US hospitality and tourism professors don’t mirror the demographics of the industry they serve

White and male professors continue to dominate U.S. hospitality and tourism education programs, our new research has found, even as the industry is growing increasingly diverse. This imbalance raises questions about who shapes the future of hospitality and whose voices are left out of the conversation. Our analysis of 862 faculty members across 57 of […]

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White men held less than half the board seats on the top 50 Fortune list for the third straight year — but their numbers are rising

Historically, corporate board rooms have been mostly white and mostly male. Yet the trend started shifting in the 1970s, in part due to gains from the civil rights era and pro-diversity efforts by activists and business groups. I have been monitoring the degree of diversity in the corporate and political worlds for decades. One useful […]

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Gifts of gym memberships and Botox treatments can lead to hurt feelings – and bad reviews for the businesses

How would you feel if someone gave you a gym membership as a holiday or Valentine’s Day gift? What about Botox? Laser hair removal? Services like those are part of the estimated US$48 billion self-improvement industry. Does this suggest that many people would appreciate self-improvement gifts? Retailers seem to think so. The Planet Fitness chain […]

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Muppets continue to make a profit 50 years into their run

A variety show that’s still revered for its absurdist, slapstick humor debuted 50 years ago. It starred an irreverent band of characters made of foam and fleece. Long after “The Muppet Show”‘s original 120-episode run ended in 1981, the legend and legacy of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and other creations concocted by puppeteer and […]

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What they are, who pays them, and why they matter now

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case to determine whether President Donald Trump’s global tariffs are legal. Until recently, tariffs rarely made headlines. Yet today, they play a major role in U.S. economic policy, affecting the prices of everything from groceries to autos to holiday gifts, as well as the outlook for unemployment, […]

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Time banks could ease the burden of elder care and promote connection

Long-term care for older people is challenging for everyone. The costs are high and the quality of care is unpredictable at best, often falling short. The U.S. health care system is so hard to navigate that experts can find it aggravating. Even when people who need help with activities of daily living – a list […]

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Black-market oil buyers will push Venezuela for bigger discounts following US seizure – starving Maduro of much-needed revenue

The U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast looks designed to further squeeze the economy of President Nicolás Maduro’s country. The Dec. 10, 2025, operation – in which American forces descended from helicopters onto the vessel – follows months of U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and was immediately condemned by the […]

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Donor-advised funds have more money than ever – and direct more of it to politically active charities

Charitable giving in the United States has changed significantly in recent years. Two of the biggest changes are the swift growth of donor-advised funds and the increasingly blurred lines between charity and politics. Donor-advised funds, or DAFs, are charitable investment accounts. After donors put money or other financial assets into these accounts, the assets are […]

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What national security truth-tellers reveal in an age of crackdowns

Across the world, governments are tightening controls on speech, expanding surveillance and rolling back rights once thought to be secure. From anti-protest laws and curbs on workers’ rights to the growing criminalization of leaks and dissent, the trend is chilling: People who speak out about government wrongdoing are increasingly vulnerable, and the legal systems that […]

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Best way for employers to support employees with chronic mental illness is by offering flexibility

More than 20% of Americans will be diagnosed with mental illness in their lifetimes. They will, that is, experience conditions that influence the way they think, feel and act – and that may initially seem incompatible with the demands of work. Our new research suggests that what people living with chronic mental illnesses need most […]

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