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Articles of the Week 

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Big Tech wants to plug data centers right into power plants. Utilities say it’s not fair

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

A data center owned by Amazon Web Services, front right, is under construction next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Pa., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

By MARC LEVY Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Looking for a quick fix for their fast-growing electricity diets, tech giants are increasingly looking to strike deals with power plant owners to plug in directly, avoiding a potentially longer and more expensive process of hooking into a fraying electric grid that serves everyone else.

It’s raising questions over whether diverting power to higher-paying customers will leave enough for others and whether it’s fair to excuse big power users from paying for the grid. Federal regulators are trying to figure out what to do about it, and quickly.

Front and center is the data center that Amazon’s cloud computing subsidiary, Amazon Web Services, is building next to the Susquehanna nuclear plant in eastern Pennsylvania. Continue reading

Trump’s first day actions loom large as Davos begins

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Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

Countries’ flags fly on the roof of the congress center in front of Kongress Hotel prior to the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — As the World Economic Forum’s annual gabfest gets into full swing Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump gave everybody something to talk about with his actions on his first day back in office.

Energy industry executives will mull Trump’s vow to “drill, baby, drill.” Foreign leaders will decipher what he means by his wish to expand U.S. territory. Environmentalists will decry his planned exit from the Paris climate deal. Trade advocates can digest his newly christened “External Revenue Service” to collect tariffs and duties.

From the earliest speeches, panel discussions and back-channel meetings in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, Trump’s executive orders and evocative oratory will loom large. Continue reading

Poland wants the EU focused on security. Its border with Belarus highlights the challenges

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

A Polish border guards stands at the crossing point Połowce-Pieszczatka in Polowce, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Lorne Cooke)

By LORNE COOK Associated Press

POLOWCE, Poland (AP) — Poland’s six-month presidency of the European Union is firmly focused on security. As Europe’s biggest land war in decades rages, fewer places highlight the challenges and contradictions of defending the bloc and its values more starkly than the border with Belarus.

Some 13,000 border guards and soldiers protect around 400 kilometers (250 miles) of border. It’s become a buffer zone since Belarus’ ally, Russia, invaded neighboring Ukraine three years ago. Similar fortifications farther north line Poland’s frontier with the Russian region of Kaliningrad.

Poland is Ukraine’s top logistical backer. Most of the Western-supplied arms, ammunition and equipment helping to keep Ukraine’s armed forces afloat transit through. Russia, meanwhile, uses Belarus as a staging ground for its invasion. Continue reading

UN predicts world economic growth at subdued 2.8% in 2025

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Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, during a visit in Pretoria, South Africa. Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Shiraaz Mohamed)

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The world economy resisted battering by conflicts and inflation last year and is expected to grow a subdued 2.8% in 2025, the United Nations said Thursday.

In “World Economic Situation and Prospects 2025,” U.N. economists wrote that their positive prediction was driven by the strong although slowing growth forecast for China and the United States and by the robust performances anticipated for India and Indonesia. The European Union, Japan, and United Kingdom are expected to experience modest recovery, the report says.

“We are in a period of stable, subpar growth,” said Shantanu Mukherjee, chief of the Global Economic Monitoring Branch at the Economic Analysis and Policy Division at the U.N.’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Continue reading

Working Well: Saying no is hard, but setting boundaries can improve your health

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

AP Illustration / Annie Ng

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — When Justin Stewart started his career, he juggled several jobs to make ends meet. He poured himself into his full-time role as a news show production assistant from 3 a.m. until noon. Then he rushed to the airport where he rented cars or to the big box stores where he pulled retail shifts.

Sometimes, he slept in his car between jobs. Then he was hospitalized for exhaustion and a staph infection.

“While people around me praised my hustle, I eventually paid the price,” Stewart said. “The doctor looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know what lifestyle you’re living, but you’re too young to be this stressed. You’re going to have to quit something.'”

So Stewart, now 36, began setting boundaries. He gave up the side jobs, deciding he could survive without extra income. If people from the news show texted him after-hours, he let them know he was off-duty and where else to call. Continue reading

Why Choosing Something To Watch Feels So Difficult

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Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Michael Dinich | Wealth of Geeks undefined

Too much of a good thing? Streaming service subscribers report that content overload and hidden fees are leading to frustration and subscription fatigue.

In fact, the new survey of 2,000 American streaming service subscribers revealed that the average person spends 110 hours per year scrolling through streaming services, struggling to find something worth watching — a stark reminder of the “too much content, too little time” dilemma.

Commissioned by UserTesting and conducted by Talker Research, the study revealed one in five believe it’s harder to find something to watch today than it was 10 years ago. According to them, the underlying cause comes from being overwhelmed by too much content.

Many struggled with having larger content libraries (41%) and feeling like there’s too much original content being produced (26%). Continue reading

AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

Makenzie Gilkison stands in the main lobby at Greenfield Central High School, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Greenfield, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press

For Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “srkastik.”

The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension. “I just assumed I was stupid,” she recalled of her early grade school years.

But assistive technology powered by artificial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that can read for her.

“I would have just probably given up if I didn’t have them,” she said. Continue reading

Are Employers Ready for a Mass Exodus More Than Half of US Workers Planning Career Changes

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Read time : 2 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Chhavi Agarwal | Wealth of Geeks undefined

As rampant layoffs across industries concern many American workers, a recent ResumeTemplates.com survey reveals another potentially significant workforce shift. More than half (56%) of survey respondents admit they’re already searching for a new job or plan to start hunting in the coming year.

Perhaps even more striking, 1 in 3 job seekers expressed willingness to quit their current positions, even without another job lined up.

These findings highlight a growing trend of career reassessment as workers look for new opportunities amid a challenging and changing job market. Continue reading

Will New Year’s Eve be loud or quiet? What are the top 2025 resolutions? AP-NORC poll has answers

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)

By MARK KENNEDY and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re planning on ringing in the new year quietly at home, you’re not alone.

A majority of U.S adults intend to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

“As I’ve gotten older over the last few years, it’s like if I don’t make it to midnight, it’s not a big deal, you know?” says Carla Woods, 70, from Vinton, Iowa.

Nearly 2 in 10 will be celebrating at a friend or family member’s home, and just 5% plan to go out to celebrate at a bar, restaurant or organized event, the poll found.

But many U.S. adults will celebrate the new year in a different way — by making a resolution. More than half say they’ll make at least one resolution for 2025. Continue reading

Eiffel Tower, White House Among US Travelers’ ‘Bucket List’ Landmarks, Study Reveals

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Intermediate

By Caitriona Maria | Wealth of Geeks undefined

Despite the ever-rising cost of travel, 40% of travelers confirmed they will take a bucket list or big-ticket trip in 2025, according to a Squaremouth survey.

To uncover the most popular bucket list destinations for Americans, travel experts at The Facts Institute analyzed average monthly U.S. searches for over 150 national landmarks. Using Ahrefs data from the past 12 months, they identified the top 5 global landmarks Americans are most eager to explore.

According to the ranking, these landmarks land on Americans’ bucket list. Continue reading