LayerX uses AI to cut enterprise back-office workload, scores $100M in Series B

This Japanese AI startup just raised $100M to cut businesses’ admin burden.

The Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa shut down in 2020, but could come back online to support growing power demand from the tech sector.

Shop the best deals on WIRED-tested outdoor gear from REI, Nemo, MSR, Coleman, Fjällräven, and more during REI’s Labor Day sale.

Cracker Barrel's $100 Million Logo Reversal: Mistake or Marketing Genius?

UPDATE 8/26:Cracker Barrelannounced Tuesday evening they're reverting to their "Old Timer" logo, abandoning the new design after less than a week - faster than Gap's infamous reversal in 2010. Stock jumped 9% in after-hours trading.

One of my first business makeovers was for the Bay Shores Peninsula Hotel in Newport Beach. The rooms hadn't been updated in years, the reservation system was clunky, and staff training was functional but not inspired. The last thing we touched was the logo - several years later, after everything else was fixed and guests were happy.

Cracker Barrel did the opposite - they changed their logo in August, faced immediate backlash that erased nearly $100 million in market value, then completely reversed course. This rapid sequence offers crucial lessons for executives planning brand changes.

A push to tax the real estate of the wealthy has sparked a backlash among brokers and potential buyers, who say the taxes punish the most important local spenders.

Tiny fish-shaped soy sauce bottles are the latest casualty in Australia’s fight against waste, outlawed by single-use plastic laws that took effect on Monday.

In its "Replace the Waste" guidance, South Australia’s government said the rules target single-serve soy sauce containers under 30 milliliters, most often shaped like fish but sometimes pigs, rectangles or other novelty designs.

The ban applies to all rigid plastic condiment containers with lids under that size, commonly handed out with takeaway meals.

Along with soy sauce fish, the state extended the ban to single-use straws and cutlery attached to food or drink containers, such as straws on juice boxes.

TRUMP TREASURY HEAD DEFENDS ELON MUSK'S DOGE DESPITE ‘SQUAWKING’ FROM CRITICS

Expanded polystyrene cups and bowls, such as those used for instant noodles, were also banned, aligning South Australia with New South Wales and Victoria.

Still permitted are plastic lollipop sticks, large soy dispensers, sachets and squeeze packs of soy sauce, and coated paper cups and bowls for instant meals.

South Australia passed the country’s first Single-use and Other Plastic Products (Waste Avoidance) Act in 2020, acknowledging plastic’s role in daily life but stressing that how it is produced, used and discarded wastes resources and harms the environment.

‘BACK TO PLASTIC!’: TRUMP VOWS EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING ‘RIDICULOUS’ PUSH FOR PAPER STRAWS

"South Australians are committed to the environment and want action on single-use plastic products," the state said on its site. "By avoiding waste and shifting to reusable or recyclable options, we can ensure the best environmental outcome for our ‘clean and green’ state."

The state adopted a phased approach starting March 1, 2021, when single-use plastic straws, cutlery and stirrers were first banned.

In 2022, the state banned expanded polystyrene cups, bowls, plates and clamshell containers common in takeout, along with oxo-degradable plastic products.

Since then, South Australia has also banned items including plastic-stemmed cotton buds, pizza savers, barrier bags, thick supermarket bags, single-use food containers, plastic confetti and food bag tags.

TRUMP, ELON MUSK BOND OVER PLASTIC STRAWS

States and municipalities across the U.S. have imposed their own single-use plastic bans, targeting items like straws and plastic bags.

While Australia tightens restrictions, the U.S. appears to be moving in the opposite direction.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the "procurement and forced use of paper straws."

The order directed the federal government to stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer offered in federal buildings.

The order also required a "National Strategy" to end the use of paper straws within 45 days and "alleviate the forced use of paper straws nationwide."

According to the White House, paper straws are more expensive than plastic straws and use chemicals that may carry risks to human health.

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Several Democrat-run states, including California, Colorado, New York, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Washington, have bans or restrictions on single-use plastic straws.

Some of those states currently have laws limiting the use of single-use plastic straws in full-service restaurants unless requested by the customer.

NAR lost the trust of many agents. Is the trade group winning it back?

When new rules governing buyer's agent compensation went into effect, the share of real estate agents Intel surveyed who saw the National Association of Realtors as bad for the industry shot up. One year later, some agents are coming back around.

Thinking about relisting your home after it didn’t sell the first time? There are plenty of ways to turn things around; relisting can be your chance to make a stronger impression and attract the right buyer.

The post Relisting Your Home: What You Need to Know Before Trying Again appeared first on Redfin | Real Estate Tips for Home Buying, Selling & More.

A push to tax the real estate of the wealthy has sparked a backlash among brokers and potential buyers, who say the taxes punish the most important local spenders.

Russia Intensifies Strikes in Ukraine, Defying Trump’s Shifting Deadlines for Peace

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expanding his strikes on Ukrainian cities and pressing for further military gains in defiance of President Trump’s deadlines to enter serious peace talks.

Lisa Cook's lawyer said "crazy midnight tweets" by housing official Bill Pulte about alleged mortgage fraud do not give President Trump cause to remove her.

The merger fever that's gripped Italy's banking sector showed signs of abating this summer — but its end isn't nigh.

Atlas of Space

Gordon Hart put together a fun interactive atlas of space. Click on objects, pan, and zoom. It’s not comprehensive but not bad for a side project:

This was a fun side project over Winter Break 2024 to learn orbital mechanics, browser animation, serverless deployment options, and of course facts about moons, asteroids, and comets. Building for yourself is a treat that I haven’t properly enjoyed in some time. Source code is available on GitHub at @gordonhart/atlasof.space.

Tags: atlas, Gordon Hart, space

We have identified five Republican tribes. This is what they mean for the party

Our analysis of whether the country is losing its international appeal among holidaymakers