenue & Learning Officer at HRCI. "Professionals are taking a more expansive approach to education and skill enhancement, which is key to ensuring that HR has a place in strategic organizational development. HRCI is excited to grow along with our community and will continue to be a career partner through a variety of learning and engagement avenues." About the Methodology MindEdge/HRCI's 2024 HR's Role in the Changing Workplace survey was conducted online from October 18 through 29, 2024. The survey probed the attitudes of 1,044 HR professionals in the United States who are 18 years or older and hold one or more certifications from HRCI. About MindEdge Learning MindEdge's mission is to improve the way the world learns. Since its founding in 1998 by Harvard and MIT educators, the company has served some 4 million learners. With a focus on digital-first learning resources—from academic courseware to professional development courses—MindEdge's approach to best practices in online education focuses on learners' needs across the spectrum of higher education, professional development, skills training, and continuing education. About HRCI HRCI, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is the premier credentialing and learning organization for the human resources profession. For over 50 years, HRCI has set the global standard for HR expertise and excellence through its commitment to the development and advancement of businesspeople in the people business. HRCI develops and offers world-class learning, as well as the administration of eight global certifications, and is dedicated to helping professionals achieve new competencies that drive business results. Learn more at https://www.hrci.org/ . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/post-covid-hr-professionals-are-looking-to-play-a-larger-role-in-business-operations-302321489.html SOURCE MindEdge
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