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How are you feeling about the stock market these days? Depending on who you talk to, the American economy is either poised to soar into the stratosphere or fall off a cliff. As the current administration has been delighted to point out, the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently closed above 50,000 for the very first time. However, that does not reassure the 72% of American consumers who, according to Pew Research, feel pessimistic about the economyciting concerns about the cost of healthcare, food and consumer goods, and housing. If the pessimists are correct, those high consumer costs will negatively affect the stock market sooner or later. Even with the current good news about the market, theres a reason why it feels like were all waiting for the other shoe to drop. We are all facing a great deal of uncertainty as investors and consumers, between recent (albeit temporary) market volatility in response to political and economic news and the way AI is disrupting the market and the economy. Its enough to make you want to cash out all your investments and bury the moolah in your backyard. But just because it feels like were ripe for a market crash doesnt mean theres one on the horizon. And if there is a correction coming, there is plenty you can do to prepare for it. Heres what you need to know about positioning yourself and your money for a potential market crash so youre not left picking up the pieces. Know what you have Answer honestly: do you know where all your 401(k)s are? If youre not sure, youre not alone. Unclaimed retirement accounts are a serious problem that the Department of Labor is working to rectify. As of 2025, there were approximately 31.9 million retirement accounts, totaling about $2.1 trillion, left behind or forgotten by employees leaving the sponsoring workplace. The stress of watching the economic roller coaster while feeling completely powerless is bad enough. Adding the sense that you dont even know what you have, where it is, or if theres anything you can do to protect yourself is just gilding the anxiety lily. Thats why the first step in preparing for a potential market correction is to make sure you know where (and what) all your investments are. Start by identifying all of your accounts and reclaiming any that you have lost track of. In addition to the DOL, you can also check the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits for any missing accounts. But you can also contact the human resources department of previous employers for help. Even if you dont have any misplaced retirement benefits, now is also a good time to review all of your accounts and investments. Do you know what you are invested in? Do you know why? Knowing what you currently have can help you make informed decisions going forward, whether you assume a future of economic sunshine or storm clouds. Figure out how to stay the course Market crashes are terrifyingbut unless you cash out your investments, they can be temporary. When you see your portfolio lose a huge percentage of its value, its human nature to want to stop the bleeding. But you need to stay the course until the market bounces back, because selling your investments right after a crash means locking in the loss. This is much easier said than done, of course. Even the most risk-loving, ice-in-their-veins investors will feel their stomachs drop when their portfolios suddenly have a lot fewer zeroes than they did the day before. Thats why its a good idea to figure out ahead of time what will keep you from panic-selling if there is a sudden market downturn. Some strategies for staying the course include: Invest in quality companies/stocks/indexes that are likely to survive a recession. Now is a good time to make certain you understand your investments. Make sure you have enough liquidity. If you treat any of your investments as a potential emergency fund, set up another fund or source. If youre unable to transfer any of your investments into a more liquid asset, consider opening a HELOC as an alternative. Look for opportunities to invest. Market downturns can be a good time to purchase under-priced assets. (Just dont be one of those jerks who crows about getting stocks on sale all over social media. Read the room, dude.) Go on a news diet. You dont need to know every dip and drop in the market. Youll feel better when you put your phone down and youll save money on all the antacids you dont have to buy. Rebalance your portfolio Part of a well-balanced money diet is making sure you dont have too many eggs in one basket. You probably already diversify your portfolio by splitting your investments into long-term, higher-risk/higher-reward investments, medium-term, lower-risk investments, and short-term, low-risk investments. While most investors think about how they want to diversify their portfolio when they start investing, it can be easy to forget to rebalance that bad boy when the ratios get out of whack. Thats why regularly rebalancing your portfolio should be part of your semi-annual or quarterly money management plan. This financial task is when you check on where your investments are compared to your investment strategy and goals. Then you buy or sell investments to bring your portfolio back into balance. For example, anyone currently invested in the Dow is probably over-invested compared to their investment strategy or goals. Selling off some of that investment and investing the money elsewhere will not only allow you to capture the growth that the Dow is currently enjoying, but it will also help protect you from potential future volatility in the Dow index. Getting into the habit o rebalancing your portfolio will help ensure that you keep market growth when it occurs, which can help you keep your cool and stay invested through downturnsbecause you know you kept the gains and can wait out the losses. Make like a hitchhiker and DONT PANIC No politician, economist, or MBA has a crystal ball, so theres no telling what the stock market will do in the future. But if your spidey senses have been tingling about the possibility of a market downturn, there are some practical steps you can take to protect yourself and your portfolio if were headed for a fall. Start by making sure you know what you have. If youve lost track of any of your retirement or investment accounts, take the time to hunt them down so you feel in control of your funds. Now is also the time to double check that you know what youre invested in and why. From there, figure out what youll need to stay the course in case there is a crashsince a loss in value is temporary until you cash out. Some good strategies for staying the course include ensuring that youre invested in quality assets that you understand, providing yourself with enough liquidity to handle an emergency during a downturn, planning on purchasing underpriced assets, and putting yourself on a news diet. Finally, regularly rebalancing your portfolio is good investment hygiene, but it will also help you feel more confident when staring down a potential market correction, since youll know youve captured the growth of the market when it went gangbusters. Market crashes arent inevitable, even if stomach-churning fluctuations probably are. But panicking is always optional and you can opt out.
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E-Commerce
Biometric authenticationthe ability to unlock your devices by using just your face or fingerprintis one of the few smartphone features that, even today, leave me feeling like were living in the future. When I was a kid, technology like facial recognition was limited to science fiction. But as cool and useful as biometric authentication is, the technology can also leave us vulnerable. Heres whyand how to protect yourself. Its not just journalists and activists who can have their biometrics used against them Last month, journalists got a stark reminder that their biometrics might not keep the data they have on their devices safe from law enforcement searches. While the Fourth Amendment usually protects an individual from having to turn over a PIN code or password for a device, courts have generally ruled that the same protection doesnt apply to biometrics. This means that in some cases, authorities can compel you to unlock your phone with your fingerprint or facial scan. Its why many press freedom and civil liberty organizations have long advised journalists and activists to disable biometric authentication like facial recognition on their devices and return to requiring a passcode to unlock them. But its not only journalists and activists who have to worry about their phones’ biometrics making themand their datavulnerable. A phones most convenient identity verification feature can leave any one of us exposed. There have been reports of people unlocking their partners’ phones using their biometrics while they were sleeping, as well as reports of criminal gangs forcing victims to unlock their phones with their biometrics to steal cryptocurrencies. Of course, sometimes forced biometric unlocks are less nefarious. Ive heard parents complain that their children have unlocked their phones by holding the device up to their face, or with a touch of their fingerprint, while they were sleeping, in order to disable software that restricts the internet in their house after certain hours. If someone wants to gain access to your phone, and you happen to be physically available (unknowingly or not), all the person needs is access to your face or finger to do so. Giving up convenience for more security While biometric authentication is one of the most convenient features of todays smartphones, the scenarios above exemplify how the technology can leave us at risk. However, if you are in a situation where you believe that your biometrics may leave you vulnerable, there are, thankfully, some easy steps you can take to mitigate this risk. The first is to permanently disable biometric authentication on your smartphone. Doing so means youll need to enter your passcode every time you unlock your phone. Yes, it will take a couple of seconds longer to get to your home screenbut it also means that no one can steal your face or finger and unlock your phone while youre sleeping. To disable your iPhones biometrics (called Face ID or Touch ID, depending on your iPhone model), open the Settings app, tap Face/Touch ID and Passcode, and then toggle the iPhone Unlock switch to “off.” For Android users, disabling the facial or fingerprint biometric feature may differ slightly, depending on your phone model. On a Pixel phone, you can disable fingerprint unlocking by going to the Settings app, tapping Security and privacy and then Device unlock, and then deleting your registered fingerprints. When in doubt, restart Of course, biometric authentication like facial recognition is one of the great conveniences of modern lifeone that many of us would have a hard time giving up for good. If you fall into this camp but still want the extra security that disabling biometric authentication provides, you can quickly deactivate the biometric unlock feature on your iPhone or Android device by restarting it. When your phone shuts down and restarts, your biometrics will not unlock the device until after you enter your passcode. Many activists use this trick when crossing borders or attending politically contentious events. And its not a bad one to remember right before you turn off the nightstand light, if you think your kids might be waiting until you fall asleep to snatch your phone.
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E-Commerce
Olympians arent just physically exceptionaltheyre masters at managing where their attention and energy go. Cognitive research finds a key link between working memory and performance: elite athletes are better able to regulate their memory and attention than their less-trained peers, and this ability predicts better performance under pressure. What separates peak performers isnt just effort, but also the discipline to balance their mental load. In other words: their thoughtload. Consider thoughtload the invisible tax on your ability to perform. It consists of three problems that erode your effectiveness: The cognitive demands of competing priorities The emotional burdens of uncertain times The depleted energy reserves that make everything feel more difficult When thoughtload is high, even talented, motivated people underperform. But Olympians succeed because they refuse to carry unnecessary thoughtload. So how do you begin to reduce your own load? Four strategies can help. 1. Flip your focus Olympians know that keeping their attention focused on performance is critical to achievement. Take the U.S. figure skating team, who had more than a few members skip this years opening ceremonies to stay locked in. At work, we tend to do the opposite. Instead of starting the day with our eyes on the prize, we let our inbox and calendar dictate our priorities, hoping that enough activity will lead to success. Lowering your thoughtload means flipping that logic. Begin with the outcome youre being rewarded for: more paid users, lower churn, a better accounts receivable balance. Then identify the few outputs that will move the needle and the activities that will get you there. 2. Budget your attention Elite athletes also dedicate consistent hours to training, no matter how assured their place is as a champion: practice is always on the calendar. But at work, we frequently allow ourselves to switch priorities or allocate our time in the wrong places. Think of your time as a finite resource to spend. Pick one critical outcome and decide how much of your attention it deserves; only after that, allocate your remaining time for other important outputs and even a few side pursuits. Defer, decline, or delegate everything else that doesnt fit in your attention budget. 3. Use an emotion track Even with your gaze locked in, emotional distractions can come from within. For an athlete, it might be a fall in practice or a menacing new competitor. For you, its a missed target, a tense exchange, or an unwelcome piece of feedback. Emotions are unavoidable, but unprocessed emotions slow you down. Olympians understand that emotional baggage from yesterdays disappointment can sabotage todays performance; take the many that use sports psychologists to work through poor performances and devastating crashes. You can reduce the hold of your feelings with an emotion track, which helps pinpoint and reroute distracting emotions. It consists of four simple steps: place, name, question, act. Notice the place youre experiencing the feeling, like sweaty palms or a racing heart. Name the feeling youre experiencing precisely, like frustration or anxiety. Question the story youre telling yourself about why youre feeling that way, and if its rational. Choose one action that helps you move forward, whether it addresses the issue directly or just helps you get in a better headspace. 4. Hold an energy audit Energy management isnt about indulgence or self-care. Its about making the right investments, so you have the physical, mental, and emotional energy when you need it most. Olympians plan exertion and recovery with rigor. But at work, we often treat energy as unlimited until it suddenly runs out. There are back-to-back meetings, deadlines strung one after the next, new change initiatives starting before youve had the chance to embed the previous ones. All that adds up to fatigue that leads to poor decisions. Instead, try an energy audit. List three activities that reliably energize you and three that inevitably drain you. Then make small shifts to increase your investment in the first group and reduce your exposure to the second. Even minor changes can make your thoughtload feel much lighter over time. Elite performance isnt reserved for elite athletes. Its available to anyone willing to carry less so they can accomplish more.
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E-Commerce
In November 2025, the Trump administration announced a special park pass commemorating the nations 250th anniversary that featured images of two presidents: George Washington and Donald Trump. Featuring the current presidentin place of the National Park Services usual landscape picturestriggered both a lawsuit and a social media movement to put stickers over Trumps face. As a businessman, Trump has frequently emblazoned buildings and consumer productsshoelaces, an airline, an edition of the Bible, among many otherswith his own name. During his current presidential term, his administration has put his name on numerous government propertiesperhaps most famously the Kennedy Center, but also money, monuments, and military equipment. In January 2026, Trump floated the idea Congress would rename both New Yorks Penn Station and Washingtons Dulles International Airport after him. With Florida lawmakers considering renaming the airport near Mar-a-Lago after the president, the Trump Organization has filed an application to trademark his name for use in airports and ancillary activities, although the company said it would not charge a fee in the case of the Palm Beach airport. As a communication professor who studies the First Amendment, I was intrigued by the federal actions and the protests theyve triggered. Citizens certainly have the right to protest these decisions, like any government action. The First Amendment prevents the government from making laws that abridge freedom of speech. But does the federal government itself have freedom of speech? And can a president put his name and image wherever he wants? Free speech for government The answer to the first question has already been answered. In a series of rulings, the Supreme Court has upheld the government speech doctrine, which allows the government as speaker to say whatever it wants. Moreover, if the forum is governmental, the government may even be able to compel people to express its messagesfor example, with public employee speech that is part of job duties. The 2006 Supreme Court decision establishing that principle involved a deputy district attorney whod questioned the validity of a warrant, but the rule applies to other employees, such as teachers who have to offer instruction in state-mandated curricula. The courts decisions in government speech cases imply that if people do not like the government speech, they should change the government with their votes. However, some scholars and advocates argue that this relatively new constitutional doctrine gives the government too much power to drown out other viewpoints in the marketplace of ideas. In most instances, the government cannot compel speech or force citizens to express a certain message. Compelled speech is not allowed when the government is forcing a citizen to endorse an ideological message. For example, the Supreme Court allowed a Jehovahs Witness to cover the words or Die on his license plate, which included the New Hampshire state motto, Live Free or Die. The First Amendment is not absolute, and some government regulations will infringe on speech. The federal government has strict regulations on how the American flag should be disposed of, but it cannot punish someone who is burning a flag as a form of political protest. Government control of its own products What happens when the government itself hosts forums for citizen speech, such as placing monuments in a park or flying flags on government property? Can the government deny certain speech based on the speaker or message? In such cases, courts have had to decipher whether the forum was purely governmental. To do so, they examine the history of the forum in which the contested speech takes place, who controls the forum, and the public perception of who controls it. This brings us back to the question of Trumps name and likeness. As a constitutional matter, the Trump administration can express itself as it sees fit under the government speech doctrine. But in some cases, the administration may be bound by statute or formal contracts, as with the legal battle over the naming of the Kennedy Center, which was named by an act of Congress. The awsuit over the National Park passes claims that the administration is violating a federal law requiring that the winning entry in a public lands photo contest be used for the passes. Still, I believe it would be difficult to win a lawsuit claiming that the new passes are a form of compelled speech, with bearers of the pass arguing they are being forced, in effect, to endorse Trump. Most people would likely see the park passes artwork as being controlled by the government and therefore a form of government expression, not a form of private expression. Can people cover up Trump? But the Trump administration may not be able to defend its policy of declaring passes null and void if the presidents image is covered by a sticker. Citizens protesting Trumps appearance by covering up the presidents image is protected speech, in my view. The governments action to void the passes is likely a violation of the First Amendment. On the face of it, placing stickers on passes would appear to violate the long-standing Interior Department rule that passes are void if altered. Those regulations were content neutral and incidental to any particular message or cardholder. However, the updated policy, voiding the pass if Trumps image is covered or marred, is more suspect. The new rules seem to be a direct response to the protesters political speech and, as applied, primarily aim to affect these stickers and speakers. With an administration known for its social media savviness, it may not be convincing for officials to argue they did not know about the protest or that the policy was not a direct attempt to chill such speech. The government will have the right to put Trumps name and images on more government property in many cases, but most resulting political protests, in my view, will also be protected speech. Jason Zenor is an associate professor of mass communication at the State University of New York Oswego. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics may be winding down, but the memories will linger for years to come. The competition began on Wednesday, February 4, with the official opening ceremony on Friday, February 6. A little more than two weeks later, the Games will conclude with an epic closing ceremony on Sunday, February 22. So much action was packed into the event that it was a full-time job keeping up. Since a lot of people have actual full-time jobs, heres a look back at the highlights, endearing moments, and heartbreaks of the XXV Olympic Winter Games. How can I track 2026 Winter Olympics medals? First things first. You can stay up to date with all of the medals and medalists who have emerged victorious this winter with this handy medal count tracker on Olympics.com. Now for the highlights. The first gold medal of the Games While it is quite an impressive accomplishment to even qualify for the Olympic Games, lets be realmost athletes want to win it all. Franjo von Allmen got to live out his wildest dreams when he took home the first medal of the Games for Switzerland in the mens downhill alpine skiing event. He liked winning gold so much that he did it again two more times. His story off the slopes highlights the power of community. When von Allmen lost his father when he was just 17 years old, it appeared that his skiing aspirations might have to be put on hold because of finances. Instead, those around him crowdfunded so the young athlete could continue to pursue his dreams. Team USAs first gold medal The first gold medal for Team USA came in the women’s alpine skiing downhill event. Breezy Johnsons time of 1 minute, 36.10 seconds, bested Germanys Emma Aicher by a mere 0.04 seconds. Johnson is now one of only two American women to win the Olympic downhill. Her gold medal? Well, it broke shortly after Johnson was presented it. Thankfully, she eventually got a replacement. Lindsey Vonns Crash The other American woman to win a gold medal in alpine downhill skiing is Lindsey Vonnshe won it in 2010. She also has two bronze medals, one for the Super-G (2010) and the other for alpine downhill (2018). On the same day of Johnsons win (February 8), Vonns 2026 Olympic medal dreams came to an unfortunate end when she crashed and fractured her left leg. Curling baby A happier Olympic moment involves the 1-1/2-year-old son of Swiss curlers Briar Schwaller-Huerlimann and Yannick Schwaller. After his parents won their opening game in overtime, River took to the ice to get in on the action. Fans thought he looked adorable with the curling broom. Its never too early to begin your Olympic dreams. A shirtless celebration On the opposite side of the age spectrum, Austrian Benjamin Karl could not contain his excitement after winning gold in the men’s parallel giant slalom snowboard event. After the medal ceremony, he ripped off his shirt to celebrate the achievement. It was his second consecutive win in the event, having also taken home gold in 2022. Karl proves that age is just a number, as his latest victory makes him the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympic history, at 40 years and 115 days old. This title was short-lived, as Elana Meyers Taylors life experience uncrowned Karl shortly after (see below). Favorite foods of Olympic athletes No matter how old they are, competitors have to fuel their bodies to compete. Communal meals in the athlete villages are there to help. In Paris, chocolate muffins were all the rage. Meanwhile, several social media posts have celebrated different cuisines in Milan and Cortina. Lava cake and tiramisu seem to be the sweet-treat favorites of the 2026 Games. For carb-loading purposes, pasta was served in the shape of the Olympic rings. This meal was a triple threat: delicious, pretty, and practical. Ilia Malinins backflip Backflips were once a no-no in the figure skating world. American Terry Kubicka made history at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, when he successfully landed the move in competition for the first time. The next year, the International Skating Union banned it, citing safety and technical reasons. Backflips involve taking off and landing on two feet, whereas other jumps only utilize one foot. The move didnt disappear from figure skating completely, even though it was outlawed. Many athletes chose to execute the move in exhibition skates. In the 1998 Nagano Games, French skater Surya Bonaly added it to her routine. Last year, the International Skating Union reversed the ban, paving the way for American skater Ilia Malinin to do his thing in 2026. Malinin was dubbed the “Quad God” because of his ability to land a quadruple axel in competitions while continuing to raise the technical stakes even higher. He was the clear favorite to win gold in mens singles figure skating. After the short program, he was even five points ahead of the pack. But he fell twice during the long program, resulting in an eighth-place finish. Despite his heartbreak, he immediately congratulated gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorovteaching the world how to lose with grace. However, Malinin did take home a gold medal from the earlier team skating event, and it’s doubtful the Olympics have seen the last of him. American womens hockey takes home gold Things have long been tense between the United States and Canada, and we are not talking tariffs. The long-lasting rivalry between the womens hockey teams was on full display in the 2026 Winter Games. This time around, Team USA took home the gold after a nail-biting final matchup. Amercan captain Hilary Knight scored the goal that tied the game, forcing an overtime battle. This set up Megan Keller to net the final nail in Canadas defeat. The crowd went wild. Among the loudest supporters of the women were Haley Winns older brothers: Casey, Ryan, and Tommy Winn. This trio went viral for wearing over-the-top matching outfits and posting their support on social media. The Winn familys home videos also show how Haleys brothers were instrumental in teaching her the love of the game. Figure skating gold medal More good news on the ice: Team USAs 24-year gold medal drought in womens figure skating was put to an end by Alysa Liu. The 20-year-old had walked away from the sport when she was 16 because she was burned out. After the short program, she was in third place. Her impressive performance to Donna Summers “MacArthur Park” focused on joy. This propelled her to win that gold medal. A Canadian curling scandal A less joyous occasion occurred when two Canadian curlers were accused of cheating. The first incident took place on Friday, February 13, when Canada was up against Sweden. Canadian Marc Kennedy was accused of double-touching the stone, which is against the rules. He had some heated words for his opponent Oskar Eriksson. The following day, a similar incident happened when Canadian women’s captain Rachel Homan faced more cheating accusations. These events caused the World Curling governing body to further explain the rules of the game. The sport does not use video playback, so no retroactive penalties are added, as on-ice calls are considered final. A wolfdog gets in on the action Who said humans get to have all the fun at the Winter Olympics? Not this four-legged friend. During the women’s cross-country skiing team sprint, Nazgul wanted to play. This 2-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog may not have won a gold medal, but he sure stole everyones hearts. Sturla Holm Lgreids confession They say cheaters never prosper, but Sturla Holm Lgreid has won five medals at the time of this writingthree silver and two bronze in the various individual and relay biathlon events (cross-country skiing and rifle shooting). While Lgreids athletic feats are impressive, he went viral for another dramatic reason instead. During a live on-camera interview, he admitted to cheating on his ex-girlfriendin an attempt to get her back. While this could be considered a grand romantic gesture, his ex does not appear to think so and issued a statement saying she wishes she wasnt in the spotlight. Elana Meyers Taylors bobsled victory Elana Meyers Taylor, 41, is no stranger to Olympic competition. She debuted in 2010 and has medaled in all five of her appearances. Milano Cortina was her retirement year, and boy did she go out on top, winning her first gold medal. She was victorious in the monobob, a one-person bobsled event. Her triumph was earned by being 0.04 seconds faster than Germany’s Laura Nolte. This mother of two almost gave up feeling guilty about the time the sport took her away from her family. This makes the viral moment of her signing to her boys that she won even sweeter. Chloe Kims sportsmanship American Chloe Kim is the golden girl of snowboarding. She was heavily favored to win gold in this years games, defending her 2022 win. This was not how it went down on the halfpipe. Instead, South Koreas Gaon Choi took home gold, with Kim taking home silver. In a wonderful display of sportsmanship (instead of getting angry), Kim immediately went over to celebrate with her 17-year-old rival. The sweetness didnt start there. Even before the games, Kims family helped bring Choi to the United States to train after seeing her potential, despite playing for different countries and teams. Kim saw herself in Choi and acted as a mentor. Perhaps thats the true meaning of the games after all.
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E-Commerce
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