#Workforce Landscape

[amansalve]

What You Need to Know: Expert Round-Up on the Workforce Landscape in 2025

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Role of Technology in Shaping the Workforce

Employee Experience and Well-Being in 2025

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Talent Acquisition

Changing Work Models and Flexibility

Skills Development for the Future Workforce

Conclusion

Introduction

The workforce of 2025 will be shaped by several pivotal factors, including technological advancements, automation, and evolving workplace cultures. According to industry experts, businesses will need to adapt quickly to ensure they stay competitive and align with the needs of a modern workforce. Understanding the workforce landscape in 2025 is critical for organizations seeking to maintain a thriving work environment. In this article, we bring together insights from leaders in HR, technology, and organizational management to provide a comprehensive round-up of strategies for navigating these changes.

1. The Role of Technology in Shaping the Workforce

Technology has been one of the most significant drivers of change in the workforce, and by 2025, its influence will be even more pronounced. From automation to artificial intelligence (AI), technology is revolutionizing how tasks are performed and how employees interact with their roles. Experts emphasize the need for organizations to adopt tools that enhance productivity while also fostering innovation. AI, for instance, can help streamline recruitment processes, but businesses must balance this with the human element to ensure a personalized experience.

2. Employee Experience and Well-Being in 2025

The future of work is not just about what technologies are being used but also how employees feel about their work environment. Employee well-being and engagement will continue to be a top priority for organizations. In 2025, businesses will increasingly focus on creating environments that support both professional and personal growth. Experts predict that offering flexible work arrangements, promoting mental health initiatives, and integrating purpose-driven work will help attract and retain talent in a competitive job market.

3. The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Talent Acquisition

AI is transforming how organizations recruit and hire talent. By 2025, AI-driven tools will become even more sophisticated in assessing candidate qualifications, matching them to job descriptions, and predicting future performance. However, experts caution that over-reliance on AI for talent acquisition could lead to biases if not properly monitored. The key will be to leverage AI in a way that enhances the recruitment process while maintaining fairness and inclusivity.

4. Changing Work Models and Flexibility

The traditional 9-to-5 work model is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In 2025, flexible work arrangements, including remote work and hybrid models, will become more widespread. Experts predict that businesses will continue to embrace these models, driven by employee demand for better work-life balance. While some sectors may struggle with this shift, companies that can offer greater flexibility will be in a stronger position to attract top talent.

5. Skills Development for the Future Workforce

As technology continues to advance, there will be a growing need for workers to develop new skills, particularly in areas like data analysis, programming, and digital literacy. By 2025, organizations will need to prioritize ongoing learning and development to ensure their teams stay ahead of the curve. Experts suggest that businesses invest in upskilling programs and create opportunities for employees to grow within their roles. This commitment to skill development will help bridge the talent gap and ensure the workforce remains adaptable to new challenges.

For More Info: https://hrtechcube.com/workforce-landscape-in-2025/

Conclusion

The workforce landscape in 2025 is bound to be marked by significant advancements in technology, shifting work models, and an increased focus on employee well-being. Organizations must be proactive in adopting new technologies while fostering a workplace culture that values flexibility and continuous learning. As the work environment continues to evolve, staying ahead of these trends will be critical for businesses looking to thrive in the future.

By integrating expert advice and adapting to the evolving needs of the workforce, companies can successfully navigate the changes ahead and build a more resilient, productive, and engaged workforce.

[expopeak]

Florida's Largest Home Show: Labor Day Weekend 2024

[stratuspropertygroup]

Industrial Real Estate Market

Atlanta's Industrial Real Estate - Where Opportunity Meets Innovation

In the realm of commerce, the significance of industrial real estate cannot be overstated. It forms the bedrock upon which businesses flourish and prosper. Nestled in the heart of Atlanta lies a realm of opportunity for organizations seeking to establish or expand their footprint. From sprawling warehouse facilities to cutting-edge manufacturing plants, Atlanta beckons with its strategic location, unparalleled infrastructure, and vibrant business landscape. Join us as we dive into the benefits and advantages that Atlanta's industrial real estate offers, making it the ultimate choice for businesses on the rise.

A Strategic Nexus of Connectivity

Situated in the southeastern United States, Atlanta stands as a beacon of connectivity, boasting a robust transportation network. Anchored by the world-renowned Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, businesses enjoy seamless access to global markets. With a web of highways and interstates weaving through the city, Atlanta serves as a vital artery for efficient distribution and logistics operations, offering unparalleled connectivity to regional and national markets.

Infrastructure Excellence

Atlanta prides itself on its robust infrastructure, tailored to accommodate the demands of industrial endeavors. From sleek, modern warehouses to state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, the city's real estate offerings are equipped with every essential amenity. High ceilings, spacious loading docks, ample parking, and cutting-edge security systems ensure optimal operational efficiency. Furthermore, Atlanta guarantees uninterrupted workflow with reliable utilities, including electricity, water, and telecommunications.

A Talent Pool of Unrivaled Expertise

At the heart of Atlanta's allure lies its skilled and diverse workforce, a cornerstone of its industrial prowess. Drawing from a rich tapestry of talent spanning myriad industries, including manufacturing, logistics, and technology, businesses find themselves amidst a veritable oasis of expertise. Bolstered by esteemed universities and technical schools, Atlanta nurtures a continuous pipeline of skilled professionals, driving innovation and productivity within its industrial landscape.

Fostering Growth in a Supportive Environment

Embracing a culture of entrepreneurship, Atlanta cultivates a business-friendly environment, primed for growth and innovation. Leveraging favorable tax policies and incentives, the city beckons with open arms to businesses from all sectors. A supportive regulatory framework and a plethora of initiatives further fuel the city's magnetism for industrial enterprises. Moreover, Atlanta's entrepreneurial ecosystem offers access to capital, networking opportunities, and essential business support services, fostering collaboration and innovation at every turn.

Tapping into Lucrative Markets

Spanning the Atlanta metropolitan area lies a vast and diverse consumer market, serving as a lucrative playground for businesses. With a population exceeding six million, the region offers boundless opportunities for growth and expansion. Beyond its borders, Atlanta's proximity to other major cities in the Southeastern United States extends the reach of businesses far beyond the local sphere. This strategic access to consumer markets propels businesses towards exponential growth and heightened revenues.

In Conclusion

Atlanta's industrial real estate represents not just a location but a gateway to unparalleled success for businesses. With its strategic nexus of connectivity, infrastructure excellence, skilled workforce, supportive business environment, and access to lucrative consumer markets, Atlanta offers a fertile ground for industrial enterprises to thrive and prosper. Whether in search of warehouse facilities, manufacturing plants, or distribution centers, Atlanta's industrial real estate market stands ready to cater to every operational need. By seizing the boundless opportunities afforded by Atlanta's industrial landscape, businesses position themselves for triumph in the dynamic arena of commerce. Want to start looking into the Atlanta commercial real estate market? Contact Stratus Property Group today, to ensure you find the perfect home for your business!

[paarksunghoon]

resignation | sunghoon

SUMMARY: For the last six years, you’ve dedicated your career to ensuring Park Sunghoon never misses a day of work in his life. But you’re tired of endless days that seem to blend together, and seeing him living his fun, luxurious lifestyle makes you think about what else you might be missing out on. When Sunghoon finds your resignation letter on his desk, he does everything in his power to convince you to stay.

NOTES: desperately need to rant about my life and I’m doing it by way of enhypen 😩 this is a small little chapter and I have no idea if I’m gonna make this a whole thing, but we’ll see. enjoy for now and let me know your thoughts! xx

WARNINGS: none :)

SERIES PLAYLIST + SERIES MASTERLIST

***

Like a bird stuck in a metal cage, you feel trapped in an enclosure that’s meant to prevent you from flying away. That’s what it feels like to work at Park Inc., an international venture capitalist firm that serves Asia and the greater North American and European landscape. Your job is boring and meaningless, and today is the day you decided to do something about it. 

Your alarm rings every morning at 5 A.M. on the dot and today is no exception. Since becoming Park Sunghoon’s assistant six years ago, you’ve learned the masterful art of never hitting snooze after hearing an earful from Sunghoon himself when he requested your presence the following hour (you failed to arrive in time and learned to never go back to sleep unless it was your day off). 

This life seemed like a dream at the ripe age of twenty-one. Freshly graduated from college with no real career goal in mind, one of your academic mentors suggested entering the workforce as a personal assistant to gain social capital and learn about different areas of industry that could potentially lead you towards a career. Your measly business degree left you feeling unfulfilled and your parents’ aloof demeanor towards the lack of job offers lining up after graduating wasn’t the kind of news you were ecstatic about. You jumped at the chance to work as a personal assistant with the assumption that it would be the kind of job that you could pursue in the meantime until something else came along.

This position at Park Inc. fell into your lap like some kind of dumb luck. The role wasn’t posted on any job site. Rather, your name had been submitted on behalf of your academic advisor, which got you your first interview. You suppose that must be some kind of nepotism. After six separate interviews over the course of three months, the job was yours.

You’d saved up enough money, working the night shift at a local restaurant to afford a rundown apartment and a new office-appropriate wardrobe from the local second hand stores in your neighborhood. Pencil skirts, fashionable blouses, heels that promised to last a long time, and blazers that looked professional enough lined your closets for future use. It was an exciting prospect and starting your new life after graduating university felt like a different ball park than when you were still pursuing your degree. 

Despite all of that, you feel listless.

Your days begin before the sun rises and ends just after sunset. Anticipating Sunghoon’s needs is seamless for you, to the point where you’re able to think on his behalf without second guessing yourself. He agrees on most days and doesn’t put up much of a fight when it comes to business matters because you’ve been by his side for over half a decade. You’ve picked him up from many late night rendezvous with women who definitely wanted more than he was willing to give, and you’ve accompanied him to events where he couldn’t bother asking somebody to be his date. You’re his assistant, and therefore you’re always available. 

But you’re just the help. You don’t have any real stake in Park Inc., nor does anybody take you seriously unless Sunghoon agrees with your opinion. You know this company inside and out, and you know exactly how Sunghoon envisions this company to succeed. You act like you’re a managing partner without the title because you’re by his side nearly every hour of the day, and it’s gotten to a point where people me either whisper about a silent affair, or look at you with sympathy because Sunghoon can’t seem to function without you. 

It was fun, at first. Learning how to stand on your own two feet while leaving everything you knew behind felt exhilarating. Abandoning your hometown to explore the big city was a dream come true, and you envisioned all of the late night food runs you’d go on in an attempt to explore each neighborhood within Seoul. The beginning was tolerable at best—if you count crying in your small apartment after thinking you’d never get the hang of this job—and Sunghoon knew to delegate tasks to you based on experience level. He had you fetch coffee and take care of his dry cleaning in the first few months, on top of organizing multiple reports until you were ready for more. He was kind like that, and you’re sure his willingness to help you in your career was why you stayed for as long as you have. 

Six years ago, receiving the amount of responsibility you carry felt like you’d reached the top of the tallest mountain after dreaming of the day Sunghoon could trust you enough to let you do your job without much supervision. You could complete a task for him before he delegated it to you, because you understood his workflow and what needed to be prioritized. The both of you worked well like that, and after six years of getting to know each other, many would say you’re both joined at the hip professionally. 

It comes to a point where you learn that the Sunghoon you see is far different than the Sunghoon everybody else sees. He’s naturally funny and a bit clumsy. He’s professional and stoic when he needs to be, but behind closed doors, Sunghoon laughs your ear off about old men who think they can walk all over his business tactics and people who are too rich to see that they’re the problem. Sunghoon is the best boss you’ve ever had, bar none. 

He’s unlike any of the wealthy, stuck up assholes you deal with on a daily basis. Sunghoon hides his witty, flirty personality behind a professional face in the eyes of higher ups and investors who he does business with. He keeps his personal and work life separate, as far as he can, with the exception of occasionally letting women he meets accompany him to select events that almost always end up in having to kick them out of his penthouse apartment the morning after if they haven’t left already. His lifestyle is one you’ll never get used to. Even after six years working beside Sunghoon, you go back to your humble one bedroom apartment, the same one you moved into once you were able to afford living without any roommates. 

It seems as though life moves for Sunghoon. He doesn’t have to do or say much to get people to fall to their knees or grant his every wish. He’s good looking (that’s something you’ll never deny because he’s objectively handsome), he manages to say all the right things, and he’s really good at his job. Sunghoon comes from a powerful and wealthy family that’s existed in Seoul for as long as anyone can remember, and there aren’t many bad things people say about him behind his back. He’s risky but strategic, gambling on chances that would typically slip through the cracks if not for his watchful eye and modern approach to business. 

You’ve learned a lot from him, too. Sunghoon grew into the man he is today. He’s no longer the overly arrogant and cocky person he was when you first met him, and he’s gained a deeper understanding of the company he’s about to inherit once his father transitions his title unto him. There’s much to be said about powerful men who choose to view everybody he works with as an equal, and while you might legally be his personal assistant, Sunghoon has allowed you to partake in the business too. You’ve been his right hand man ever since he realized you knew the company as well as he did. Yet, you can’t help but feel utterly stuck in this endless cycle of work, work, and more work.

There must be something out there for you that doesn’t consist of answering emails and letting your inbox pile up until the stress eats you alive. Being able to travel alongside Sunghoon for business opportunities has granted you a pathway to see the world, but it’s not enough to accompany somebody else. You want to explore the world by yourself and create agendas for your taste and likeliness, not Sunghoon or potential business partners while you sit in the back and take notes during every conversation. You want to live your life without being chained to a desk and learn what it feels like to try something new. 

For the past six years, your life has been dedicated to Sunghoon and only Sunghoon. 

“Sir?” You say tentatively, knocking on his door while pushing the heavy wooden door open. 

“Come in.” 

You know well enough he’s got nothing on his schedule that would impose a distraction. You slip into the room and close the door behind you with your fingers gripping a beige Manila folder behind your back. Sunghoon wears a suit that’s tailored to his likeness and his hair is slicked back like he’s trying to resemble Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of an unscheduled interruption?” Sunghoon asks with humor in his tone. He knows you typically keep to your inbox unless something is imminently urgent.

He turns around from looking outside of his window and watches as you hesitantly walk towards his desk. The office space is huge, bigger than your entire living room, and the sudden realization that you’re about to make the biggest change of your life is weighing on your shoulders. Your feet feel heavy beneath you when Sunghoon glances between your face and the folder in your hands. 

“What’s this?”

You don’t hesitate to open it and put it on his desk facing up.

“My resignation letter.” 

He doesn’t say anything for a moment. Sunghoon stares at the letter you’ve typed out and notices the large, black signature at the bottom of the page. His eyes flicker back at you as if to detect any lie in your face before he scoffs with a short laugh.

“Right. April Fool’s Day has already passed. No need to keep me on my toes like you usually do, though I appreciate a good joke.” 

You shake your head. “I’m being serious, Sir. I’m quitting.” 

The seriousness of your voice seems to catch him. He takes a seat on his leather chair and pulls himself closer to the desk to fully examine the letter.

“Dear Mr. Park, I am writing to inform you that I will be resigning from my position as your personal assistant at Park Incorporated. My final day will be two months from the day I hand you this resignation letter. I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition, and will facilitate seeking a replacement while I complete projects and tasks on my docket.” 

He looks up at you.

“You’re breaking up with me.” 

“No, I’m quitting this job.”

“Which is the same as breaking up with me. You’re my business partner, for God’s sake. You come with me to every meeting and important event that requires my presence.”

“I’m your assistant. There are many people who would die to be able to do that for you.”

He looks at you like you’ve set his office on fire. “I will not let you quit.” 

You tilt your head. “That’s not how it works, you know. Soobin from HR will process my resignation, even if you beg him not to. I’m giving you a two months' notice because that is how much I value my time here.” Sunghoon clasps his hands as if trying to make sense of the matter.

“But why? Why now? You’re impeccable at your job. Is the pay not suitable enough for you? I can give you a generous bonus and pay raise, if that will convince you to stay. Do you want a bigger office or reduced working hours?” 

“I don’t need any of that. I’ve made up my mind, Sir.”

“Why?” 

With a sigh, you sit down in front of him. “I’ve spent nearly every day for the last six years catering to the needs of you and this company. I’ve loved my time here, and I credit my ability to navigate this industry to you and this job. You’ve given me incredible opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere, and it’s been fun learning the ins and outs of this business.

“But I don't have a personal life at all. My days are spent catering to your needs. I don’t have many friends aside from the people I see in this building. I don’t travel and I’ve had to miss important family milestones because of work obligations.”

“Is more time off what you need?” Sunghoon interrupts. “You’ve earned your fair share of requested time offs, even if it’s a personal day for no reason. You’re responsible enough for me to know you can handle your workload when you get back.” 

You shake your head. “It’s not just that. I…I don’t meet new people anymore. I don’t make new friends and I don’t date because this job eats up my life. I feel like I’ve been wrapped up in this company and doing whatever it takes to help it succeed while neglecting my own needs. I’ve had six incredible years, but it’s time for me to move on.”

“…Date?”

With a sigh, you respond. “Yes, Sir. Just because you can find women at the snap of your fingers doesn't mean that everybody else can too.” 

“You don’t date at all?”

You scratch the inside of your wrist at his question. “I can’t date. I don’t have the time to.”

“So you’re quitting because you want to date.”

“No. I’m quitting because I want to experience life without being on call for when you need my help.” 

Sunghoon purses his lips and you can’t read his expression. In the years you’ve worked with him, learning his every mood has been critical to maintaining cordial balance between the two of you, and with other people who Sunghoon isn’t particularly fond of. You’ve extinguished emotional fires just by glancing at him, but the way he looks at you is something you can’t seem to figure out. 

While you wouldn’t say you’re exceptionally close with Sunghoon, you’d argue your relationship to him is far closer than other assistants in the firm. He might be hard headed and stubborn, but he’s compassionate and understanding. He doesn’t expect you to stay in the office until he leaves unless explicitly stated (which consists of half the week, but you can’t complain when some of your colleagues are constantly working longer days than you). 

He compensates you well from time to time, buying you new wardrobe for events he’s requested you to be at. You have a drawer full of exquisite jewelry. You’ve had the privilege of accompanying him on international business trips. From the outside, your life looks like one glamour shot that’s been afforded to you through diligent work, which is partially true, but seldom do people see the dark circles underneath your eyes or how many meals you skip because you need to cater to Sunghoon’s needs. 

For as lucky as your career has been thus far, it’s all on company time, and nothing is ever because you want to. You get the perks, but it’s a transaction. There’s nothing you want more than the freedom to choose what time you wake up and what time you go to bed.

“I can’t say I’m too happy with this news,” Sunghoon says as he leans back on his chair. “You and I work together really well. I don’t think I’ve ever had an assistant as diligent and as smart as you.” 

“You had three assistants before I came into the picture.” 

“They were terrible. Why did you think you went through six interviews?” 

“I can train my predecessor to be as excellent as I can be. I can do it in two months because that’s the time it took me to get used to you and your habits.” 

Sunghoon remains silent for a moment. 

“They’ve got big shoes to fill.” 

Part of you thinks he’s accepted your resignation. He doesn’t immediately grab the Manila folder with the papers in it. Rather, he closes it and keeps it shut on his desk with his hands clasped like he’s afraid it’s going to materialize and escort you out of his office.  

“You’re still needed for events and other internal-facing meetings until your time comes to an end.” 

“Of course, Sir.”

The corner of his mouth tugs upwards. “There’s one tonight. I wasn’t going to have you come to this one initially, but given the circumstances, I think it’s fair that we squeeze in as many as possible before you’re off the hook, no?”

You can’t say you’re incredibly excited by the idea, but knowing Sunghoon, he’s either forgotten he needs someone to act as arm candy or one of his many flings bailed on him at the last minute. 

“I’ll have my car pick you up from your apartment at 8 P.M. Don’t worry about checking in early tomorrow, either. Come in at nine instead, and get some sleep tonight.” 

Nine is still early, especially if you’re going to accompany Sunghoon to an event this evening, but it’s better than getting four hours of shut eye before you’re needed the next day. 

***

A section of your wardrobe is dedicated to items Sunghoon has gifted you throughout the years you’ve been with him. They’re far more expensive and of higher quality than the garments you buy for yourself, and the jewelry is far too precious for you to mix in with your everyday wear. They sit in their own designated section, away from your business attire and weekend wear.

Back when you started this position, Sunghoon found it amusing that you refused the luxurious gifts he’d offer for large tasks such as acting as a liaison at black tie events or helping him with projects that required you to look more presentable than remaining in an office. He bought you enough dresses, shoes, and jewelry until you were able to rotate a few pieces so that you’d never have to wear the same thing twice in a row. To assuage your mind about the prices of each item, Sunghoon would tell you to wear it out on a date with a special someone or to important events that required you to dress up a bit.  

When you pull out a sleek baby blue powder dress that hugs your body in all the right places and jewelry to match, the memory makes you laugh. There hasn’t been any time for engaging in those types of things and your life does not reflect that of Sunghoon’s. They gather dust in your closet until you’re needed to make an appearance as his well-trained, capable assistant. His colleagues know to defer to you unless Sunghoon’s word needs to be confirmed, and that’s how the dynamic has been for the entirety of your working relationship with him. 

You don’t put much effort into your appearance tonight. After touching up your makeup and slipping on a pair of black sling backs that match a black Italian clutch purse he had gifted you on your first international trip, you wait for the car to arrive at your doorstep. 

Surprisingly, Sunghoon steps out from the backseat and holds the door open for you.

“…Sir?” 

“Right on time. You look stunning.” 

His compliment flies over your head as you try to make sense of what you’re seeing. You’re used to meeting Sunghoon at the fairgrounds and not holding the door open for you in his personal mode of transportation. The only time the two of you arrive together is when you depart from the office. Sunghoon is a busy man who makes work his priority. He doesn’t escort you from place to place. That’s your job.

“What are you doing here?” 

He beckons you inside of the car. The partition is raised to give the two of you some privacy. Sunghoon slides into the backseat and puts a respectable distance between the two of you when the driver begins to drive away.

“It dawned on me that I rely you on you for so many things, and yet, I can’t seem to take an hour of my day to ride with you to events I’ve asked you to be at.” 

“It’s my job.”

“No, your job is to make sure I don’t lose my head.”

“If letting you work while I drive alone makes your head stay on your shoulders, I think that’s a job well done.” 

He purses his lips. “Still, I don’t think ending my workday early to pick you up will kill me.” You raise your eyebrow at him.

“This isn’t changing my mind, Sir. I still plan to leave the company.”

Sunghoon shrugs. “Worth a try. But I meant what I said about accompanying you. We’re a team, even if your position is just my assistant.”

“Sir—”

“Sunghoon,” he interrupts. “Call me Sunghoon.”

“...Sunghoon.” He smiles.

“That’s more like it.” 

***

will there be a part 2? who knows

[rhsofttech2023]

A Guide to SAP HCM Online Training in India

[teknojiler]

PANDTEXTİLE - PLATİNUM

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Explore the vast potential of T-shirt production in Turkey, and take the first step towards elevating your clothing brand. Connect with expert manufacturers today to discover how they can bring your vision to life with unmatched quality and reliability.

[hope-for-the-planet]

From the article:

Today marks an unprecedented victory for conservation and commerce,” said Scott Phillips, South Carolina Forestry Commission’s State Forester. “Coined the nation’s ‘wood basket’, this region’s timberlands are one of the state’s most important assets. Not only do forested landscapes provide clean water, scenic beauty, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation, they also represent a renewable resource with a major economic impact. The funding announced for this initiative is a win on every level—for our state’s economy, for our workforce, for residents, and for wildlife.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 8, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Jun 09, 2025

Flatbed train cars carrying thousands of tanks rolled into Washington, D.C., yesterday in preparation for the military parade planned for June 14. On the other side of the country, protesters near Los Angeles filmed officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) throwing flash-bang grenades into a crowd of protesters. The two images make a disturbing portrait of the United States of America under the Donald J. Trump regime as Trump tries to use the issue of immigration to establish a police state.

In January 2024, Trump pressured Republican lawmakers to kill a bipartisan immigration measure that would have beefed up border security and funding immigration courts because he wanted to campaign on the issue of immigration. During that campaign, Trump made much of the high immigration numbers in the United States after the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, when the booming U.S. economy attracted migrants. He went so far as to claim that migrants were eating people’s pets.

Many Trump supporters apparently believed officials in a Trump administration would only deport violent criminals, although Trump’s team had made it clear in his first term that they considered anyone who had broken immigration laws a criminal. Crackdowns began as soon as Trump took office, sweeping in individuals who had no criminal records in the U.S. and who were in the U.S. legally. The administration worked to define those individuals as criminals and insisted they had no right to the due process guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Anna Giaritelli of the Washington Examiner reported that at a meeting in late May, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who appears to be leading the administration’s immigration efforts, “eviscerated” federal immigration officials for numbers of deportations and renditions that, at around 600 people per day, he considered far too low. “Stephen Miller wants everybody arrested,” one of the officials at the meeting told Giaritelli. “‘‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?'” Miller said.

After the meeting, Miller told Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity that the administration wanted “a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day, and President Trump is going to keep pushing to get that number up higher each and every single day.” Thomas Homan, Trump’s border czar, took the message to heart. “You’re going to see more work site enforcement than you’ve ever seen in the history of this nation,” he told reporters. “We’re going to flood the zone.”

According to a recent report by Goldman Sachs, undocumented immigrants made up more than 4% of the nation’s workforce in 2023 and are concentrated in landscaping, farm work, and construction work. Sweeps of workplaces where immigrants are concentrated are an easy way to meet quotas.

The Trump regime apparently decided to demonstrate its power in Los Angeles, where over the course of the past week, hundreds of undocumented immigrants who went to scheduled check-in appointments with ICE were taken into custody—sometimes with their families—and held in the basement of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown L.A.

This was the backdrop when on Friday, June 7, federal officials launched a new phase of the regime’s crackdown on immigration, focusing on L.A. workplaces. Agents in tactical gear sweeping through the city’s garment district met protesters who chanted and threw eggs; agents pepper sprayed the protesters and shot at them with what are known as “less-lethal projectiles” or “non-lethal bullets” because they are made of rubber or plastic. Protesters also gathered around the federal detention center, demanding the release of their relatives; officers in riot gear dispersed the crowd with tear gas.

Officers arrested more than 40 people, including David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union California (SEIU), for impeding a federal officer while protesting. Huerta’s arrest turned union members out to stand against ICE.

At 10:33 a.m. yesterday morning eastern time—so, before anything was going on in Los Angeles—Miller reposted a clip of protesters surrounding the federal detention center in Los Angeles and wrote that these protesters constituted “[a]n insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States.” Miller has appeared eager to invoke the Insurrection Act to use the military against Americans.

On Saturday, in the predominantly Latino city of Paramount about 20 miles south of L.A., Rachel Uranga and Ruben Vives of the Los Angeles Times reported that people spotted a caravan of border patrol agents across the street from the Home Depot. Word spread on social media, and protesters arrived to show that ICE’s arrest of families was not welcome. As about a hundred protesters arrived, the Home Depot closed.

Over the course of the afternoon, protesters shouted at the federal agents, who formed a line and shot tear gas or rounds of flash-bang grenades if anyone threw anything at them or approached them. L.A. County sheriff’s deputies arrived to block off a perimeter, and the border agents departed shortly after, leaving the protesters and the sheriff’s deputies, who shot flash-bang grenades at the crowd. The struggle between the deputies and about 100 protesters continued until midnight.

Almost four million people live in Los Angeles, with more than 12 million in the greater L.A. area, making the protests relatively small. Nonetheless, on Saturday evening, Trump signed an order saying that “[t]o the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.” Based on that weak finding, he called out at least 2,000 members of the California National Guard to protect ICE and other government personnel, activating a state’s National Guard without a request from its governor for the first time in 50 years.

At 8:25 p.m., his social media account posted: “If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”

California’s governor Gavin Newsom said Trump’s plan was “purposefully inflammatory.” “LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice,” Newsom said. “We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need. The Guard has been admirably serving LA throughout recovery. This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.” Newsom said the administration is trying “not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis.”

Trump apparently was not too terribly concerned about the “rebellion”; he was at the UFC fight in Newark, New Jersey, by 10:00 p.m.

At 10:06 p.m., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is under investigation over his involvement with a Signal chat that inappropriately included classified information, posted: “The violent mob assaults on ICE and Federal Law Enforcement are designed to prevent the removal of Criminal Illegal Aliens from our soil; a dangerous invasion facilitated by criminal cartels (aka Foreign Terrorist Organizations) and a huge NATIONAL SECURITY RISK.” He added that the Defense Department was mobilizing the National Guard and that “if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized—they are on high alert.”

At 2:41 a.m., Trump’s social media account posted: “Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest. We have an incompetent Governor (Newscum) and Mayor (Bass) who were, as usual…unable to to handle the task. These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED…. Again, thank you to the National Guard for a job well done!”

Just an hour later, at 3:22 a.m., Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass posted: “I want to thank LAPD and local law enforcement for their work tonight. I also want to thank [Governor Gavin Newsom] for his support. Just to be clear, the National Guard has not been deployed in the City of Los Angeles.”

National Guard troops arrived in L.A. today, but James Queally, Nathan Solis, Salvador Hernandez, and Hannah Fry of the Los Angeles Times reported that the city’s garment district and Paramount were calm and that incidents of rock throwing were isolated. Law enforcement officers met those incidents with tear gas and less-lethal rounds.

Today, when reporters asked if he planned to send troops to L.A., Trump answered: “We’re gonna have troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country. We’re not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.” Trump appeared to be referring to the divisions during the Biden administration caused by Trump and his loyalists, who falsely claimed that Biden had stolen the 2020 presidential election. (In the defamation trial happening right now in Colorado over those allegations, MyPillow chief executive officer Mike Lindell, who was a fierce advocate of Trump’s lie, will not present evidence that the election was rigged, his lawyers say. They added: “it’s just words. All Mike Lindell did was talk. Mike believed that he was telling the truth.”)

At 5:06 p.m. this evening, Trump’s social media account posted: “A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals. Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations—But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve. I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots. Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free.” He followed this statement with that odd closing he has been using lately: “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal answered: “Hello. I live in Los Angeles. The president is lying.”

At 6:27, Governor Newsom posted that he has “formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command. We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty—inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California.” The Democratic governors issued a statement standing with Newsom and calling Trump’s order “ineffective and dangerous.”

At 10:03, Trump posted: Governor Gavin Newscum and “Mayor” Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!” Four minutes later, he posted: “Paid Insurrectionists!”

There is real weakness behind the regime’s power grab. Trump’s very public blowup with billionaire Elon Musk last week has opened up criticism of the Department of Government Efficiency that Musk controlled. In his fury, Musk suggested to Trump’s loyal followers that the reason the Epstein files detailing sexual assault of children haven’t been released is that Trump is implicated in them. Trump’s promised trade deals have not materialized, and indicators show his policies are hurting the economy.

And the Republicans’ “One Big, Beautiful Bill” is raising significant opposition. Today Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) complained about the excessive spending in the bill for ICE, prompting Stephen Miller to complain on social media and to claim that “each deportation saves taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.” But David J. Bier of the libertarian Cato Institute on Friday estimated that the deportation plans in the measure would add almost $1 trillion in costs.

There is no doubt that as their other initiatives have stalled and popular opinion is turning against the administration on every issue, the Trump regime is trying to establish a police state. But in making Los Angeles their flashpoint, they chose a poor place to demonstrate dominance. Unlike a smaller, Republican-dominated city whose people might side with the administration, Los Angeles is a huge, multicultural city that the federal government does not have the personnel to subdue.

Trump stumbled as he climbed the stairs to Air Force One tonight.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[jackied0minguez]

Remote Work Redefined: TopDevz CEO Ashkan Rajaee on the Future of Flexible Business

In a world where remote work has rapidly shifted from a temporary solution to a long-term strategy, TopDevz CEO Ashkan Rajaee is leading by example. Speaking ahead of the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, Rajaee shared insights on how his company has seamlessly integrated remote operations into its DNA—and why he believes this model isn’t just a passing trend.

A New Kind of Software Solutions

TopDevz isn’t your typical tech firm. Comprising an elite team of software developers, designers, project managers, and quality assurance specialists based in the United States and Canada, the company tackles the unique challenges that conventional off-the-shelf software can’t resolve. Rajaee explains that while standard solutions can cover 80–90% of business needs, the remaining nuances often cause significant inefficiencies. TopDevz fills this gap by offering custom solutions designed to address those critical details, ensuring that their clients achieve peak operational efficiency. With an impressive 96% workforce retention rate and 63% of their business coming through referrals, the company’s model speaks volumes about its effectiveness and employee satisfaction.

Mastering Remote Operations

Long before the global pivot to remote work, TopDevz was already thriving in a fully virtual environment. Rajaee emphasizes that the success of remote operations lies in having the right infrastructure and clear communication channels. “Working remotely isn’t as simple as logging in from home,” he notes. “It demands disciplined processes and a commitment to best practices—elements we’ve honed over the years.” His team’s seamless transition during the pandemic only reinforced the idea that a well-organized remote workforce can outperform traditional office setups.

The Indefinite Future of Remote Work

For TopDevz, remote work isn’t a temporary workaround—it’s the future. Rajaee envisions a business landscape where companies can lower overhead costs while empowering employees to work from anywhere. This flexible model not only drives client satisfaction by reducing expenses but also enriches employees’ lives by allowing them to choose environments that inspire creativity and well-being.

Rajaee even shares a personal touch: his passion for working from a yacht. Equipped with reliable Wi-Fi and satellite services, his unconventional workspace symbolizes the freedom that remote work offers. “If your current job doesn’t support the lifestyle you aspire to, it’s time to consider other opportunities,” he advises. His own journey from renting a yacht to eventually making it part of his regular work life underscores the importance of aligning one’s career with personal values and ambitions.

Empowering the Next Generation of Remote Entrepreneurs

Beyond leading TopDevz, Rajaee is passionate about sharing his remote work philosophy. Through his “RemotePreneur” initiative, he provides aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals with a playbook for building successful remote companies. This resource addresses the nuanced challenges of remote business management—from overcoming financial stagnation in traditional roles to confronting the inevitable criticisms that come with venturing off the beaten path. Rajaee’s message is clear: true freedom in work comes from rethinking established norms and embracing the possibilities that remote operations can offer.

Embracing a New Era

As businesses around the globe continue to navigate the evolving work landscape, Ashkan Rajaee’s vision serves as a powerful reminder that remote work, when executed with precision and passion, can unlock unprecedented opportunities. His leadership at TopDevz demonstrates that with the right approach, remote operations can not only sustain but also drive innovation, employee satisfaction, and overall business growth.

In a time when flexibility and adaptability are more important than ever, Rajaee’s insights offer a compelling roadmap for companies eager to thrive in a remote-first world.

[thesilverdiary]

Non Authorized Version

⤷ Summary: Anneliese learns that sometimes the hardest part isn't making sense of the data — it's making sense of herself. Far from the kind of assignment she'd like to cover, she faces an event that seems to speak in codes she still doesn't have access to. But every step out of place can carry more than just bring awkward moments. And maybe, just maybe, it’s the detours that reveal where the real journey begins.

⤷ Author’s note: When I wrote Toto in this chapter, I had these two references in mind. This photo of him at Interlagos is one of my favorites. If not, the favorite. The expressions, I mean—come on. And this other shot of him at some event back in the day? This one really helped bring the vibe I was going for.

⤷ Special warnings for this second chapter? Oh, hm, no. Again. No explicit content, but a quiet emotional tension simmers beneath the surface. Mild impostor syndrome, accidental identity swapping, and moments of quiet introspection in unfamiliar hallways. Also: financial conferences, cold coffee, and the art of pretending you belong. Back in the old days. Third person.

⤷ Chapters: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV.

Last but not least, if you want to, you can read this on Wattpad and AO3 as well. 

⤷ Words: 3,597. 

Chapter Two | We Started Before The Hello

📍 Vienna → Innsbruck, Austria. 2007.

While reviewing some bullet points from the article she was writing, Anneliese was getting ready to send it to Oliver, the editor-in-chief, who would give it one final review before publication.

From the corner of her ear, she caught fragments of a conversation in the hallway. The newspaper editor was speaking enthusiastically about an event that would soon shake up Austria’s investment market.

“The conference in Innsbruck is going to be decisive,” said a firm male voice.

Probably Oliver himself.

“Do you really think they’ll announce the opening to non-EU capital?” replied a woman, her tone softer but full of interest.

“I bet they will. The timing is perfect. The euro is stable, expansion to the East is ongoing... and Vienna is pitching itself as the new Zurich.”

“And the coverage?”

“I want the article ready by Thursday. Interview with an analyst, two deep background quotes, and a side box explaining the Slovenian banks. No guesswork.”

Austria was going through a period of economic effervescence. The global landscape was favorable, and internally, the country displayed enviable stability.

Vienna, more than ever, was establishing itself as a regional financial hub — a kind of safe harbor for capital coming from neighboring emerging economies.

At the time, Anneliese would have done anything for a chance to write. Any topic would do. It didn’t matter if it was something mystical and nearly forgotten — like the legendary Rauhnächte, those wild nights that whisper between Christmas and the start of the new year —, pieces about the cold flowers that resist winter, or chronicles about the frozen ball season, with their light-filled halls and echoes of restrained footsteps.

The truth was, all she needed was a chance. An opening. A place where her writing could breathe. She wanted — and more than that, needed — to be seen.

Enjoying the topics? Not at all. But that phase of life demanded flexibility: accepting what came, even without passion, because saying “no” was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Opportunities were scarce. And while she was still finishing college, many her age were already in the workforce — graduated, experienced, occupying positions she could barely glimpse from where she stood.

Time, and everything it dragged along with it, taught Anneliese a valuable lesson: knowing how to distinguish between instinctive talent and what was simply necessary. She learned to recognize her own impulses — those that didn’t come from duty, but from genuine enthusiasm — like when she immersed herself in the technical details of a race, in the unique language of engineers and drivers, in decisions made at 300 km/h.

That’s when something in her would come alive. Everyday tasks, on the other hand, came stripped of emotion, but loaded with deadlines and demands.

She wanted to write with the precision and pulse of someone who understands what’s at stake, even in the seconds before a decisive move.

Even unwillingly, she decided to open up. Not because she had given up on the dream, but because she understood that maybe it required more paths than she had imagined. Maybe writing about the improbable today would teach her how to more truthfully narrate the races of tomorrow.

A chair scraped with a shrill squeak.

“Is the Economics team going to that conference?” Lukas asked, already taking a seat.

“I think so,” Anneliese replied, still looking at the screen. “I heard Oliver mention something about credentials... didn’t really pay attention.”

“Big deal, huh?”

She turned to face him, curious.

“I don’t know. I just hear all these names and acronyms and already feel kind of lost.”

She gave a brief, slightly tired smile.

“Tell me about it.”

Lukas took a sip of his coffee — already cold — and grimaced.

“Must be weird to follow all of this from the outside. Feels like a different world.”

Anneliese furrowed her brow but said nothing.

“Anyway,” he said, getting up. “Good luck with the article.”

“Thanks. I... think.”

She stayed there for a moment, motionless, the cursor blinking on the screen. She had lost the thread of the sentence. Suddenly, the paragraph felt... too shallow.

...

She still remembered her boss’s words as if they echoed inside her with more force than a mere piece of constructive criticism.

“You need to like people,” he had said, with that tone that blended patience and judgment. “To mingle with them.”

As if it were easy.

The problem wasn’t liking people — it never had been. She did like them. She always had. But being among them was another story. In any environment, no matter how welcoming, she felt like a temporary visitor, someone who was only there by mistake. As if there were an entire world spinning on social codes she had never learned to decipher.

It was like not being among her own.

She had always been drawn to understanding people. Writing them. Watching from a distance, with that quiet gaze of someone trying to piece together a human puzzle using only expressions and gestures. But even with all that curiosity, there was an emptiness she couldn’t name.

And it was in that void that Christine stepped in with what she called “the last-minute great idea.”

With seconds left on the clock.

Christine was her supervisor — and in many ways, the journalist she aspired to become. Her writing carried a lightness, almost invisible, and yet it held truths that hurt just the right amount.

She was meticulous. And clearly uninterested in the event they were now caught up in.

Still, she said, like someone laying out the strategy for a decisive game:

“It’s going to be good for both of us.”

She sounded convinced. As if she had found a miraculous escape route from what, for her, was just another chance to socially crash and burn.

Was it crazy? Yes.

But at that moment, it also felt like the chance Anneliese had been waiting for.

...

Despite it being a golden opportunity, Anneliese almost turned it down.

The event exuded a cold formality, overly technical, as if it pulsed on a frequency her body didn’t know how to tune into. There was a layer of language there — made of authority, of protocols, of silences — that she didn’t know whether to absorb or simply observe from the outside, like someone visiting a museum filled with artifacts from an era they’d never lived through.

She was in that strange stage of youth when you understand — at least in theory — that a good journalist should know a bit about everything... but you still wrinkle your nose, as if that “bit” were enough, as if admitting ignorance were a luxury pride couldn’t afford.

Youth, huh?

So full of fragile certainties, so quick to reject what it doesn’t yet understand.

In the end, someone had to go. And one of the first lessons in a career — or in life, perhaps — is this: in the beginning, you don’t get to choose. Others choose for you.

Had she been able to choose? Maybe she’d have gone for something more straightforward, more in tune with the language she already knew. But despite herself, that invitation turned out to be the best door that could have opened.

Because sometimes, what changes us comes precisely from what we try to avoid.

When she arrived at the event, Anneliese wasn’t expecting anything easy — but she did expect, at the very least, a minimum of control. A careful glance, a request for ID, a checkpoint that would say: “Yes, you’re authorized to be here.”

She fiddled with the ring on her index finger — an automatic gesture that always resurfaced when she felt out of place.

But surprisingly, no one asked for anything. No names checked against lists, no inquisitive stares. Just a vague nod, a silent pass.

Different times? Maybe.

As she searched for a row where she could observe, take notes, and — perhaps — understand something of what would unfold at the Summit on European Economic Futures, Anneliese weaved through suits, folders, and impatient glances. The room, lit by a white and restrained glow, gave off an almost clinical sobriety. Everything felt foreign — in the gestures, in the voices, in the very atmosphere.

That’s when she felt the elbow in her back. A direct, firm, dry impact.

She turned on reflex. Her clipboard slipped from her hands, and the papers scattered across the polished floor with a noise that, to her ears, sounded amplified. A paper alarm, announcing her inadequacy.

“Sorry,” said the man who’d bumped into her, without pausing his phone call. The bulky BlackBerry in his hand seemed like an extension of his authority — tiny keys, rapid commands, bored voice. It was an automated apology, socially required.

“It’s fine,” she replied quickly, bending down. Her stomach clenched, as if every scattered sheet exposed not just her anxiety, but her fraud.

He gave her a brief glance, almost clinical.

“Journalist?”

She hesitated. The question seemed too simple.

“Intern with a newspaper,” she replied reflexively — and as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized the mistake. That’s not what the badge said.

A chill ran down her neck. She had spoken as Anneliese, not as Christine. For a second, the floor felt less slippery than the situation she’d just stepped into.

Her trembling fingers gathered the papers, but her mind was already working on damage control.

Had he noticed?

She was still straightening the clipboard when another figure approached. The gesture was polite, assured. The presence, precise.

“Christine?” the man asked, extending his hand naturally.

She blinked. The name still sounded borrowed, like a formal outfit that didn’t quite fit.

“Yes,” she said, hurrying to her feet, one paper still misaligned on the clipboard.

“I’m Peter Neumann, from the conference team. Nice to finally meet you. We exchanged quite a few emails, remember?”

She nodded, forcing a smile. Trying to regain control, to remember the right answers, the details she had memorized.

“Of course. Yes. It’s been a hectic few days.”

“I’m glad you made it. Today’s panel is expected to be one of the most talked about.”

In the background, the BlackBerry man ended his call with a brusque gesture. He cast another glance at Anneliese’s clipboard.

“Intern with a news...” he murmured, as if confirming something to himself, though none of it made sense.

She didn’t reply. Just nodded, trying to appear unbothered, as if nothing odd had been said. He walked away without a smile, as if he had erased her from the scene.

Peter followed him with his eyes and, with a slight tilt of his head, indicated the man now heading to the back of the stage. Anneliese followed the gesture, suppressing the urge to ask who he was — despite the familiarity of his face.

“Don’t worry about him. It’s the rush. He arrived late and still happens to be one of the first to speak.”

Anneliese let out a short laugh — more relief than amusement.

“Oh, shi... —” she caught herself, took a deep breath. “Great start.”

Peter gave a half-smile.

“Marchsixteen, fifteen, seventeen,” he murmured, almost theatrically, like someone trying to recall passwords or riddles. After a brief pause, he added: “If memory serves.”

He tried to make it a joke. And almost succeeded.

She smiled. Genuinely, this time. Enough to dissolve, for a moment, the weight of pretending to be someone she wasn’t.

Before she could say anything else, Peter had to excuse himself — someone from the organizing committee was calling him over near the side entrance. Anneliese nodded briefly, taking the opportunity to sit down and finally try to gather herself.

It was one of those moments when, if she could’ve opened a hole in the floor and vanished, she would’ve done it without a second thought.

She chose the third row, slightly off-center, and rested the clipboard on her lap. Her laptop had failed earlier that morning — a black screen and a strange noise she’d pretended not to hear. The pen moved quickly across the paper, but without conviction.

The notes came out crooked, incomplete, as if they were just as lost as she was. She tried to keep her composure. She was good at appearing steady. And at pretending she understood.

Deep down, she believed she could turn anything into a good story. Even if, at that moment, all she could think about was the last poorly written sentence and the tight deadline waiting for her back in Vienna.

The first panel began with an economist from Deutsche Bank discussing opportunities in the Balkan markets. A wave of privatizations, speculative capital flows, Slovenian banks opening aggressive credit lines for foreign investors. Many in the room were scribbling furiously. She copied down the most striking terms — hedge, spread, non-euro zone. She’d look them up later. As always.

The second panel was more technical, but also more tense: it covered Hungary’s fiscal opening and its impacts on the Austrian banking system. Someone mentioned the real estate bubble in the United States and the risk of contagion. The previously enthusiastic atmosphere grew more restrained. Anneliese wrote down only one sentence:

“Today’s stability may be tomorrow’s trap.”

It wasn’t the kind of content she liked to write. But it was the kind she knew she needed to understand.

Then came the third panel: “Calculated Risk: Data-Driven Decision Making.”

The title alone sparked curiosity, but it was the speaker who drew everyone’s attention the moment he walked on stage. Anneliese recognized him immediately — not from reports or financial editorials, but, ironically, from a celebrity magazine she’d once browsed through in a waiting room somewhere.

Toto Wolff. A name still mostly known to those who followed DTM or gossip columns. An amateur driver with surprising results, an early investor, recently established as a partner at HWA — a technical company linked to Mercedes. A man on the cusp of a turning point: from the track to the mechanisms behind motorsport.

He began by talking about failure. Not the companies he’d bet on, nor the strategies that didn’t pay off — but his personal failures.

He said he had tried to become a professional driver. Tried too late. He drove well, won important races, even flirted with records. But the years, the crashes, and the realities of the sport forced him to accept that raw talent might not be enough.

“Giving up wasn’t easy,” he said. “But when I realized I wouldn’t make it by speed, I tried another entry point: calculation.”

That’s how he entered the world of investing — first in tech, then in motorsport.

He spoke about the invisible thread connecting a race team and a startup: risk, pressure, razor-thin margins. He reflected on dealing with losses — not just financial, but directional. On making fast decisions and then living slowly with their consequences.

“I was never the most technical person in the room,” he admitted. “But I learned to endure more than others. And to see what wasn’t yet ready to be translated into numbers.”

...

When the panel ended, Anneliese slipped out through a side door — slipping out quietly, without saying goodbye — as if fleeing more from herself than from the event.

She grabbed a coffee from a neglected table, where the sugar had already run out. A minor detail, but irritating. Yes, it was a habit — and no, black coffee wouldn’t do, no matter how ideal it was meant to be: bitter, direct, without crutches.

She knew where to find shelter. Service hallways, support rooms, forgotten spaces that belonged to everyone and no one. She found one of those — an old press room, now reduced to stacked boxes, deflated plastic cups, and a silence that smelled of worn carpet and disuse.

She needed peace. Five minutes would do. Just her, the coffee, and the sound of nothing.

She stepped in. Closed the door carefully, as if trying not to wake any ghosts. Leaned against the wall, took off her shoes — and for the first time that day, breathed with her whole body.

That’s when he walked in.

“Shit,” he said, tripping over a fallen trash can.

She didn’t even turn.

“If you’re looking for coffee, you’re late,” she replied, with restrained disdain.

“I’m looking for silence,” he shot back, his tone too direct to be just for show.

She recognized the voice before registering the face. She turned slowly.

He was taller than she noticed in the first place. When she was anxious. But the kind that seemed to try and shrink himself, like being noticed was a side effect, not an intention. Handsome, yes, but in a way that didn’t seem aware of it. Or, if he was, he hid it well. Nothing about him tried to draw attention — and maybe that’s exactly why it did.

His features were gentle, almost distracted. There was something about the way he held his shoulders — a quiet tension, a polite hesitation. And his eyes... dark, far too observant. They didn’t challenge, but they didn’t shy away either. They watched with care. With a quiet kind of listening that made everything around feel clearer — or more exposed.

She didn’t know if she liked that kind of presence. But she knew she would remember it.

“Careful,” she said. “In here, even silence listens.”

He smiled, faintly. A half-smile. Like someone who understood — but chose not to answer.

“Mind if I sit?” he asked, pointing to the opposite corner.

“It’s not mine. I just invaded first,” she replied with a shrug.

He settled in, taking off his jacket with a slow, almost ritualistic gesture. Like shedding a social version of himself to step into something closer to the truth. The dim light made the room feel almost intimate — but still distant enough not to be a confession.

“What did you think of the panel?” he asked, casually.

“Choreographed,” she answered without hesitation. “Words that polished always hide something.”

He laughed. A short laugh, not mocking — but with something that sounded like recognition.

Before another silence could settle in, a woman appeared at the half-open door. Young, hurried, holding a blue folder and with a walkie-talkie clipped to her waist.

“Is this the press room?” the woman asked, glancing around.

Anneliese opened her eyes slowly, like someone returning from far away.

“It was. Now it’s just storage,” she replied simply.

The woman eyed her badge — crooked and barely stuck — with a frown that settled before deciding if it was suspicion or boredom.

“Christine Schnell Hoffmann?”

Before she could say anything, he stepped in with rehearsed ease:

“She’s with me.”

The woman turned her attention to him.

“And you are...?”

“Wolff. Torger Christian Wolff. Marchfifteen.”

The name had an effect. Not exactly respect — but something close to caution. As if a password had just been uttered.

“Apologies, Mr. Wolff. We’ve had issues with fake invitations. We’re revalidating press access.”

“She’s legit. Working on a piece about young investors in Central Europe. Asked me for a few quiet minutes,” he explained calmly.

The woman hesitated. Then nodded.

“Alright. Just avoid restricted rooms. Programming resumes in twenty minutes.”

As she walked off, Anneliese looked at him, somewhere between surprised and ironic.

“You didn’t have to,” she said.

“I did,” he replied. “You were about to be escorted out for not lying convincingly enough, Miss Newspaper Intern.”

She let out a short laugh, unguarded.

“That was a blatant bluff.”

“Of course it was. But big names scare people when said with confidence.”

“You’re good at improvising.”

“As you are,” he said, then asked: “What’s your name?”

She hesitated.

“Anneliese,” she finally said, in a tone that weighed the cost of revealing it.

He nodded. “Christine is just one of your faces?”

“Christine is a badge. The disguise... is me trying to fit into it.”

He didn’t reply. Just leaned his head against the wall, letting the silence speak for him.

“You don’t like events like this, do you?” he guessed.

She gave a half-smile, tired. “I like watching people who do. That count?”

“It does,” he said. “Might be the best kind of people.”

She observed him for a moment. Then asked:

“Are you writing about this?”

“Maybe,” she replied. “If I find a story.”

“And do you think I’m a story?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t decided if you’re a chapter... or a footnote.”

He laughed, this time for real. “Fair. And what if I’m the preface?”

“Prefaces usually end before they begin.”

“Or they set the stage for everything that follows.”

She glanced sideways at him, almost annoyed at how good the answer was.

“Do you always talk like that?”

“Only when someone’s paying attention.”

He laughed again. A light, honest laugh. And she, despite herself, liked the sound of it.

Silence returned, but now it felt less heavy. As if it had shifted weight.

She looked away, pretending to study the stack of boxes in the corner. But she knew he’d noticed her attempt to hide.

“You’re good at improvising,” he said again, still smiling.

“Only when I have no choice,” she replied, letting the fatigue show.

“Which is... most of the time?” he asked.

She gave a slight nod. “Exactly.”

Outside, hurried footsteps echoed. She looked toward the door, then back at him.

“Program’s about to resume,” she said, softly.

He nodded. “You heading back?”

“I am. Still have to look useful before the day ends.”

He stood, putting his jacket back on calmly.

“Nice meeting you, Anneliese.”

“I guess it was. It was weird. But good,” she replied, with a smile carrying both tiredness and curiosity.

He was about to leave when he glanced back over his shoulder.

“Chapter, for the record. But on an odd-numbered page.”

She smiled, saying nothing. Just filed away the phrase — and the tone — in her mind.

Ready for more? Head to Chapter Three | Out Of Context.

[us-cj]

Update from FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino

"I’d like to update you on some things that I think are going well, and some things that we can, and will, do better.

The workforce has been working overtime on task force operations to remove dangerous illegal aliens from the country. The work continues. The message is clear. If you came here illegally to prey on our citizens, your days here are numbered. These removal and incarceration operations will dramatically change the crime landscape in the country when combined with the administration’s laser-focus on sealing the border shut. Expect these operations to ramp up, not slow down.

Crimes against children are a priority for the workforce. Operation “Restoring Justice,” where we locked up child predators and 764 subjects, in every part of the country, is just the beginning. We are going to take your freedom if you take away a child’s innocence. Think twice if you’ve targeted children, because you’re next.

We’re clearing information to Congress, and the public, as quickly as possible. In just the couple of months since we’ve sworn in we’ve responded to requests for information on the attack on Rep. Scalise and members of Congress, the Nashville attack, Crossfire Hurricane, the COVID cover-up and more. We are working with the DOJ on the Epstein case and, as the AG stated, there are voluminous amounts of downloaded child sexual abuse material that we are dealing with. There are also victim’s statements that are entitled to specific protections. We need to do this correctly, but I do understand the public’s desire to get the information out there.

We’re doing our best in the current budgetary environment to prioritize the mission, act as good fiscal stewards, find waste and inefficiencies, and to enact reforms while moving the FBI forward. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ll get it done. We have weekly meetings where we meet with our CFO, and our new CIO and CTO team, and we go through budget items line by line. It’s your money, and it’s your FBI. We won’t forget that.

I have no desire to sugarcoat this one - it’s been difficult in this new role to stay relatively quiet while certain elements of the media continue to entirely fabricate stories about what we’re doing at the FBI. But that’s part of the job as a public servant. I don’t work for myself anymore, I work for the public. And while I can’t address all of the nonsense in this one post, I will address the repeated attacks on Director Patel. The Director’s office is attached to mine. I am in most of the briefings he is in. He spends anywhere between 10-12 hours in the office attending meetings with everyone from foreign heads of law enforcement to our counter-terror teams, and more. Any assertion otherwise is a verifiable lie designed to stop our reforms and fracture your trust. I will die on this hill. You are being clearly lied to by people with an agenda, and it’s not your agenda.

Thanks for allowing me to communicate with you on this channel. Other things are happening as well, and they will become evident in the coming weeks and months. Keep watching us and holding us accountable.

God bless America, and all those who defend Her."

[jimmoore82]

Ashkan Rajaee: Pioneering the Future of Remote Work

TopDevz CEO Ashkan Rajaee is proving that remote work isn’t just the future—it’s the present. With a 96% workforce retention rate, his company thrives on flexibility, innovation, and top-tier talent. Through his RemotePreneur initiative, he’s empowering professionals to break free from traditional office constraints and design a career—and lifestyle—on their own terms.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Greg Sargent at TNR:

There are still nearly two months to go before Donald Trump assumes the presidency again, but Republicans or GOP-adjacent industries have already begun to admit out loud that some of his most important policy promises could prove disastrous in their parts of the country. These folks don’t say this too directly, out of fear of offending the MAGA God King. Instead, they suggest gingerly that a slight rethink might be in order. But unpack what they’re saying, and you’ll see that they’re in effect acknowledging that some of Trump’s biggest campaign promises were basically scams.

In Georgia, for instance, some local Republicans are openly worried about Trump’s threat to roll back President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA is pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into incentives for the manufacture and purchase of green energy technologies, from electric vehicles to batteries to solar power. Trump endlessly derided this as the “green new scam” and pledged to repeal all uncommitted funds. But now The New York Times reports that Trump supporters like state Representative Beth Camp fear that repeal could destroy jobs related to new investments in green manufacturing plants in the state. Camp worries that this could leave factories in Georgia “sitting empty.” You heard that right: This Republican is declaring that Trump’s threatened actions could leave factories sitting empty. 

[...]

Something similar is also already happening with Trump’s threat to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Reuters reports that agriculture interests, which are heavily concentrated in GOP areas, are urging the incoming Trump administration to refrain from removing untold numbers of migrants working throughout the food supply chain, including in farming, dairy, and meatpacking. 

Notably, GOP Representative John Duarte, who just lost his seat in the elections, explicitly tells Reuters that farming interests in his California district depend on undocumented immigrants—and that Trump should exempt many from removal. Duarte and industry representatives want more avenues created for migrants to work here legally—the precise opposite of what Trump promised. Now over to Texas. NPR reports that various industries there fear that mass deportations could cripple them, particularly in construction, where nearly 300,000 undocumented immigrants toiled as of 2022. Those workers enable the state to keep growing despite a native population that isn’t supplying a large enough workforce. Local analysts and executives want Trump to refrain from removing all these people or create new ways for them to work here legally. Even the Republican mayor of McKinney, Texas, is loudly sounding the alarm.

Meanwhile, back in Georgia, Trump’s threat of mass deportations is awakening new awareness that undocumented immigrants drive industries like construction, landscaping, and agriculture, reports The Wall Street Journal. In Dalton, a town that backed Trump, fear is spreading that removals could “upend its economy and workforce.” At this point, someone will argue that all this confirms Trump’s arguments—that these industries and their representatives merely fear losing cheap migrant labor that enables them to avoid paying Americans higher wages. When JD Vance and Trump pushed their lie about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, Vance insisted that he opposed the Haitian influx into Midwestern towns because they’re undercutting U.S. workers. But all these disparate examples of Republicans and GOP areas lamenting coming mass deportations suggest an alternate story, one detailed well by the Times’ Lydia DePillis. In the MAGA worldview, a large reserve of untapped native-born Americans in prime working age are languishing in joblessness throughout Trump country—and will stream into all these industries once migrants are removed en masse, boosting wages.  

But DePillis documents that things like poor health and disability are more important drivers of unemployment among this subset of non-college working-age men. Besides, migrants living and working here don’t just perform labor that Americans will not. They also consume and boost demand, creating more jobs. As Paul Krugman puts it, in all these ways, migrant laborers are “complements” to U.S. workers. Importantly, that’s the argument that these Republicans and industries in GOP areas are really making when they lament mass deportations: Migrant labor isn’t displacing U.S. workers; it’s helping drive our post-Covid recovery and growth. This directly challenges Trump’s zero-sum worldview.

[...] Here’s another possibility: In the end, Trump’s deportation forces may selectively spare certain localities and industries from mass removals. Trump’s incoming “border czar,” Tom Homan, suggests this won’t happen. But a hallmark of MAGA is corruptly selective governance in the interests of MAGA nation and expressly against those who are designated MAGA’s enemies, U.S. citizens included. One can see mass deportations becoming a selective tool, in which blue localities are targeted for high-profile raids—even as Trump triumphantly rants that they are cesspools of “migrant crime” that he is pacifying with military-style force—while GOP-connected industries and Trump-allied Republicans tacitly secure some forbearance.

Donald Trump’s threats to green energy initiatives and resistance to his mass deportation proposals are facing headwinds against him, even from local Republicans who fear losses of jobs in their communities.

Even if Trump does get to implement his mass deportation policy, he’ll likely create several exemption carveouts (mainly for industries likely to favor him) and use selective enforcement (light touch for red states, heavy and punitive for blue states).

[mr-entj]

Yu've mentioned before how at your current level in the workforce, managing relationships through diplomacy, negotiation, etc. is essential. I was wondering how to be able to engage with workplace "politics" or just the work landscape in general effectively; like being able to smoothly navigate conversations and knowing the right ways/things to say. I find those abilities in the workplace very impressive, since I think I would be very awkward or unsure how to react or pick up cues haha.

Related answers:

Can you talk about managing people + dealing with politics, especially in the workplace?

How do I become more assertive and how do I control myself and what kind of behaviors I should adopt so that people take me seriously? 

For starters, it's important to be well-socialized in general. If you're not, then social interactions—whether at work, in college, or anywhere—will be a pain in the ass because you won't know what to say or do.

Three key areas to focus on to be better at navigating workplace politics:

Create strong relationships immediately, everywhere, with everyone. Take the time to get to know people, understand their priorities, and become a familiar face to as many teams as possible. Offer help when needed, learn about their interests, and invest time in building connections. Familiarity breeds trust, which can prevent problems before they pop up, make tough conversations easier, and build the social capital you need to get shit done. This provides allies and advocates.

Ask yourself: "When I walk into a room, do people know who I am and what I do?"

Build a positive reputation. Maintain high integrity, demonstrate competence and mastery, and be extremely reliable. Be someone who keeps their word—someone colleagues would fight to keep if you ever considered quitting. This not only makes your word carry more weight but also shields you from malicious gossip and bullshit. This provides credibility and gravitas.

Ask yourself: "When people bring my name up in conversations, do they react positively or negatively?"

Communicate clearly, calmly, and objectively. Describe complex things simply, stick to the facts (don't get pulled into gossip or subjective arguments), and keep an even tone (don't lose your shit or bite people's heads off). The key to smoothly navigating highly emotionally charged conversations is approaching with understanding. "Tell me more" and "Help me understand" are key phrases to use. If you don't know something, then say that, and come back later to follow up when things are calmer.

Ask yourself: "When I explain something, are people able to quickly and accurately grasp the points I'm trying to make or does it require tons of follow-up conversations and clarification?"

[aquitainequeen]

THE MAGIC BAG. It’s a familiar storytelling device. Ask the bag for something, anything, whatever you might want—and poof, out it pops. We find variations in myths and fables, in jokes, in numerous Twilight Zone episodes. The genie in a bottle. The monkey’s paw. The holodeck on the USS Enterprise. The moral of the story, as often as not, turns out to be: Be careful what you wish for. By giving us what we thought we wanted, the Magic Bag instructs us on the danger of having one’s desires fulfilled, reminding us that it is often better to want than to get.

...

It’s also, and especially, the students who look at you mystified. The use of AI already seems so natural to so many of them, so much an inevitability and an accepted feature of the educational landscape, that any prohibition strikes them as nonsensical. Don’t we instructors understand that today’s students will be able, will indeed be expected, to use AI when they enter the workforce? Writing is no longer something people will have to do in order to get a job.

Or so, at any rate, a number of them have told me. Which is why, they argue, forcing them to write in college makes no sense. That mystified look does not vanish—indeed, it sometimes intensifies—when I respond by saying: Look, even if that were true, you have to understand that I don’t equate education with job training.

What do you mean? they might then ask.

And I say: I’m not really concerned with your future job. I want to prepare you for life.

[allthegeopolitics]

Axios reports that Meta is eliminating its biggest DEI efforts, effective immediately, including ones that focused on hiring a diverse workforce, training, and sourcing supplies from diverse-owned companies. Its DEI department will also be eliminated. In a memo leaked to the outlet, Meta said it was making these changes because the “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing.” Meta is not alone: Microsoft and Zoom have also rolled back their DEI efforts. Lawsuits have emerged against programs that were targeted toward the Black and Latino communities. Meta also announced this week it would curb its efforts in fact-checking speech on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. And users don’t seem to be happy about it: Searches on Google related to deleting Meta accounts have skyrocketed since Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement.

Read on Tech Crunch