I’m a night owl, so I’m interested when I come across studies about what happens to people who habitually stay up late. Sometimes they can be disturbing, and sometimes they’re innocuous. But sometimes — like the latest one I’ve read — they come with a silver lining.
Today’s study comes to us from the medical school at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. It involves tracking the sleep habits and health outcomes of nearly 24,000 people over 10 full years.
Let’s give you the results up front: good, bad, and the reason to look on the bright side.
Writing in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, the Dutch researchers said they tracked the sleep habits and the degree to which they displayed cognitive decline over the same period.
The results were disconcerting on their face for night owls; people who habitually stay up late wound up with faster cognitive decline than those who go to bed early.
But, there was an unexpected twist. The less education night owls had, the less likely they were to experience similar levels of cognitive decline over the study period.
That finding begs for an explanation, and researcher Ana Wenzler, a Ph.D. candidate in the university’s department of epidemiology, offered a few:
First, as we saw in another recent study, people who stay up late are less likely than their early-to-bed peers to exercise during the day.
Second, people who go to bed early simply sleep through many of the times when other people smoke, drink, and eat unhealthy foods most often.
Finally — and this might be the most interesting — the increased correlation between more education and more cognitive decline for night owls might stem from the fact that, statistically, more educated people wind up trapped in a daytime work hours environment, even when their natural rhythms might be better served by a different schedule.
As Wenzler explained in an accompanying statement:
“That probably has to do with their sleep rhythm. They are often people who have to go back to work early in the morning and are therefore more likely to sleep too short, giving their brains too little rest.
We suspect that lower- or middle-educated people are more likely to have a job that allows them to take their sleep rhythm into account, such as a job in the hospitality industry or one with night shifts. If this is not possible, your brain does not get enough rest and you are more likely to adopt bad habits.
It would be nice if more consideration was given to evening people who now have to work early: for example, by giving them the option of starting later.”
This is the part I look at as a silver lining. Because, even as workplaces have evolved during the 10 years or so that the study period covered, many highly educated night owls have, in fact, adjusted.
More of us work remotely, more of us work for ourselves, and more of us have worked out flexibility. We’ve actually given ourselves “the option of starting later” if it fits our schedules better.
In my personal situation, that’s exactly what’s happened. If you go back to the earlier parts of my career, I was chained to an inflexible schedule at work. As an example, I had a job that required me to battle a Los Angeles commute and be sitting at my desk by 7:30 a.m. each day.
Let’s just say it was a struggle.
Today, I’m fortunate in that I answer to nobody but myself, and so I set my own hours. I probably put in a lot more time each week than I once did when I was on someone else’s schedule, but the hours I work are better suited to my natural chronotype (or “biological clock”).
Of course, we’re hearing about this study just as many big companies are swinging the pendulum back the other way, requiring employees to be in the office more often, and limiting remote work and flexibility.
Maybe that’s a competitive opportunity if you’re running a business.
Great employees come in all chronotypes: night owls and early birds alike.
Call it another silver lining.
By Bill Murphy Jr.
This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister publication, Inc.
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The U.S. economy expanded at a surprising 3% annual pace from April through June, bouncing back at least temporarily from a first-quarter drop that reflected disruptions from President Donald Trumps trade wars.
Still, details of the report suggested that U.S. consumers and businesses are wary about the economic uncertainty arising from Trump’s radical campaign to restructure the American economy by slapping big taxes tariffs on imports from around the world.
Headline numbers are hiding the economys true performance, which is slowing as tariffs take a bite out of activity, Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic wrote.
America’s gross domestic product the nations output of goods and services rebounded after falling at a 0.5% clip from January through March, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. The first-quarter drop, the first retreat of the U.S. economy in three years, was mainly caused by a surge in imports which are subtracted from GDP as businesses scrambled to bring in foreign goods ahead of Trumps tariffs.
The bounceback was expected but its strength was a surprise: Economists had forecast 2% growth from April through June.
From April through June, a drop in imports the biggest since the COVID-19 outbreak added more than 5 percentage points to growth. Consumer spending registered lackluster growth of 1.4%, though it was an improvement over the first quarter’s 0.5%.
Private investment fell at a 15.6% annual pace, biggest drop since COVID-19 slammed the economy. A drop in inventories as businesses worked down goods they’d stockpiled in the first quarter shaved 3.2 percentage points off second-quarter growth.
A category within the GDP data that measures the economys underlying strength weakened in the second quarter, expanding at a 1.2% annual pace, down from 1.9% from January through March and the weakest since the end of 2022. This category includes consumer spending and private investment but excludes volatile items like exports, inventories and government spending.
Federal government spending and investment fell at a 3.7% annual rate on top of a 4.6% drop in the first quarter.
Wednesdays GDP report showed inflationary pressure easing in the second quarter. The Federal Reserves favored inflation gauge the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, price index rose at an annual rate of 2.1% in the second quarter, down from 3.7% in the first. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, so-called core PCE inflation rose 2.5%, down from 3.5% in the first quarter.
On his Truth Social media platform, Trump heralded the GDP gain and stepped up his pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates: “2Q GDP JUST OUT: 3%, WAY BETTER THAN EXPECTED! Too Late MUST NOW LOWER THE RATE. No Inflation! Let people buy, and refinance, their homes!”
Trump sees tariffs as a way to protect American industry, lure factories back to the United States, and help pay for the massive tax cuts he signed into law July 4.
But mainstream economists viewed with disdain by Trump and his advisers say that his tariffs will damage the economy, raising costs and making protected U.S. companies less efficient. They note that tariffs are paid by importers in the United States, who try to pass along the cost to their customers via higher prices. Therefore, tariffs can be inflationary though their impact so far has been modest.
Paul Wiseman, AP economics writer
Historically dry conditions have combined with gusty winds to make it harder for crews to get a handle on a wildfire burning along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, causing containment figures to plummet as the blaze nearly tripled in size in just a few days.Crews had managed to contain about 26% of the Dragon Bravo Fire last week, but that dropped into single digits as unfavorable conditions helped the flames to spread across more than 110 square miles (about 285 kilometers) by Tuesday.The fire made one of its biggest runs on Monday as it raced across 25 square miles of terrain.The periods when the fire is most active is spanning longer durations of the day, leaving less time for firefighters to make up ground, fire spokesperson Lisa Jennings said.“These record dry air masses are just the tip of the iceberg on what has created this fire weather, because it’s also been a dry season here and we haven’t got any of the monsoon moisture that usually comes in early July,” Jennings said.She added that type of fuels towering mixed conifers and ponderosa pines along with the topography of the rim are contributing to the fire’s spread.Crews on Tuesday continued work to reinforce protections near the Kaibab Lodge, which is surrounded by national forest land. Managers also were keeping an eye on a refuge for the state’s fish the Apache trout in the North Canyon and a bison herd in the House Rock Valley.The fire was sparked by lightning on July 4 and initially was managed to clear out vegetation to improve forest conditions. It wasn’t until a week later that dry and windy conditions helped to fan the flames, prompting evacuations of visitors and employees at Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim. The historic Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of cabins were destroyed. The rim remains closed for the season.A bipartisan slate of Arizona’s elected officials has questioned the handling of the fire, suggesting more could have been done early on. Following an aerial tour of the damage, Gov. Katie Hobbs met with federal officials and said U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum committed to an independent review.
Sejal Govindarao, Associated Press
Whether youre managing a team or leveling up your own skills, these eight leadership books are among this years most essential reads.
The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance
By Zach Mercurio
Filled with practical advice and helpful exercises, The Power of Mattering gives leaders at all levels the skills they need to revitalize their teamsand entire organizationsby showing people that they matter. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Zach Mercurio, in the Next Big Idea App, or view on Amazon.
The Doors You Can Open: A New Way to Network, Build Trust, and Use Your Influence to Create a More Inclusive Workplace
By Rosalind Chow
Carnegie Mellon organizational behavior researcher Rosalind Chow, PhD, introduces the novel concept of sponsorship. While mentorship can change mentees for the better through valuable coaching and encouragement, sponsorship takes it one step furthersponsors can change the social environment around their protégés by actively advocating for, raising the social visibility of, and protecting them. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Rosalind Chow, in the Next Big Idea App, or view on Amazon.
Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee
By Wes Adams and Tamara Myles
A powerful revelation that finding meaning at work is the true driver of employee well-being, high performance, and even profit, and a practical road map to make it the cornerstone of your leadership approach. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by coauthors Wes Adams and Tamara Myles, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
Managing Up: How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge
By Melody Wilding
A career coachs indispensable guide to navigating power dynamics, building effective relationships with higher-ups, and earning more authority, freedom, and confidence at work. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Melody Wilding, in the Next Big Idea App, or view on Amazon.
Youre the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)
By Sabina Nawaz
Turn the hidden pressures of management into astonishing results and become the boss everyone wants to work for. This must-read guide from elite executive coach Sabina Nawaz reveals the leadership secrets of highly successful managers. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Sabina Nawaz, in the Next Big Idea App, or view on Amazon.
Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team
By Rich Diviney
Retired Navy SEAL commander and performance expert Rich Diviney reveals a revolutionary method for training individuals and teams to perform at their best, no matter what. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Rich Diviney, in the Next Big Idea App, or view on Amazon.
No One Is Self-Made: Build Your Village to Flourish in Business and Life
By Lakeysha Hallmon
This inspirational guide dares to dismantle the myth of individualism and reveals how collective support can shatter systemic barriers to success. Its a bold road map for entrepreneurs and leaders determined to rewrite the rules of business. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Lakeysha Hallmon, in the Next Big Idea App, or view on Amazon.
Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants
By Jennifer Moss
A deeply human account of how our relationship with work has changed and a guide for leaders who want to make things right. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jennifer Moss, in the Next Big Idea App, or view on Amazon.
This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
Japanese electronics and technology company Panasonic has chosen a new chief executive after eking out a 1.2% rise in its first quarter profit.Kenneth William Sain, a former Boeing executive, will replace Yasuyuki Higuchi as Panasonic’s president and chief executive in April 2026, the company said Wednesday.Sain joined Panasonic in 2019 as CEO of Panasonic Avionics.“Ken is an exceptional leader with extensive global experience and a deep understanding of business and technology,” Higuchi said in a statement.Panasonic Holdings Corp.’s April-June profit totaled 71.46 billion yen ($483 million), up from 70.6 billion yen. Its quarterly sales declined 10.6% from last year to 1.9 trillion yen ($12.8 billion).The Osaka-based maker of home appliances, solar panels and batteries for Tesla vehicles kept its full year profit forecast unchanged at 310 billion yen ($2.1 billion), down 15% from the previous year.Panasonic said the impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs was not yet fully factored in. The company said it will try to minimize the effect on its operating profit with cost cuts and other measures.Consumer electronics sales were strong in Japan, Panasonic said, while they were also healthy in China, supported by subsidies.On the positive side, it said demand for AI servers and air-conditioners was expected to grow. But concerns remain about slowing demand for electric vehicles because of U.S. tariffs and the ending of tax credits.Panasonic also said it’s planning to get rolling later this year its new lithium-ion battery factory in Kansas, whose start has been delayed.Panasonic said in May that it was slashing its global workforce by 10,000 people, half in Japan and half overseas, to become “lean.” The job cuts amount to about 4% of its workforce.
Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama
Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer
Kraft Heinz beat estimates for quarterly results on Wednesday, helped by resilient demand for its pantry staples and condiments in the United States as consumers tried to stretch their household budgets.
A mix of sticky inflation and heightened economic uncertainty has forced consumers to cook more affordable meals at home instead of eating out. People prioritizing protein in their diets has also boosted demand for Kraft Heinz’s steak sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
The company’s board is “working with urgency” to evaluate strategic options for some brands, executives said on a post-earnings call, following media reports earlier this month that it was exploring a spin-off of the grocery business.
Kraft Heinz recorded a $9.3 billion impairment charge in the second quarter due to a steady decline in its market capitalization to $33.8 billion, with the stock value dropping about 30% since 2022.
The company reiterated its annual targets and now expects a cost impact of about 100 basis points this year from President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Its shares were up 1% in early trade.
The Philadelphia Cream Cheese maker has worked on introducing healthier options in some categories such as desserts to capture consumer demand, and has said it would remove food dyes from its portfolio.
It also announced plans to change the packaging for Kraft Mayonnaise to highlight the absence of dyes and artificial flavors, weeks after snacks giant PepsiCo said it will rebrand its Lay’s and Tostitos chips without those substances.
While Kraft Heinz’s quarterly volumes fell about 2.7 percentage points due to some weakness in categories such as coffee, cold meat cuts and ready-to-eat meals, the decline was lower than the prior quarter’s drop of 5.6 percentage points.
In North America, its biggest market by revenue, volumes fell 3.4 percentage points.
“Looking ahead, we continue to expect growth in our international business, but we are not contemplating an improvement in the U.S. industry for the rest of 2025,” CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera said in a statement.
With consumers seeking value, the company has been investing in promotions, and that, along with inflation, could pressure margins in the current quarter, said Arun Sundaram, analyst at CFRA Research.
Net sales for the three months ended June 28 came in at $6.35 billion, beating analysts’ average estimate of $6.26 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Its adjusted profit of 69 cents per share also beat estimates.
Juveria Tabassum, Reuters
Supermans Fortress of Solitude evokes big emotions for Beth Mickle.
Literally, I cry every single time that fortress emerges from the snow, the production designer tells By Design. I cry every single time we go through the doors and we go inside.
As the production designer for James Gunns new Superman movie, Mickle spent months leading a team in building the fortress from scratch, using all practical effects. Her team resin-casted 242 massive crystals, some measuring 40 feet long.
[Image: 2025 Warner Bros]
Crews worked night and day, moving crystals from a production warehouse to the set. And thats just for one of the sets.
On the newest episode of By Design, Mickle explains to hosts Liz Stinson and Mark Wilson why it was so important for her team to use practical effects and to make this take on Superman an optimistic one.
[Image: 2025 Warner Bros]
She also discusses working with Gunn, and where she believes AI will factor into the future of film.
At the beginning of the episode, Liz and Mark discuss the latest in design news, including: whether its a vibeless summer, Metas data center tent city, and a certain copycat in the New York City mayoral race.
And at the end, the hosts debate their best and worst designs of the month (MAGA Coke, Sam Altmans sunglasses, Anne Hathaway . . .).
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get podcasts.
Japanese automaker Nissan sank into a 115.8 billion yen ($782 million) loss for April-June, but promised Wednesday to return to profitability later this year.Nissan Motor Corp. did not give a full year net profit forecast. It recorded a 28.6 billion yen profit during the April-June quarter last year.Quarterly sales for the current fiscal year slipped nearly 10% to 2.7 trillion yen ($18 billion).The maker of the Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models said the results were better than expected.But it faces “headwinds,” including declining sales, unfavorable exchange rates and President Donald Trump’s tariffs.Ivan Espinosa, who took the helm at Nissan in April replacing Makoto Uchida, said the company’s recovery plan remained urgent. Uchida stepped down to take responsibility for the dismal fiscal results.Espinosa noted the initial steps of the company’s revival plan were kicking in, including cutting costs, realigning products, reshaping a market strategy and strengthening partnerships.“We must now go further and faster to achieve profitability. Everyone at Nissan is united in delivering a recovery that will ensure a sustainable and profitable future,” he said.Nissan, based in the port city of Yokohama, has been struggling but is promising a turnaround under Espinosa, a Mexican with two decades of experience at Nissan.The company said some of its models, such as the N7 in China and the Magnite in Mexico, have been selling well recently.Nissan recently ditched talks with Japanese rival Honda Motor Co. to set up a joint holding company. They said they will continue to cooperate on technology development.Nissan is closing its flagship factory in Oppama, Japan, outside Tokyo, by the end of the 2027 fiscal year, moving production there to another plant in southwestern Japan.Nissan is also slashing 15% of its global work force, or about 20,000 employees. That includes a 9,000 head count reduction announced late last year.
Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama
Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer
If youve been thanking the heavens for your A/C this week, spare a thought for Paul Farmer, whos enduring the peak of Arizonas summer without itby choice.
Last year, Farmer went without air-conditioning out of financial necessity. This year, even with his finances in better shape, hes voluntarily forgoing it again. Since May, hes been documenting his no A/C challenge on social media, aiming to hold out until September 22, the official end of summer.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by AZBACKPACK (@azbackpack)
Why would anyone put themselves through that, youre probably asking? With the challenge, Farmer hopes to raise awareness, and funds, for those struggling to pay their electric bills in the extreme heat.
With indoor temperatures regularly creeping toward 100 degrees, Farmer has had to get creative. Hes placed tinfoil in the windows to keep out the heat and built a makeshift air-conditioning unit using a foam cooler. At night, he mostly sleeps on the floor, surrounded by ice packs, with multiple fans blasting.
@azbackpack Day 46 No A/C challenge In ARIZONA #aznoacchallenge Quiet vlog fashionable chill out(1501557) – Yu Yaguchi
About 39 million Americans (roughly 12%) currently live without air-conditioning, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Many simply cant afford it. This summer, electric bills are projected to hit $784 on average, the highest cost in at least 12 years.
Farmers challenge comes as more than 168 million Americans are under active heat advisories, according to the National Weather Service. Extreme heat is responsible for around 700 deaths a year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Farmer has pledged to donate the money he saves on his bills to families in need, hoping to generate enough to pay three families electric bills for an entire year. With less than a month to go, his GoFundMe page is sitting at $2,37785% toward his $2,800 goal.
For the rest of the summer, Starry is giving away free soda if any part of the U.S. experiences 100-degree weather.
The PepsiCo-owned lemon-lime soda brand is offering a limited digital rebate through Labor Day when temps reach 100 degrees anywhere nationwide. Additionally, consumers in select cities have access to special vending machines through the end of July that the company says “will automatically dispense” free sodas if local temperatures hit or exceed the 100-degree mark.
“When the temperature hits triple digits, Starry shows up big-time,” Michael Smith, VP of flavored carbonated soft drink marketing at PepsiCo, tells Fast Company.
Like a fast-food chain that offers free french fries if the local pro baseball team hits a certain number of home runs, Starry is running a conditional giveaway through a promotion that introduces an element of chance and suspense. It also offers a treat in what could otherwise be a crummy situation. It’s hot outside. But hey, at least you can get a free soda.
[Photo: Todd Kirkland/AP Content for PepsiCo]
Starry’s “100 Degrees 100% Off” campaign comes as 100-degree days are increasingly the norm for many parts of the country at this time of year.
Death Valley, Californiathe hottest place in the U.S.is forecast to reach highs of at least 111 degrees for the next 10 days, according to the Weather Channel. Last year Phoenix set a record with a streak of 100 days when it was at least 100 degrees that stretched from May to September. What starts off as a fun, seasonal promotion is just one extended heat wave away from serving as a grim reminder of the effects of a warming climate.
If you’re a marketing department looking to limit payouts, designing a trigger campaign based on the possibility of a 100-degree day anywhere in the U.S. from now until after Labor Day isn’t a good bet. Read the fine print of the promotion, though, and you’ll see there are limits. It’s a onetime rebate for a 20-ounce bottle of Starry (at a maximum retail price of $3.99) that requires consumers to scan a QR code and the receipt from a participating retailer while supplies last, or until September 2, 2025.
And while Starry is being geographically generous with the 100-degree requirement for its giveaway digitally, physically its targeting key markets where summers tend to be cooler than in Death Valley: Atlanta, Charlotte, and Miami. Those cities will see out-of-home advertising and the vending machine activation. But Starry’s playing it safe, with no vending machines in places like Las Vegas, for example, or Tucson, Arizona. Pepsico tells Fast Company no additional vending machines will appear in other cities at this time.
PepsiCo launched Starry in 2023 as a replacement to its own Sierra Mist brand after its market share against Coca-Cola Co.’s Sprite had gone flat. Its mascots are an anamorphic lemon and lime who starred alongside Ice Spice in the brand’s Super Bowl ad. PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said on a company earnings call in 2024 that the brand had a strong first year and was “over-indexing with Gen Z.” Growing that share could be one key way the company adapts while facing falling snack sales.
Starry’s “100 Degrees 100% Off” promotion gives the brand a way to tap into triple-digit temperatures, but it also speaks to a larger business imperative. Summer is the beverage industry’s most important time of the year, so if PepsiCo hopes to build on Starry’s success, there’s no better time than now to promote it.
