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Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it would invest $2 billion in North Carolina as it aims to expand its U.S. manufacturing presence amid looming drug import duties proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration. Major drugmakers, including Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca, have also committed to shell out billions of dollars to scale up their U.S. footprint in response to Trump’s efforts, including tariff threats. Earlier this month, Trump said he plans to impose phased-in tariffs for the pharmaceutical sector, which could start small and eventually rise to 250%. J&J said on Thursday it has reached a 10-year agreement with Tokyo-based contract drug developer Fujifilm Diosynth for its more than 160,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, which would create about 120 new jobs. Fujifilm in April had signed a more than $3 billion deal with Regeneron to manufacture and supply drug products for the U.S.-based company at its North Carolina facility for a span of 10 years. J&J would also announce plans for additional manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and the expansion of current U.S. sites in the coming months. The healthcare conglomerate had said in March it would raise U.S. investments by 25% to more than $55 billion over the next four years, including a separate plant in Wilson, North Carolina. Mariam Sunny, Reuters
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E-Commerce
Many employers are demanding more from workers these days, pushing them to log as many hours as possible. Google, for example, told all its employees that they should expect to spend 60 or more hours in the office every week. Some tech companies are demanding 12-hour days, six days a week, from their new hires. More job applicants in healthcare, engineering, and consulting have been told to expect longer hours than previously demanded due to a weak job market. On the other hand, companies such as Cisco, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Intuit have earned a reputation for supporting a strong work-life balance, according to Glassdoor employee ratings. To promote work-life balance, they offer flexible work options, give workers tips on setting boundaries, and provide benefits to promote mental and physical well-being, including mindfulness and meditation training, and personal coaching outside of work. As a psychologist who studies workplace performance and well-being, Ive seen abundant evidence that overworking employees can actually make them less productive. Instead, research shows that when employees have the time and space to lead a fulfilling life outside worksuch as being free to spend time with their families or pursue creative hobbiesit improves their performance on the job. Falling prey to the “focusing illusion” For example, a team of researchers reviewed 70 studies looking at how managers support workers family lives. They found that when supervisors show consideration for workers personal roles as a family member, including providing help to workers and modeling work-family balance, those employees are more loyal and helpful on the job and are also less likely to think about quitting. Another study found that workers who could take on creative projects outside of work became more creative at work, regardless of their own personalities. This was true even for workers who didnt consider themselves to be very creative to start with, which suggests it was the workplace culture that really made a difference. When employers become obsessed with their workers productivity, they can get hung up on tracking immediate goals such as the number of emails sent or sales calls made. But they tend to neglect other vital aspects of employees lives that, perhaps somewhat ironically, sustain long-term productivity. Daniel Kahneman, the late psychologist whose research team won a Nobel Prize in economics, called this common misconception the focusing illusion. In this case, many employers underestimate the hidden costs of making people work more hours than they can muster while maintaining some semblance of work-life balance. Among them are mental health problems, burnout, and high turnover rates. In other words, overly demanding policies can ultimately hinder the performance employers want to see. Taking it from Simone Biles Many top performers recognize the value of work while also valuing the time spent away from it. At the end of the day, were human too, said Simone Biles, who is widely considered the best gymnast on record. We have to protect our mind and body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do. Elite athletes like Biles require time away from the spotlight to recuperate and hone their skills. Others who are at the top of their professions turn to hobbies to recharge their batteries. Albert Einsteins passion for playing the violin and piano was not merely a diversion from physicsit was instrumental to the famous and widely beloved scientists groundbreaking scientific insights. Einsteins second wife, Elsa Einstein, observed that he took short breaks to play music when he was thinking about his scientific theories. Taking a break Ive reviewed hundreds of studies that show leisure time isnt a luxuryit fulfills key psychological needs. Taking longer and more frequent breaks from your job than your workaholic boss might like can help you get more rest, recover from work-related stress, and increase your sense of mastery and autonomy. Thats because when employees find fulfillment outside of work, they tend to become better at their jobs, making their employers more likely to thrive. Thats what a team of researchers found when they studied the workforce at a large city hospital in the U.S. Employees who thought their bosses supported their family life were happier with their jobs, more loyal, and less likely to quit. Unsurprisingly, the happier, more supported workers also gave their supervisors higher ratings. Researchers who studied the daily leisure activities of 100 Dutch teachers found that when the educators could take some of their time off to relax and engage in hobbies outside work, they felt better and had an easier time coping with the demands of their job the next day. Another study of German emergency service workers found that not having enough fun over the weekend, such as socializing with friends and relatives, can undermine job performance the following week. Finding the hidden costs of overwork The mental health consequences of overwork, spending too many hours on the job, or getting mentally or physically exhausted by your work are significant and measurable. According to the
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E-Commerce
A dangerous, multiday heat wave descended on much of California and the U.S. Southwest, with near-record temperatures expected along with a higher risk of wildfires.Officials opened cooling centers this week in Los Angeles, where residents are warned to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered state firefighting resources deployed in areas where blazes could ignite.Here’s what you need to know. Sizzling hot The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for Southern California starting Wednesday into the weekend. If outdoor activities can’t be avoided, forecasters say, they should be moved to early morning hours. And everyone should hydrate.Downtown Los Angeles was forecast to reach 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius) on Friday, while valleys to the north braced for temperatures as high as 108 F (42 C). It will be several degrees hotter in desert areas including Palm Springs.Candice Catlett, who uses a wheelchair, rolled herself toward some shade as temperatures started spiking Tuesday in downtown LA.“It’s sizzling hot out here,” Catlett said. “I have sunblock. Hopefully, I can find some cold water. I’m trying to stay out of the direct sun.”Further north, nearly-always-hot Death Valley could see a severe 120 F (49 C), the weather service said, 14 degrees shy of its record high of 134 F (56 C) set more than a century ago when in 1913 it hit the highest-ever recorded temperature on Earth.In Arizona, the peak of the heat wave will hit Thursday and Friday, with the mercury possibly reaching 110 F (43 C) in the southern and western parts of the state. Similar temperatures were likely in Las Vegas. Fire risk Red flag warnings, signaling elevated wildfire danger, have been issued across Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties until Saturday. “If you live in a high fire danger area in the mountains or foothills, review your evacuation plans and route and stay tuned to your local emergency officials,” the weather service said in a statement.The state has sent 10 fire engines and multiple firefighting teams to LA County to assist local agencies if blazes break out.“By prepositioning firefighting crews, equipment, and other resources in high-risk areas, we can respond faster and more effectively when needed,” said Nancy Ward, director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.California’s largest blaze this year, the Gifford Fire, was at 95% containment Wednesday after charring nearly 206 square miles (534 square kilometers) of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties since erupting on Aug. 1. The cause is under investigation. Thunderstorms too Adding to the chance for wildfires, especially in mountain areas, is lightning that could accompany thunderstorms, said Sam Zuber, a meteorologist with the weather service’s San Diego office.“We have monsoonal moisture coming in, we have an unstable environment because of the heat, and that creates perfect condition for thunderstorms,” Zuber said Wednesday. She added that lightning can strike in dry areas up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) away from where downpours occur.Heavy rain could also cause localized flooding and mudslides, forecasters warned. Christopher Weber and Damian Dovarganes, Associated Press
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