House Republicans unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” late Sunday, at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks.Tallying hundreds of pages, the legislation is touching off the biggest political fight over health care since Republicans tried to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in 2017which ended in failure.While Republicans insist they are simply rooting out “waste, fraud and abuse” to generate savings with new work and eligibility requirements, Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade.“Savings like these allow us to use this bill to renew the Trump tax cuts and keep Republicans’ promise to hardworking middle-class families,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, the GOP chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles health care spending.But Democrats said the cuts are “shameful” and essentially amount to another attempt to repeal Obamacare.“In no uncertain terms, millions of Americans will lose their health care coverage,” said Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the panel. He said “hospitals will close, seniors will not be able to access the care they need, and premiums will rise for millions of people if this bill passes.”As Republicans race toward House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Memorial Day deadline to pass Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, they are preparing to flood the zone with round-the-clock public hearings this week on various sections before they are stitched together in what will become a massive package.The politics ahead are uncertain. More than a dozen House Republicans have told Johnson and GOP leaders they will not support cuts to the health care safety net programs that residents back home depend on. Trump himself has shied away from a repeat of his first term, vowing there will be no cuts to Medicaid.All told, 11 committees in the House have been compiling their sections of the package as Republicans seek at least $1.5 trillion in savings to help cover the cost of preserving the 2017 tax breaks, which were approved during Trump’s first term and are expiring at the end of the year.But the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee has been among the most watched. The committee was instructed to come up with $880 billion in savings and reached that goal, primarily with the health care cuts, but also by rolling back Biden-era green energy programs. The preliminary CBO analysis said the committee’s proposals would reduce the deficit by $912 billion over the decade with at least $715 billion coming from the health provisions.Central to the savings are changes to Medicaid, which provides almost free health care to more than 70 million Americans, and the Affordable Care Act, which has expanded in the 15 years since it was first approved to cover millions more.To be eligible for Medicaid, there would be new “community engagement requirements” of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. People would also have to verify their eligibility to be in the program twice a year, rather than just once.This is likely to lead to more churn in the program and present hurdles for people to stay covered, especially if they have to drive far to a local benefits office to verify their income in person. But Republicans say it’ll ensure that the program is administered to those who qualify for it.Many states have expanded their Medicaid rosters thanks to federal incentives, but the legislation would cut a 5% boost that was put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal funding to the states for immigrants who have not shown proof of citizenship would be prohibited.There would be a freeze on the so-called provider tax that some states use to help pay for large portions of their Medicaid programs. The extra tax often leads to higher payments from the federal government, which critics say is a loophole that creates abuse in the system.The energy portions of the legislation run far fewer pages, but include rollbacks of climate-change strategies President Joe Biden signed into law in the Inflation Reduction Act.It proposes rescinding funds for a range of energy loans and investment programs while providing expedited permitting for natural gas development and oil pipelines.__ Associated Press writer Amanda Seitz contributed to this report.
Lisa Mascaro, AP Congressional Correspondent
Rite Aid is plotting an immediate wind-down of operations at dozens of additional locations as it scrambles this week to sell off its pharmacy assets and retail operations to potential bidders.
The drugstore chain, which last week sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time, has marked 68 locations in seven states for closure, meaning it wants to promptly start the process of going-out-of-business sales. The list was disclosed in a filing on Friday with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.
Interested parties have until May 19 to object to the additional closings, according to the filing. Fast Company has reached out to Rite Aid for comment.
The move comes after Rite Aid identified 47 locations that would initially close, noting in a court filing earlier last week that it saw “little or no value” in keeping the stores open as it moves through the bankruptcy process.
Deadlines approaching for potential bidders
In a statement last week, Rite Aid CEO said the company has seen “meaningful interest” from potential buyers at the local and regional level.
Rite Aid has stressed that it is seeking to minimize the impact on its customers and employees by soliciting bids from pharmacy companies that could acquire its prescription files, retail locations, or both.
However, time is running out. According to court documents, potential bidders for Rite Aid’s pharmacy assets have until tomorrow to submit a bid. Although the deadline could be extended, Rite Aid has expressed concern about customer attrition during a drawn-out sale process, which could significantly diminish the value of its assets.
Ultimately every Rite Aid location will either close or be sold to another owner. For now, expect the 68 locations listed below to close quickly:
California
3860 SEPULVEDA BOULEVARD TORRANCE CA 90505
5075 OLIVEHURST AVENUE OLIVEHURST CA 95961
New Hampshire
360 SUMMER STREET BRISTOL NH 03222
41 CARROLL STREET PITTSFIELD NH 03263
New York
9 BROAD STREET SALAMANCA NY 14779
1070 GENESEE STREET BUFFALO NY 14211
Oregon
728 SOUTH WEST 4TH AVENUE ONTARIO OR 97914
4041 NW LOGAN ROAD LINCOLN CITY OR 97367
2049 WEST CASCADE AVENUE HOOD RIVER OR 97031
178 WEST ELLENDALE AVENUE DALLAS OR 97338
1217 CAMPBELL STREET BAKER CITY OR 97814
44 MICHIGAN AVENUE NE BANDON OR 97411
313 SOUTH ROOSEVELT DRIVE SEASIDE OR 97138
626 MCCLAINE ST SILVERTON OR 97381
Pennsylvania
805 HUNTINGDON PIKE HUNTINGDON VALLEY PA 19006
6 BOCHICCHIO BOULEVARD MOSCOW PA 18444
601 DELAWARE AVENUE PALMERTON PA 18071
315 WEST FOURTH STREET QUARRYVILLE PA 17566
2201 WEST ALLEGHENY AVE. PHILADELPHIA PA 19132
10 NEWPORT PLAZA NEWPORT PA 17074
801 GROW AVENUE MONTROSE PA 18801
2503-05 WELSH ROAD PHILADELPHIA PA 19114
5 FRIENDLY DRIVE DUNCANNON PA 17020
260 WEST LEHIGH AVENUE #80 PHILADELPHIA PA 19133
3145 MAIN STREET MORGANTOWN PA 19543
205 CENTER STREET TAMAQUA PA 18252
9635 WILLIAM PENN HIGHWAY HUNTINGDON PA 16652
15 WEST CENTRE STREET MAHANOY CITY PA 17948
4530 NORTH 5TH STREET PHILADELPHIA PA 19140
101 EAST SHIRLEY STREET MT UNION PA 17066
4390 RICHMOND STREET PHILADELPHIA PA 19137
5201 SPRING ROAD SUITE 6 SHERMANS DALE PA 17090
126 W. MAIN STREET GROVE CITY PA 16127
111 NORTH PLAZA APOLLO PA 15613
5214-30 BALTIMORE AVENUE PHILADELPHIA PA 19143
1941 DERRY STREET HARRISBURG PA 17104
5400 RISING SUN AVENUE PHILADELPHIA PA 19120
901 S SAINT MARYS STREET SAINT MARYS PA 15857
200 RESORT PLAZA DRIVE BLAIRSVILLE PA 15717
630 MAIN ST. PORTAGE PA 15946
207 ROUTE 6 WEST COUDERSPORT PA 16915
838 FIFTH AVENUE FORD CITY PA 16226
620 E ALLEGHENY AVENUE EMPORIUM PA 15834
100 SOUTH THIRD STREET CONNEAUT LAKE PA 16316
200 MEMORIAL BLVD. CONNELLSVILLE PA 15425
59 NORTH MAIN STREET PORT ALLEGANY PA 16743
610 BROAD STREET NEW BETHLEHEM PA 16242
1340 MAIN STREET BURGETTSTOWN PA 150
1365 LOGAN AVENUE TYRONE PA 16686
1212 SECOND STREET CRESSON PA 16630
201 WEST MAHONING STREET PUNXSUTAWNEY PA 15767
165 BUTLER ROAD KITTANNING PA 16201
100 FRANKLIN STREET MERCER PA 16137
1222 BROWNSVILLE RD PITTSBURGH PA 15210
521 NORTH FRALEY STREET KANE PA 16735
3939 BUTLER STREET PITTSBURGH PA 15201
1 EAST HIGH STREET UNION CITY PA 16438
2150 BROWNSVILLE RD STE120 PITTSBURGH PA 15210
Virginia
115 BRUNSWICK SQUARE COURT LAWRENCEVILLE VA 23868
144 SCOTTSVILLE CENTER SCOTTSVILLE VA 24590
4171 LEE JACKSON HWY, STE 113 GREENVILLE VA 24440
200 AUGUSTA AVENUE GROTTOES VA 24441
Washington
27000 MILLER BAY RD NE KINGSTON WA 98346
909 EAST YELM AVENUE YELM WA 98597
608 W. STANLEY STREET GRANITE FALLS WA 98252
609 OMACHE DRIVE OMAK WA 98841
35013 SNOQUALMIE PKWY SNOQUALMIE WA 98065
1517 COMMERCIAL AVE. ANACORTES WA 98221
When we think of summer bags, we tend to think of big totes we can carry to the beach or a farmers market. But this year, bag designers are reimagining the summer staple as a piece of art you can carry around with you. They’re taking the seasonal materials we’re used to seeingraffia, straw, wickerand transforming them into beautiful, interesting shapes. They’re meant to do more than hold your phone; they’re designed to give you pleasure and start conversations.
Here are our favorite sculptural bags of the season.
Camilla Clutch
Cult Gaia, $298
Cult Gaia first made a name for itself with a half-moon-shaped bamboo Ark bag, which went viral. Since then, even as the label has expanded to include ready-to-wear and fragrances, it is best known for its whimsical statement bags. This summer, it launches many creative designs, including a bag that doubles as a backgammon board, and a clutch in the form of a golden apple.
The Camilla clutch is perhaps the one that feels most like summer. Made from abaca, a kind of hemp, its inspired by a horse conch shell and has a long tassel. It’s sure to be a conversation piece when you’re at a cocktail or pool party, or even at a beachside wedding.
The Cesi Shopper
Poolside, $315
As the brand’s name suggests, Poolside specializes in summer bags, tailor-made to pair with resortwear. And while its most famous for its toteswhich can be personalized with monograms or witty phrasesit also has many sculptural pieces that look like shells and fish.
The Cesi bag stands out for combining beauty and functionality. Made of raffia, with an acrylic tortoise shell chain strap, its spacious enough to stash your phone and even a small book. It can be dressed up for parties, but it can also carry you through your day.
The Leila Basket
Sézane, $275
The French label Sézane is famous for its large raffia basket bag, inspired by totes that people carry to the farmers market. But this year, it’s added more interesting silhouettes to its collection.
If you feel like shell-based bags are a little too on the nose, consider the Leila Basket, which is made of raffia and comes in two shades, natural and red. The delicate flower design gives it a feminine touch, but the bag is also practical, with durable woven handles that can bear some weight.
Clamshell Clutch
Vineyard Vines, $148
Vineyard Vines’s clamshell bag is perhaps the most versatile of the lot. While it’s compact, with just enough space for your phone and wallet, you can carry it in several different ways: as a clutch, with a chunky wicker handle, and with the crossbody strap. This flexibility means you can utilize it for many different occasions, from elegant dinner parties to busy days out.
Color-Blocked Shopper
Eileen Fisher, $168
This design is unlike the others. But in case you’re not the kind of person who wants to carry an enormous shell or flower-shaped bag around with you, you might go for this tote, which is designed with clean lines and an interesting silhouette. It’s one of Eileen Fisher’s new offerings, made in collaboration with Mar y Sol, which makes raffia bags in Madagascar, supporting the work of local artisans. The bags in this collaboration are chic and simple, in keeping with Eileen Fisher’s minimalist aesthetic, but they are anything but boring. This ones color-blocked design makes it a standout as it hangs elegantly from your shoulder.
President Donald Trump is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft.The Qatari government said a final decision hadn’t been made. Still, Trump defended the ideawhat would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign governmentas a fiscally smart move for the country.“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. “Anybody can do that!”ABC News reported that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library.The gift was expected to be announced when Trump visits Qatar, according to ABC’s report, as part of a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the first extended foreign travel of his second term.Before Trump’s post trumpeting the idea, Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, said in a statement that the “possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense.”“But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” the statement added.Meanwhile, administration officials, anticipating ethics concerns, have prepared an analysis arguing that accepting the plane would be legal, according to ABC. The Constitution’s Emoluments Clause bars anyone holding government office from accepting any present, emolument, office or title from any “King, Prince, or foreign State,” without congressional consent.One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being “committed to exploiting the federal government’s power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.”Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer poked fun at Trump’s “America first” political slogan.“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar,” the New York Democrat said in a statement. “It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.”Even some conservatives expressed dismay online, noting that an aircraft being offered by a foreign government could present security risks if used by a U.S. president.Air Force One is a modified Boeing 747. Two exist, and the president flies on both, which are more than 30 years old. Boeing Inc. has the contract to produce updated versions, but delivery has been delayed while the company has lost billions of dollars on the project.Trump intends to convert the Qatari aircraft into a plane he can fly on as president, with the Air Force planning to add secure communications and other classified elements to it. But it will still have more limited capabilities than the existing planes that were built to serve as Air Force One, as well as two other aircraft currently under construction, according to a former U.S. official.The official was briefed about the plane and spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not yet been made public.The existing planes used as Air Force One are heavily modified with survivability capabilities for the president for a range of contingencies, including radiation shielding and antimissile technology. They also include a variety of communications systems to allow the president to remain in contact with the military and issue orders from anywhere in the world.The official told The Associated Press that it would be possible to quickly add some countermeasures and communications systems to the Qatari plane, but that it would be less capable than the existing Air Force One aircraft or long-delayed replacements.Neither the Qatari plane nor the upcoming VC-25B aircraft will have the air-to-air refueling capabilities of the current VC-25A aircraft, which is the one the president currently flies on, the official said.Jordan Libowitz, communications director for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called such a gift “unprecedented.”“The totality of gifts given to a president over their term doesn’t get close to this level,” Libowitz said, adding, “You have to ask, if he makes foreign policyespecially in regards to the Middle Easthow much is he being influenced by his gifts and his business deals.”ABC said the new plane is similar to a 13-year-old Boeing aircraft Trump toured in February, while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport and he was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club.Trump faced lawsuits for violating the Emoluments Clause during his first term, but those were ended by the Supreme Court in 2021, which found the cases moot because the Republican had left office.Trump’s family business, the Trump Organization, which is now largely run by his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, has vast and growing interests in the Middle East. That includes a new deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country’s sovereign wealth fund.Qatar, which is ruled by the Al Thani family, is home to the state-owned airline Qatar Airways. The country also has worked to have a close relationship to Trump after he apparently backed a boycott of Doha by four Arab nations in his first term. Trump later in his term applauded Qatar.Administration officials have brushed off concerns about the president’s policy interests blurring with family’s business profits. They note that Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children and that a voluntary ethics agreement released by the Trump Organization in January bars the company from striking deals directly with foreign governments.But that same agreement allows deals with private companies abroad. That is a departure from Trump’s first term, when the organization released an ethics pact prohibiting both foreign government and foreign company deals.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when asked Friday if the president might meet with people who have ties to his family’s business, said it was “ridiculous” to suggest Trump “is doing anything for his own benefit.”
Associated Press writer Christine Fernando in Chicago and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
Zeke Miller and Will Weissert, Associated Press
U.S. and Chinese officials said Monday they had reached a deal to roll back most of their recent tariffs and call a 90-day truce in their trade war for more talks on resolving their trade disputes.Stock markets rose sharply as the globe’s two major economic powers took a step back from a clash that has unsettled the global economy.U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the U.S. agreed to drop its 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods by 115 percentage points to 30%, while China agreed to lower its rate on U.S. goods by the same amount to 10%.Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the tariff reductions at a news conference in Geneva.The two officials struck a positive tone as they said the two sides had set up consultations to continue discussing their trade issues. Bessent said at the news briefing after two days of talks that the high tariff levels would have amounted to a complete blockage of each sides goods, an outcome neither side wants.“The consensus from both delegations this weekend is neither side wants a decoupling,” Bessent said. “And what had occurred with these very high tariff . . . was an embargo, the equivalent of an embargo. And neither side wants that. We do want trade.”“We want more balanced trade. And I think that both sides are committed to achieving that.”The delegations, escorted around town and guarded by scores of Swiss police, met for at least a dozen hours on both days of the weekend at sun-baked 17th-century villa that serves as the official residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.At times, the delegation leaders broke away from their staffs and settled into sofas on the villa’s patios overlooking Lake Geneva, helping deepen personal ties in the effort to reach a much-sought deal.China’s Commerce Ministry said the two sides agreed to cancel 91% in tariffs on each other’s goods and suspend another 24% in tariffs for 90 days, bringing the total reduction to 115 percentage points.The ministry called the agreement an important step for the resolution of the two countries’ differences and said it lays the foundation for further cooperation.“This initiative aligns with the expectations of producers and consumers in both countries and serves the interests of both nations as well as the common interests of the world,” a ministry statement said.China hopes the U.S will stop “the erroneous practice of unilateral tariff hikes” and work with China to safeguard the development of their economic and trade relations, injecting more certainty and stability into the global economy, the ministry said.The joint statement issued by the two countries said China also agreed to suspend or remove other measures it has taken since April 2 in response to the U.S. tariffs.China has increased export controls on rare earths including some critical to the defense industry and added more American companies to its export control and unreliable entity lists, restricting their business with and in China.The full impact on the complicated tariffs and other trade penalties enacted by Washington and Beijing remains unclear. And much depends on whether they will find ways to bridge longstanding differences during the 90-day suspension.But investors rejoiced as trade envoys from the world’s two biggest economies blinked, finding ways to pull back from potentially massive disruptions to world trade and their own markets.Futures for the S&P 500 jumped 2.6% and for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2%. Oil prices surged more than $1.60 a barrel and the U.S. dollar gained against the euro and the Japanese yen.“This is a substantial de-escalation,” said Mark Williams, chief Asia economist at Capital Economics. But he warned “there is no guarantee that the 90-day truce will give way to a lasting ceasefire.”Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, welcomed the news but expressed caution. The tariffs only were suspended for 90 days and there is great uncertainty over what lies ahead, he said in a statement.“Businesses need predictability to maintain normal operations and make investment decisions. The chamber therefore hopes to see both sides continue to engage in dialogue to resolve differences, and avoid taking measures that will disrupt global trade and result in collateral damage for those caught in the cross-fire,” Eskelund said.Trump last month raised U.S. tariffs on China to a combined 145% and China retaliated by hitting American imports with a 125% levy. Tariffs that high essentially amount to the two countries boycotting each other’s products, disrupting trade that last year topped $660 billion.The announcement by the U.S. and China sent shares surging, with U.S. futures jumping more than 2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged nearly 3% and benchmarks in Germany and France were both up 0.7%The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on countries worldwide, but its fight with China has been the most intense. Trump’s import taxes on goods from China include a 20% charge meant to pressure Beijing into doing more to stop the flow of the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the United States.
McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany, Kurtenbach from Mito, Japan, and Moritsugu from Beijing.
Jamey Keaten, David McHugh, Elaine Kurtenbach and Ken Moritsugu, Assosicated Press
This week, the discount retail chain Big Lots will open dozens of new stores. The openings are the third part of a four-wave relaunch of the brand, which marks a radical turnaround for a chain that was expected to close every store permanently after it filed for bankruptcy last year. Heres what you need to know about the latest round of Big Lots store openings.
Big Lots back from bankruptcy brink
Back in December 2024, Big Lots filed for bankruptcy after years of financial struggles. The company announced that it would close all of its 800 stores and permanently go out of business, and it brought in liquidation specialists Gordon Brothers to oversee the closure.
But in a last-minute deal, Variety Wholesalers, which owns discount chains including Super Dollar and Bargain Town, swooped in and agreed to buy 219 Big Lots locations from Gordon Brothers. Variety then announced that it would reopen those locations after a brief period of closure for remodeling and restocking, and continue to operate them under the Big Lots brand.
As Fast Company previously reported, those 219 Big Lots reopenings would be conducted in a phased approach made up of four waves:
The first wave of stores opened in April.
The second wave of stores opened in early May.
This week, the third wave of that phased reopening begins.
78 more Big Lots locations to open on May 15
On Thursday, May 15, an additional 78 Big Lots stores will reopen in Variety Wholesalers third wave.
The 78 store openings will occur in 13 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The state with the most openings in this wave is North Carolina with 16 openings, followed by Pennsylvania with 10 openings.
Here is the full list of Big Lots wave 3 openings:
Alabama
14228 US Highway 431, Guntersville, AL, 35976
5510 McFarland Blvd, Northport, AL, 35476
1100 Hwy 78 W, Jasper, AL, 35501
2821 Montgomery Highway, Dothan, AL, 36303
Florida
4700 Highway 90, Marianna, FL, 32446
225 S Tyndall Pkwy, Panama City, FL, 32404
9119 Merrill Rd Ste 50, Jacksonville, FL, 32225
122 S Nova Rd, Ormond Beach, FL, 32174
146 SE US Highway 19, Crystal River, FL, 34429
Georgia
260 Merchants Square, Dallas, GA, 30132
2932 Canton Rd Ste 210, Marietta, GA, 30066
3791 S Cobb Dr SE Ste G, Smyrna, GA, 30080
4125 Highway 20, Ste A-2, Buford, GA, 30518
2305 E 1st St, Vidalia, GA, 30474
1803 Knight Ave Ste A2, Waycross, GA, 31501
4420 Altama Ave Ste C2, Brunswick, GA, 31520
Kentucky
400 Campbellsville Byp, Campbellsville, KY, 42718
294 Village Ln, Hazard, KY, 41701
845 S Main St, London, KY, 40741
102 N 12th St, Middlesboro, KY, 40965
345 N Hwy 27 Ste 5, Somerset, KY, 42503
Michigan
659 24th St, Port Huron, MI, 48060
14333 Eureka Rd, Southgate, MI, 48195
Mississippi
875 Main St, Southaven, MS, 38671
North Carolina
685 S Hughes Blvd, Elizabeth City, NC, 27909
2725 Northwest Blvd, Newton, NC, 28658
1020 Crossroads Dr, Statesville, NC, 28625
376 West Plaza Drive, Mooresville, NC, 28117
403 N Generals Blvd, Lincolnton, NC, 28092
1728 E Dixon Blvd, Shelby, NC, 28152
601 Park St, Belmont, NC, 28012
3718 Battleground Ave, Greensboro, NC, 27410
1811 S Church St, Burlington, NC, 27215
838 Winston Rd, Lexington, NC, 27295
1700 Raleigh Rd Pkwy W Ste 104, Wilson, NC, 27896
609 Greenville Blvd SE, Greenville, NC, 27858
1403 S Pollock St, Selma, NC, 27576
1140 W Broad St, Dunn, NC, 28334
3915 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC, 28311
3910 Raeford Rd, Fayetteville, NC, 28304
Ohio
3946 W Alexis Rd, Toledo, OH, 43623
1800 E State St, Fremont, OH, 43420
825 Cleveland St, Elyria, OH, 44035
408 Bluebell Dr NW, New Philadelphia, OH, 44663
2837 Winchester Pike, Columbus, OH, 43232
4260 West Broad St, Columbus, OH, 43228
3961 Hoover Rd, Grove City, OH, 43123
2050 E Dorothy Ln, Kettering, OH, 45420
1700 E Main St, Lancaster, OH, 43130
Pennsylvania
2215 W 12th St, Erie, PA, 16505
820 Water St, Meadville, PA, 16335
697 Allegheny Blvd, Franklin, PA, 16323
2611 Ellwood Rd, New Castle, PA, 16101
5522 Shaffer Rd Unit 7, Du Bois, PA, 15801
2431 Columbia Blvd, Bloomsburg, PA, 17815
156 Eagles Glen Plz Ste 190, East Stroudsburg, PA, 18301
1241 Blakeslee Boulevard Dr E, Lehighton, PA, 18235
3437 Simpson Ferry Rd, Camp Hill, PA, 17011
467 W Penn Ave, Cleona, PA, 17042
South Carolina
207 Oconee Square Dr, Seneca, SC, 29678
339 Bypass 72 NW, Greenwood, SC, 29649
421 Columbia Ave, Lexington, SC, 29072
3230 Augusta Rd, West Columbia, SC, 29170
Tennessee
3110 E Oakland Ave, Johnson City, TN, 37601
2342 E Andrew Johnson Hwy, Morristown, TN, 37814
1475 E Andrew Johnson Hwy, Greeneville, TN, 37745
116 S Hall Rd, Alcoa, TN, 37701
201 Forks of the River Parkway, Sevierville, TN, 37862
264 E Broadwy Blvd, Jefferson City, TN, 37760
Virginia
260 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA, 22630
10611 Courthouse Rd, Fredericksburg, VA, 22407
10001 Hull Street Rd, North Chesterfield, VA, 23236
2660 Weir Place, Chester, VA, 23831
5260 Oaklawn Blvd, North Prince George, VA, 23860
4318 George Washington Mem Hwy, Yorktown, VA, 23692
West Virginia
291 Mall Rd, Oak Hill, WV, 25901
4522 Robert C Byrd Dr, Beckley, WV, 25801
1350 Stafford Dr, Princeton, WV, 24740
Future Big Lots reopenings
Thursdays openings will represent the third wave of Variety Wholesalers four-phased Big Lots reopening rollout.
With Thursdays opening of another 78 locations, that will bring Big Lots total reopenings to 141. That means the final 78 openings of the 219 total planned stores will happen in wave 4, which is currently scheduled for June.
Unlimited PTO policies were all the rage for a while, but now theyre starting to lose their allure. Here, experts weigh in on why companies are shifting away from this once-popular benefit, what alternative solutions look like, and why other options can be more effective.
Failing to Deliver
Unlimited paid time off policies are losing popularity because, in practice, they often fail to deliver the flexibility and wellness benefits they promise. While they sound progressive, the reality is that many employees end up taking less time off under these policies. Without a clear benchmark for what’s considered “normal” or acceptable, employees often hesitate to use their time, fearing it might reflect poorly on their work ethic or commitment. This lack of clarity creates anxiety and inadvertently fuels a culture of overworkexactly what unlimited PTO is meant to prevent.
Another challenge is inconsistency. Some employees may feel empowered to take extended time off, while others are quietly discouraged, leading to inequities and resentment. In industries where consistent staffing is critical, the lack of structure makes planning difficult, and in some cases, managers may even override requests, further undermining the policy’s intent. Additionally, unlimited PTO can’t always be applied equally across salaried and hourly workers, potentially triggering claims of unfairness or noncompliance with local labor laws.
As a result, many companies are shifting toward mandatory vacation policies, which require employees to take a minimum number of days off each year. This approach removes the ambiguity, helps normalize taking time away from work, and actively combats burnout. It’s especially effective in high-pressure environments where employees may otherwise push through exhaustion or skip vacations entirely. By institutionalizing rest, companies see improved retention, better morale, and a more energized workforce. It’s a simple yet powerful shiftone that sends a clear message: rest isn’t a perk, it’s a priority.
Tyler Butler, founder, Collaboration for Good
Company-Wide Reset Weeks Foster Collective Well-Being
Unlimited PTO once promised freedom and flexibility, but it’s increasingly clear that for many employees, especially those from underrepresented or historically excluded backgrounds, it’s more of a mirage than a benefit. In my work as a senior HR leader in Tech and a therapist and coach for underrepresented communities, I’ve seen how this policy, when poorly implemented, can erode psychological safety, blur boundaries, and increase inequity.
One major issue with unlimited PTO is that it lacks structure. Without clear norms or leadership modeling, employees may feel guilty or uncertain about taking time off. Research shows that in organizations with unlimited leave policies, people often take less time off than those with set vacation days. This perceived pressure to “prove” one’s commitment disproportionately affects women, caregivers, and marginalized employees who are already navigating imposter syndrome or subtle biases. It can make rest feel like a risk.
Instead, some companies are shifting to collective rest models, structured, trust-based systems that prioritize equity and well-being. One alternative I’ve seen gaining traction in hybrid workplaces is “company-wide reset weeks” or seasonal shutdowns, where the entire organization takes time off simultaneously. These initiatives remove the ambiguity and competition of unlimited PTO and foster psychological safety by normalizing rest for everyone, not just the bold or burnout-resistant.
This model supports all five elements of high-performing teams identified by Project Aristotle, Google’s Research on Effective Teams:
1. Psychological safety is boosted when everyone logs off at once, minimizing the fear of falling behind.
2. Dependability grows when teams can trust that their colleagues will take breaks and return replenished, not burned out.
3. Structure and clarity are enhanced when time off is explicitly defined and coordinated.
4. Meaning is reinforced as employees feel that their well-being is genuinely prioritized, not just promised.
5. And impact increases when people return from true rest more creative, collaborative, and focused.
In today’s hybrid reality, where boundaries are already blurred, the future of time off needs to be as thoughtful and inclusive as our approach to work itself. Unlimited PTO may sound progressive, but the real innovation lies in creating policies that build trust, provide clarity, and prioritize collective wellbeing.
Manuel Schlothauer, founder, HeyManuel.com
Life Leave Balances Flexibility with Clear Expectations
One of the most consistent challenges I’ve heard over many years of practice is that PTO policiesdespite their intended flexibilityoften lack clear structure and guidance. This absence of clarity can lead to uncertainty around what’s considered acceptable, making team members hesitant to fully utilize their time off. While teams appreciate the flexibility their companies provide, they also place high value on claritythey want to know what success looks like and how time away aligns with performance expectations.
Unlimited PTO policies, in particular, tend to fall short in this regard. Though well-intentioned and often introduced to help companies elevate their total rewards, they can leave people wondering how much time is “too much,” which leads to underutilization and inconsistent experiences across teams.
What’s especially challengingand somewhat counterintuitiveis that this happens despite our clear understanding that time off is critical to our team members’ ability to do their best work. We know it supports mental health, overall wellness, creativity, and long-term performance. Yet without the right structure, even the most flexible policies can miss the mark.
In response, I’ve often implemented an approach called “Life Leave” that complements traditional PTO policies (e.g., vacation). This framework offers flexibility with intention. It empowers team members to take time off in ways that are personally meaningful to them, whether for rest, volunteering, professional development, cultural observances, or family responsibilities.
What makes Life Leave most effective is its balance, as it supports individual needs while reinforcing clear expectations around performance and accountability. I’ve found it particularly impactful to provide explicit guidance on how much time is available, which helps create clarity and confidence for team members, leading to more usage and engagement. At the same time, it remains flexible enough to allow people to lean in when and how it makes sense for themand it evolves as the team’s needs evolve.
Heidi Hauver, VP, Customer & People Experience, LearnExperts
Structured Time Off Motivates Employees Better
Unlimited PTO sounds like a great benefit on paper, but after working with several companies who were considering Unlimited PTO, I have firsthand seen why this policy does not usually work well in practice.
There are several reasons, but by far, I believe the biggest reason for moving away from this policy is people’s behavior. That is, people are wired to want to know our “score,” by reacting to scarcity. For instance, when we see how many “lives” we have left on a video game, or how long a training program video runs, or how many more points until we earn a free taco, we tend to be more motivated to keep going, earn more, and utilize what we have earned. Marketing professionals know this and utilize it with “limited edition” runs of products to create demand.
Unlimited PTO removes this “limited edition” mindset by removing the “scoreboard.” When people are unaware of how many days they have taken off or how many they have remaining, psychologically it makes them use less overall. Virtually every company I have experience with that has moved to unlimited time off has seen a drop in time off taken, not an increase. So if the purpose is less time, then it is working, but if the purpose is increased well-being and increased engagement, it is not working.
The better solution, when you have people asking for either unlimited or simply more time, is to simply give more time. Yes, there is a balance sheet cost, but in reality, it is a very small cost compared to other benefits with a very high upside. Creative approaches like additional recognized company holidays, floating holidays so people can celebrate religious or family occasions that aren’t otherwise recognized, giving an extra day off in the month of your birthday or your company anniversary, and giving an extra week or two as an earned “sabbatical” every few years, all go far in employee appreciation without adding a large cost burden.
Additionally, leading by example helps. People pay attention to what their leaders do. So when they see leaders not taking off their allotted time, they will do the same. Conversely, leaders I work with who use their time off have employees who do as well, and are healthier and more engaged as a result.
Angela Heyroth, principal, Talent Centric Designs
Mandatory Minimum PTO Protects Against Employee Burnout
Data suggest that the popularity of these plans may be waning.
Why? Job postings offering unlimited paid time off (PTO) have decreased by 50% from 2022 to 2024, according to Revelio Labs, from 3.1 per 1,000 to 1.5 per 1,000. Employee perception is also waning; companies offering unlimited paid time off (PTO) were rated 3.24% lower in work-life balance compared to those with traditional PTO policies. While unlimited PTO sounds like the ultimate perk, our research revealed that, when deciding whether to adopt this type of plan, employees generally take less time off than those with a traditional PTO plan. Research suggests that these policies are underutilized due to ambiguity surrounding acceptable usage and concerns about appearing less dedicated.
We have instituted a “use-it-or-lose-it” PTO policy to encourage our team members to take their full time off to recharge and rejuvenate. Also, we award a paid week’s sabbatical every five years of service.
As companies rethink traditional time-off models, flexible PTO and mandatory minimum PTO policies are emerging as more innovative alternatives to unlimited leave. Flexible PTO offers freedom with a light structure, appealing to organizations that trust employees to manage their well-being. Meanwhile, mandatory minimum PTO ensures employees take the time they need to reset, which protects against burnout and boosts long-term productivity.
Increasingly, companies are realizing that spending time away from work is not enough to recharge their team. They have to design for it. Structured time-off policies backed by leadership modeling and clear expectations are proving far more effective than the “you figure it out” approach of early unlimited PTO experiments.
Kristin Pardue, cofounder and CEO, Rve Consulting
Flexible Scheduling Focuses on Job Performance Goals
Unlimited PTO policies are losing popularity with both employees and employers. This is largely because the “logic” of such policies is faulty. For such policies to make sense, extremely accurate KPIs are required (both lagging and leading) to assess all aspects of the employees’ jobs.
In theory, any employee who is performing at or above 100% of all job responsibilities with no risk of performance slipping should be supported in taking as much time off as they desire in exchange for continued performance.
Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to identify highly accurate lagging and leading KPIs for every aspect or responsibility of any given job/employee. Moreover, it’s often difficult to track and report on all KPIs in a timely manner. Thus, employers and employees alike cannot be sure performance is truly where it should be in support of such policies. Consequently, Unlimited PTO policies have often caused conflict, which nobody likes.
One alternative many companies are having success with is a fresh take on an old idea: Flexible Scheduling/Flexible Work. These policies often take the opposite approach, stating the job performance goals regardless of when or where the work is performed to achieve them, or how long it takes. These programs often do not distinguish between working versus nonworking hours or days of the week, or any amount of hours requiredjust satisfactory completion of the requirements.
So, it’s just a different perspective to accomplish the same objective. Sometimes a different perspective changes everything.
Joe Palmer, managing partner, Prosperity Partners Consulting, Inc.
Scheduled Downtime Replaces Unlimited PTO Policy
Unlimited PTO policies are fading because companies realize that offering unlimited time off doesn’t translate into employees taking enough breaks, especially high-performers focused on hitting deadlines. Instead of preventing burnout with a better work-life balance, getting rid of vacation minimums might lead to your best people leaving because they’re exhausted and feel too much pressure to take ample time.
For us, it’s been much better to intentionally schedule downtime that fits in the company’s work rhythm. You have to actively plan for it by finding those natural lulls between projects or busy seasons and leaning into them. If you can’t manage full shutdowns, you can stagger these lighter periods across different departments so the business keeps running smoothly. Marketing teams can take a breather while engineering ramps up, or vice versa, for example. Unlike unlimited PTO, which puts the onus on employees who often feel they can’t step away from the work, scheduled downtime makes taking a break a normal and expected part of the job. It takes real effort to implement properl, and you need buy-in from every manager to actively champion and protect this downtime for their teams.
We try to put this into practice by encouraging our team leads to actively schedule cooldown periods for their teams right after major projects wrap up or after particularly intense sprints. After our big Q1 product launch last year, the core product and engineering folks got a designated week immediately after with a lighter workload, very few meetings, and real encouragement to disconnect as much as possible before we started diving into Q2 planning. Many of our teammates tend to use vacation time then because they’re ready for a break, and work won’t pile up while they’re away. We’ve noticed less burnout reported after those crunch times, and people generally come back feeling more focused and recharged from that planned time off.
Edward White, head of Growth, beehiiv
Planned PTO Cycles Improve Operational Clarity
It reduces operational clarity, to some degree at least. When time off isn’t formally accrued or budgeted, teams struggle with planning. They can’t accurately forecast bandwidth, coordinate coverage, or identify burnout risk if everyone is on an undefined schedule. Managers end up tracking PTO informally anyway, which then defeats the whole premise.
Planned PTO cycles may hold the answer here. Instead of waiting for people to request time off, companies can preschedule rest into the calendar. This could involve two company-wide breaks a year (e.g., one week in summer, one in winter), plus a set number of flexible days.
This approach works better because it removes the psychological barrier of “asking” and builds rest into the rhythm of the business. Teams recover together. No one returns to an overwhelming backlog, and clients learn to expect and respect the cadence.
Adam Dayan, founder, Consumer Law Group, LLC
Transparent Time-Off Calendars Enhance Team Planning
There is a reason why Unlimited PTO policies aren’t as popular as they used to be. At first glance, they sound incredibly empowering”Take all the time you need!”but the reality often plays out very differently. What ends up happening is a lack of time-off visibility across the team.
When everyone’s PTO is open-ended but not clearly communicated or tracked, people get caught off guard by surprise absences, especially during critical project phases. It’s not about “if” someone takes time off, but “when” and “how it affects the team.” That’s where things start to fall apart.
What worked much better for us was moving to Transparent Time-Off Calendars that sync directly with our project management tools. Everyone can see who’s off and when, which helps with coverage and planning.
But what really made the difference were the “soft limits” we introducedlike encouraging team members not to book extended time off during peak quarters or final sprint weeks unless discussed in advance.
These aren’t hard rules, but they give the team a structure to work with. It reduces friction and prevents the kind of calendar chaos that was quietly undermining productivity under the Unlimited PTO model.
In the end, it’s not about offering endless days offit’s about building a culture where taking time off is respected, communicated clearly, and planned thoughtfully so that no one feels like they’re carrying the weight when others are away.
Ben Kruger, CMO, Event Tickets Center
Move aside, Google Maps: Snapchats Snap Map has hit a major milestone with 400 million monthly active users.
Launched in 2017, Snap Map began as a GPS-based feature that allowed users to see their friends’ real-time locations. Those who opted in could view a live map showing not just where their friends were, but also what was happening nearbyand share their own location as well.
Since then, Snapchat has significantly expanded its map features. Last year, Snap Map introduced Footsteps, a tool that helps users visualize how much of the world theyve explored. For instance, the app might report that youve covered 75% of your local area. The feature is reminiscent of Google Mapss Timeline, which tracks visited places through Location History.
Our Map is about more than getting directions from point A to point B; it enables Snapchatters to stay connected, in real time, to their physical world, Snapchat said, per Adweek.
Snapchat also launched Promoted Places, allowing brands to advertise and highlight all their locations on Snap Map, making it easier for users to discover new spots. McDonalds and Taco Bell are among the brands leveraging this feature.
Currently, Snapchat is the only major social media platform with a map feature as a central part of its experience, offering real-time social discovery. That may soon change, thoughInstagram has confirmed its developing a similar Friend Map feature. This will allow users to post text and video updates tied to specific locations, with friends updates displayed alongside one another on the map.
Despite Instagrams ambitions, it still has a long way to go to catch up. Snap Map is one of the most used mobile maps in the world, and were thrilled to see our community continue to grow, said Ceci Mourkogiannis, VP of Product at Snap, in a statement to TechCrunch. The Snap Map is helping hundreds of millions connect with friends and their favorite places and discover whats happening around them, making the world feel more connected every day.
If youve ever felt like your pet knows exactly when to pull you away from the stress of your computer screen, you arent alone.
A landmark study surveying over 30,000 pet owners in 20 different countries found that 78% of dog or cat owners report that their pets remind them to take breaks during work or tasks, with 50% of the participants saying this happens daily. The study, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Mars, is the largest international survey of its kind in the world.
The findings resonated deeply with David Reilly, Global VP at Mars Petcare. If my dog’s at daycare, I don’t take a break at lunch time, he says. But if my dogs’s not at daycare, somehow miraculously, I find the space to create up an hour to take my dog on a walk.
Knowing that his relationship with his own pet had such an impact on his mental health, David was excited by the data. I think 46% of people globally report their mental well-being is their number-one health priority and 56% of the population of the world has a pet. So if we can help unlock this idea that the pet could be your well-being superhero . . . then theres a real opportunity there, he says.
To do this, Mars Petcare team needed to seek further expertise. We have a deep knowledge of pets and we actually have a deep knowledge of the bond between people and pets. But we aren’t experts in human mental health, says Reilly. The solution was to collaborate with consumer mental health company Calm.
Together, Mars and Calm collaborated on a collection of content meant to help pet lovers think about their bond with their pets as ways to improve their own well-being. Its launch marks the first pet-inspired collection featured on Calm.
The content on Calm will include:
A series of sleep stories inspired by the emotional connection between people and their pets.
A series of guided meditations meant to help listeners reflect on the ways pets support their mental wellness.
A series of breathing exercises.
On Marss pet advice platform Kinship, Mars and Calm are launching the interactive quiz My Pet Guru, which helps pet owners learn which of six wellbeing superpowers their pet has based on questions about their personalities and behaviors.
Together, were helping more peopleand their petsexperience the proven benefits of the human-animal bond through real stories, science-backed tools, and supportive content, says Greg Justice, chief content officer at Calm.
Once the insights are rich . . . it doesn’t need to be overly clinical says Reilly. The researchers, pet experts, and content creators, worked together to find the sweet spot of ensuring that the content was true to what we’d heard, but also really accessible and also engaging for pet owners or other people who love pets.
Mars and Calm are also seeking touching stories from pet owners to inform the wave of pet stories from Calm. What I’m looking forward to, honestly, is hearing the stories that people share. Pets genuinely make a really incredible impact on people’s lives, says Reilly.
As a nearly 60-year-old brand, Hot Wheels has been a playroom staple for generations of children. But while the tiny cars and buildable track sets have managed to find their way into the playrooms of millions of children, the looping, curving track pieces have always been a bit of a challenge to actually put together.
Mattel, which created the Hot Wheels brand in 1968, knows this is a pain point, especially at the younger end of their target market. Recent research found that less than a third of kids aged 3 to 6 are able to assemble Hot Wheels track sets without help. “That to us was a really big call to say that we need to approach this in a different manner,” says Roberto Stanichi, executive vice president of Hot Wheels.
[Photo: courtesy Mattel]
So, in 2022, Hot Wheels launched an unusually detailed research and development effort to improve the assembly of its playsets. The outcome is the new Hot Wheels Speed Snap Track System, which makes every section of track easier to connect together. Instead of the somewhat complicated existing system that requires a small connector piece to slide into the end of each section of track, the new system’s track pieces come together with a simple snap that’s manageable for kids as young as 3. Products will start hitting stores in early summer, and will come with adapters to connect to the existing track system.
[Photo: courtesy Mattel]
“It’s the first time we’ve done this big of an innovation in the track system in over 50 years,” says Katie Buford, vice president of product at Mattel.
Building a new track
For Hot Wheels, the typical pipeline to bring a new product to market takes about 18 months. When it came to the tracks, the brand spent almost three years to get this essential piece of the playsets right. Buford says consumer research helped inform the need for a different approach, and Hot Wheels designers and engineers worked their way through six prototypes, and variations of those six, before landing on the approach that was the most intuitive and the most accessible.
Prototype iterations [Photo: courtesy Mattel]
“It comes back to the testing. Like, lots and lots of rounds of making sure that the snap is the right tolerance, and that it is the right amount of pressure for kids to be able to put together, but also the right amount for it not to come apart,” Buford says. “It’s a fine balance to strike.”
A late prototype of the new design. [Photo: courtesy Mattel]
Hot Wheels playsets, which come in a range from conventional racetrack loops to extravagantly looped and motorized contortions, can be a make or break for consumers, according to Stanichi. Some consumers will buy a track product and call it a day, while the more engaged Hot Wheels fan might buy many track sets over time, connecting them together in wild and YouTube-ready arrays.
[Photo: courtesy Mattel]
All Hot Wheels playsets sold over the past decade or so have included at least one connection point that allows them to link up with other sets for more creative and expansive play. But for those kids who have been unable to build the playsets on their own, the drive to get more tracks just wasn’t there. “Kids are already engaged in our brand. They are already our fans. But because of some of these usability challenges, we were not getting them to go deeper into our track system,” Stanichi says. “When the Hot Wheels track system really comes to life is when you’re expanding it.”
[Photo: courtesy Mattel]
Endlessly expandable
The new system was intentionally designed to be modular, so that it could be endlessly expanded. Redesigning the tracks became a way to nudge more kids away from thinking of the playsets as a contained activity and toward thinking of them more as what Stanichi calls “a sandbox for creativity.”
According to user testing, Hot Wheels’s Speed Snap Track System addresses the main problem with the existing track system, making assembly easier for a majority of the Hot Wheels 3-to-6-year-old target audience. Track setup time was also reduced by 10%. Stanichi says the product will be a success if it gets more Hot Wheels customers to go from just buying toy cars to buying playsets, and for more of those who already have playsets to double or even triple the number of sets they own.
Whether a few stretches of plastic race-car track will convince kidsor, really, parentsto buy more Hot Wheels stuff remains to be seen. But according to Stanichi, the brand doesn’t actually need that much help. It’s seen seven years of revenue growth, and shows no sign of slowing down. “The last seven years have been the best performing years in the history of the brand,” Stanichi says.
That makes redesigning one of the key components of the brand a possibly confusing decision. But Stanichi says the user data on the existing track’s assembly challenges was impossible to ignore. “There’s been a lot of excitement and support within Mattel overall to innovate and to break something that is not broken so we can make it better,” Stanichi says.
