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An Immersive Experience Like No Other: Strength n Honor Training Brings Fresh Perspective to Sports Training

Avatar photo Jeah Lorraine Adams on February 23, 2023

At Strength N Honor Training Facility, customized programming reigns supreme. The dedicated team knows that one size does not fit all and puts a premium on individualized training. Their philosophy, honed through experience on the playing field, is all about attention to detail and unlocking each athlete’s full potential.

“We believe that every athlete is unique, and our customized programming reflects that belief,” said Steve Konopka, Founder of Strength N Honor Training Facility. “Our team is dedicated to helping each athlete reach their full potential, and we are confident that our customized approach will do just that. With the addition of our customized app, we can help even more athletes with our top-tier customized programs.”

Their “ACL PROTOCOL” assessment and training program is making waves, particularly with female athletes who are at a higher risk of ACL injuries. By addressing risk factors like poor mobility, imbalanced muscles, and improper movement patterns, they are reducing the likelihood of career-ending injuries.

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL, is a vital tendon that gives stability to the knee during athletic pursuits. For female athletes, keeping the ACL intact is especially important, as they are a staggering eight times more susceptible to ACL injuries than their male counterparts. Tragically, the frequency of ACL injuries among female athletes has skyrocketed in the past 20 years, with a 300% increase in just the last two decades and an astonishing 800% rise since 1972. Contrary to popular belief, ACL injuries are not solely a result of physical contact in sports. In fact, the majority of female ACL injuries stem from non-contact movements such as running, jumping, cutting, and landing, with up to 70% occurring without any physical collision. This type of injury can have devastating effects on a female athlete’s career, particularly if not treated and rehabilitated properly after surgery.

That’s why Strength N Honor Training is tackling the issue head-on, developing protocols to minimize risk factors and keep athletes healthy. Whether one is a highly driven athlete or just looking to improve their health and happiness, they’ve got each client covered.

Through the implementation of their unique training methods and philosophies, Strength N Honor Training Facility is dedicated to not only fostering the growth and success of high-performing athletes but also empowering everyday individuals to improve their health, well-being, and overall functionality.

 

Job cuts and hiring creates headache for US market

Avatar photo Jerry Cooper on February 23, 2023

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Job cuts – In the American market, some businesses are having trouble filling vacancies, while others are letting people go.

Many businesses have lately announced significant job cuts, including:

  • Amazon
  • Disney
  • Meta
  • Microsoft
  • Zoom

As a result, nearly 103,000 jobs were eliminated in US-based companies in January.

It is the largest employment layoffs, per a poll by the outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, to have taken place since September 2020.

However, businesses also added 517,000 new positions in January, which is more than nearly three times what analysts had predicted.

The rise in employment shows how fiercely competitive the job market is, particularly in fields like the service industry that were severely hurt by the outbreak.

The Covid legacy

Given the situation right now, it is more difficult for specialists to predict the US economy’s future course.

The strong consumer spending surprised experts, especially in light of the ongoing inflation and rising interest rates.

The most recent consumer spending is a part of the “legacy of strangeness” left by the Covid pandemic, said David Kelly, a well-known worldwide strategist.

The next nonfarm payroll will be released by the Department of Labor Statistics on March 3.

Wages

Researchers and economists warn that if wages don’t keep up with inflation, a number of factors might lead to more job cuts in other fields, including:

  • Strains on household budgets
  • High-interest rates
  • A savings drawdown

The Department of Labor Statistics recently released statistics showing that earnings for those employed in the hospitality and leisure industries rose in January.

The pay grew from $19.42 to $20.78 from the previous year.

“There’s a difference between saying the labor market is tight and the labor market is strong,” said Kelly.

Employers still have trouble attracting and keeping talent.

They face difficulties as a result of things like the requirement for staff childcare and possible rivalry from improved working conditions and salary.

Consumer impact

Consumer spending may decline if interest rates rise and inflation stays high, which might result in additional job cuts or less employment overall.

“When you lose a job, you don’t just lose a job,” said Aneta Marowska, a Jefferies chief economist. “There’s a multiplier effect.”

As a result, even if there are issues with tech corporations, less money may be spent on business trips.

If job cuts persist, consumers could be forced to rethink their spending on services and other things.

Read also: Subscription services coming to Meta, Twitter 2FA given change

A reset

Companies who hired more people during the outbreak, when remote work and e-commerce had a bigger impact on consumer and corporate spending, have since made a significant number of job cuts.

Amazon reported the loss of 18,000 jobs in late 2022, when it had 1.54 million employees, roughly twice as many as it did in 2019.

Microsoft used similar strategies and lost 10,000 jobs, or 5% of its workforce.

At the end of June the previous year, the company had 221,000 employees, a huge increase from the 144,000 prior to the virus.

The tech sector is changing from a “grow-at-all-costs” industry, according to Michael Gapen, head of US economic research at Bank of America Global Research.

Airlines

While this is happening, other businesses are growing their workforces.

In 2023, Boeing intends to add 10,000 new employees, mostly in engineering and production.

Also, the company eliminated about 2,000 corporate positions, mostly in finance and human resources.

In anticipation of an increase in orders from customers like United and Air India, Boeing is expanding to strengthen the company’s ability to construct new aircraft.

Airlines and aerospace firms suffered early in the epidemic when traffic dried up; however, they are presently working to recover.

The capacity of airlines is now limited by the number of pilots available.

Demand for food and travel increased when pandemic restrictions were removed.

A shared struggle

Businesses of all sizes would need to increase wages in order to recruit and retain personnel.

Industries that experienced customer and other corporate backlash following job losses are now working to increase employee hiring.

To entice additional workers, Walmart is increasing its minimum salary to $14 per hour.

The Miner’s Hotel in Butte, Montana raised the hourly pay for housekeepers by $1.50 as a result of the high turnover rate.

Also, as tourism rises, concessionaires and airports are recruiting more staff members.

The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport organizes job fairs each month and provides employees with childcare assistance.

In the same period of 2019, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport expanded by 48%.

Furthermore, it leads to better incentives like:

  • $1,000 referral bonuses
  • Signing incentives
  • Retention incentives for referred staff

Similarly, the airport facilities representatives at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport currently make $20.68 per hour, up from $16.47 in 2022.

According to Kevin Russell, the airport’s deputy talent chief, Austin has a high cost of living.

Also, Russell saw a surge in staff retention.

Nonetheless, it has proven challenging to keep some roles open since employees might be able to find higher-paying jobs elsewhere that aren’t available 24/7, such as:

  • Electricians
  • Heating-and-air conditioning technicians
  • Plumbers

Businesses must invest time in training new hires before they can ramp back up, despite how easy it is to find new personnel.

Subscription services coming to Meta, Twitter 2FA given change

Avatar photo Brandon Foster on February 23, 2023

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Subscription service – Users are already upset about another significant change Mark Zuckerberg announced for Facebook and Instagram on Sunday.

According to reports, the CEO of Meta said that the company is testing a premium subscription service that verifies users of Facebook and Instagram.

The stunning story comes after Twitter said it will begin charging users for SMS two-factor authentication.

The news

Zuckerberg stated in his introduction that the subscription service would be called “Meta Verified.”

Customers will pay $11.99 per month so they can use this service.

However, the monthly service costs $14.99 for iOS users.

This week will see the launch of Meta Verified, with Australia and New Zealand getting a peek before other countries.

Meta Verified

The subscription service that Meta provides is more than simply a status symbol.

Also, it offers advantages including stronger protection against imposter accounts.

Furthermore, Meta Verified gives customers quick access to customer service.

When a customer uses the subscription service, they are issued a blue badge that allows them to verify that they are indeed the user.

Any person who wants to use the subscription must be at least 18 years old and have a government ID that perfectly matches their profile name and photo.

Statements

Meta Verified was announced by Mark Zuckerberg on an Instagram broadcast channel, where he wrote:

“This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services.”

Everyone was shocked by the sudden revelation, but Meta clarified to calm things down.

The social media behemoth asserted that the new subscription service wouldn’t have an effect on verified accounts, which were previously only available to authentic, well-known people.

“We are evolving the meaning of the blue badge to focus on authenticity so we can expand verification access to more people,” said a Meta spokesperson.

“We will display follower count in more places so people can distinguish which accounts are notable public figures among accounts that share the same name.”

A league of their own

The company’s usage of subscription services puts Meta Verified in the same category as other platforms like:

  • Discord
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Among all the websites with their own membership services, Twitter is the one that provoked the most controversy.

Twitter Blue

Elon Musk and Twitter revived Twitter Blue in December, a subscription service for verification.

The service had been active up until a flood of bogus “verified” accounts caused the company to discontinue the feature.

To make it easier to identify between multiple accounts, Twitter has also introduced new colors for various check box options, including:

  • Gold checks for companies
  • Gray checks for government organizations and affiliates
  • Blue checks for individuals, celebrities or non-celebrities

Users of Android and iOS may subscribe to the platform for $11 per month with Twitter Blue.

When Elon Musk purchased the company in late 2022 for $44 billion, his objective was to grow the number of users.

Read also: Twitter to deal with more rivals in 2023 developed by former employees

Two-factor authentication 

When Twitter said last week that it was reevaluating how it handled two-factor authentication, it caused a stir.

According to the press release, SMS messages are a two-factor authentication method that is only available to Twitter Blue members.

Only 2.6% of Twitter users had 2FA enabled as of 2021, according to a study done by Twitter Account Security.

Just 74.4% of consumers utilized SMS authentication, however.

As of March 20, non-Blue users have two more, cost-free alternatives for authenticating their log-ins:

  • A security key
  • A mobile authentication app

The announcement was made on Twitter on February 15 in a blog post that stated:

“Instead of only entering a password to log in, 2FA requires you to also enter a code or use a security key. This additional step helps make sure that you, and only you, can access your account.”

“While historically a popular form of 2FA, unfortunately we have seen phone-number based 2FA be used – and abused – by bad actors.”

“So starting today, we will no longer allow accounts to enroll in the text message/SMS method of 2FA unless they are Twitter Blue subscribers.”

“Non-Twitter Blue subscribers that are already enrolled will have 30 days to disable this method and enroll in another.”

“We encourage non-Twitter Blue subscribers to consider using an authentication app or security key method instead.”

“These methods require you to have a physical possession of the authentication method and are a great way to ensure your account is secure.”

 

Howard Schultz offers insights on unionizations

Avatar photo Alice Blake on February 23, 2023

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Howard Schultz – It wasn’t always like it is now, but Starbucks has grown to become one of the top coffee businesses in the US.

The coffee business had a financial crisis in 2008 that devastated every other sector of the economy.

Former CEO of Starbucks from 1987 until 2000, Howard Schultz, had returned to assist the business.

He led Starbucks as CEO for over ten years until giving over the reins to Kevin Johnson, after being responsible for getting the business back on its feet.

Johnson did, however, leave the office in March 2022, which led to Schultz’s comeback.

He handled a rising unionization dilemma, another Starbucks crisis, last year.

An ominous sign for Starbucks

Howard Schultz spoke with CNN’s Poppy Harlow in February on the development of the union, its ties to China, and the American economy.

Schultz made it clear that the union’s efforts had nothing to do with his return to the company.

He did admit, however, that the labor movement was a preview of changes to come at Starbucks.

“It’s my belief that the efforts of unionization in America are in many ways a manifestation of a much bigger problem,” said Schultz.

“There is a macro issue here that is much, much bigger than Starbucks.”

Five months before his return, in December 2021, the first Starbucks chain to unionize cast a vote.

Moreover, Howard Schultz declared that he will serve as the company’s acting CEO for a third and last time.

Even so, Schultz was concerned about the unionization campaign before he returned to the business.

He addressed an open letter to the “partners,” the term the firm uses for its employees, a month before the first Starbucks chain voted.

“No partner has ever needed to have a representative seek to obtain things we all have as partners at Starbucks.”

“I am saddened and concerned to hear anyone thinks that is needed now.”

A fight for rights

Workers that are unionized continue to struggle for a number of reasons notwithstanding the letter, such as fixed schedules, preserving benefits for part-timers, and more.

The union also wants the business to formally adopt the fair election principles in order to safeguard employees’ freedom to organize without fear of reprisal.

Howard Schultz’s antipathy to the union has become stronger since resuming his duties as CEO.

The fight for unionization grew more heated during that time.

The corporation was accused by the union leadership of refusing to engage in formal negotiations, endangering their benefits, and engaging in union-busting tactics.

The claims have been refuted by Starbucks.

Charges from both sides

The union charged Starbucks with hundreds of unfair labor practices.

As a form of retaliation, the coffee company filed its own unfair labor charges against them, alleging that the union was impeding talks.

The NLRB discovered many instances when the business improperly intimidated and fired employees who were engaged in union activity.

Starbucks must discontinue the illegal practice of firing workers who support the union, according to a recent court ruling.

Read also: Job cuts and hiring creates headache for US market

The company contends that the action was unjustified and that it makes an effort to abide with the law.

Senator Bernie Sanders and members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee have requested testimony from Howard Schultz on the company’s adherence to labor rules for an upcoming hearing.

Starbucks’ chief public affairs officer AJ Jones II will attend the hearing as Schultz turned down the request.

The movement’s progress

In mid-February, the NLRB certified that 282 stores had voted in favor of unionization, while just 56 did not.

Just a small percentage of the nearly 9,3000 Starbucks chains run by American companies have opted to unionize.

The statistics show that most Starbucks partners are OK with the current state of affairs, according to Howard Schultz.

In any case, the union sees expansion as a show of support from the workforce.

“The fact that Starbucks workers are continuing to organize and win shows just how much workers need and desire a union,” said the union.

Starbucks has established a good reputation as a forward-thinking business throughout the years.

Howard Schultz had a key role in creating the impression by providing staff with:

  • Company stock
  • Employee health insurance
  • Tuition reimbursement

While he prepares to leave his job as CEO, his image is put in jeopardy, in part because of the company’s hostility to the union.

Howard Schultz isn’t giving up despite the criticism.

Lost trust

When Howard Schultz returned to Starbucks in 2022, he spent time speaking with staff members during a “listening tour” to help him create a new business strategy.

He said that the business had become disorganized.

“I’ve talked to thousands of our Starbucks partners,” Schultz said.

“I was shocked, stunned to hear the loneliness, the anxiety, the fracturing of trust in government, fracturing of trust in companies, fracturing of trust in families, the lack of hope in terms of opportunity.”

According to Schultz, American businesses deal with unionizations because employees are more angry with the situation than the company.

Tesla recalls models, safety concerns raised

Avatar photo Scarlet Logan on February 23, 2023

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Tesla – Users have always found the idea of having a car drive itself to be enticing, especially in situations when there is traffic or a distance to travel.

Even though it was originally only a vision, Elon Musk and his automaker Tesla were able to make it a reality.

The response has been uneven since the inclusion of the “Full Self Driving” aid software.

Due to its self-driving capability, Tesla had to recall a handful of cars last year.

This year, the firm plans to recall even more cars.

The news

There are reports that Tesla is recalling all 363,000 “Full Self Driving”-equipped cars in the US.

The corporation cited safety concerns as the reason for their choice, which will be another blow to Tesla’s key differentiator.

The autonomous driving function uses artificial intelligence (AI) to steer, brake, and accelerate the car while it travels through local roadways.

Because of the system’s propensity for making poor judgment calls, it also necessitates having a human driver ready to take over at any time.

The problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that Tesla’s FSD function has resulted in an unreasonably high danger to motor vehicle safety due to a lack of dedication to traffic safety.

The agency issued a warning that FSD could have the ability to transgress traffic regulations at crossings before motorists can react.

Recently, the NHTSA announced a recall on its website, stating:

“The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution.”

Fixing the system

The FSD function would be fixed by Tesla via an over-the-air software update, which would cost them $15,000, according to the NHTSA notice.

Elon Musk, the CEO, has not yet issued a public remark on the matter.

He has only used the word “recall” in his tweets thus far, claiming it is incorrect and out-of-date to refer to an over-the-air software update.

Yet according to the NHTSA statement, manufacturers are required to start a recall for fixes that reduce an unreasonably high risk to safety, including software upgrades.

The government authorities claim they continue to assess the efficacy of recall solutions.

Read also: Ford halts pickup truck EV production, battery fire creates issue

Affected models

The issues are evident in vehicles using the most recent FSD software version, according to the notice.

The software is used by the following four Tesla models:

  • Model S
  • Model X
  • Model 3
  • Model Y

The notification also claimed the corporation detected 18 reports of events between May 8, 2019, and September 12, 2022, which might be tied to similar situations.

The NHTSA stated Tesla is unaware of injuries or deaths in the reported occurrences.

The Tesla driver assistant system was involved in 273 crashes, according to the government authorities.

Safety data

Due to the premiums consumers pay for its amenities and its ability to entice purchasers with its automobiles, Tesla views FSD as the foundation of the business strategy for the firm.

Although being in beta, Elon Musk and the business have insisted that the FSD is safer than manual automobiles.

Musk informed investors in January that the business gathered information from drivers who used FSD outside of highways for more than 100 million miles.

“Our published data shows that improvement in safety,” said the CEO. 

“It’s very clear. So we would not have released the FSD Beta if the safety statistics were not excellent.”

Tesla’s claims about safety, however, are disputed by safety professionals.

High-profile incidents involving Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD and its predecessor, the “Autopilot,” have occurred.

Deaths have resulted in some incidents.

The NHTSA is also looking into Autopilot.

Instead of the “full self-driving” idea, the system combines adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist to maintain the automobile in its lane.

Tesla aspires to create an AI that can drive a car autonomously in the future.

Although the recall is intended to address a particular set of issues, it excludes preliminary investigations.

“Accordingly, the agency’s investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot and associated vehicle system remains open and active,” said its statement.

According to Tesla’s annual financial report, the US Justice Department requested records related to the company’s Autopilot and FSD technologies in January.

 

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