Understanding Corporate Earnings

Corporate earnings are a key piece of information for market participants, whether they’re investors, consumers, or interested in how the economy is performing. While there are many different metrics that can be considered in analyzing earnings reports, the most important are a company’s net income, revenue trends, and earnings per share (EPS).

The difference between revenues and expenses is a company’s net income. Revenues are the amount of money that a company receives for services rendered or sales of products. A company’s costs include things like the cost of goods sold, operating expenses, and taxes. Generally, a company’s net income will include one-time gains or losses that can temporarily inflate or deflate reported earnings. To avoid overreacting to these fluctuations, it’s often best to look at adjusted earnings, which exclude such items.

Companies can choose to reinvest their net income or pass it on to shareholders in the form of dividends and share buybacks. The latter option can have the effect of reducing the number of outstanding shares in a company, which can boost EPS growth. However, it’s important to understand that this type of “earnings engineering” doesn’t necessarily mean fraud or manipulation. In some cases, the way that companies account for the wear and tear on their assets (called depreciation) may end up understating real expenses over time, which can make a company appear more profitable than it really is.

In addition to revealing financial results, earnings reports also provide a glimpse into future expectations. This can give investors a sense of whether a company’s growth potential is sustainable or not. During earnings season, companies frequently release forward guidance and other special announcements that can drive immediate market reactions.

The Dangers of Regime Change

As the United States continues its airstrikes against Iran, it’s worth revisiting the term “regime change.” The dictionary definition is straightforward: It’s overthrowing a foreign government and replacing it with one more in line with the views or interests of an outside power.

The scholarly literature paints a grim picture of the typical regime-change mission. Almost all scholars agree that it is hard to succeed and often sabotages future stability in the target country. It’s a mission that, at best, creates only limited progress toward achieving the original goals and, at worst, spirals into an endless state-building project. The scholarly consensus also underscores the danger that these missions may encourage more covert operations from other powers to pursue their own interests, which will only serve to undermine America’s ability to advance its own.

Regime-change missions are hampered by ignorance: The outsiders who intervene typically have little knowledge about the society they’re entering and what it will take to develop a new order that can be trusted. They’ll likely not understand how to build institutions that will have the popular support they need to survive and grow, nor do they know what the local culture can handle.

Attempts to topple foreign governments for parochial reasons are never wise, but the American people deserve to have their leaders backed by a solid intellectual foundation for their policy decisions. The two common mindsets that fuel regime change should be abandoned: the belief that it can create substantial change with minimal effort, and the view that a government must be toppled if it fails to promote certain ideas or interests.

How to Write a News Bulletin

A news bulletin is a short radio news broadcast – often on the hour or half hour – which provides the bare facts of news stories before more depth is added in a full programme. A bulletin may be a single news story read by the newsreader or a series of stories with an audio clip (either a straight read from the newsreader or a 20- or 25-second audio clip). Composing a news bulletin requires both journalistic writing skills and editing skills – sourcing, selecting, checking and prioritising stories.

A key aspect of a news bulletin is clarity. It is crucial that the audience can understand what is being reported, especially as they cannot rewind or take notes whilst listening. This requires a simple editorial rule: short, clear sentences. Avoiding jargon is also important, as it can be difficult for listeners to follow. The use of sound bites can help with this, as they are more engaging and provide first-hand evidence. However, they should not be used for filler and the newsreader should ensure that all clips have an editorial reason to be included.

The news bulletin is a valuable opportunity for a radio station to highlight local events and issues that affect the community. It should be a balanced and digestible mix of information, which nourishes and prepares the audience for the day ahead. It is worth considering the demographics of the audience and ensuring that the content is relevant to them; political stories should be highlighted as to how they affect their daily lives rather than being focused solely on politics.

How to Execute an Exclusive Report

An exclusive report has become a buzzword in the PR industry, but it requires careful thought and planning to execute well. It means pitching the news to one journalist or media outlet and giving them sole access to an announcement until it reaches a wider audience — usually via embargo. Joseph and Prewett agree that it’s best to use this strategy sparingly, and only for genuinely newsworthy announcements.

To do this, carefully select the journalists or media outlets that align with your audience and goals, and research their editorial focus and previous coverage. Also, it’s important to be prepared to quickly supply the journalist with any high-resolution images or other documentation that expedites the reporting process. And finally, don’t forget to clearly communicate that this is an exclusive offer in your pitch email.

While exclusives flatter reporters and pique interest, they don’t guarantee that the story will get picked up or shared. “Journalists are up against the gun on timing to turn around stories, and too short a window may require them to pass on the exclusive, even if it is something they want to report on,” Prewett says.

And if you do decide to go down this route, Prewett advises to have back-up stories ready to be pitched to a broader media audience in the event that the journalist isn’t able to secure an exclusive report. This way, you won’t leave the door open for a competitor to grab your exclusive and run with it.

How to Communicate Breaking News to Patients and Families

Breaking news is the term for new, urgent information about events that are developing or just occurred, often requiring immediate reporting. These developments capture the public’s attention and may include disasters, political upheavals or other significant occurrences that have the potential to affect large numbers of people. Breaking news stories often interrupt regular programming and are updated frequently as more details become available.

When breaking news, journalists must consider how to balance the need for speed with the need to accurately report and avoid sensationalism. They also must take care not to report the names of victims of injury or death until family members have been notified and confirmed. This can be a challenging task in chaotic and confusing situations such as mass shootings, natural disasters or ongoing investigations.

NPs also face the challenge of breaking bad news to patients and families. While many aspects of delivering this type of difficult message cannot be predicted, using an established communication template or protocol can help to instill quality and empathy into the process.

Ahead of time, assess the person who is receiving your news and determine how they might be feeling about it (e.g., they might already be aware that something is wrong, or they might be in shock). You should also decide what to tell them and how much you are willing and able to share. It might be helpful to prepare yourself for the conversation by taking some time to yourself, exercising, having a cup of coffee or doing some other self-care activity.

Startup Funding Options

Whether you’re seeking to raise startup capital via loans, bring on angel investors or crowdfund, the best funding option for your business will depend on your specific goals and strategies. However, regardless of which startup funding option you choose, one thing remains the same: You need to be able to clearly demonstrate your financial health to potential investors.

A tailored dashboard displaying clear, real-time financial insights will help you establish credibility and show that your company is well prepared to scale. It will also make it easier for investors to understand your company’s growth, allowing you to get the most bang for your buck.

The earliest contributors to a startup are often friends and family members, who provide seed funding and typically want to remain involved in the company for its formative years. Unlike traditional loans, this type of funding typically does not require an equity stake and can be an excellent alternative for entrepreneurs that are unwilling or unable to take on debt.

Startups that successfully secure seed or angel investment can move on to Series A funding, which is procured when a startup becomes more established and opens itself up to further investments. Series A investors are looking for a higher valuation than early seed investors and can often have a major impact on a startup’s future.

Government, foundation and private grants are another source of startup funding. Entrepreneurs can find available grant opportunities by researching online databases and using specialized platforms that match borrowers with donors. Those who win grant funding are required to submit proposals and other documentation, and may need to present their ideas in person.

Getting Involved With a Political Campaign

A political campaign is a coordinated effort to elect candidates to public office or pass ballot initiatives. Campaigns are fueled by volunteers and staffed with paid staffers who work to identify, persuade, organize, and mobilize support for a candidate or cause. They also oversee strategic decision-making and daily operations.

A campaign can last months or even two years. The length and scale of a campaign vary by the type of election and the office up for grabs. Every two years (a political cycle) thousands of campaigns take place nationwide, from local and state offices to presidential races and ballot initiatives.

Getting involved with a political campaign often begins with volunteering, but it is possible to be hired full-time as well. Whether this is a good idea depends on your personal fit, career goals, and other professional experience. A strong network can help with finding a job on a political campaign. Recruiters at colleges, law schools, and advocacy organizations with connections to partisan groups may be able to refer you to opportunities.

The most common positions on a political campaign include field workers, advance workers, and fundraising specialists. These roles tend to have the most demanding workloads and jack-of-all-trade requirements. Depending on your connections, it is also possible to begin in a different position in the campaign hierarchy.

Working on a political campaign can provide valuable insight into the mechanics of building and maintaining support for specific policy ideas and advancing them to government office. For this reason, it can be a great way to determine your fit for political work, and to prepare for a transition into politics-adjacent careers such as lobbying or consulting.

How to Write an Investor Update

Investor updates are a key part of maintaining transparency and trust with investors. The goal is to give them a holistic view of your business, including highlights, lowlights, and core metrics. These are typically emailed once or twice per month but can also be sent via PDF, deck, or link.

The best way to create your investor update is to use a template that focuses on a clear structure with consistent sections, visuals, and personalization. It is a good idea to start by reviewing the previous month and gathering all of your key performance indicators (KPIs). Make sure that you have access to these from your sources of truth like accounting, marketing, CRM, and project management systems. It is important to share these metrics with context in order to help your investors understand any shifts in metric trends.

You should focus on sharing highlights that include everything from a new customer onboarded or partnership formed, to the number of product releases completed, and any notable wins in marketing, sales, or engineering. It is helpful to use bullet points and short sentences to keep your update navigable and easy for investors to skim.

It is also important to share the lowlights and challenges in your business. It is a normal part of the startup process to have rough patches and it is important that your investors know about these issues in order to better support you when needed. Ultimately, it is in the best interest of your investors to see your startup succeed, and consistent insights into your company can put them in a more helpful position when they are asked to make an introduction, recommend a new employee, or even invest further capital.

The Impact of a Government Shutdown on Federal Workers

Unless Congress passes and President Trump signs budget legislation that covers all of the discretionary spending for the next fiscal year (typically 12 appropriations bills) or a stopgap bill, the federal government will be forced to shut down. During shutdowns, agencies are required to cease all non-essential operations, but those considered “essential” continue operating as usual, including border protection, law enforcement, in-hospital medical care, air traffic control and many other services. Mandatory programs, such as Social Security checks and Medicare card issuance, also continue.

Many federal workers have been impacted by the shutdown, with employees deemed “non-essential” temporarily placed on unpaid leave. This has impacted the Smithsonian museums, the National Park Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among others. While some museums and other cultural institutions have tapped their reserves to remain open, the longer this goes on the more strain it will put on those reserves and the more reliance there will be on future congressional funding appropriations.

In addition, families are facing a real financial impact from missed paychecks. This is particularly true for vulnerable families, such as those with disabilities or who are on fixed incomes, who have limited resources to cope with the disruption in their lives. Beyond that, the political brinksmanship around a government shutdown hurts morale for those working in the federal workforce. These are people who have devoted their lives to the missions of the agencies they work for, and they feel like their hard work is being devalued by the partisan squabbling that leads to a government shutdown.

What is an Editorial?

An editorial is an opinion piece that is published in newspapers, magazines and online. It can be written by the editorial staff of a newspaper or magazine, or it can be written by a non-staff writer, such as an expert in a field who is invited to write an editorial on a topic. An editorial is usually accompanied by one or more graphics. It is often a shorter length than a news story.

The term op-ed is short for “opposite the editorial page.” It used to be called an editorial but that changed when the term was expanded to mean a piece that appears on any page of a newspaper and is not in the main body of the paper.

A good editorial should be well argued and contain a call to action. In the past, the editors of a newspaper would often invite experts to write an editorial, but today many online journals no longer publish them.

If your aim is to persuade readers, your op-ed should include at least one controversial argument and be clear and concise. You should also consider how your reader will respond to your article, which is important if you want to influence public debate and change opinion.

It is important to track the news and jump on the chance to discuss an issue that is dominating headlines, because that is what readers are interested in. If a celebrity has died or there is a new crisis in a war, you should talk about it in an op-ed. But it is not necessary to write an entire op-ed on something that is already dominating the news, especially if it has been covered recently by other op-ed writers or even in the main body of the newspaper.