Author: Michael Erst

Lucia Mutikani  |  ReutersLeaked memo says Veterans Affairs to lay off more than 76,000Department of Veterans Affairs leadership was told that mass layoffs were coming in a leaked memo.Layoffs announced by U.S.-employers jumped to levels not seen since the last two recessions amid mass federal government job cuts, canceled contracts and fears of trade wars, offering the clearest sign yet of the toll taken on the labor market by the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.Global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said on Thursday that planned job cuts vaulted 245% to 172,017 last month, the highest level since July…

How Trump’s tariffs will effect everyday pricesWith new tariffs on imports, several everyday goods are likely to become more expensive for American consumers. Cars and auto parts, many of which are produced through an integrated North American supply chain, will see price increases as manufacturers adjust to higher costs.unbranded – NewsworthyThe car and truck market is about to get worse, and not just because of tariffs. New car sales bottomed out in 2022, the peak year of COVID-19 era shortages that hobbled assembly lines. Now, that slow year for new cars is coming back to haunt used car shoppers. The three-year-old vehicle…

Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favorOdds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.The Powerball jackpot rose to $295 million for Wednesday’s drawing after no one won the top prize on Monday.If someone matches all six numbers, they can choose a one-time cash payment of $139 million.There were no lucky winners on Monday as no one won either the jackpot, $2 million or $1 million prizes.A lucky player in Oregon had the first jackpot-winning Powerball ticket…

You gotta catch them all, and one person just caught a hot Cheeto shaped like an iconic Pokemon character for a hefty price.Shaped like the character Charizard, and nicknamed Cheetozard, the uniquely shaped hot snack was sold for $87,840 by Goldin Auctions. According to the auction’s website, the item was sold at around 2 a.m. ET on Sunday.The item auctioned off was a 3-inch long “Flamin’ Hot Cheeto in the shape of the Pokémon Charizard.” Charizard was part of the first generation of Pokemon released in the 1990s and is one of the most iconic and beloved Pokemon, only behind…

The less than 200 employees impacted by the cuts were notified of the news on Wednesday.’Breaking Bad’ actor Bryan Cranston slams Disney, Bob Iger over AI”Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston directed a speech at Disney CEO Bob Iger calling for understanding during the SAG-AFTRA strike.Damien Henderson, StoryfulDisney is cutting nearly 6% of staff across its ABC News and Disney Entertainment Networks units, the company confirmed.The layoffs will affect under 200 employees, representing less than 6% of the total ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks workforce, Richard Horrmann, senior vice president of strategic communications for Disney Entertainment Television, told USA…

Here’s what you should know about Ash Wednesday, Lent seasonAsh Wednesday marks the beginning of the period of Lent. They’re two of the most important liturgical events for Christians and help prepare them for Easter.This Wednesday, March 5, is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer observed ahead of Easter.Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (April 18) are days of fasting, during which Catholics abstain from eating meat during the day’s one full meal, according to the website of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis. During the day, they can eat two smaller meals, which combined…

Trudeau calls Trump tariffs ‘dumb thing to do’ as Canada fires back”We don’t want this.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau placed blame for a trade war between the U.S. and Canada squarely on the Trump administration.President Trump imposed tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China as part of his “America First” agenda.Canada, Mexico, and China have retaliated with their own tariffs on U.S. goods.Economists warn that the tariffs could slow down the U.S. economy and lead to job losses.President Donald Trump sparked a trade war just after midnight on Tuesday with three of the country’s biggest trading partners – including…

Many of the largest banks in the U.S. are getting hammered today, as economic concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariffs and economic growth continue to impact the broader market. Shares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM -3.98%), the largest bank in the U.S. by assets, traded nearly 5% lower as of 10:52 a.m. ET. Shares of Wells Fargo (WFC -4.84%) traded 6.5% lower at that time, while shares of Citigroup (C -6.25%) were down 7.5%. First-quarter GDP estimates crater By now, investors know that market conditions under Trump can change at lightning speed. Weakening consumer sentiment and a ratcheted-up trade war in…

The world’s top cryptocurrency faces unpredictable near-term headwinds. Bitcoin’s (BTC -1.51%) price reached its all-time high of more than $109,000 on Jan. 25. The approvals of its first spot price exchange-traded funds (ETFs) last January, its latest halving (which every four years cuts the rewards in half for mining new coins) last April, three interest rate cuts, and President Donald Trump’s election victory last November all brought the bulls back to the top cryptocurrency. But as of this writing, Bitcoin’s price has retreated more than 20% to about $84,000. That decline can be largely attributed to the Trump administration’s plans…

Johnny C. Taylor Jr.  |  Special to USA TODAYJohnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest HR professional society and author of “Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”Have a question? Submit it here.Question: I just discovered our company has been giving extra vacation time to some employees. It’s not something prescribed in our company policy. Some people with less than half my tenure have more vacation time than me. Is this inconsistent vacation allotment acceptable? ‒…