Hello loyal readers, and sorry for the lack of updates recently. I have been writing stories but they have not been BIG stories and also, it is hot out in the summer on the East Coast, which is something I apparently forgot, so I have been a bit sluggish in updating my Substack. So here are some quick updates with links, because honestly, it’s still hot out.
I had a story publish today about all the companies laying off employees even as they post huge earnings gains, a trend that of course is led by tech companies and every woman’s least favorite CEO, Elon Musk.
Only the Paranoid Survive.' Some CEOs Are Cutting Staff Even as the Labor Market Booms
I talked to a few business school types about why layoffs usually come back to bite you, so good luck with that, Elon.
I co-hosted The Indicator again, though most of the jokes I scripted got cut out, but don’t worry, they were still funny, no I am not going to share them with you, but take it from me, they were hilarious. This also apparently was heard on the radio by some people, but I was not one of them.
Prime Day Makes Third-Party Sellers Anxious
Fun story about recording the above — I was in upstate New York, reporting on another story, but we had to record it after I finished the reporting for Prime Day. I chose the nicest hotel in TIME’s hotel booking system, which was a Red Roof Inn, which in my head is a nice brand. It is not a nice brand. The hotel was on a major highway and you could hear the sounds of trucks and also people at the ice machine, so I had to stick my head in the ironing closet, drape a comforter over myself, and kneel next to the bed while recording the episode (and while they cut out my hilarious jokes). Maybe you can hear the weight of the fine polyester blanket in my voice. Maybe not—NPR producers are pros.
The above was a riff on a TIME story I did about Amazon sellers in advance of Prime Day: Some Amazon Sellers Are Dreading Prime Day
I also wrote about the boom in the liquidation industry (weeks before the NYT put it on the front page on a Sunday, thank you very much) but it somehow turned into an inflation story, and even more strangely, that story is still one of the most-read stories on TIME right now, not sure why. The Surprising Thing That Could Help Ease Inflation
Some bigger stories are hopefully coming, right now, I just want to rage tweet about trying to buy a new car in a market where dealers can basically ask for $3,000 more than MSRP, add on all sorts of features you don’t want, and then punch you in the face and know you will still buy a car from them. Anyone have any advice for negotiating when you have no leverage and every party in the negotiation knows it?
More when it gets less hot.