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Downloads of UpScrolled, a new short-form video app, are surging after TikTok’s recent change to U.S. ownership. Developed by Palestinian-Australian Issam Hijazi, the social media app currently ranks #2 in the U.S. in the Apple store among free apps, following ChatGPT, and markets itself as a place “where every voice gets equal power.” “No shadowbans . . . No pay-to-play favoritism. Just authentic connection where your content reaches the people who matter most,” reads UpScrolled’s website. Last week, Chinese-owned TikTok closed a $14 billion deal, brokered by the Trump administration, to avoid a ban in the U.S., creating an American subsidiary with new ownership going to a joint venture that includes Trump allies Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Dell Technologies’ Michael Dell. The surge in downloads is also happening amid allegations that TikTok censored videos of ICE agents in Minnesota and other anti-Trump content. What is UpScrolled? UpScrolled is a platform for sharing photos, videos, and text. It says its mission is to “always remain impartial to political agendas, conflicts, and unjust views.” It brands itself as a “no-censorship” platform with a focus on free speech. It’s available on iOS and Android. UpScrolled says it was developed as an alternative to popular Big Tech-run social media platforms such as Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta and Instagram, Elon Musk’s X, and, of course, TikTok. “UpScrolled exists because we were tired of waiting for Big Tech to do the right thing,” its website states. “We needed a place where people could speak freely without playing algorithm games or being punished for telling the truth.” Other TikTok alternatives are also seeing a surge UpScrolled is not the only TikTok alternative seeing a surge after the U.S. deal. Skylight Social, or Skylight, also saw an uptick to over 380,000 users, per TechCrunch. Backed by Mark Cuban and built on open source tech, has over 42 million users.
Category:
E-Commerce
President Donald Trumps crackdown on immigration contributed to a year-to-year drop in the nation’s growth rate as the U.S. population reached nearly 342 million people in 2025, according to population estimates released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 0.5% growth rate for 2025 was a sharp drop from 2024’s almost 1% growth rate, which was the highest in two decades and was fueled by immigration. The 2024 estimates put the U.S. population at 340 million people. Immigration increased by almost 1.3 million people last year, compared with 2024’s increase of 2.8 million people. If trends continue, the gain from immigrants in mid-2026 will drop to only 321,000 people, according to the Census Bureau, whose estimates do not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration. In the past 125 years, the lowest growth rate was in 2021, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when the U.S. population grew by just 0.16%, or 522,000 people and immigration increased by just 376,000 people because of travel restrictions into the U.S. Before that, the lowest growth rate was just under 0.5% in 1919 at the height of the Spanish flu. Births outnumbered deaths last year by 519,000 people. While higher than the pandemic-era low at the beginning of the decade, the natural increase was dramatically smaller than in the 2000s, when it ranged between 1.6 million and 1.9 million people. Lower immigration stunts growth in many states The immigration drop dented growth in several states that traditionally have been immigrant magnets. California had a net population loss of 9,500 people in 2025, a stark change from the previous year, when it gained 232,000 residents, even though roughly the same number of Californians already living in the state moved out in both years. The difference was immigration since the number of net immigrants who moved into the state dropped from 361,000 people in 2024 to 109,000 in 2025. Florida had year-to-year drops in both immigrants and people moving in from other states. The Sunshine State, which has become more expensive in recent years from surging property values and higher home insurance costs, had only 22,000 domestic migrants in 2025, compared with 64,000 people in 2024, and the net number of immigrants dropped from more than 411,000 people to 178,000 people. New York added only 1,008 people in 2025, mostly because the state’s net migration from immigrants dropped from 207,000 people to 95,600 people. South Carolina, Idaho and North Carolina had the highest year-over-year growth rates, ranging from 1.3% to 1.5%. Texas, Florida and North Carolina added the most people in pure numbers. California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia had population declines. The South, which has been the powerhouse of growth in the 2020s, continued to add more people than any other region, but the numbers dropped from 1.7 million people in 2025 to 1.1 million in 2025. Many of these states are going to show even smaller growth when we get to next year, Brookings demographer William Frey said Tuesday. The effects of Trump’s immigration crackdown Tuesday’s data release comes as researchers have been trying to determine the effects of the second Trump administration’s immigration crackdown after the Republican president returned to the White House in January 2025. Trump made a surge of migrants at the southern border a central issue in his winning 2024 presidential campaign. The numbers made public Tuesday reflect change from July 2024 to July 2025, covering the end of President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration and the first half of Trump’s first year back in office. The figures capture a period that reflects the beginning of enforcement surges in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, but do not capture the impact on immigration after the Trump administration’s crackdowns began in Chicago; New Orleans; Memphis, Tennessee; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 2025 numbers were a jarring divergence from 2024, when net international migration accounted for 84% of the nations 3.3 million-person increase from the year before. The jump in immigration two years ago was partly because of a new method of counting that added people who were admitted for humanitarian reasons. They do reflect recent trends we have seen in out-migration, where the numbers of people coming in is down and the numbers going out is up, Eric Jensen, a senior research scientist at the Census Bureau, said last week. How the population estimates are calculated Unlike the once-a-decade census, which determines how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets, as well as the distribution of $2.8 trillion in annual government funding, the population estimates are calculated from government records and internal Census Bureau data. The release of the 2025 population estimates was delayed by the federal government shutdown last fall and comes at a challenging time for the Census Bureau and other U.S. statistical agencies. The bureau, which is the largest statistical agency in the U.S., lost about 15% of its workforce last year due to buyouts and layoffs that were part of cost-cutting efforts by the White House and its Department of Government Efficiency. Other recent actions by the Trump administration, such as the firing of Erika McEntarfer as Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, have raised concerns about political meddling at U.S. statistical agencies. But Frey said the bureau’s staffers appear to have been doing this work as usual without interference. So I have no reason to doubt the numbers that come out, Frey said. By Mike Schneider, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
Prize-winning composer Philip Glass has called off a scheduled world premiere at the Kennedy Center of a symphony about Abraham Lincoln, the latest in a wave of cancellations since President Donald Trump ousted the previous leadership. Glass’ Symphony No. 15, Lincoln, was to have been led by Grammy-winning conductor Karen Kamensek for performances on June 12 and June 13. Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony, Glass said in a statement released Tuesday by his publicist. Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership. A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Glass, who turns 89 on Saturday, was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2018. Over the past year, artists withdrawing from planned performances have ranged from Renée Fleming to Bela Fleck. Trump, whose handpicked board of trustees have said they are renaming the center the Trump Kennedy Center, has placed the venue at the heart of his campaign against what he calls woke culture.” Trump’s name already hangs on the outside of the venue, in addition to Kennedy’s, despite such a change requiring an act of Congress. Hillel Italie, AP national writer
Category:
E-Commerce
If you have ever lifted a weight, you know the routine: challenge the muscle, give it rest, feed it, and repeat. Over time, it grows stronger. Of course, muscles only grow when the challenge increases over time. Continually lifting the same weight the same way stops working. It might come as a surprise to learn that the brain responds to training in much the same way as our muscles, even though most of us never think about it that way. Clear thinking, focus, creativity, and good judgment are built through challenge, when the brain is asked to stretch beyond routine rather than run on autopilot. That slight mental discomfort is often the sign that the brain is actually being trained, a lot like that good workout burn in your muscles. Think about walking the same loop through a local park every day. At first, your senses are alert. You notice the hills, the trees, the changing light. But after a few loops, your brain checks out. You start planning dinner, replaying emails, or running through your to-do list. The walk still feels good, but your brain is no longer being challenged. Routine feels comfortable, but comfort and familiarity alone do not build new brain connections. As a neurologist who studies brain activity, I use electroencephalograms, or EEGs, to record the brains electrical patterns. Research in humans shows that these rhythms are remarkably dynamic. When someone learns a new skill, EEG rhythms often become more organized and coordinated. This reflects the brains attempt to strengthen pathways needed for that skill. Your brain trains in zones too For decades, scientists believed that the brains ability to grow and reorganize, called neuroplasticity, was largely limited to childhood. Once the brain matured, its wiring was thought to be largely fixed. But that idea has been overturned. Decades of research show that adult brains can form new connections and reorganize existing networks, under the right conditions, throughout life. Some of the most influential work in this field comes from enriched environment studies in animals. Rats housed in stimulating environments filled with toys, running wheels, and social interaction developed larger, more complex brains than rats kept in standard cages. Their brains adapted because they were regularly exposed to novelty and challenge. Human studies find similar results. Adults who take on genuinely new challenges, such as learning a language, dancing, or practicing a musical instrument, show measurable increases in brain volume and connectivity on MRI scans. The takeaway is simple: Repetition keeps the brain running, but novelty pushes the brain to adapt, forcing it to pay attention, learn, and problem-solve in new ways. Neuroplasticity thrives when the brain is nudged just beyond its comfort zone. The reality of neural fatigue Just like muscles, the brain has limits. It does not get stronger from endless strain. Real growth comes from the right balance of challenge and recovery. When the brain is pushed for too long without a breakwhether that means long work hours, staying locked onto the same task, or making nonstop decisions under pressureperformance starts to slip. Focus fades. Mistakes increase. To keep you going, the brain shifts how different regions work together, asking some areas to carry more of the load. But that extra effort can still make the whole network run less smoothly. Neural fatigue is more than feeling tired. Brain imaging studies show that during prolonged mental work, the networks responsible for attention and decision-making begin to slow down, while regions that promote rest and reward-seeking take over. This shift helps explain why mental exhaustion often comes with stronger cravings for quick rewards, like sugary snacks, comfort foods, or mindless scrolling. The result is familiar: slower thinking, more mistakes, irritability, and mental fog. This is where the muscle analogy becomes especially useful. You wouldnt do squats for six hours straight, because your leg muscles would eventually give out. As they work, they build up byproducts that make each contraction a little less effective until you finally have to stop. Your brain behaves in a similar way. Likewise, in the brain, when the same cognitive circuits are overused, chemical signals build up, communication slows, and learning stalls. But rest allows those strained circuits to reset and function more smoothly over time. And taking breaks from a taxing activity does not interrupt learning. In fact, breaks are critical for efficient learning. The crucial importance of rest Among all forms of rest, sleep is the most powerful. Sleep is the brains night shift. While you rest, the brain takes out the trash through a special cleanup system called the glymphatic system that clears away waste and harmful proteins. Sleep also restores glycogen, a critical fuel source for brain cells. And importantly, sleep is when essential repair work happens. Growth hormone surges during deep sleep, supporting tissue repair. Immune cells regroup and strengthen their activity. During REM sleep, the stage of sleep linked to dreaming, the brain replays patterns from the day to consolidate memories. This process is critical not only for cognitive skills like learning an instrument but also for physical skills like mastering a move in sports. On the other hand, chronic sleep deprivation impairs attention, disrupts decision-making and alters the hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. This is why fatigue drives sugar cravings and late-night snacking. Sleep is not an optional wellness practice. It is a biological requirement for brain performance. Exercise feeds the brain too Exercise strengthens the brain as well as the body. Physical activity increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, a protein that acts like fertilizer for neurons. It promotes the growth of new connections, increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, and helps the brain remain adaptable across ones lifespan. This is why exercise is one of the strongest lifestyle tools for protecting cognitive health. Train, recover, repeat The most important lesson from this science is simple. Your brain is not passively wearing down with age. It is constantly remodeling itself in response to how you use it. Every new challenge and skill you try, every real break, every good night of sleep sends a signal that growth is still expected. You do not need expensive brain training programs or radical lifestyle changes. Small, consistent habits matter more. Try something unfamiliar. Vary your routines. Take breaks before exhaustion sets in. Move your body. Treat sleep as nonnegotiable. So the next time you lace up your shoes for a familiar walk, consider taking a different path. The scenery may change only slightly, but your brain will notice. That small detour is often all it takes to turn routine into training. The brain stays adaptable throughout life. Cognitive resilience is not fixed at birth or locked in early adulthood. It is something you can shape. If you want a sharper, more creative, more resilient brain, you do not need to wait for a breakthrough drug or a perfect moment. You can start now, with choices that tell your brain that growth is still the plan. Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse is an associate professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Category:
E-Commerce
ICEs occupation in Minnesota has lasted weeks, and until a couple of days ago, the states major corporations, quick to issue statements in wake of George Floyds shooting in 2020, had been largely silent. When Fast Company reached out to several heavy hitters in mid-January, including Target and Best Buy, there was no response. Finally, on Sunday, 60 of the states major business leaders put out a response calling for “de-escalation.” But the statement has been criticized on social media and beyond, with some calling it spineless. It came over two weeks since federal agents fatally shot U.S. citizen Renee Good, and a day after federal agents also fatally shot U.S. citizen Alex Pretti. For weeks, the Twin Cities have been awash in chaos and fear as ICE raids streets, shops, and schools, profoundly disrupting daily life, as well as economic activity. Roughly 80% of immigrant-owned businesses along main streets have closed, while restaurants and health care centers in some of the surrounding suburbs have had to cut hours because employees are afraid to come to work. Last Friday, there was an economic blackout as hundreds of businesses closed and over 75,000 protesters marched. Given the loss of life and constant turmoil, it’s puzzling why Minnesotas business leaders were quiet for so long. For insight, Fast Company talked to Bill George, lecturer at Harvard Business School and former CEO of Medtronic, one of the worlds biggest medical tech companies, whose operations are based in Minneapolis. This interview was conducted over two days and has been edited for length and clarity. Fast Company: What do you think of the statement that businesses finally released? Well, I think the statement itself is very significant. If you worked in a large company, you can’t believe how difficult it is to get not just one but 60 CEOs from a wide range of businesses to [do the same thing]. These people are very cautious about signing on anyone else’s statements. There are those that thought it didn’t go far enough. But as Marshall McLuhan once said “the medium is the message.” I dont see CEOs or companies that were left off. So I think having all of them sign on may have taken a while, but it’s significant. And I’d go further. Let me just say: I hope this will be the tipping point, and the businesses are sending a powerful signal to the White House that they are being harmed by this. No doubt it’s causing a loss of productivity and lots of issues. I hope this will be the turning point that will cause the White House to move on. We did hear a huge outpouring of support after George Floyds death. What was different this time around? They want to stay out of the news, and many of them feel they can work behind the scenes to get what they want. You see some of the deals that have been cut with Nvidia and Intel and Apple and others. But I think most companies don’t have that kind of access. Its a different time than it was with George Floyd. And I think there is a very strong point of view that we should work behind the scenes and not do anything to provoke anyone in the governmentnot just the president, but any of the members of [Trumps] administrative team. The companies have to let ICE do their job, whether they like it or notbut I think that their employees need to know they have their support. The public letter from the business leaders has gotten criticism on social media for not going far enough. Well, the governor and the attorney general, who I’ve spoken with, are being investigated. So I don’t think any of these CEOs want to get between their interests and ICE or the federal government. These CEOs are not very political. None of them are extreme left or extreme right. You might say that they’re slightly to the right center, but they’re quite independent in how they vote. Their primary concern is to run their business and stay out of politics. How did Alex Prettis death trigger the timing of the statement? This didn’t just get thrown together. These things don’t happen easily, sure; particularly when a lot of other companies are involved. Its hard enough to get a statement out of one company, much less 60. But I think these things are all having an impact: the protests in Minneapolis, [Prettis] death, the concern to people’s business, the fact that Minnesota companies are highly dependent upon being able to recruit people from all around the United States and all around the world. What if the statement is not enough to get the administration to move on? I’m not sure. I think it’s continuing discussions behind the scenes. And what kind of leverage do the companies have behind the scenes? I don’t think a lot. These are not companies that are making big promises that you’ve seen very publicly for the last year that I’m aware of, but people care about these businesses. The president himself is a businessman, and will recognize that. One other thought is: what is the goal here? We have very few illegal immigrants in Minnesota. I can assure you, the companies on that list do not hire illegal immigrants. They hire immigrants. For example, at the Mayo Clinic, several of the physicians, including a CEO, were born outside the U.S. Thats great. Its great for the Mayo Clinic. Its great for Minnesota. If you were really looking for illegal immigrants, why wouldn’t you go to Florida, Arizona, or Texas? What do the companies want? They want to restore calm, and I’m sure they would like to see this all get settled. They’re hoping to get a peaceful situation and not provoke greater confrontation. They certainly don’t want to have the United States military sent in. They certainly don’t want to see martial law declared for Minnesota. Whats the long-term impact of this corporate silence going to be on employees? Employees are going to feel very disappointed, and they may feel a lack of loyalty to the company. As a CEO, you have to keep innovation going. And to do that, youve got to attract people from all over the country and all over the world to come to Minnesota. From a longer term perspective, this could scare off people from coming. As a CEO, Id want to make sure people know we’ve got their backs, and we will provide the support they need.
Category:
E-Commerce
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