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It’s that time December’s waning days, when we prepare to turn the calendar page. Many Americans take stock, review goals accomplished and unmet, ponder hopes and plans. How’s our health? What’s up with our money? What about the country? Will the coming year look like the departing one year, or be something entirely different? Are we ready? It can be an overwhelming period. So The Associated Press reached out to professionals with varying expertises home organization, risk management, personal training, personal finance, and political science to talk about their perspectives on changes and transitions.And for something a little different, we gave each interviewee a chance to ask a question of one of the others.So let’s talk endings and beginnings. The change expert: Milestones stir emotions Transitions are professional organizer Laura Olivares’ working life. As co-founder of Silver Solutions, she works with senior adults and their families to help make sure they’re in safe environments, whether that means decluttering a lifetime of possessions, downsizing to another home, or helping families clear a house after a loved one’s passing.She offers this: Changes, even exciting ones, can unearth sadness or grief over places, things and people left behind. Acknowledging those feelings can help smooth the move from one chapter to another.“When you let go of something that was meaningful to you, it deserves a moment,” she says. “Whatever that moment is, could be a second, could just be an acknowledgement of it. Or maybe you set it on the on the mantle and you think about it for a while and when you’re ready to let it go, you let it go.”NEXT QUESTION: Certified personal trainer Keri Harvey asked: “What small weekly habits can I build that will help me stay organized during the year?” Olivares’ tips: In December, do a brain dump of thoughts, ideas, and goals. Then, before Jan. 1, schedule out tasks that move those priorities forward over the course of 2026. Olivares suggests three tasks on each of three days, so nine tasks per week. The actuary: Planning is important but sometimes fickle Probably no group of people think more about the future than actuaries. Using data, statistics and probabilities, they devise models on how probable it is that certain events happen, and what it could cost to recover from them. Their work is vital to organizations like insurance companies.Listen to R. Dale Hall talk, though, and he sounds almost philosophical. He’s managing director of research at the Society of Actuaries. Asked how the general public could think about a new year, he readily brings up strategies like mapping out risk scenarios and how to respond.There’s a balance to be struck, he says: We can’t control or predict everything and must accept the possibility of something unexpected. And the past isn’t always a perfect guide; just because something happened doesn’t mean it must again.“It’s the nature of taking risk, right? That yeah, there are going to be uncontrollable things,” Hall says. “There are ways to maybe diversify those risks or mitigate those risks, but no one has that perfect crystal ball that’s going to see three, six, nine, 12 months into the future.”NEXT QUESTION: From personal finance educator Dana Miranda: “Thinking about the variables we consider when making decisions or plans, how might the juxtaposition of the holiday season with the new year affect the way people are evaluating their finances and setting goals at the beginning of each year? What do you recommend they do to ensure the holiday experience doesn’t skew financial goal-setting?”Hall’s advice: Keep ’em separate. He recommends people enjoy the holidays and hold off on financial goals until January. The personal finance authority: Be intentional about money In her work as a financial writer and a personal finance educator, Miranda encourages people to make conscious choices around their spending and saving, and understand that there’s no absolute rule.Miranda, author of “You Don’t Need a Budget,” says details are key. What works for one person may not work for another. And it’s something Americans should consider as another year of goals and resolutions approaches. Insisting that the same technique works for everybody can leave people feeling stuck, Miranda says.“We tend to be not good at talking about the nuances and that leaves people with, ‘Here’s the one right rule. It’s not possible for me to achieve that perfection, so I’m just going to feel ashamed of every move that I make that is not moving toward that perfect goal.'”NEXT QUESTION: From Jeanne Theoharis, a political science professor, who asked how Miranda gets people to look beyond the micro and consider the larger system of capitalism. “How does she also get people to think about more collective solutionslike union organizing, pressing City Council or Congress for changes?”Miranda is quick to make it clear she’s not an organizer but says she tries to evoke larger systemic issues when discussing personal finance. “The way that I try to move that needle just a little bit is to always bring in that political aspect to whatever conversation we’re having to make the systemic and the cultural impact visible.” The trainer: Make goals attainable When it comes to changes and new years, one of the most popular areas is fitness, the subject of many a (failed) resolution. Personal trainer Harvey, of Form Fitness Brooklyn, says you can make positive, lasting change in fitness (and generally) with one philosophy: Start small and build.“We want to be mindful of making sure that we’re not asking too much or trying to overcompensate for what we feel like we left behind this past year or what we feel like we left on the table this past year,” she says. “It’s very reasonable to try and have the goal of getting to the gym twice a week, maybe three times a week, and then building from there instead of saying ‘Jan. 1, I’m starting, I’m gonna be at the gym five days a week, two hours a day.’ That’s not realistic and it’s not kind to ourselves.”NEXT QUESTION: From Hall: “What advice do you have for me to transition to an even more robust workout schedule in 2026 without falling into the risk of injuring myself by doing too much too soon?”Harvey emphasized warming up and having a mobility routine, and making the goal attainable by making it fun. “Find things that you actually enjoy doing and try and fit those in as well so that the idea of starting something new or adding to it isn’t one that comes with a negative like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to have to do this,’ where you’re dragging yourself into it.” The historian: Learn from your past It’s not just as individuals that we think about transitions. Nations and cultures have them, too.We can learn from them if we look at our history honestly and not through the guise of trying to hide the ugly parts, says Theoharis, professor of political science and history at Brooklyn College and the City University of New York Graduate Center.She points to the story of Rosa Parks, remembered as the catalyst of the Montgomery bus boycotts 70 years ago. But when Parks chose to resist, she didn’t know what her arrest would mean or what the outcome would be. Theoharis sees a lesson there for people looking to make change in today’s world and even individuals wanting to evolve.“A number of us would be willing to do something brave if we knew that it would work,” Theoharis says. “And we might even be willing to have some consequences. But part of what looking at the actual history of Rosa Parks or the actual history of the Montgomery bus boycott is in fact you have to make these stands with no sense that they will work.”NEXT (AND LAST) QUESTION: From Olivares, who wanted Theoharis’ thoughts on today’s civil rights battles. Theoharis referenced voting rights, which have been eroded in recent years. At the same time, remembrances of the turmoil during the Civil Rights years have become glossed over by a mythology of America overcoming its injustices.There’s a lesson there about what it takes to make real change for individuals, too, Theoharis says: It’s difficult to move forward if you’re not honestly addressing what’s come before. “Part of how we’ve gotten here is by that lack of reckoning with ourselves, lack of reckoning with where we are, lack of reckoning with history.” Deepti Hajela, Associated Press
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The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to slash U.S. foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities.The money is a small fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities, a key part of U.S. demands for drastic changes across the world body that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led to severe reductions in programs and services.The $2 billion is only a sliver of traditional U.S. humanitarian funding for U.N.-backed programs, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to U.N. data. U.S. officials say only $8-$10 billion of that has been in voluntary contributions. The United States also pays billions in annual dues related to its U.N. membership.Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions toward hunger, displacement or disease, and harmed U.S. soft power around the world. A year of crisis in aid The move caps a crisis year for many U.N. organizations like its refugee, migration and food aid agencies. The Trump administration has already cut billions in U.S. foreign aid, prompting them to slash spending, aid projects and thousands of jobs. Other traditional Western donors have reduced outlays, too.The announced U.S. pledge for aid programs of the United Nations the world’s top provider of humanitarian assistance and biggest recipient of U.S. humanitarian aid money takes shape in a preliminary deal with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, run by Tom Fletcher, a former British diplomat and government official.Even as the U.S. pulls back its aid, needs have ballooned across the world: Famine has been recorded this year in parts of conflict-ridden Sudan and Gaza, and floods, drought and natural disasters that many scientists attribute to climate change have taken many lives or driven thousands from their homes.The cuts will have major implications for U.N. affiliates like the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Program and refugee agency UNHCR. They have already received billions less from the U.S. this year than under annual allocations from the previous Biden administration or even during Trump’s first term.Now, the idea is that Fletcher’s office which last year set in motion a “humanitarian reset” to improve efficiency, accountability and effectiveness of money spent will become a funnel for U.S. and other aid money that can be then redirected to those agencies, rather than scattered U.S. contributions to a variety of individual appeals for aid. US seeks aid consolidation The United States wants to see “more consolidated leadership authority” in U.N. aid delivery systems, said a senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to provide details before the announcement at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Geneva.Under the plan, Fletcher and his coordination office “are going to control the spigot” on how money is distributed to agencies, the official said.“This humanitarian reset at the United Nations should deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars providing more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with U.S foreign policy,” said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz.U.S. officials say the $2 billion is just a first outlay to help fund OCHA’s annual appeal for money, announced earlier this month. Fletcher, noting the upended aid landscape, already slashed the request this year. Other traditional U.N. donors like Britain, France, Germany and Japan have reduced aid allocations and sought reforms this year.“The agreement requires the U.N. to consolidate humanitarian functions to reduce bureaucratic overhead, unnecessary duplication, and ideological creep,” the State Department said in a statement. “Individual U.N. agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die.”“Nowhere is reform more important than the humanitarian agencies, which perform some of the U.N.’s most critical work,” the department added. “Today’s agreement is a critical step in those reform efforts, balancing President Trump’s commitment to remaining the world’s most generous nation, with the imperative to bring reform to the way we fund, oversee, and integrate with U.N. humanitarian efforts.”At its core, the reform project will help establish pools of funding that can be directed either to specific crises or countries in need. A total of 17 countries will be targeted initially, including Bangladesh, Congo, Haiti, Syria and Ukraine.One of the world’s most desperate countries, Afghanistan, is not included, nor are the Palestinian territories, which officials say will be covered by money stemming from Trump’s as-yet-incomplete Gaza peace plan.The project, months in the making, stems from Trump’s longtime view that the world body has great promise, but has failed to live up to it, and has in his eyes drifted too far from its original mandate to save lives while undermining American interests, promoting radical ideologies and encouraging wasteful, unaccountable spending.Fletcher praised the deal, saying in a statement, “At a moment of immense global strain, the United States is demonstrating that it is a humanitarian superpower, offering hope to people who have lost everything.” Jamey Keaten and Matthew Lee, Associated Press
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Were at a rare inflection point. Robots are moving from research labs and factory floors into everyday life. Right now, theyre being dropped into human spaces and, often, missing the mark. Yet embodied AI is becoming more intelligent, manipulation more capable, and perception more attuned. These shifts are giving robotics a new expressive range, the ability to move, interact, and take shape in ways that feel natural in human environments. Its a moment full of possibility. Currently, people see robots as humanoid helpers or robotic arms, but we dont have to be limited to these. They represent only a small slice of a much broader category of intelligent and autonomous physical systems, which are starting to show up across hotels, operating rooms, and beyond. Together, they make up an emerging landscape where many meaningful use cases havent yet been defined. Though theyll share capabilities around intelligence and automation, each will need a distinct format that expresses its promise. All these use cases will require different robotic formats. What connects them is the need to fit and belong in human spaces. And not just physically fit, being able to navigate spatial and material complexities, but fit into the inherent social constructs these spaces embody. We need systems that move with the grain of human life, make people comfortable with their presence, and offer moments of surprise, delight, and personality. These are the kinds of systems we deserve, systems that let us engage with emerging technologies in ways that preserve our humanity. DESIGN FOR HUMAN SPACES Every human space is a system of invisible rules. We rarely think about them, but we follow them intuitively. They govern how we navigate, how we share space, and what feels acceptable or intrusive. Together they form culture. The home is a great place to begin understanding what it means to design robotic systems for human spaces because the lessons learned extend to other spaces, like hospitals, airports, and back-of-house environments. Home is one of the most complex human systems, full of rituals and meaning. Movement is deliberate and human-paced. At home, we adjust our speed without thinking, respond to subtle cues, and act in rhythm with others. Interaction is continuous, a fluid exchange of words, gestures, and glances. Trust is built gradually, through consistency and reliability. A robotic system entering a home must be designed with this context in mind. Our team has been developing a concept for a robot designed to keep the home in rhythm. Its body draws from familiar domestic archetypes, somewhere between furniture and appliance, so it feels native. A single arm at counter height allows it to take part in most daily routines, tidying, setting a table, and lending a hand where needed. Ultimately, the goal is to create a robot that follows the flow of home life. Their presence must be clear in intent, socially aware in behavior, and gentle enough to support home life without ever intruding on it. The same goal is true as we design robotics for other human domains. The challenge is to let go of our preconceived notions about technology and reflect on the context were entering by asking: What human patterns are at play? How do people move, communicate, and collaborate within them? What physical and social contexts shape our routines and expectations? From there, form, motion, behavior, personality, and interaction paradigms can be designed to reflect the domestic, civic, industrial, or social environment they inhabit. A restaurant kitchen, a factory, or a city street each has its own tempo, spatial grammar, and expectations of grace. Design that reads those cues and responds in kind builds trust; design that ignores them breaks it. Robots and other intelligent systems that respect these invisible rules will be accepted, while those that overlook them will feel out of place. Designing for context ensures these technologies feel like they belong in human spaces. [Photo: created by frog] HOW TO SHAPE THE NEXT INTERFACE As intelligence extends beyond screens and into the world around us, design grounded in people and context will make these technologies feel like they belong in human spaces. While were solving the technical hurdles, we also have a chance to define how these systems live among us. The prototypes and interaction models we create today will become the foundations others build upon, eventually solidifying into platforms, patterns, and conventions. They will shape not only how these systems look and act, but also our own behaviors and expectationswhat we call culture. Because of that, these first design moments matter. The exciting thing is that we are still at the beginning. The frameworks and languages of robotics and other intelligent systems are in flux, giving us a rare opportunity to design without inherited norms. While were sharing how we can break paradigms in the home, this same approach can be used across contexts to frame new formats and use cases. In this moment, we are effectively writing the DNA for how intelligent systems will coexist with people. It is an incredible moment to shape the next chapter of human experience and ensure its one worth living with. Inna Lobel is the head of industrial design at frog. Thanks to my colleagues Katie Lim and Tom Frejowski for their collaboration and contributions to this work.
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E-Commerce
Zohran Mamdani has promised to transform New York City government when he becomes mayor. Can he do it?Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, already faces intense scrutiny, even before taking office in one of the country’s most scrutinized political jobs. Republicans have cast him as a liberal boogeyman. Some of his fellow Democrats have deemed him too far left. Progressives are closely watching for any signs of him shifting toward the center.On Jan. 1, he will assume control of America’s biggest city under that harsh spotlight, with the country watching to see if he can pull off the big promises that vaulted him to office and handle the everyday duties of the job. All while skeptics call out his every stumble.For Mamdani, starting off strong is key, said George Arzt, a veteran Democratic political consultant in New York who worked for former Mayor Ed Koch.“He’s got to use the first 100 days of the administration to show people he can govern,” he said. “You’ve got to set a mindset for people that’s like, ‘Hey, this guy’s serious.'”That push should begin with Mamdani’s speech on the day of his inauguration, where Arzt said it will be important for the new mayor to establish a clear blueprint of his agenda and tell New Yorkers what he plans to do and how he plans to do it.From there, he said Mamdani will have to count on the seasoned hands he’s hired to help him handle the concrete responsibilities of the job, while he and his team also pursue his ambitious affordability agenda. Managing expectations as a movement candidate Mamdani campaigned on a big idea: shifting the power of government toward helping working class New Yorkers, rather than the wealthy.His platform which includes free child care, free city bus service and a rent freeze for people living in rent stabilized apartments excited voters in one of America’s most expensive cities and made him a leading face of a Democratic Party searching for bright, new leaders during President Donald Trump’s second term.But Mamdani may find himself contending with the relentless responsibilities of running New York City. That includes making sure the trash is getting picked up, potholes are filled and snow plows go out on time. When there’s a subway delay or flooding, or a high-profile crime or a police officer parks in a bicycle lane, it’s not unusual for the city’s mayor to catch some heat.“He had a movement candidacy and that immediately raises expectations locally and nationally,” said Basil Smikle, a Democratic political strategist and Columbia University professor, who added that it might be good for Mamdani to “Just focus on managing expectations and get a couple of good wins under your belt early on.”“There’s a lot to keep you busy here,” he said.A large part of Mamdani’s job will also be to sell his politics to the New Yorkers who remain skeptical of him, with Smikle saying “the biggest hurdle” is getting people comfortable with his policies and explaining how what he’s pushing could help the city.“It’s difficult to have this all happen on day one,” he said, “or even day 30 or even day 100.” Challenges and opportunities Mamdani’s universal free child care proposal perhaps one of his more expensive plans is also one that has attracted some of the strongest support from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate from Buffalo who endorsed the mayor-elect.Hochul is eager to work with Mamdani on the policy and both leaders consider the program a top priority, although it’s not yet clear how exactly the plan could come to fruition. The governor, who is up for reelection next year, has repeatedly said she does not want to raise income taxes something Mamdani supports for wealthy New Yorkers however she has appeared open to raising corporate taxes.“I think he has allies and supporters for his agenda, but the question is how far will the governor go,” said state Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Mamdani ally.“There’s an acknowledgement that the voters have spoken, and there’s very clear policies that were associated with his successful campaign,” he said, “so to not make progress on them would be us thumbing our noses at the voters.”Mamdani’s pledge to freeze the rent for roughly 1 million rent stabilized apartments in the city would not require state cooperation.But that proposal perhaps the best known of his campaign is already facing headwinds, after the city’s departing mayor, Eric Adams, made a series of appointments in recent weeks to a local board that determines annual rent increases for the city’s rent stabilized units.The move could potentially complicate the mayor-elect’s ability to follow through on the plan, at least in his first year, although Mamdani has said he remains confident in his ability to enact the freeze. Other challenges await His relationship with some of the city’s Jewish community remains in tatters over his criticisms of Israel’s government and support for Palestinian human rights.The Anti-Defamation League, a prominent Jewish advocacy organization, plans to track Mamdani’s policies and hires as it pledged to “protect Jewish residents across the five boroughs during a period of unprecedented antisemitism in New York City.”Earlier this month, a Mamdani appointee resigned over social media posts she made more than a decade ago that featured antisemitic tropes, after the Anti-Defamation League shared the posts online.The group has since put out additional findings on others who are serving in committees that Mamdani set up as he transitions into his mayoral role. In response, Mamdani said the ADL often “ignores the distinction” between antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government.The mayor-elect’s past call to defund the city’s police department continue to be a vulnerability. His decision to retain Jessica Tisch, the city’s current police commissioner, has eased some concerns about a radical shakeup at the top of the nation’s largest police force.And then there’s Trump.Tensions between Trump and Mamdani have appeared to cool for now after months of rancor led into a surprisingly friendly Oval Office meeting. Future clashes may emerge given the sharp political differences between them, particularly on immigration enforcement, along with anything else that could set off the mercurial president. Anthony Izaguirre, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
For years, accessibility was treated as a compliance exercise, something required rather than desired. Yet in todays consumer landscape, where aging, chronic illness, and situational disability touch every household, accessibility is no longer a specialty category. It is one of the biggest growth opportunities in business. Companies that recognize this shift are discovering a new kind of ROI. It is not return on investment alone. It is return on inclusion. Return on inclusion happens when brands design products, services, and experiences for people across all levels of ability, not as an afterthought but from the start. When companies do this, they not only expand their total addressable market; they build loyalty, relevance, and emotional connection. In a world where product categories are crowded and loyalties are fragile, inclusion is becoming one of the strongest competitive advantages. INCLUSION EXPANDS MARKET REACH Nearly every person will experience a disability at some point in life. Some will be permanent, like paralysis or arthritis. Many will be temporary, like recovering from surgery or managing a sprained wrist. Others will be situational. Situational disabilities occur when external conditions limit ones abilities, like carrying groceries that occupy your hands and make it difficult to open a door, using a mobile phone in bright sunlight that washes out the screen, or trying to follow a conversation in a noisy environment where hearing becomes challenging. These circumstances are universal, which means the audience for accessible products is universal too. When companies design with these realities in mind, they open their products to more users and more use cases. A bed that improves mobility helps someone with arthritis, but it also helps someone recovering from an injury or taking care of a newborn. A kitchen tool designed for dexterity challenges becomes easier for everyone to use. The more inclusive a product is, the more people can say, This works for me. Inclusion grows the market because it grows the moments when a product is relevant. INCLUSION BUILDS EMOTIONAL LOYALTY Brands often underestimate the emotional impact of accessibility. People form their strongest attachments to products that make their lives easier, safer, and more dignified. When a product removes friction or eliminates frustrations someone has struggled with for years, the emotional response is immediate. It becomes a product they trust, recommend, and repurchase. Consumers reward brands that make them feel seen. They remember the company that listened to their needs or anticipated their challenges. This is especially powerful for people who have rarely felt included in mainstream product design. When brands design with dignity, people feel valued rather than accommodated. That emotional connection becomes a durable form of loyalty in a marketplace where loyalty is hard to earn. INCLUSION REDUCES CHURN AND INCREASES LONGEVITY Products that work for people across different stages of life stay in use longer. A chair that feels good at age 40 but also feels good at age 70 has a longer lifespan in the home. A bathroom fixture that supports mobility today and continues to support it as abilities change becomes a long-term investment. When design anticipates the natural progression of life, customers do not need to replace products as their needs evolve. This strengthens trust in the brand and reduces churn. When people know they can rely on a company through different life stages, that company becomes their default choice. INCLUSION ENCOURAGES INNOVATION Many breakthrough innovations start at the edges, not the center. Voice control, curb cuts, electric toothbrushes, ergonomic grips, and captioning all began as accessible solutions. They became mainstream not because they were designed for everyone, but because they worked so well that everyone adopted them. Designing for the edges forces companies to confront real constraints and real needs. Constraints inspire novel thinking. They reveal overlooked use cases and untapped potential. When teams design for a wider variety of abilities, they expand their creativity and produce ideas that would not have surfaced otherwise. In this way, inclusion is not a limitation. It is a catalyst. INCLUSION STRENGTHENS BRAND REPUTATION Todays consumers expect brands to demonstrate values, not just state them. Designing for inclusion communicates empathy, responsibility, and leadership. It signals a commitment to humanity rather than a narrow focus on a demographic segment. Companies that embrace inclusion early build reputational equity that becomes increasingly valuable over time. As society becomes more aware of disability and aging, brands that lead with empathy will stand apart. They will also attract talent, partnerships, and consumer goodwill. Return on inclusion is not just internal. It is cultural. INCLUSION CREATES A BETTER PRODUCT FOR EVERYONE The strongest case for return on inclusion is also the simplest. Inclusive products are better products. They are easier to use, more intuitive, more comfortable, safer, clearer, and more emotionally engaging. They remove friction. They reduce error. They prevent injury. They inspire confidence. This does not dilute creativity. It strengthens it. It forces teams to consider how a product is seen from 10 feet away, how it is understood from three feet away, and how it feels within one foot. It challenges teams to design for discovery, delight, and long-term use. Inclusion expands the criteria for success, and in doing so, produces a better outcome for everyone. THE FUTURE BELONGS TO INCLUSIVE BRANDS As the population ages and public awareness of accessibility grows, return on inclusion will become one of the most important business metrics of the next decade. Companies that design with inclusion at the core will grow their markets, deepen loyalty, and lead with integrity. Inclusion is no longer a compliance requirement or a niche specialty. It is a strategy for growth, innovation, and long-term relevance. The brands that understand this now will shape the next chapter of consumer experience. The future belongs to those who design for every body. Ben Wintner is CEO of Michael Graves Design.
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E-Commerce
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