Volkswagen drops all-electric ID.4 in the US in pivot back to gas SUVs | TechCrunch

April 10, 2026April 9, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Volkswagen will no longer produce the all-electric ID.4 at its U.S. factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as the German automaker shifts its resources into high-volume vehicles like its upcoming gas-powered Atlas SUV.

The company said Thursday that U.S. customers will be able to buy the ID.4 until the current inventory runs out. VW said it expects U.S. inventory to last into 2027.

Volkswagen, along with other legacy automakers, has pulled back on once-ambitious plans to shift their portfolios from gas-powered vehicles to battery electric cars, trucks, and SUVs. While some EVs have been hits, demand hasn’t met the lofty expectations that automakers forecasted. The removal of the $7,500 federal tax credit last year further dampened demand, especially for higher-priced models.

Gen Z Grads Are Turning to This Field for a Steady Paycheck

April 8, 2026April 7, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Key Takeaways

Accounting majors are landing near-perfect job placement rates.
Most graduates secure jobs or further education within six months of finishing their degrees.
Entry-level accounting salaries are hovering around the high five figures, or around $75,000.

At a time when workers everywhere are feeling uneasy about the future of their jobs, and experts keep warning that white-collar careers could be the next casualty of AI, one unlikely field is coming out on top.

Accounting, often dismissed as dull and number-heavy, has spent years struggling to attract young talent. The profession’s aging workforce hasn’t helped, and between 2019 and 2022, more than 300,000 accountants left the field to move into other sectors, like finance and technology. That exodus forced firms to scramble to fill openings.

Now, the story is starting to change.

Apple to issue emergency patch to protect iPhones from DarkSword spyware | Mashable

April 7, 2026April 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you needed more proof of just how bad the DarkSword spyware is, Apple is about to issue a rare patch (via Wired) that addresses the issue on phones running iOS 18.

Why is this rare? Well, typically Apple will simply tell iPhone users to upgrade to the latest version of iOS (that’s iOS 26.4 right now). But this time, everyone running iOS 18 on their phones is getting a patch of their own.

DarkSword is a web-based tool that enables malicious hackers to steal data from iPhones, and it’s publicly available for everyone to use. Apple already patched iOS 26 against DarkSword, but iOS 18 remains unprotected at writing time. As for why anyone would want to run iOS 18, there are folks who are simply slow to update their phone, and then there are those who may not want to switch to Apple’s new “Liquid Glass” user interface that debuted in iOS 26.

Artemis II launches its historic moon mission: See the launch and mission details | Mashable

April 7, 2026April 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For the first time, a woman and a Black astronaut are headed into deep space, breaking through the glass ceiling of low-Earth orbit as they attempt to circle the moon.

At 6:35 p.m. ET on April 1, NASA’s 32-story Space Launch System lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. With the horsepower of 160,000 Corvettes, the rocket sent up a column of fire and vapor over the Atlantic Coast. This was no April Fool’s Day gag, but a signal that the United States has returned to human-led space exploration.

Despite soaring jet fuel prices, air fares aren’t up that much. But they will be | CNN Business

April 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Gas prices are grabbing the headlines, but jet fuel prices have doubled in the last two months. So far, air fares are only up modestly.

But that could change in the next couple of months.

“We are seeing prices for summer increasing as a result of higher fuel prices,” said Hayley Berg, lead economist at air travel booking site Hopper. “For domestic trips, the higher fuel costs have pushed trips for summer up by about 10%.”

What a surprisingly strong March jobs report means in the face of war | CNN Business

April 6, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The latest jobs report showed that the US economy likely added 178,000 jobs in March, nearly triple expectations.

The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%. Forecasts had it holding steady at 4.4% or even rising to 4.5%.

Health care and social assistance was once again the workhorse sector, accounting for half of the month’s gains; however, job growth was the most widespread across industries since December 2023.

Colorado River negotiations have stalled among 7 states, and water is scarce. What happens next? | Live Science

March 26, 2026March 25, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The seven U.S. states that make up the Colorado River basin are struggling to agree on how best to manage the river’s water as its supply dwindles due to climate change and a period of prolonged drought. Their negotiations, which are not open to the public, missed a Feb. 14, 2026, deadline the federal government had established, after which federal officials said they would impose their own plan.

The federal government has not yet done so, but the prospect of such an action is not good news for the nearly 40 million people who depend on the Colorado River for water, energy, agriculture, and recreation, nor for the estimated US$1.4 trillion in economic activity the river supports.

YouTube Expands Global Reach with New Non-Skippable Ad Formats| Small Biz Trends

March 18, 2026March 16, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

YouTube’s introduction of VRC Non-Skip Ads presents an exciting opportunity for small business owners to harness the platform’s robust advertising capabilities. As the leading video streaming service in the U.S., YouTube attracts millions of viewers, making it an essential medium for brands looking to connect with their audiences in innovative ways.

Starting now, VRC Non-Skip Ads are available globally through Google Ads and Display & Video 360. This move is part of YouTube’s strategy to enhance viewer engagement and streamline advertising processes for businesses of all sizes.

Feds Unite to Tackle Rising Fraud Threats Targeting California Programs| Small Biz Trends

March 18, 2026March 16, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A significant shift in the enforcement of federal program integrity is underway in California, as the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announce a concerted effort to combat fraud in federal programs. SBA Inspector General William W. Kirk and USDA Inspector General John Walk met with United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, Adam Gordon, highlighting a proactive stance against the growing complexities of fraud schemes targeting government initiatives.

California has been flagged as a high-risk zone for fraud due to the intricate nature and scale of operations that exploit federal funding. With this partnership, both agencies plan to coordinate more aggressively on identifying and punishing fraudulent activities, safeguarding taxpayer interests, and the integrity of programs designed to support small businesses.

Adobe to offer users free services $75 million over hard-to-cancel subscription mess | Digital Trends

March 16, 2026March 15, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Adobe has agreed to a $150 million settlement to resolve a U.S. government lawsuit that accused the company of making its subscriptions unnecessarily difficult to cancel. As per their statement, the agreement includes $75 million in civil penalties paid to the U.S. government and another $75 million worth of free services for affected customers.

The case stemmed from a 2024 lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission over Adobe’s subscription practices. Regulators alleged that Adobe hid early termination fees and created complicated cancellation processes, violating the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), which requires companies to clearly disclose subscription terms and provide straightforward cancellation options.