Business News Roundup, Feb. 7

Job seekers must figure out how to navigate a transforming landscape where AI shapes how we approach and think about the hiring system.   Logging onto LinkedIn, your feed is likely full of “Open to Work” profiles and posts about the struggle of finding a job in today’s market. Your LinkedIn inbox is probably a lot quieter with fewer recruiters reaching out with job opportunities than at the height of the Great Resignation just two years ago.

Flood risk can be estimated in waterways without streamgages, but not as accurately. Flooding is one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in the U. S., causing billions of dollars in damage each year. In 2024 alone, floods destroyed homes in over a dozen states and claimed more than 165 lives.

It’s not yet clear what a second Trump administration could mean for workers’ rights. But across many states, workers can expect to see a number of benefits next year, including raises and expanded sick leave. The new year—and the return of the Trump administration to the White House—could bring all kinds of changes to the workplace.

Successful community-centered, public-private partnerships (CP3s) rely on the active involvement of a diverse range of partners. Cities tackle a vast array of responsibilities—from building transit networks to running schools—and sometimes they can use a little help. That’s why local governments have long teamed up with businesses in so-called public-private partnerships. Historically, these arrangements have helped cities fund big infrastructure projects such as bridges and hospitals.

While the Christmas card may have seemed like an entirely new invention to Victorian senders and receivers, the first Christmas card’s design was actually influenced by other, older British holiday traditions. It’s a common seasonal refrain: “Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.”

Arrests and seizures connected to 3D-printed guns are escalating quickly. Police investigating the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024, have announced that the suspected assailant had used a 3D-printed gun. Several high-profile crimes in recent years have involved this kind of homemade, or partially homemade, weapon.