Secondary students at 20 New Zealand schools are using virtual reality and computer programs to visit countries to work on their language skills through the Immerseme program. The program is set up for nine languages -- including Japanese, Mandarin, Indonesian and English -- and allows students to use a computer or headset to practice a language in simulated situations, such as speaking French to order coffee in a Paris cafe.
Not every difficult client is worth keeping, but first determine whether the bad behavior is a one-time incident that can be corrected, writes Michael Hyatt. If you decide to cut ties, put aside your anger, decide how you'll move on and don't waste time afterward bad-mouthing the person.
More students are seeking mental-health care on campus, and some colleges and universities are providing ways to continue that help after students graduate. Schools such as New York University offer policies with 90-day coverage after graduation and the University of Michigan offers graduates limited free counseling and referrals to other professionals.
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The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to preserve the nation's economic expansion for as long as it can, said San Francisco Fed President John Williams. "The very strong labor market actually carries with it the risk of the economy exceeding its safe speed limit and overheating, which could eventually undermine the sustainability of the expansion," Williams said.
German discount grocer Lidl will open a $100 million regional headquarters and distribution facility in Cartersville, Ga., late next year, marking its fourth such center in the US, the company said Monday. The retailer has also set a July opening date for its next four US stores in Virginia and North Carolina, following its first wave of US store openings earlier this month.
The Senate's Better Care Reconciliation Act would leave 22 million more Americans uninsured by 2026 than would be under the Affordable Care Act, and it would raise premiums in the first two years but have 30% lower premiums in 2020 than under the Affordable Care Act, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. If the Senate bill is passed into law, the number of uninsured would increase by 15 million next year, largely due to the repeal of the individual mandate, but federal deficit would be reduced by $321 billion over the next decade, CBO said.
Podcast advertising revenue has spiked 85% since 2016 and is expected to surpass $220 million this year, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PwC US report. Their study reveals what type of advertising resonates most with listeners, and PwC US' David Silverman says, "So far, a connection with the host is the best deal for branded marketing."
UPS today said it plans to generate 25% of its electricity from renewables, cut emissions by 12% from its global ground operations and increase by 25% the total number of vehicles running on alternative fuels. In its latest corporate sustainability report, the company noted other steps, such as investments in software and updated aircraft and the possibility of using a person's exact GPS location, rather than a street address, on the last mile of delivery.
A pro-IS group calling itself Team System DZ has hacked into US government websites in what officials call "defacement" attacks against President Donald Trump. Websites in Ohio were targeted, and officials have taken those servers offline.
European regulators approved Sanofi and Regeneron's Kevzara, or sarilumab, as a treatment for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis and who have intolerance or an inadequate response to one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The decision was backed by seven late-stage studies in which Kevzara showed statistically significant, clinically meaningful improvements in patients.
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Comcast and Charter Communications are in an exclusive, two-month agreement for discussions on providing wireless services, sources say. While a joint acquisition may be on the table, the more likely scenario is a resell agreement that would allow the cable giants to sell wireless services through Sprint's network, the sources say.
Wildlife now flourishes on California's Bair Island two years after the last levees that managed its water flow were breached. The project has restored 3,000 acres of tidal marsh, bringing in all the attendant creatures, as well as nearby residents exploring nature.
The US Conference of Mayors passed resolutions aimed at improving the climate during a three-day summit that ended yesterday. The bipartisan group approved a pledge to support the transitions of cities to 100% renewable energy by 2035, and many pledged to live by the spirit of the Paris climate agreement despite the federal government's retreat from it.
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz was listed at No. 18 in Glassdoor's Employees Choice Awards, based on employee feedback at companies worldwide. Munoz received an approval rating of 96%.
Technology, local culture, food and the impact of home-sharing are key areas of concentration for future lodging entrepreneurs, says Sonia Tatar, CEO of Les Roches Global Hospitality Education. Millennials, with their demands for design, luxury and flexibility, present a challenging market.