Sonder Holdings said on Monday it will wind down its operations and file for bankruptcy one day after Marriott International abruptly announced that it had terminated its licensing agreement with the San Francisco operator of thousands of rental properties.
The one-two punch of news has caused chaos for employees and guests alike. Shares of Sonder have plummeted more than 64% as of mid-day trading on Monday.
In a statement Monday, Sonder said it expects to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquid its U.S. business, in addition to initiating insolvency proceedings in the international countries where it operates.
We are devastated to reach a point where a liquidation is the only viable path forward, said Janice Sears, interim chief executive officer of Sonder. We explored all viable alternatives to avoid this outcome, but we are left with no choice other than to proceed with an immediate wind-down of our operations and liquidation of our assets.
Neither Marriott nor Sonder immediately responded to a request for comment from Fast Company.
Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott said in a statement on Sunday that its immediate priority is supporting guests currently staying at Sonder properties and those with upcoming reservations and that it would contact guests who booked directly through Marriott channels to address their reservation and booking needs. Marriott remains committed to minimizing disruption to guests travel plans.
EMPLOYEES, GUESTS IN CHAOS
But the experiences of guests and employees alike indicate that this news has been nothing short of chaotic.
On social media platforms including Reddit and LinkedIn, Sonder employees and guests recounted how the news of the termination of the Marriott partnership reached themwith some employees saying they learned their jobs had been terminated from news reports, while guests reported receiving notices that they had to vacate their rental immediately.
One New York-based former Sonder employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she and her colleagues extended their shifts on Sunday to try to help guests and were on-site Monday cleaning things out and closing operations for the last time. She added that the now-former employees had no idea what would happen with their paid time off and sick time payouts.
Another Sonder employee declined to comment about the situation amid a few developing scenarios that are currently taking place.
On its website, Sonder said it has approximately 1,400 employees in more than 35 cities in 10 different countries.
Meanwhile, guests have also been thrown into limbo during their stays.
One Reddit user posted Sunday that they had been kicked out of a Sonder hotel mid-stay and weren’t allowed back in the room in the evening. The user didnt immediately respond to a request for an interview from Fast Company, but commented on another subreddit that after waiting on-hold with Marriott customer service for two hours, they had been refunded half of the $2,000 booking, along with a $50 credit for the inconvenience.
Another Redditor posted Monday that the heating has been turned off and that theyve been asked to leave during a winter storm warning in Chicago.
On LinkedIn, a woman shared that she had been staying at a Sonder location in London on Sunday night only to learn of the change from an email and note slipped under her door overnight. What a mess, she wrote.
SONDERS WOES
Financial woes for Sonder appear to have been too great for even a partnership with the worlds largest hotel chain to solve. The Marriott-Sonder partnership was announced in August 2024, and now the two companies are pointing fingers at each other, to some extent.
Sonder has faced severe financial constraints arising from, among other things, prolonged challenges in the integration of the companys systems and booking arrangements with Marriott International, Sears said in the statement.
Both Sonders CEO and CFO had left the company earlier in the year and the company had fallen into a pattern of reporting its earnings reports late.
Sonder is also the latest bankruptcy victim that stems from the frenzy of special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deals that began about five years ago. These so-called blank check deals saw a number of companies go public, only to later file for bankruptcy, including 23andMe and WeWork. The hotelier went public with a blank-check deal with Gores Metropoulos II in January 2022.
FALLOUT FOR MARRIOTT
Marriott, meanwhile, could emerge from the dissolution of this experimental partnership relatively unscathed.
The company said the termination was due to Sonders default when it announced the news on Sunday. In a separate statement, Marriott scaled back its financial outlook for net room growth in 2025, to roughly 4.5% with the removal of Sonder rooms from its system, down from a prior forecast of approximately 5%.
On Monday, Marriott announced a new agreement with Pacifica Hotels to convert two existing hotels in Osaka, Japan to its line of City Express Hotels by Marriott next year.
Marriott shares fell about 0.2% in mid-day trading. And Jefferies analyst David Katz even upgraded his price target for the stock on Monday to $315, up from $308.
Tesla is getting into the rental car market.
Drivers can now rent a Tesla in two Southern California locationsSan Diego and Costa Mesafor three to seven days, starting at $60 daily, according to Electrek. Tesla will be renting, not leasing its EVs, and plans to continue rolling out additional U.S. locations starting this month.
Fast Company has reached out to Tesla for comment.
The news comes as the electric vehicle (EV) maker looks for new ways to head off further declines in U.S. sales following the expiration of its federal tax credits, and comes amid continued backlash against the company for CEO Elon Musks role in the U.S. government, coupled with growing competition in the EV market.
Those federal EV tax credits of up to $7,500 expired on October 1, after President Donald Trump signed his One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law.
Each Tesla rental will include the option for supervised Full Self-Driving and Supercharging, at no extra cost, and as incentive to buy, customers will a receive a $250 credit if they purchase a model within a week, Electrek reported.
Shares of Tesla, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) were trading up over 4% in midday trading on Monday.
Shares of rental car company Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (HTZ) were down nearly 3% at the time of this writing in the aftermath of its recent quarterly earnings report. The car rental giant had purchased a fleet of Teslas to increase its EV offerings, but has been selling them as demand decreased, along with resale value.
The news comes just days after shareholders approved a controversial pay package for CEO Elon Musk worth up to nearly $1 trillion in compensation, and as a head of Tesla’s ailing Cybertruck business announced he was leaving Tesla following the company’s recall of some 63,000 Cybertrucks due to their bright front lights, per the Associated Press.
A look at the numbers shows Tesla’s third quarter earnings missed analyst expectations, even while it reported $28.1 billion in revenue, up 12% from the previous year. Earnings per share (EPS) came in at 50 cents versus an expected 54 cents. The company has reported year-over-year revenue declines the two previous quarters.
Think. Create. Change.
These three verbs are the driving force behind the World Changing Ideas Summit, a first-of-its-kind event created in partnership with Fast Company and Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
This November 19 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C., the World Changing Ideas Summit will convene academics and senior business leaders for a day of immersive, thought-provoking experiences designed to advance Americas innovation ecosystem. From dynamic panels to interactive innovation showcases to hands-on breakout sessions, the World Changing Ideas Summit aims to go beyond dialogue and inspire action.
“The World Changing Ideas Summit is a wholly new kind of event: a partnership between two very different organizations, both known for their commitment to innovation, coming together to explore the near future through the ideas they’re most excited about, says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company.
The World Changing Ideas Summit is modeled after Fast Companys annual World Changing Ideas list, which celebrates the businesses and organizations developing creative solutions to the most pressing issues of our time. Paired with Johns Hopkins University’s renowned history of scientific discoveries, the World Changing Ideas Summit stands as a dynamic partnership between two of the most innovative forces in media and academic research, focusing on transformative advancements in healthcare, space exploration, and physical AI.As we celebrate our 150-year anniversary, Johns Hopkins is doubling down on our commitment to improving lives by bringing the benefits of research to the world, said Cybele Bjorklund executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. This summit provides a fresh vision and venue to bolster America’s powerful innovation ecosystem, rooted in our drive to forge stronger connections between government, universities and the private sector.”
The World Changing Ideas Summit features a mix of JHU faculty and World Changing Ideas honorees including Akhila Kosaraju, cofounder and CEO of Phare Bio; Jordan Shuff, research engineer at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute; Hongquan Li, cofounder and CEO of Cephla; Dennis Woodfork, mission area executive for National Security Space at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; and more who will unpack key topics from how to use star-mapping technology to analyze cancerous tumors to examining national security implications in space to how AI-powered predictive models are evolving professional sports, and much more.
With spotlights on how these innovations can strengthen the health, well-being, and flourishing of the world (and beyond), the World Changing Ideas Summit will highlight the full extent of what is possible when government, academia, and business industries join forces.
Visit the World Changing Ideas Summit event page to register for the event and stay up-to-date with the agenda and list of speakers.
Last week, four Condé Nast staffers were abruptly fired after participating in a union protest at the publishers 1 World Trade Center headquarters. The journalists had confronted chief people officer Stan Duncan outside his office, demanding answers on a fresh wave of layoffs that had just hit the company.
The incident followed Condé Nasts announcement that Teen Vogue would be folded into Vogue.com, resulting in multiple layoffs, including Teen Vogues editor-in-chief.
Footage obtained by The Wrap shows Duncan declining to engage with employees, instead repeating that they should go back to the workplace.
In the clip, one of the journalists asks, What counts as congregating? Whats your definition of congregating? while another presses: Is there a place youd be able to speak to us? Do you think were not worth speaking to, Stan? Duncan eventually retreats into an office.
Hours later, Condé Nast fired four union members involved in the incident citing gross misconduct and policy violations. The company also filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the NewsGuild of repeated and egregious disregard of our collective bargaining agreement.
The clip, which The Wrap described as the most brutally awkward thing youll see today, has since garnered over 4 million views on Xwith many weighing in on the state of workplace politics.
And reactions have been fairly mixed.
Critics of the firings accused Condé Nast of union-busting: Just outrageous, shameful behavior from Condé’s head of HR Stan Duncan. You’ve just laid off some of your most respected, beloved, unionized staffand the union reps come to ask questions. You have a professional duty to sit with them. That is literally your job, one X user wrote.
Others defended the companys decision. Easy decision to fire these folks, another wrote.
These folks have a union, so they can simply let their representatives handle their concerns! Bringing a mob of folks to confront HR with cameras rolling?! So entitled, so dumb.
On Reddits r/Layoffs forum, users were similarly divided. Im in HR and people like this give HR a bad reputation. Why would you be scared to talk to employees? one commented.
Another wrote: HR doesnt make layoff business decisions. Curious what their goal was here and why they thought ambushing and filming someone in the workplace was the right thing to do lol.
One simply put: corporate drama at its finest. bet hr had a great day.
In a statement, Condé Nast said: Extreme misconduct is unacceptable in any professional setting. We have a responsibility to provide a workplace where every employee feels respected and able to do their job without harassment or intimidation. We also cannot ignore behavior that crosses the line into targeted harassment and disruption of business operations.
However, union leaders disputed the companys claims, arguing the footage tells a different story.
Managements attempt at union-busting, using intimidation and grossly illegal tactics to try to suppress protected union activity, will not stand, said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York, in a statement.
The NewsGuild of New York has zero tolerance for bad bosses who harass, target and disrespect our fellow Guild members. We represent nearly 6,000 media workers across the tri-state area and we stand firmly in solidarity, ready to fight for the rights of our members illegally fired from their jobs at Condé.
As the workforce continues to be roiled by layoffs and employer-employee relations more fraught than ever, its unlikely controversies like these will dissipateespecially when someone nearby is filming it with their phone.
Feed Mes Emily Sundberg has launched her first foray into podcasting with Expense Account.
The first episode, out today, features chef and author Alison Roman in conversation with host Jason Lee (formerly Semi Anonymous Restaurant Critic J Lee)s, revealing her secret order at Keens, her new tomato sauce business, and the importance of keeping fresh flowers at home.
Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food, the shows description reads. Its even for people who hate food.
The podcast marks Sundbergs first step in turning Feed Me from a popular Substack newsletter into a multi-format media brand. Since launching Feed Me in 2022, Sundberg has grown it into one of Substacks most popular business publications, recently bringing on a managing editor and associate editor to expand coverage.
Podcasting is a logical next step. The global podcast industry generated $7.3 billion in sales last year, more than double most estimates, with celebrities, influencers, small businesses, and random dudes with mics launching podcasts daily.
With Substacks new tools for video and podcasting, writers like Sundberg are evolving and embracing the studio model to reach new audiences and position themselves as thought leaders in their industries.
In spite of a highly saturated market, Sundberg believes she has spotted a gap. Theres a white space in food media that Feed Me plans to fill: a good podcast about food, Sundberg wrote back in September, announcing the podcast venture.
Something focused on the fast-paced news cycle of New Yorks hospitality worldthe gossip, secret doors, and personalities that make this the best food city in the world. We hope to build a hub where every lover of food can converge and converse.
While newsletters remain Feed Mes bread and butter, Sundberg has made clear her plans to transition to a studio mindset. Expense Account is born from Lees restaurant column of the same name.
A few months ago, while editing one of Jasons pieces, I paused on a line that read, Ill save that for the pod, wrote Sundberg in her daily newsletter. He didnt have a podcast, but the phrase felt like a manifestation. I texted him: Do you want one? He said yes, so we made one.
For Expense Account, Feed Me is partnering with Public Sound, a New York-based production company that has worked with brands like Nike and Supreme. Substack serves as the presenting sponsor.
Whats next for Feed Me studio? Maybe next year well make a movie, or open a bar, Sundberg wrote. Watch this space.
If you work in an office, chances are good that youre familiar with the slop bowl, TikToks term for the ubiquitous lunch of nine-to-fivers that involves a bunch of ingredients mixed together with a base of salad or rice.
Now, Cava, the fast-casual Mediterranean-inspired restaurant chain, is introducing its first-ever merch line that pays homage to its fans most beloved slop bowl ingredients.
The collection is set to debut on the Cava Shop on Thursday, November 13.
It includes a hat emblazoned with the word Feta, which, according to a press release, is a staple for the MILF (Man, I Love Feta, of course) crew; a T-shirt that doubles as an ode to Cavas extra pickled onions; and a vacation tote thats inspired by the chains hot harissa vinaigrette.
Prices range from $25 to $75.
Cava is far from the first fast-casual restaurant to offer merch, and its not even the first within the subcategory of upscale salad-slash-slop bowl purveyors.
In recent months, other brandslike Sweetgreen and Panerahave used clever merch launches to both cultivate a lifestyle brand aesthetic and to score some extra visibility on social media, especially as lower spending power and high living costs draw young consumers away from their favorite slop bowl haunts.
Why does every salad shop have merch now?
In recent years, some fast-casual restaurants have been increasingly focused on expanding beyond just food to become known as lifestyle brands, or brands that project a certain aesthetic and status through their offerings.
Case in point: Sweetgreens loyalty program, which gives customers early access to merch drops on clothing like a crewneck that simply reads Salad!, or Erewhons $335 monochrome track suit.
Beyond giving a brand a certain cool factor, creative merch drops can also serve as excellent fodder for social media engagementsomething Panera discovered with its viral BAGuette bag, which sold out twice in a row after going viral on TikTok.
According to Andy Rebhun, Cavas chief marketing and experience officer, fans of the brand have been asking for merch for yearsbut this launch makes perfect sense for where the industry is today.
Food brands, especially those in the fast-casual space, have evolved far beyond being just a place to eat, he says. Theyve become part of peoples daily rituals, their culture, and even their identity. For many guests, the bowl they build is a reflection of their taste, their lifestyle, and what they value, and now they can wear that connection, too.
[Photo: Cava]
Cavas new collection balances trendiness with a dash of humor that feels especially designed to appeal to the young, social media savvy crowd. Each piece is made in a desirable silhouettelike a retro-inspired crewneckbut with a silly element, like the word Skhug (for one of Cavas popular sauces) added on top.
We wanted to maintain the authenticity of what makes Cava unique (the flavor elements and the playful nature) while designing pieces that people will actually want to wear in their everyday lives, whether thats lounging at home, running errands, or traveling, Rebhun explains, adding that the brands playful personality shines through in the line. We lean into the natural zeitgeist around our brand with phrases like Extra Pickled Onions and our MILF Crew Man, I Love FETA callout, but the designs come through feeling clever, not gimmicky.
Fast-casual restaurants face declining sales among young people
Cavas new merch shop comes at a tricky moment for fast-casual slop bowl purveyors.
On an October 29 earnings call, Scott Boatwright, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, said that customers aged 25 to 35 are visiting the chain less as they face unemployment, increased student loan repayment, and slower real wage growth.”
And on November 4, Cava Group cut its full-year forecast for the second quarter in a row. It cited 15% fewer visits from the 25- to 35-year-old group, which makes up 30% of its total consumer base, as one reason behind the decision.
Cavas revenue in the third quarter was up 20% compared to the same period last year, but its stock (NYSE: CAVA) is currently down almost 67% year-over-year. At the same time, Chipotle stock (NYSE: CMG) is also down almost 49%, while Sweetgreen is down more than 86%.
When you look at different age demographics of fast-casual, the 25- to 34-year-old consumer seems to be impacted a bit more than others, Cava CFO Tricia Tolivar told CNBC in an interview. Fast casual tends to have a higher concentration of those consumers within their guest portfolio.
Gen Zers and millennials may be cutting out their daily slop bowl, but with Cavas new merch launch, at least they can literally wear their love of feta on their sleeves.
In 2011, Patagonia faced the same pressure every retailer faces on Black Friday: maximize sales on the year’s biggest shopping day. Instead, they ran a full-page ad in the New York Times with a stark message: Don’t Buy This Jacket. The ad detailed the environmental cost of making their bestselling R2 fleece, such as 135 liters of water in the manufacturing process and 20 pounds of carbon dioxide for transporting it to the companys warehouse.
This wasn’t a clever marketing ploy. The ad directly urged customers to think twice before purchasing, to fix existing gear before replacing it, and to buy and sell second-hand. This was a real commitment to the values that had driven Patagonia since Yvon Chouinard founded the company in 1973: putting environmental protection above profit maximization, even when market logic demanded otherwise. As a result of staying true to their deepest values, Patagonia today has a fiercely loyal customer base and enjoys more than $1 billion in annual revenue.
Patagonia is a striking example of a business that has thrived not by giving in to pressure to change, but rather by doubling down on their core ideas. Another such example is fast-food favorite In-N-Out Burger, which has spent 75 years refusing to franchise, expand quickly, or add more items to its menu. Unlike McDonalds, which tried to reinvent itself as a purveyor of healthy foods a decade ago, In-N-Out has stuck to making burgers, fries, and milkshakes. The result? Cult-level customer devotion and some of the highest per-store revenues in the fast-food industry.
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Patagonia and In-N-Out Burger are not dinosaurs that have failed to adapt. They are billion-dollar businesses with the kind of customer devotion and employee loyalty that money cant buy. And a large part of the reason for this success is that they have mastered a counterintuitive truth: the more things change, the more you need to stay the same.
The virtue of staying steadfast
In order to thrive in change, we need the ability to resist change. This ability, which I call steadfastness, is essential for two reasons.
First, organizations liberate enormous energy by committing to their identity and purpose in times of change. This commitment gives people a reason to endure change and turmoil. As the German philosopher Nietzsche famously said, those who have a why can bear almost any how. This reason, and the energy and strength it liberates, becomes a crucial resource for organizations that are confronted with changeand in our current era, that is all organizations, all the time.
Second, it gives you a fixed point by which to navigate, which is especially important in times of change. When an organization sticks to its core identity and purpose, it is better placed to understand how to respond to the changes it faces. In-N-Outs core mission is to make great burgers, and by sticking to it, the company can navigate major changes in the business landscape by asking a simple question: how can this change help us make great burgers?
Steadfastness should not be mistaken for the kind of dangerous rigidity that can run a company into the ground. Kodak didn’t fail because it stayed true to its purpose of helping people capture and share memoriesit failed because its leaders became overcommitted to the business model of maximizing profits by selling film. The critical distinction is this: be steadfast about your why (your purpose), but be flexible about your how (your methods). Patagonia’s purpose is protecting nature, not selling as many fleece jackets as possible. In-N-Out’s purpose is making great burgers, not resisting technology. When you are clear about this distinction, steadfastness becomes a source of strength rather than a path to obsolescence.
The dual demand of organizational resilience
Understanding the difference between purpose and methods points to a deeper challenge: organizations must somehow find a way to be both immovable and infinitely adaptable at the same time. They need to be unshakeable about their why while being completely willing to reinvent their how.
This is what makes building resilience so difficult. It requires holding two contrasting capabilities in perfect tension. Most organizations fail at one extreme or the other. Some chase every trend and lose their identity in the process while others cling to outdated methods and mistake their current business model for their reason for being.
But there is a group of people who have mastered implementing both sets of capabilities simultaneously: entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial journey demands both unwavering commitment to a vision and constant willingness to change tactics. This entrepreneurial mindsetthis ability to be both stubborn and adaptableis not just for startups. It is the key to building resilience in any organization. And it rests on four specific traits that enable leaders to navigate the tension between steadfastness and flexibility.
Four entrepreneurial traits that build resilience
1. Love. Entrepreneurs don’t fall in love with their productsthey fall in love with the problem they’re solving and the people they’re serving. This distinction is critical. When you love your product, you resist necessary changes. When you love your purpose, you’ll do whatever it takes to fulfill it. Love for purpose creates both the commitment to persist and the freedom to change. It’s what alows organizations to ask: “Does this method still serve what we love?” rather than protecting methods that have become comfortable but ineffective.
2. Embracing Suffering as Growth. Every entrepreneur knows the particular pain of watching a cherished strategy fail. But they learn to reframe suffering as a source of learning, a font of hard-won data about what doesn’t work. This reframing serves a dual purpose: it makes you quick to abandon failing tactics while simultaneously strengthening your commitment to the purpose that makes the suffering worthwhile.
3. Building Partnerships. Entrepreneurs know that the right partners don’t just share your current strategythey share your purpose. This distinction is crucial for resilience. Partners who are only aligned on methods will abandon you when those methods fail. Partners who are aligned on purpose will help you find new methods when the old ones stop working. True partners act as both innovation catalysts (pushing you to try new approaches) and guardians of purpose (keeping you honest about your why). They give you permission to change everything except what matters most.
4. The Power of Saying No. The hardest entrepreneurial skill is saying noboth to opportunities that don’t serve your purpose and to methods that no longer work. This dual discipline is what creates resilience. Every time you say no to a profitable distraction, you strengthen your commitment to purpose. Every time you say no to a failing approach, you free resources for innovation. This discipline is what allows organizations to be both focused and agile. It’s the skill that prevents both mission drift and tactical stubbornness.
Building the resilient organization
At the company level, the challenge is to master the tension of being steadfast about purpose while flexible about methods. Here are three ways to build this capability:
1. Define your non-negotiables. Write down your organization’s core purposethe why that will never change regardless of market pressureand separate it explicitly from your current methods, products, and business models. Make this distinction visible throughout the organization so everyone understands what must be protected and what can be reimagined.
2. Distinguish purpose from method in every decision. When facing changes or challenges, explicitly ask: “Is this about our why (which we won’t compromise) or our how (which we can reimagine)?” Make this question a standard part of strategic discussions, and promote leaders who consistently make this distinction well.
3. Practice strategic steadfastness. The next time you face pressure to chase a trend or copy a competitor, pause and ask whether it serves your core purpose. If not, say no publicly and explain why. Each time you hold firm on purpose while adapting methods, you build organizational muscle memory for true resilience.
Change is inevitable. The organizations that will thrive aren’t those that resist all change or embrace every trend, but those that know exactly what to preserve and what to transform.
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Frida Kahlo’s “El sueo (La cama)” in English, “The Dream (The Bed)” is causing a stir among art historians as its estimated $40 million to $60 million price tag would make it the most expensive work by any female or Latin American artist when it goes to auction later this month.Sotheby’s auction house will put the painting up for sale on Nov. 20 in New York after exhibiting it in London, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Paris.“This is a moment of a lot of speculation,” said Mexican art historian Helena Chávez Mac Gregor, a researcher at UNAM’s Institute of Aesthetic Research and author of “El listón y la bomba. El arte de Frida Kahlo.” (The ribbon and the bomb. The art of Frida Kahlo).In Mexico, Kahlo’s work is protected by a declaration of artistic monument, meaning pieces within the country cannot be sold or destroyed. However, works from private collections abroad like the painting in question, whose owner remains unrevealed are legally eligible for international sale.“The system of declaring Mexican modern artistic heritage is very anomalous,” said Mexican curator Cuauhtémoc Medina, an art historian and specialist in contemporary art.
Judas in bed
“El sueo (La cama)” was created in 1940 following Kahlo’s trip to Paris, where she came into contact with the surrealists.Contrary to contemporary belief, the skull on the bed’s canopy is not a Day of the Dead skeleton, but a Judas a handmade cardboard figure. Traditionally lit with gunpowder during Easter, this effigy symbolizes purification and the triumph of good over evil, representing Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.In the painting, the skeleton is detailed with firecrackers, flowers on its ribs and a smiling grimace a detail inspired by a cardboard skeleton Kahlo actually kept in the canopy of her own bed.Kahlo “spent a lot of time in bed waiting for death,” said Chávez Mac Gregor. “She had a very complex life because of all the illnesses and physical challenges with which she lived.”
Frida and surrealism
Although Kahlo’s painting is being auctioned alongside works by surrealists like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning, she did not consider herself a member of the movement, despite having met its founder, André Breton, in Mexico and had an exhibition organized by him in Paris in 1939.“Breton was fascinated by Frida’s work, because he saw that surrealist spirit there,” said Chávez Mac Gregor.Kahlo, a committed communist, considered surrealism a movement proposing a revolution of consciousness to be bourgeois. As Chávez Mac Gregor noted, “Frida always had a critical distance from that.”Despite this, specialists have found elements of surrealism in Kahlo’s work related to the dreamlike, to an inner world and to a revolutionary and sexual freedom a concept visible in a bed suspended in the sky with Kahlo sleeping among a vine.
‘Crazy-priced purchases’
“El sueo (La cama)” was last exhibited in the 1990s, and after the auction, it could disappear from public view once again, a fate shared by many paintings acquired for large sums at auction.There are exceptions, including “Diego y yo” ( “Diego and I”), which set Kahlo’s record sale price when it sold for $34.9 million in 2021.The painting, depicting the artist and her husband muralist Diego Rivera, was acquired by Argentine business owner Eduardo Costantini and then lent to the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (Malba) where it remains on exhibit.Medina, the art historian, regretted that the “crazy-priced” purchases have reduced art to a mere economic value.He lamented that when funds purchase art as mere investments like buying shares in a public company the works are often relegated to tax-free zones to avoid costs. Their fate, he said, “may be worse; they may end up in a refrigerator at Frankfurt airport for decades to come.”
A female artist
The current sale record for a work by a female artist is held by Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1,” which fetched $44.4 million at Sotheby’s in 2014.However, the auction market still reflects a profound disparity as no female artist has yet exceeded the maximum sale price of a male artist. The current benchmark is “Salvator Mundi,” attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, which was auctioned by Christie’s for $450.3 million in 2017.
Berenice Bautista, Associated Press
Vaishnavi Srinivasagopalan, a skilled Indian IT professional who has worked in both India and the U.S., has been looking for work in China. Beijing’s new K-visa program targeting science and technology workers could turn that dream into a reality.
The K-visa rolled out by Beijing last month is part of Chinas widening effort to catch up with the U.S. in the race for global talent and cutting edge technology. It coincides with uncertainties over the U.S.’s H-1B program under tightened immigrations policies implemented by President Donald Trump.
(The) K-visa for China (is) an equivalent to the H-1B for the U.S., said Srinivasagopalan, who is intrigued by Chinas working environment and culture after her father worked at a Chinese university a few years back. It is a good option for people like me to work abroad.
The K-visa supplements China’s existing visa schemes, including the R-visa for foreign professionals, but with loosened requirements, such as not requiring an applicant to have a job offer before applying.
Stricter U.S. policies toward foreign students and scholars under Trump, including the raising of fees for the H-1B visa for foreign skilled workers to $100,000 for new applicants, are leading some non-American professionals and students to consider going elsewhere.
Students studying in the U.S. hoped for an (H-1B) visa, but currently this is an issue, said Bikash Kali Das, an Indian masters student of international relations at Sichuan University in China.
China wants more foreign tech professionals
China is striking while the iron is hot.
The ruling Communist Party has made global leadership in advanced technologies a top priority, paying massive government subsidies to support research and development of areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics.
Beijing perceives the tightening of immigration policies in the U.S. as an opportunity to position itself globally as welcoming foreign talent and investment more broadly, said Barbara Kelemen, associate director and head of Asia at security intelligence firm Dragonfly.
Unemployment among Chinese graduates remains high, and competition is intense for jobs in scientific and technical fields. But there is a skills gap China’s leadership is eager to fill. For decades, China has been losing top talent to developed countries as many stayed and worked in the U.S. and Europe after they finished studies there.
The brain drain has not fully reversed.
Many Chinese parents still see Western education as advanced and are eager to send their children abroad, said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.
Still, in recent years, a growing number of professionals including AI experts, scientists and engineers have moved to China from the U.S., including Chinese-Americans. Fei Su, a chip architect at Intel, and Ming Zhou, a leading engineer at U.S.-based software firm Altair, were among those who have taken teaching jobs in China this year.
Many skilled workers in India and Southeast Asia have already expressed interest about the K-visa, said Edward Hu, a Shanghai-based immigration director at the consultancy Newland Chase.
Questions about extra competition from foreign workers
With the jobless rate for Chinese aged 16-24 excluding students at nearly 18%, the campaign to attract more foreign professionals is raising questions.
The current job market is already under fierce competition, said Zhou Xinying, a 24-year-old postgraduate student in behavioral science at eastern China’s Zhejiang University.
While foreign professionals could help bring about new technologies and different international perspectives, Zhou said, some Chinese young job seekers may feel pressure due to the introduction of the K-visa policy.
Kyle Huang, a 26-year-old software engineer based in the southern city of Guangzhou, said his peers in the science and technology fields fear the new visa scheme might threaten local job opportunities.
A recent commentary published by a state-backed news outlet, the Shanghai Observer, downplayed such concerns, saying that bringing in such foreign professionals will benefit the economy. As China advances in areas such as AI and cutting-edge semiconductors, there is a gap and mismatch between qualified jobseekers and the demand for skilled workers, it said.
The more complex the global environment, the more China will open its arms, it said.
Beijing will need to emphasize how select foreign talent can create, not take, local jobs, said Michael Feller, chief strategist at consultancy Geopolitical Strategy. But even Washington has shown that this is politically a hard argument to make, despite decades of evidence.
China’s disadvantages even with the new visas
Recruitment and immigration specialists say foreign workers face various hurdles in China. One is the language barrier. The ruling Communist Party’s internet censorship, known as the Great Firewall, is another drawback.
A country of about 1.4 billion, China had only an estimated 711,000 foreign workers residing in the country as of 2023.
The U.S. still leads in research and has the advantage of using English widely. There’s also still a relatively clearer pathway to residency for many, said David Stepat, country director for Singapore at the consultancy Dezan Shira & Associates.
Nikhil Swaminathan, an Indian H1-B visa holder working for a U.S. non-profit organization after finishing graduate school there, is interested in Chinas K-visa but skeptical. I wouldve considered it. Chinas a great place to work in tech, if not for the difficult relationship between India and China, he said.
Given a choice, many jobseekers still are likely to aim for jobs in leading global companies outside China.
The U.S. is probably more at risk of losing would-be H-1B applicants to other Western economies, including the UK and European Union, than to China, said Feller at Geopolitical Strategy.
“The U.S. may be sabotaging itself, but its doing so from a far more competitive position in terms of its attractiveness to talent, Feller said. China will need to do far more than offer convenient visa pathways to attract the best.
Chan Ho-Him, AP business writer
AP writer Fu Ting and researchers Yu Bing and Shihuan Chen contributed.
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches, including tossing balls in the dirt instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, the highly paid hurlers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Some of the games in question were in April, May and June.Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Clase, 27, was not in custody, officials said.Ortiz and Clase “betrayed America’s pastime,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. “Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game not for anyone and not for anything.”Georgalis said Ortiz’s defense team had previously documented for prosecutors that the payments and money transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.“There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court,” Georgalis said.A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”The Major League Baseball Players Association had no comment.
Unusual betting activity prompted investigation
MLB said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity and has fully cooperated with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” a league statement said.In a statement, the Guardians said: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”Clase and Ortiz are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.In one example cited in the indictment, Clase allegedly invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April and spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the indictment said, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph (157.63 kph).In May, the indictment said, Clase agreed to throw a ball at a certain point in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike, costing the bettors $4,000 in wagers. After the game, which the Guardians won, Clase sent text messages to one of the bettors with images of a man hanging himself with toilet paper and a sad puppy dog face, the indictment said.Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had a $4.5 million salary in 2025, the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract. The three-time AL save leader began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 but didn’t ask for payoffs until this year, prosecutors said.The indictment cited specific pitches Clase allegedly rigged all of them first pitches when he entered to start an inning: a 98.5 mph (158.5 kph) cutter low and inside to the New York Mets’ Starling Marte on May 19, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers that bounced well short of home plate on June 3, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. that bounced on April 12; a 99.1 mph (159.5 kph) cutter in the dirt to Philadelphia’s Max Kepler on May 11; a bounced 89.1 mph (143.4) slider to Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers on May 13; and a bounced 87.5 mph (140.8 kph) slider to Cincinnati’s Santiago Espinal on May 17.Prosecutors said Ortiz, who had a $782,600 salary this year, got in on the scheme in June and is accused of rigging pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.Ortiz was cited for bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to Seattle’s Randy Arozarena starting the second inning on June 15 and bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to St. Louis’ Pedro Pagés that went to the backstop opening the third inning on June 27.
Dozens of pro athletes have been charged in gambling sweeps
The charges are the latest bombshell developments in a federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling sweep that rocked the NBA.Sports betting scandals have long been a concern, but a May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.Major League Baseball suspended five players in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego infielder Tucupita Marcano for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets with a legal sportsbook totaling more than $150,000.
Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker in Washington and Ron Blum in New York contributed to this report.
Michael R. Sisak, Associated Press
