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A bitcoin investor who bought a SpaceX flight for himself and three polar explorers blasted off Monday night on the first rocket ride to carry people over the North and South poles.Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur, hurtled into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX’s Falcon rocket steered southward over the Atlantic, putting the space tourists on a path never flown before in 64 years of human spaceflight.Wang won’t say how much he paid Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the 3 -day ultimate polar adventure.The first leg of their flightfrom Florida to the South Poletook barely a half-hour. From the targeted altitude of some 270 miles (440 kilometers), their fully automated capsule will circle the globe in roughly 1 hours including 46 minutes to fly from pole to pole.“Enjoy the views of the poles. Send us some pictures,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed once the capsule reached orbit.Wang has already visited the polar regions in person and wants to view them from space. The trip is also about “pushing boundaries, sharing knowledge,” he said ahead of the flight.Now a citizen of Malta, he took along three guests: Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar guide Eric Philips.Mikkelsen, the first Norwegian bound for space, has flown over the poles before, but at a much lower altitude. She was part of the 2019 record-breaking mission that circumnavigated the world via the poles in a Gulfstream jet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing.The crew plans two dozen experimentsincluding taking the first human X-rays in spaceand brought along more cameras than usual to document their journey called Fram2 after the Norwegian polar research ship from more than a century ago.Until now, no space traveler had ventured beyond 65 degrees north and south latitude, just shy of the Arctic and Antarctic circles. The first woman in space, the Soviet Union’s Valentina Tereshkova, set that mark in 1963. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and other pioneering cosmonauts came almost as close, as did NASA shuttle astronauts in 1990.A polar orbit is ideal for climate and Earth-mapping satellites as well as spy satellites. That’s because a spacecraft can observe the entire world each day, circling Earth from pole to pole as it rotates below.Geir Klover, director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, where the original polar ship is on display, hopes the trip will draw more attention to climate change and the melting polar caps. He lent the crew a tiny piece of the ship’s wooden deck that bears the signature of Oscar Wisting, who with Roald Amundsen in the early 1900s became the first to reach both poles.Wang pitched the idea of a polar flight to SpaceX in 2023, two years after U.S. tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman made the first of two chartered flights with Musk’s company. Isaacman is now in the running for NASA’s top job.SpaceX’s Kiko Dontchev said late last week that the company is continually refining its training so “normal people” without traditional aerospace backgrounds can “hop in a capsule . . . and be calm about it.”Wang and his crew view the polar flight like camping in the wild and embrace the challenge.“Spaceflight is becoming increasingly routine and, honestly, I’m happy to see that,” Wang said via X last week.Wang said he’s been counting up his flights since his first one in 2002, flying on planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons in his quest to visit every country. So far, he’s visited more than half. He arranged it so that liftoff would mark his 1,000th flight. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer
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You know the feelingyour calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and every decision, big or small, lands on your desk. Leadership today isnt just about managing teams and making strategic calls; its about navigating an endless stream of meetings, emails, and expectations. While burnout is widely recognized, most solutions focus on time management rather than cognitive bandwidth management. The real issue isnt just being overworkedits being oversaturated. Leaders are drowning in information, decisions, and interruptions, leaving little room for the deep thinking required for creativity, strategic foresight, and high-quality decision-making. A study from the University of California found that it takes an average of 23 minutes to refocus after an interruption. Multiply that by dozens of daily distractions, and its clear why many leaders struggle to see the bigger picture. The ability to make sound, high-impact decisions isnt about working harder; its about creating space for deep thought. The Hidden Costs of Constant Busyness Many leaders equate productivity with busyness, believing that the more they do, the more they accomplish. However, excessive cognitive load leads to decision fatigue, diminishing the quality of choices over time. The constant need to process information can also limit strategic foresight, causing leaders to operate reactively rather than proactively. Without time to reflect, innovation suffers, and leaders struggle to connect disparate ideas or generate fresh insights. Perhaps most importantly, the mental strain of constant cognitive overload erodes the ability to inspire, connect, and energize teams, leading to emotional exhaustion. Through my work advising leaders, I have seen the biggest shift happen when they gain clarity on what is most important for them to focus on. When they create space to think, they move from reactive firefighting to intentional, high-impact leadership. To support this shift, I developed a structured approach that helps leaders pause, reflect, and see things differently before diving into the next wave of demands. By making reflection a habit, they regain control over their time and amplify their ability to lead with purpose. White space isnt a luxuryits a strategic imperative. But how can leaders reclaim time for deep thinking when everyone wants a piece of them? Scheduling Uninterrupted Blocks for Reflection If you dont protect your time, no one else will. Blocking thinking time on your calendar isnt just about setting aside hoursits about creating the right conditions for meaningful reflection. Some CEOs, like Bill Gates, take “Think Weeks” to immerse themselves in strategic visioning. While a whole week might not be feasible, micro-retreatssuch as two-hour deep-thinking sessions once a weekcan significantly improve clarity and decision-making. To implement this, designate a specific time each week when you are completely unreachable. Use this time to tackle complex problems, review long-term strategies, or explore innovative ideas. Changing your environment can also enhance deep thinking; a walk, a quiet room, or a retreat space can be instrumental in shifting your mindset from reactionary to strategic. Reducing Decision Fatigue by Delegating and Automating Not every decision requires your input. Barack Obama and Steve Jobs famously simplified their daily choiceswearing the same outfit dailyto preserve mental energy for high-stakes decisions. Leaders should similarly identify which decisions they must own and which ones can be delegated or automated. Start by categorizing your decisions: strategic ones require deep thinking, operational ones can often be delegated, and administrative ones are best automated. Empowering your team to take ownership of decisions within their expertise frees up cognitive space for you to focus on higher-impact areas. Batching smaller decisions into designated review sessions can also prevent constant context switching. Automation tools can also help eliminate repetitive tasks, allowing leaders to focus their energy on what truly matters. Creating “No-Meeting Zones” for Deep Work While necessary, meetings often disrupt the ability to engage in strategic work. Some companies, like Shopify, have introduced “Meeting-Free Wednesdays” to give employees uninterrupted time for deep work. Leaders can implement a similar approach by establishing specific time blocks where meetings are off-limits, enabling more focused thinking. Redesigning meeting culture is another way to protect deep work. Encouraging asynchronous collaborationthrough well-documented memos, video updates, and shared decision logscan reduce the need for real-time discussions. Adopting a “50-minute meeting rule” also helps ensure that meetings dont consume an entire hour and allows for short breaks to reflect before diving into the next task. Another interesting approach I have implemented with my clients to enhance strategic discussions is to hold a silent meeting to allow leaders to read and reflect on strategic plans before engaging in a dialogue. Being Selective About Information Intake In an era of constant connectivity, leaders must be intentional about the information they consume. Too much input can be just as damaging as too little. Instead of passively absorbing every report, email, or industry update, curate your information sources carefully. Limiting the number of newsletters, reports, and updates you follow can help reduce cognitive clutter. Setting specific times during the day to check emails and newsrather than reacting to every notificationprevents constant distractions. Another helpful practice is maintaining a “Reverse To-Do List.” Instead of listing tasks to complete on the list, you instead identify habits, commitments, or information sources you can eliminate to free up mental space. Structured reflection rituals, such as weekly reviews of key learnings rather than endless content consumption, can further sharpen decision-making. Great leadership isnt about being the busiest person in the roomits about making the best decisions. The leaders who thrive in complexity arent those who power through every request but those who create the mental space necessary for clarity and innovation. If youre constantly overwhelmed, it may not be a workload problem but a thinking-time problem. Designing intentional white space isnt about stepping back; its about stepping into your most strategic, creative, and high-impact leadership self.
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Hooters of America, LLC, owner of the Hooters restaurant chain, has announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy filing is aimed at helping the company restructure itself so it can transition from a company-owned restaurant chain to a franchisee-owned chain. Heres what you need to know about Hooters bankruptcy and whether any locations will close. Hooters to transition to franchisee-owned model Most people think of Hooters as just one company, but the restaurant chain currently operates under a hybrid model. Hooters of America, LLC, owns the restaurants brand intellectual property and currently operates numerous Hooters locations in the United States and across the world. The company says it franchises and operates 410 Hooters restaurants in 38 states and 24 countries. However, Hooters of America, LLC, also licenses out its restaurants to franchisees, allowing individuals and companies to operate Hooters stores. One of the largest Hooters franchisees is Hooters Inc., the company owned by the original Hooters cofounders. Hooters Inc. owns and operates over 20 restaurants in America. Like many restaurant chains, Hooters has been struggling financially in recent years, and now the companys owner, Hooters of America, LLC, has decided that the best way forward for the brand is to restructure its business model. That restructuring will see Hooters move from a primarily company-owned model to an entirely franchisee-owned model. Hooters of America, LLC, says that the restructuring will see a group of current franchisees acquire and operate the current company-owned locations. Among those franchisees is Hooters Inc. It should be noted that the bankruptcy filing and the restructuring of the company only affect Hooters locations in America. Its worldwide locations are unaffected by the changes. Are any Hooters locations closing? If youre a fan of Hooters, then there is some good news. The company says that it currently has no definite plans to close any Hooters locations. In a press release announcing the bankruptcy filing, Hooters of America CEO Sal Melilli said, Our renowned Hooters restaurants are here to stay. However, the announcement went on to leave open the possibility that some locations could close. As part of the Companys broader business transformation and planning, Hooters is evaluating the Companys operational footprint as part of its financial restructuring process to position itself to invest its resources in its strongest assets moving forward, the statement read. What this means is that its possible Hooters could decide to close some locations as the bankruptcy process continues. So, is Hooters going out of business? The company has no plans to. Indeed, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, so it can keep its business going and locations open, albeit under a new franchisee-owned model. In a dedicated website for customers who have questions about Hooters bankruptcy, the company says, Hooters is here to stay, and with a stronger financial foundation and streamlined operations on the other side of this process, we will be well-positioned to continue delivering the guest-obsessed hospitality experience and delicious food our valued customers and communities have come to expect well into the future. How long will Hooters restructuring take? Hooters of America, LLC, says it expects to move through the bankruptcy process swiftly. The company defines this as having the goal of emerging from Chapter 11 in about 90 to 120 days. Restaurant chains have had a rough year Hooters of America, LLC isnt the only restaurant company that has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy lately. In the past year, numerous other popular restaurant chains have as well, including Red Lobster, Tijuana Flats, Buca di Beppo, and Roti. While the specifics of each bankruptcy will vary, many restaurants have faced the same problems in recent years. This includes diminishing foot traffic, higher costs, and diners who are cutting back on discretionary spending due to price rises fueled by inflation.
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