When the British designer Fred Rigby released his first furniture collection in 2021, he knew from the outset he would prioritize a U.S. audiencea bigger market with more sales opportunities, he says. Rigby designs and manufactures elegantly crafted furniture in the Oxfordshire countryside, and has built strong relationships with interior designer clients in cities like New York, L.A. and Miami.
For a few years, things went according to plan. As his studio grew, 6070% of sales came from the U.S. market. Then in 2025, all of that changed. “We had a healthy-looking pipeline, but when the tariffs came in, we just saw more and more projects disappear, says Rigby.
Since October 14, upholstered furniture imported to the U.S.such as sofas and armchairshas been subject to a 25% tariff, which is due to rise to 30% on January 1, 2026. In reality, trade deals with specific countries affect this final number. For instance, tariffs on all imports from EU countries are capped at 15%; for the U.K., its 10%; for Brazil, its 50%. Different elements of a furniture item can even be subject to varying tariffs based on their country of origin.
These changes and uncertainties have rattled the furniture world, including foreign furniture makers with significant U.S. markets like Rigby and U.S.-based interior designers sourcing global furniture. Even domestic furniture brands, who often rely on international materials, are taking a hit. Delaware-headquartered American Signature, parent company of furnishings retailers American Signature Furniture and Value City, filed for bankruptcy in November, citing the economic impacts of tariffs.
The great reshoring
USITC data shows that most furniture imported to the U.S. comes from China and Vietnam, largely representing the mass of the market with quick-shipped, budget pieces. For higher-end, design-forward interiors projects, the picture is a little different, with many pieces coming from heritage and prestige European furniture brands.
Europe offers a level of uniqueness and legacy techniques that are hard to replicate, says New York-based interior designer Clive Lonstein, who sources roughly 20% of the furniture used in his studios projects internationally. These pieces will remain important to his practice, he says, as they add depth and individuality to each project. Nevertheless, in the wake of tariffs, he has also begun looking to domestic vendors and artisans. [There is] incredible design talent and craftsmanship here in the States, he says.
[Photo: William Jess Laird/courtesy Clive Lonstein]
Recentering the focus on American production is a driving vision of the U.S. tariffs, and many of the large, well-known furniture companiesboth domestic and internationalare already making moves in that direction.
Swedish brand Ikea, which currently manufactures about 15% of products that it sells in the U.S. domestically, has said it would increase U.S. production. In the meantime, it concedes, tariffs will result in price adjustmentsmade more urgent by its recently reported plunge in profits. American brand RH, meanwhile, which imports most of its products, has reportedly started moving more manufacturing to its existing U.S. operations in North Carolina, a national and historic hub of furniture making.
[Photo: William Jess Laird/courtesy Clive Lonstein]
Reshoring comes with its own challenges, however: U.S. labor is often more expensive, it can be harder to find enough skilled workers, the infrastructure is not yet there to match production levels achieved internationally, and many materials still need to be imported. Even with the tariffs, it might be cheaper for consumers and clients to buy imported furniture.
Smaller brand, bigger problems
Although many large brands are waiting to see how things play out, smaller-scale furniture makers are already feeling the impact.
[Photo: Austin Leis/courtesy Soft Witness]
Soft Witness, a furniture and interior design studio based between New York and Florence, Italy, has earned a reputation for its craft-focused, architecturally informed aesthetic. Its furniture pieces are manufactured in Italy and often shipped over to the U.S. To maintain sales and commissions at competitive pricing, founder Whitney Krieger has been taking the hit financiallypaying tariffs and not passing that cost on to her customers. For her, this means potentially forgoing profits, or even taking a loss.
[Photo: Neige Thebault/courtesy Soft Witness]
While the impact has prompted Krieger to consider producing her works in the U.S., where 90% of her sales are, she has yet to be convinced this will move the needle much, as it doubles a lot of work. Ultimately, she feels committed to collaborating with the artisans in Italy she has built a relationship with.
Larger furniture brands, however, often have the funds or mechanisms to absorb the subsequent costs of tariffs or manufacturing relocation, without necessarily passing on the bulk of that cost to consumers.
[Photo: Erik Whlström/courtesy Hem]
Hem, a popular, young Swedish furniture brandappealing for its contemporary, playful take on Scandinavian minimalismmanufactures its products in Europe, but has focused sales on the U.S. market from the outset. As such, it established an incorporated limited company in the U.S.
[Photo: Kasia Bobula/courtesy Hem]
This has significantly lessened the impact of the current tariffs, as instead of exporting to clients at retail price, Hem exports to its own entity at product cost, resulting in lower tariff bills that the brand largely absorbs.
Weve raised prices a little bit, but not a lotabout 5%, says Petrus Palmér, Hems founder. The most significant impact, he says, has been the noise and insecurity. Its confusing enough for business owners, he says, but worse for consumers. I understand completely if they stop buying.
Trickle down effects
The business outcomes of furniture producers and the interior designers who buy their products is deeply intertwined. For interior designers relying on furniture imports, including from Europe, the day-to-day reality of their business has become much more complex, even while the vision and ambitions remain the same.
[Photo: Nicole Franzen/courtesy Vellum Studio]
Los Angeles and New York-based Vellum Studio, for instance, does not intend on abandoning foreign products in its high-end residential interior projects. International pieces are part of our design, says founder Ronit Lee. We do not believe in forgoing these as each piece is a lifelong investment [for the client].
[Photo: Nicole Franzen/courtesy Vellum Studio]
Prices for certain purchases from abroad have increased, but Lee is transparent with her clients about the changing costs and importing challenges. If possible, she prioritizes furniture that has already been imported to the U.S. by big brands or vintage furniture dealers, and is now being sold domestically. But this is a now dwindling supply.
[Photo: Yoshihiro Makino/courtesy 22RE]
For L.A. architecture and design studio 22RE, most of the furniture it specifies for projects is vintagean approach that draws on a fundamentally global narrative. So much of 20th-century designespecially modernismcame from global conversation and cross-cultural making, says founder Dean Levin. European design in particular, he says, remains a huge part of the language of modern interiorsnot just visually, but culturally.
The tariffs have made sourcing rare international finds harder and often not financially realistic, he says. They threaten that global exchange and make some of the most defining pieces of design history less accessible.
[Photo: Yoshihiro Makino/courtesy 22RE]
Shopping assistant chatbots were a novelty a year ago. Now, they’re everywhere.After rolling out AI-powered assistants, online retailers and tech companies have been adding more artificial intelligence features to make online shopping easier and more convenient.The latest crop of AI-powered shopping services and tools made their debut in recent weeks, just in time to kick off the holiday shopping season that begins with Black Friday.Here’s a rundown of existing and newly released AI services that can help with your search for the perfect gift in the run-up to Christmas:
Retail chatbots
Amazon led the way by rolling out its Rufus chatbot in 2024. Other ecommerce websites followed with their own AI assistants to enhance the online shopping experience.Walmart’s Sparky chatbot is available on the retail giant’s app and can synthesize reviews or offer product recommendations based on occasions, such as Christmas. Target recently unveiled a gift finder chatbot on its app, but it’s only available for the holiday season. Ralph Lauren partnered with Microsoft on the “Ask Ralph” chatbot to provide style recommendations.The aim of deploying chatbots is to make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for. Instead of entering search terms and keywords, you can type or use voice dictation for a conversational back-and-forth.The results, in my experience, can be mixed.I tried Rufus recently to find a replacement aftermarket stainless steel pot for my rice cooker, as well as a protective trivet for my kitchen sink faucet. In both cases, the results weren’t quite right and didn’t seem to capture the wide range of products available. Sometimes the results were completely unsuitable.I ended up doing a more painstaking search of product listings’ pictures and specifications to find the right items. The problem, I suspect, is partly because I was looking for generic products. Searches for name-brand products may produce better results.
AI-powered buying advice
Perhaps you don’t want to limit yourself to a single retailer’s website in your Christmas shopping search. Or you’re not sure where exactly to find that perfect gift.Tech platforms have rolled out AI-powered shopping tools that can cast a wider net by searching multiple sites.OpenAI added a new “shopping research” feature to ChatGPT last week that can provide personalized buying advice for products that are heavy on detailed specs, like electronics or appliances. The feature will activate if you ask ChatGPT a shopping-related question or manually turn it on in the chat window. OpenAI says it can go beyond simple questions, such as checking a price or feature that regular ChatGPT can easily answer.Google users can get a similar experience when they use its search engine in AI Mode, which recently got a big update for shopping searches. The company says users can describe what they’re looking for as if talking to a friend and get an “intelligently organized response” based on 50 billion product listings, with pictures alongside prices, reviews and inventory info.Google added similar shopping features to its Gemini AI chatbot app for U.S. users last month.Meanwhile, Perplexity unveiled its own shopping assistant feature last week that can tailor recommendations based on previous searches.I asked all three to find a soft cotton flannel shirt. Both ChatGPT and Perplexity asked me for specific requirements, such as budget and must-have features. ChatGPT’s response was the most detailed, with options from six brands including its top pick, and included pictures, prices and point-form summaries for each shirt. It also compiled the results into a comparison table.Results from Google, which didn’t ask follow up questions after my initial request, felt the most general. Perplexity’s results fell in between.
Try it on virtually
So, you think you’ve found a stylish cardigan for your spouse. But you’re not sure about the silhouette or vibe.Generative AI “try on” tools let users see what a piece of clothing might look like on the wearer.Existing virtual dressing room tools have relied on complex 3D rendering, real photoshoots and augmented reality. Often, shoppers were limited to picking a model that best fit their body type to see how clothes fit.Google is now tapping AI to allow shoppers to virtually try on garments and shoes using pictures of themselves in simple poses. Among the exceptions: accessories like hats or jewelry, bathing suits and lingerie.To use this feature, which is available through Google’s shopping desktop search and mobile app in Australia, Japan Canada and the U.S., just tap the “Try it on” button on a product’s photo and then add a full-length photo of yourself. You can then save the image of yourself with the tested item or share it. The original photo is also saved to your account so you don’t need to keep uploading fresh images.If you’re shopping for a gift for someone, Google says you can upload their photo, but only if you have their permission.
AI agents buy it for you
Now that you’ve figured out what exactly to get for those special people on your Christmas gift list, it’s time to buy. But if you want to outsource some of the legwork involved, there are “agentic AI” tools that can help.Amazon users can use an “AI agent” to buy a product on their behalf if the price falls to a desired level. Google has launched its own “agentic checkout” feature, which can automatically buy a product you’re keeping an eye on with its price-tracking feature. Google’s feature has rolled out to a small group of retailers, including Wayfair, Chewy and Quince we well as some Shopify merchants.Both companies say they’ll always confirm with you before the AI agent makes the purchase.Amazon is taking it a step further by allowing shoppers to buy items that aren’t in stock directly from other brands’ websites. If you see a product on the Amazon Shopping app with a “Buy For Me” button, you can buy it through the usual Amazon checkout page but the AI agent will then carry out the transaction on the other brand’s website with your encrypted payment details. The feature was in test mode but is being rolled out more widely.
AI calls for availability
Prefer to buy in person? It’s a good idea to make sure a bricks-and-mortar shop has the product you want before heading over. Google has launched an AI service that will call local stores to ask.It’s only available in the U.S. for toys, electronics and health and beauty products. When doing a Google search for the product you want, add “near me” to the end of your search query. Then, if you see “Let Google Call” when scrolling through the results, you can tap the “Get started” button. Answer some questions about what you’re shopping for, whether you want updates by email or text.Google will then contact stores near your location to ask if the item is in stock.The bot works swiftly but results might be limited. When an AP reporter in New Jersey asked Google to call around about a specific Acer monitor, the agent returned quickly with a reply from a local computer repair shop that sold refurbished monitors. It appeared to ignore nearby big-box outlets selling electronics.According to Google’s text update, the local repair shop didn’t have the monitor, but did have a similar-sized one sans the other bells and whistles for a lower price.
Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.
Kelvin Chan and Anne D’Innocenzio, AP Business Writers
Jeff Bezos last month went public with his new AI firm, which is currently being called Project Prometheus. The effort had been in development for a while, but is still relatively secretive. Theres no website and only a sparse LinkedIn page describing itself as AI for the physical economy.
The $6.2-billion startup may be facing lots of competition from other AI companies, including giants like Microsoft and OpenAI. At the same time, it may also have to contend with another mysterious and more modest effort that happens to have already filed a trademark application for an AI company with the exact same name.
On November 17 — the same day the New York Times ran a story revealing the new Bezos AI effort — an attorney named Patrick Wallen filed an application for a trademark for Project Prometheus, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office website. The address is listed as a residential home in California. Its the only application that seems to be tied to Wallen, and references a website featuring software that uses artificial intelligence to evaluate, score and benchmark individual performance for purposes of personnel selection, employment assessment, professional development, skills competitions and education.
Wallen tells Fast Company in an email that he hasnt heard from the Bezos Project Prometheus and that hes working at a lawyer scoring platform that uses AI, also called Project Prometheus. Fast Company was unable to identify records related to that company, though there was an LLC registered by a different person in California several years ago. Wallen says hes been developing the site on Figma, shared a minimum viable product on Figma, and was recently accepted to an incubator.
I had an original name for my company that didn’t score well. Feedback provided indicated I needed a change. On the day of the Bezos announcements, I scoured the internet to verify the legal reality of these news publications. I looked for the Delaware filing through the Secretary of State. Nothing, Wallen says. I did the same in Nevada. Nothing. I looked for a foreign qualification filing in California. Nothing. I looked for a trademark filing in TEAS. Nothing. A linkedin company page? Nothing. Form D EDGAR filings with the SEC. Nope.
Since their press publication interfered with my marketing strategy, I filed my trademark, he adds. I now own the name and it is the name of a real business that -ironically- is designed to demonstrate the skills of a lawyer.
Wallen’s application did not come from the Bezos Project Prometheus, a spokesperson confirms. His application has yet to be reviewed, according to the USPTO website.
The Bezos AI project — which is being co-led by Vik Bajaj, an adjunct Stanford professor, physicist, and chemist whod previously helped Alphabet-owned platform Verily — is focused on AI and the physical sciences and not legal AI according to the New York Times. The company has already hired about 100 people and purchased another startup called General Agents.
These days, many companies have a penchant for choosing titles alluding to science fiction or mythology. The names Anduril and Palantir both come from Lord of the Rings. Other examples include Oracle and Nike, which references the eponymous ancient Greek goddess of victory; Prometheus is the name of an ancient Greek titan. The term Project Prometheus has been used previously by DARPA, NASA, and, in the world of the television show Smallville, by Supermans arch-nemesis Lex Luthor.
Still, trademark fights can get nasty, particularly for valuable Silicon Valley companies. A device company called iyO sued Open for using io in its branding and Elon Musks xAI is still facing trademark troubles over the name of its chatbot Grok, which has prompted pushback from similarly-named companies. A company called Meta.io also sued Facebook after the social media company renamed itself as part of its metaverse pivot.
With all due respect to Mr. Bezos, he has every resource in the world at his disposal, Wallen adds. His lack of preparation is not a reason for me to alter my plans. On second thought, perhaps he should consider hiring more diligent legal counsel.
Candles and lights are typically a festive part of the holiday season but, this year, Yankee Candle has little reason to celebrate.
Its parent company, Newell Brands, has announced that it will lay off over 900 employees worldwideabout 10% of its professional and clerical workforce.
Layoffs in the U.S. will mostly occur this month, while international employeeslike those from countries with greater worker protectionswill see layoffs take place through 2026, subject to local law and consultation requirements.
Newell Brands also owns Oster, Rubbermaid, Elmers, and Sharpie, among others.
Some Yankee Candle stores will shutter by January 2026
Newell Brands is also closing approximately 20 Yankee Candle stores across the U.S. and Canada.
According to Newell Brands, these stores make up about 1% of Yankee Candles brand sales. The locations are likely to close in January 2026.
Fast Company has reached out to Newell Brands for a list of all impacted stores and will update this post if we hear back.
Newell Brands predicts the layoffs and store closures will save $110 million to $130 million in annual pretax costs.
Weve made meaningful progress executing our strategy and strengthening Newell Brands, but there is more work to do, president and CEO of Newell Brands Chris Peterson said in a statement. This productivity plan is about taking the next, disciplined step to enhance efficiency, sharpen our strategic focus, and deliver stronger, more consistent performance.”
Its far from the only large company that has trimmed its brick-and-mortar footprint in recent months. Claires, Foot Locker, and Petco are among the retail chains that have announced store closures in the latter half of 2025.
Shares of Newell Brands (Nasdaq: NWL) have declined significantly this year. As of Wednesday’s market close, the stock is down more than 62% year to date.
The longest government shutdown on record cost Delta Air Lines an estimated $200 million, CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday in the first disclosure by a U.S. airline regarding the shutdown’s financial impact.Bastian told investors that refunds “grew significantly” while bookings slowed amid the uncertainty in air travel caused by the 43-day shutdown, contributing to Delta’s loss of about 25 cents per share.The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, led to long delays at major airports and historic flight cancellations at 40 of the country’s busiest airports as more unpaid air traffic controllers missed work, citing additional stress and the need to take on side jobs. As the shutdown dragged into a second month, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order requiring commercial airlines to cancel up to 6% of their domestic flights a decision that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described as necessary to guarantee safe air travel.“When you’ve got the secretary of transportation telling people we don’t have controllers, questioning the safety at some level of travel, which has never before happened,” Bastian said, it led to more customers holding off on booking their holiday travel.More than 10,000 flights were cut between Nov. 7, when the FAA’s order took effect, and when the restrictions were fully lifted on Nov. 16, less than two weeks before Thanksgiving, the busiest travel period in the U.S.Despite the disruption to air travel, Bastian said Wednesday he believes the shutdown’s impacts are in the rearview. He said Delta had a busy Thanksgiving week and that bookings through the end of the year, especially around Christmas and New Year’s Day, were “really strong.”“I think we’re through it and it was transitory,” Bastian said of the shutdown. “We’re looking forward to a strong December, a strong close to the year.”Airports impacted by the flight restrictions during the shutdown included large hubs in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta. The flight cuts started at 4% and later grew to 6% before the FAA rolled the restrictions back to 3%, citing continued improvements in air traffic controller staffing after the shutdown ended Nov. 12.Controllers were among the federal employees who had to continue working without pay throughout the shutdown, missing two full paychecks.President Donald Trump took to social media during the shutdown to pressure controllers to “get back to work, NOW!!!” He called for a $10,000 bonus for those who stayed on the job and suggested docking pay for those who haven’t.A week after the shutdown ended, the FAA announced only 776 controllers and technicians with perfect attendance during the shutdown would receive bonuses, leaving out nearly 20,000 other workers.On Wednesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation, sent a letter to Duffy demanding that he also award bonuses to the remaining FAA workers.“It is wrong to financially penalize these Federal employees for responsibly managing life events beyond their control while working without pay,” she said.Duffy didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to the letter, but when asked about the bonuses last week at a news conference ahead of the Thanksgiving travel period, Duffy said that both he and the head of the FAA recognize “some of the difficult circumstances our controllers were going through” during the shutdown. But Duffy said a cutoff on the bonuses was necessary.“If you got 100% on your test, you get the sticker that’s a scratch-and-sniff sticker,” Duffy said, adding that all the controllers and technicians who were forced to work unpaid would receive full backpay.
Associated Press writer Josh Funk contributed to this report.
Rio Yamat, AP Airlines and Travel Writer
If you combine the NYSE and TBPN, do you get a BFD? Apparently.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is announcing that it has inked a partnership with the live video podcast TBPN, becoming the shows exclusive exchange partner.
The deal marks another feather in the cap for TBPN, which has become one of the most-talked-about financial and tech-focused media startups in only 11 months, and also marks a further cross-generational shift into new media by the NYSE, which itself is 233 years old.
TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network) will continue to record and broadcast from its home base in Los Angeles. The show will now have access to the NYSEsimilar to other financial networks that have permanent or semipermanent perches on the exchange floor, like CNBC, FintechTV, and others.
While TBPN isnt necessarily a news or journalistic show, it has become a platform thats become must-see TV (or streaming) for those in and around the tech industry.
Its hosts, Jordi Hays and John Coogan, are entrepreneurs in their own right, with Hays having founded crowdfunding VC startup Party Round (among other projects). Coogan is a cofounder of Soylent.
Their entrepreneurial chops have helped attract an audience and high-profile guests. The shows also feature numerous interviews in each episode, including from high-profile Silicon Valley executives and leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman, and others, such as entertainment stalwarts James Cameron and Casey Neistat.
The partnership kicks off in earnest in late December, but the initial interest in a long-term courtship between the two materialized when Hays and Coogan, broadcast live from the NYSEs Wall Street headquarters for design startup Figmas IPO at the end of July. Hays and Coogan also had Lynn Martin, NYSEs President, join the podcast that day, laying the ground for what was to come.
Hands down, that was probably the most memorable show this year, Hays tells Fast Company. Im not sure how they discovered the show, he says, but they were incredible hosts, allowing us to come in and set up for what was certainly the most notable IPO of the yearto be there, in the exchange, for that was incredible. So, we kept talking, came back for the Klarna IPO, and it made a lot of sense for the NYSE to be our home base as a company when were in New York.
Martin agrees and says the exchange is likewise excited about what TBPN, and what Hays and Coogan, are building.
[Photo: NYSE]
Over the past year, TBPN has covered some of the biggest tech IPOs of 2025 from the NYSE, including Figma and Klarna, Martin said. As TBPNs exclusive exchange partner, we are thrilled to formalize our relationship and to provide the backdrop for their coverage of the next wave of tech-driven innovation. NYSE remains the worlds leading marketplace for tech-driven innovation, and this partnership underscores our commitment to providing the premier platform for companies that shape our future.
Well level each other up
The partnership itself gives Hays, Coogan, and the rest of TBPNs team, including President Dylan Abruscato, direct access to the NYSE space in all of its grandeur, the numerous events (including future IPOs), executives, analysts, and personalities who filter in and out, in addition to the exchanges growing stable of media resources. Abruscato, who only joined TBPN in September, says that access to the NYSE can also add a sports-like element to the show.
The Figma IPO show, Abruscato says, was one of his favorites as a viewerit had a certain feel to it, kind of like Draft Day, or the Combine, he notes, referencing the two biggest off-season events held annually by the NFL. He hopes that TBPN can capture a similar energy when the show is broadcasting in New York.
Im really excited about having a place in New York City at the forefront of finance where we can do the show, he says. Were also really excited about leveraging our placement on behalf of our show and guests. He also says that the partnership will help both the NYSE and TBPN. Well level each other up.
We are the next generation of content and programming, not just for tech, but for business news. The NYSE is going to bring us into the fold, he continues, and take what has initially been a very West Coast-based show, with a diehard Silicon Valley audience, and spread the word around NYC, which has traditionally been very finance-focused, he says.
But well keep focusing on our bread and butter: Business news, through a tech-lens.
While the NYSE is, at its core, an exchange, theres another element to it that many people may not realize: The NYSE actively works to build up the companies listed on the exchange through various means. That, in a nutshell, is the driving force behind partnering with TBPN.
The NYSEs growing media muscle
Earlier this year, the NYSE launched the NYSE Partnership Network to facilitate media and content operations. That includes helping amplify the companies listed on the exchangearound 2,500 of themon or around milestones, events, and announcements. The Network works with traditional and new media partners, along with agencies and content creators or startups, such as TBPN, to provide strategic media support. The exchange is also evaluating new partnerships with publishers and content creators to help its listed companies tell stories and generate press.
The NYSE is best known for capital markets and innovation, but its also a storytelling powerhouse, said Joe Benarroch, the head of Content, Media Partnerships and Distribution, at the NYSE. “We’ve anchored our partnerships strategy, so public and private companies have ample opportunity to tell their stories. We are glad to be the official exchange partner of TBPN, which is transforming the creator economy and unlocking a new era of narrative power.
With that in mind, Hays makes it clear that he and his cohost are not planning on becoming corporate cheerleaders. You would assume that were sitting here all the time saying, tech and business can do no wrong! Yay Capitalism! he says. Though both he and Coogan have their roots in the tech industry, they do have enough separation to be able to speak candidly about itsomething that other podcasts or media offerings may not be able to do.
We both have young children. Were not itching to get them iPads or on social media. Were not oblivious about the tech industrywe believe that were trying to have hones conversations about a lot of this at a time when broader society has a lot of concerns about what the industry is doing, he says. Were aware of that, and try to push the guests and content to have real conversations about the impact of the work being done in the industry.
Being able to have fun, be honest, and speak truth to power, when warranted, makes TBPN a potentially powerful addition to the NYSEs media partner ranks. And it gives TBPN more established media firepower to pair with its small, independent media agility and authenticity.
Hays says that he thinks, ultimately, itll be a boon for both his podcast and for the NYSE, opening each to new opportunities and audiences.
Its a massive win-win for both of us.
As Americans grapple with $1.23 trillion in credit card balances, Klarna Group is introducing a new way to access premium rewardsone that doesnt require a credit card at all.
The Swedish fintech company launched its Premium ($19.99/month) and Max ($44.99/month) membership tiers in the United States on Thursday, expanding upon its existing Core and Plus offerings and mirroring successful rollouts in the UK and EU.
The move positions Klarna squarely in the territory long dominated by high-end credit cards like the Amex Platinum and Chase Sapphire Reserve, but with none of the spending thresholds, APRs, or annual fees that usually define that segment.
The timing is strategic: Americans, especially affluent Americans, are increasingly walking away from traditional credit cards and leaning into debit-first financial tools and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options.
According to Klarna, 11.2% of U.S. adults cancelled a credit card in the past 12 months, and that jumps to 15.1% among people earning more than $100,000. Nearly one in three high-income consumers (30%) now use BNPL as one of their preferred payment methods.
That shift was central to how Klarna designed these new tiers.
Affluent consumers are growing tired of the overspend-to-earn dynamics of traditional credit cards and the eye-watering annual fee that comes with them, said David Sandström, chief marketing officer at Klarna. They want premium benefits without carrying a balance, chasing categories, or navigating fine print.”
Klarna’s new tiers, he adds, offer “transparent pricing, month-to-month subscriptions, immediate access to meaningful perks they will actually use, and no requirement to take on debt.”
A Premium Ecosystem Without Credit
Traditional premium rewards in the U.S. have been dictated by the major card networks and issuers. Klarnas pitch is that the entire system can be rebuilt for consumers who dont want debt in exchange for access.
The legacy premium card model assumes youll spend more to earn more, Sandström said, adding, “Were redefining premium by reinventing the economics, not replicating the incumbents playbook.
That means U.S. members can access benefits typically found behind $500+ ins annual fees, including travel protection, lounge access, cash back, and subscription bundles, without needing a credit line or hitting a spending minimum.
With more than one million Core and Plus signups in the U.S. over the past two months alone, the appetite appears strong.
Building a Global Rewards Network
One standout feature is Klarnas ability to convert earned cashback directly into points or miles across major loyalty programs. Its the kind of benefit usually restricted to premium cardholders, but now available to debit-based and BNPL users.
We focused first on scale and consumer relevance, Sandström said of Klarnas partner strategy. Airlines like United, British Airways, Air FranceKLM, and Turkish Airlines and hotel groups like IHG, Accor, Radisson, and Wyndham serve the widest range of global travelers. They also integrate cleanly with cashback conversion, allowing members to unlock value immediately. Well continue expanding across regions and loyalty ecosystems to give consumers more choice and deeper travel utility.
This partner ecosystem, built on cash back rather than credit spend, further distinguishes Klarnas model from the legacy rewards system.
Making the Value Impossible to Miss
Klarna claims Premium and Max unlock between $3,000 and $5,000 in annual perks, ranging from subscriptions (Vogue, GQ, Headspace, ClassPass, The New York Times, Care.com) to travel coverage and concierge-style offerings.
But the company knows consumers are rightfully skeptical in a world filled with subscriptions and fine print.
Sandström argues that Klarna deliberately built transparency into the product experience.
Members can track benefits unlocked, used, and saved directly in the app, ensuring the value is transparent, not theoretical,” he said. “Because perks activate instantly and deliver tangible savings, Premium and Max counter subscription fatigue: you use it once and feel the impact immediately.
Klarna Card: The Physical Anchor for a Digital-First Strategy
The new tiers are available to any U.S. consumer, but Klarna expects the Klarna Card, its fast-growing debit product, to become a key touchpoint.
The Klarna Card is core to our U.S. and our global strategy, Sandström said. With over four million signups since July, its one of our fastest-growing products ever.”
The Premium and Max tiers each offer a 16g metal card, continuing a trend among financial products that blur the lines between banking utility and lifestyle branding.
Premium vs. Max: Two Paths Into Klarnas New Rewards Ecosystem
Klarnas two new top-end tiers, Premium and Max, are designed to meet different levels of travel frequency, lifestyle needs, and appetite for perks, but both operate under the same promise: predictable pricing and immediate value.
Premium, priced at $19.99 per month, is tailored for consumers who want meaningful upgrades to their everyday spending without committing to an expensive annual fee.
Members receive more than $3,000 in yearly value, including access to a rotating catalog of premium subscriptions. Premium users also earn 1.5% cash back when they pay from their Klarna balance, and receive global travel protection for trips booked throughout the year.
Max, at $44.99 per month, pushes the concept further and is clearly aimed at the frequent traveler who might otherwise carry an Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Klarna estimates that the plan delivers more than $5,000 in annual perks, anchored by unlimited airport lounge access through LoungeKey, which reaches more than 1,800 lounges worldwide.
Max members earn 2% always-on cash back, gain access to elevated travel, rental cars, and cancel-for-any-reason protections, and unlock a broader suite of subscriptions, including the exclusive social and travel community ASmallWorld.
The tiers signature accessory is a rose-gold 16-gram metal card, designed to mirror the tactile satisfaction of high-end credit cards without tying the experience to a revolving line of credit.
Together, Premium and Max create a rewards ecosystem that looks familiar, but operates on entirely different economics. Klarnas approach reframes perks as something to subscribe to rather than earn, untangling them from spending thresholds and debt.
The Future of RewardsWithout Credit
Sandström believes that American consumers are ready for a shift and that the traditional systems dependency on credit lines is nearing its expiration date.
In five years, credit-dependent rewards will feel outdated, he said. Consumers will expect transparent value without annual fees, debt traps, or points systems that only work for heavy spenders.”
“Membership-style rewards will replace bloated card programs,” Sandström predicts. “Klarna intends to lead that shift.”
Fifty-two-year-old Dinam Bigny sank into debt and had to get a roommate this year, in part because of health insurance premiums that cost him nearly $900 per month.Next year, those monthly fees will rise by $200 a significant enough increase that the program manager in Aldie, Virginia, has resigned himself to finding cheaper coverage.“I won’t be able to pay it, because I really drained out any savings that I have right now,” he said. “Emergency fund is still draining out that’s the scary part.”Bigny is among the many Americans dependent on Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance plans who are already struggling with the high cost of health care, according to a new survey from the health care research nonprofit KFF.Most of the more than 1,300 enrollees surveyed in early November say they anticipate that their health costs will be impacted next year if Congress doesn’t extend expiring COVID-era tax credits that help more than 90% of enrollees pay for health insurance premiums, per KFF. The possibility of an extension looks increasingly unlikely.The enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of this year have been at the center of recent tensions in Congress, with Democrats calling for a straight extension and several Republican lawmakers vehemently opposed to the idea. Their inability to agree on a path forward fueled a record 43-day government shutdown earlier this fall.President Donald Trump and some Republicans in Congress have circulated proposals in recent weeks to offer a short-term extension or reform the Affordable Care Act, but no plan has emerged as a clear winner. Meanwhile, the window for Americans to shop for next year’s plans is well underway with less than a month to go until the subsidies expire.KFF’s poll reveals that marketplace enrollees most of whom say they would be directly impacted by the subsidies expiring overwhelmingly support an extension. The survey found this group is more likely to blame Trump and Republicans in Congress than Democrats if the tax credits are left to expire.
Enrollees already find it challenging to afford health expenses
The expiration of the tax credits which a separate KFF analysis found will more than double monthly payments for the average subsidized enrollee comes as Americans are already overwhelmed by high health expenses, the poll shows.About 6 in 10 Affordable Care Act enrollees find it “somewhat” or “very” difficult to afford out-of-pocket costs for medical care, such as deductibles and copays. That exceeds the roughly half of enrollees who find it challenging to afford health insurance premiums. Most also say they could not afford a $300 per year increase in their health insurance costs without significantly disrupting their household finances.Cynthia Cox, a vice president of KFF who leads the organization’s ACA research, said the population of Americans on Affordable Care Act health insurance includes some high-earning entrepreneurs and small business owners, but the bulk of enrollees are lower-income and therefore vulnerable to even small increases in health costs.“These are often going to be people who are living paycheck to paycheck, who have volatile or unpredictable incomes as well,” she said. “Increases that many of them are facing are going to be some sort of financial hardship for them.”
Most enrollees see cost increases on the horizon
Slightly more than half of Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollees believe their health insurance costs will increase “a lot more than usual” next year, according to the poll. About another 4 in 10 anticipate increases that will be “a little more than usual” or “about the same as usual.”Larry Griffin, a 56-year-old investment banker and financial adviser in Paso Robles, California, already pays $920 a month for his gold-level health plan through the state’s insurance marketplace. He says that price will go up to about $1,400 a month next year alongside jumps in copays and his annual out-of-pocket maximum.He’s concerned the increases will affect his ability to save money for his upcoming retirement, but with the recent amputation of his left leg below the knee, as well as other health issues, he said he can’t risk going off health insurance or downgrading his plan.Griffin is among the roughly three-quarters of marketplace enrollees who say health insurance is “very important” for their ability to access the health care they need.“I’m not going to say that I can’t manage it, I can, but it’s just another one of those things,” he said. “Here’s, you know, knock number 5,000 against me after all of the other things I’ve had to deal with.”Patricia Roberts, 52, a full-time caregiver for her daughter in Auburn, Alabama, expects her monthly health insurance premiums to rise from around $800 a month to $1,100 a month next year costs she can manage. But her friends across the border in Georgia are staring down doubling monthly fees next year.“I don’t know how people are going to live, with it already being a struggle just to pay for food and all the other things,” Roberts said.
Support for an extension stretches across political parties
The poll shows allowing the enhanced tax credits to expire would be overwhelmingly unpopular with current marketplace enrollees.Support for continuing the tax credits extends across party lines. Nearly all Democrats and about 8 in 10 independents who are enrolled in marketplace plans say the credits should be extended, as do about 7 in 10 Republicans. Support is similarly high among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who support the MAGA movement, and those who don’t.Yvette Laugier, 56, a Republican in Chicago, said while her income is too high to qualify her for the enhanced premium tax credits, she supports extending them temporarily with additional fraud protections to give lower-income enrollees more time to consider their options.Among those who think Congress should extend the credits, about 4 in 10 say Trump would deserve “most of the blame” if they were allowed to expire and roughly one-third say that about Republicans in Congress. Democrats in Congress are much less likely to receive blame: only 23% of enrollees say they would deserve the bulk of responsibility.Bigny, in Virginia, said the blame should be split between both Democrats and Republicans. But he has hope they can come to a compromise and potentially a temporary extension in the coming weeks.“They should just sit and really look for what’s best for American people overall,” he said.
Swenson reported from New York.
Ali Swenson, Linley Sanders and Amelia Thomson-Deveaux, Associated Press
Since Pantone began naming its Color of the Year in 2000, weve seen two flavors of both brown and yellow, three variations of purple, blue, and turquoise, and four distinct takes on orange.
But for the first time ever, Pantones color is essentially a non-color. Or you could call it every color.
Pantones 2026 Color of the Year is a white. In Pantone language, thats code 11-4201aka Cloud Dancer.
Pantonewhich operates somewhere between a trend forecaster and social psychologistargues that Cloud Dancer is part of a great cultural reboot. In the era of AI, everything feels like its changing on a daily basis, and the overstimulation of the internet is only increasing as we go. Cloud Dancer is a liminal space as we enter an unforeseeable new era. Savoring the physical world, its intentionally closer to the white of a piece of paper than an impossibly glowing, AI prompt box.
[Photo: Pantone]
Were trying to frame this [era] in a more positive way, looking at this as a transitional time, because it really is, says Laurie Pressman, VP at the Pantone Color Institute, who notes the color is a blank slate opening the door to creativity and innovation.
The word “cloud” refers to not just Cloud Dancer’s color, but also its real world texture. Often presented in voluminous textiles, on the runway and in living rooms, its literally meant to nod to a puffy cloud in the sky. Its an almost synaesthetic sensation thats a counterpoint to the other cloud: dead, unseen data centers answering our intangible queries.
[Image: Pantone]
Take the psychology for what you will. Functionally, though, Cloud Dancer also serves a practical purpose within design aesthetics.
Pressman points out that its timeless and genderless, and that it works blown out all on its own or with a wider array of colors beside it. On one hand, of course thats all true! Its white! On the other, Cloud Dancer is a very specific white: One that balances warm and cool tones in equal measure. (Note: in many real world examples that Pantone shared, Cloud Dancer appears less gray than it does on the swatch.) That means Cloud Dancer can fit with about any color palette you toss at it. Its not a white that will leave you squinting, guessing, and regretting. Its visual tofu, there to absorb the colors around it.
[Photo: Joybird/courtesy Pantone]
In an internet-driven cultural ticker where all tastes live side-by-side at once, and no single color is really in or out anymore for all that long, Cloud Dancer serves as a universal binder. Its the mortar for wider color expression, as effective on a blinding sneaker collab as a tranquil bedroom set.
But is white even a color?
Critics may complain that, of all colors, Pantone chose white. Its a non-color. Is that a cop out?
You might also have noticed some thematic overlap with the quiet luxury movement. Peaking some time circa 2023, fashion brands embraced neutrals, like Cloud Dancer and Pantones previous color of the year, Mocha Mousse, equating simplicity with style.
[Photo: Pantone]
When I point this out, Pressman nods along, noting that its synergy with quiet luxury was a point of discussion on the team. The difference, she says, is not so much the use of such a white, but the intent underlying it. Quiet luxury masked affluence behind understated hues. (Or, perhaps you might say it performatively masked affluenceoffering a wink and nod to those in the know.) Instead, Pressman argues that Cloud Dancer is more about creating a tabula rasa in an era of uncertainty.
Indeed, the white has been ontrend on runwaysbut not in some subdued apologetic way. From Jennifer Lawrences Dior at the Governors Ball, to Rosalía claiming white like a cleansing counterpoint to Charlie XCXs Brat green, its been used as a celebratory statement. A new collaboration between Moncler and Jil Sander makes a strong case for winter white, according to W.
[Photo: 3M/courtesy Pantone]
No doubt it helps that white has long been a shortcut, like black, to casually bolstered taste. We see that in how white button-downs and court shoes (along with every iteration of low white sneaker) has become a staple in wardrobes for years. Whiteand specifically puffy, textured bouclérefuses to leave high end living rooms.
[Photo: Hasbro/courtesy Pantone]
Likewise, Pantone is announcing new collabs with both Post-it and Play-Doh that feel like a cheat code to elevating taste. Each respective product will be offered in Cloud Dancer. Seeing these colorful, iconic products stripped of their hues is actually arresting. They get a sudden modernist makeover, feeling at-home next to a foam board architecture model. (Huh, maybe white is a color after all!)
I think the white works in these creative contexts because its being presented as a blank construction material, offering an invitation to craft in an era of automation.
The color name . . . speaks to this whole feeling of gazing into the clouds, says Pressman, and wondering what are the possibilities of what’s out there?
Headlines about a shredded cheese recall affecting more than a quarter of a million cases of various products have been making the rounds for the last few days, understandably alarming consumers.
Yet the recall itself is not new, despite only being widely publicized at this time. Heres what you need to know.
Whats happened?
Back in early October, a company called Great Lakes Cheese Co of Hiram, Ohio, reportedly issued a large-scale recall that impacted a range of shredded cheese products.
The recall was initiated after Great Lakes Cheese was informed by one of its suppliers that some of its “Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella” may have been contaminated with a foreign materialin this case, metal fragments.
The consumption of metal fragments could obviously cause internal injuries to anyone eating the cheese products, posing a health risk.
In response to an inquiry from Fast Company, Great Lakes Cheese said that it immediately identified the affected “raw material” at its facilities back in October, and that it instructed retailers to remove any affected products from store shelves.
Yet despite this recall happening in October, the information wasn’t widely shared with the public at the time and is only now coming into sharp focus and garnering media attention.
That’s because of an enforcement report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which was published on the agency’s website this month.
What has the FDA said?
On December 2, the FDA published an enforcement report on the October 3 shredded cheese recall. In that report, the agency announced that it was classifying the voluntary recall as a Class II recall and listed the recall as Ongoing.
The FDA classifies recalls into three categories. Per the FDA:
Class I: a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
Class II: a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.
Class III: a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.
The FDAs classification of the Great Lakes Cheese as a Class II means that while consumption of the recalled cheese is unlikely to have serious adverse health consequences, it can cause temporary injury or health consequences that are medically reversible.
The status of the recall as ongoing suggests that the recall is currently in progress. It’s not unusual for the FDA to issue a classification of a recall months after the recall took place.
What has Great Lakes Cheese Co said?
In the wake of the media attention sparked by the FDAs enforcement report, Great Lakes Cheese publicly addressed the recall on Wednesday.
In a statement provided to Fast Company, the cheese producer confirmed that in early October, it had been notified by a supplier of possible foreign material contamination in some of its products. The company then said that it took immediate action.
We instructed retailers to remove the products from store shelves after the announcement in October, the company stated. When we were confident all recalled products had been removed from store shelves, we distributed new product that did not have the potential to contain foreign material and was safe.
Great Lakes Cheese says that all recalled products have been removed from markets and that any of its products currently on store shelves are not products associated with the October recall.
The company also addressed the ongoing status listed in the FDAs December enforcement report: “While the status of the recall is marked as ongoing in the enforcement report, our records show all product has been fully removed from store shelves.
What products are included in the recall?
The FDAs enforcement report provides a list of impacted products. In total, there are 263,575 cases of cheese products included in the October recall.
As Taste of Home notes, those products have sell-by dates ranging from January to March 2026, meaning consumers could still have the items in their possession.
You can find a list of the exact recalled products on the FDA’s enforcement report. Brands on that list include:
Always Save
Borden
Brookshires
Cache Valley Creamery
Chestnut Hill
Coburn Farms
Econo
Food Club
Food Lion
Freedoms Choice
Gold Rush Creamery
Good & Gather
Great Lakes Cheese
Great Value
Happy Farms by Aldi
H-E-B
Hill Country Fare
Know & Love
Laura Lynn
Lucerne Dairy Farms
Nu Farm
Publix
Schnucks
Simply Go
Sprouts Farmers Market
Stater Bros. Markets
Sunnyside Farms
Where were the recalled products sold?
The recalled products were sold at stores in 31 states and Puerto Rico. Stores where the recalled products were sold include major retailers like Aldi, H-E-B, Target, and Walmart, as well as numerous grocery stores.
The states and territories the cheese products were sold in include: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NM, NV, NY, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, and Puerto Rico.
What should I do if I have the recalled products?
If youve bought any cheese products, you should check your refrigerator to see if the recalled products remain in your possession.
If you have them, you should not consume them.
Any households with any of the affected items from October in their refrigerators or freezers should discard the product or return it to the store where it was purchased for a refund, Great Lakes Cheeses statement says.
