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Hiring individuals that are perfect for the job can be rough, and keeping them onboard can be even more challenging. This was demonstrated in 2015, when some 2.7 million workers left their jobs in June, a 25% increase from the years prior. And while the market has recovered and grown since The Great Recession, the War For Talent rages on.

But Amazon is making a big move, having announced that they intended to hire 50,000 workers. With the labor market still little tight, others will be competing for many of those jobs.

The major retail company will be opening their doors to job seekers Wednesday at more than 10 shipping sites, and the majority of the jobs offered will be full-time positions. Around 10,000 part-time jobs will also be offered at sorting centers, and some supporting and manager positions have also opened.

Back in January, Amazon stated their intent to hire some 100,000 full-time workers in 18 months time. Since then, they’ve steadily announced jobs, like plans to grow their Boston and Michigan employments between 900 and 1,600 workers.

The labor market is uncertain in its ability to support the retail giant’s demands. The U.S. experienced a drop in unemployment to just 4.4%, a nearly 16-year low, but the average hourly pay only rose 2.5% in the last year. This is in contrast to the 4% raise that occurred the last time unemployment was so low.

Amazon stated that the jobs will offer “highly competitive” pay and include health insurance, disability insurance, retirement-savings options, and company stock. These come along with 20 weeks of paid leave and other benefits.

In the last few years, Amazon’s growth has been phenomenal. They’ve had sales that nearly doubled in a three-year span, and Amazon is growing outside of its original position of just retail. They’ve purchased grocer Whole Foods with a $13.7 billion deal and then added Sears’ Kenmore products to their website and rolled out ready-to-eat meals that compete with companies like Blue Apron.

If the plans of the company to hire so many workers goes just as planned, then they could see another large increase in sales.

The housing market has been hit in a big way by the millennial generation, who have entered it with force recently. For years now, the millennial generation had been seemingly uninterested with owning homes, but for the first time they make up the majority of home purchasers.

According to a millennial real estate agent, Nick Sakkis, the reason why this took so long to occur is really tied to the lifestyles and employment options that the generation had.

“I think Millennials have a lot of options that the GenX-ers or Boomers didn’t have. They can work remotely so the idea of putting down roots in one place might not appeal to a lot of them, so that’s where the disconnect comes in.”

But that appears to no longer be the case with the older members of the generation, who are no longer restrained by the burdens they had early in their professional lives. A lot of their resources had been tied into their education and career until now, and financial analysts say not to underestimate that. It’ll have a lot of impact on the power of their purchasing and in a good way.

Greg McBride, Bankrate.com’s chief financial analyst, is one of the voices speaking about the power of the millennial real estate buyer.

“A lot of those Millennials who were reluctant to buy because of student loan debt or career mobility will look in their 30s and – by virtue of those investments in education and career early on – will be able to skip right over the starter home.”

So, while the big bank results state otherwise, the housing market could see an exponential increase in the coming years as millennials obtain a little more financial freedom, especially amongst military members finally leaving duty.

Veterans who’ve served for a period of time longer than six months get access to special VA home loans that require no mortgage insurance and give 100% financing options. So, not only will older millennials have the benefit of an education, but also potentially great housing options from the armed services, too.

As the millennial generation begins to settle down and have families of their own, the investments made in their future are starting to show a good return. If this will drive the housing market out of its slump has yet to be determined.

Since its inception nearly 50 years ago, the inflatable industry has been growing steadily as a market. This can include jump houses, obstacle courses, and water slides, which are the real summertime pleasure.

And that’s something even the police can agree on!

During a Fourth of July party, the police received a complaint that a large water slide was causing a disturbance in a residential area. Upon arriving on the scene, the police officers did the most logical thing they could do:

They partook in the fun.

A resident of the area, Katlen Joyce Smith, said that one of the local parents had decided to build a slip-and-slide for the neighborhood kids to enjoy during the annual block party for the holiday.

Although the initial complaint claimed that the water slide was blocking the road, the officers found no apparent violations.

“When the police came, they quickly realized that wasn’t the case and asked if they could take a turn,” Smith said.

One of the officers to arrive at the scene, Carrie Lee, stated in a video posted on Twitter that there weren’t any violations that could be seen with the slide. It did not block the road.

“We looked at it and determined it wasn’t really an issue. So the first thing I said, I said I’m not here to break up your fun,” Lee reported to CNN.

In that same video, Lee can be seen using the trash bag as her raft while her partner, Officer Joe Jones, slides down on an inner tube with one of the neighborhood kids.

Smith was ecstatic about the events and could hardly believe how the complaint had turned out, taking to Facebook to share:

“I still can’t handle the amazing mess of it all I hope the neighbor who called them saw it all go down!!”

Officer Jones didn’t have any intention of going down the slide originally but caved to pressure from one of the local kids.

“I thought I was going to be able to get out of it, because I’m too big to fit in a trash bag. But then when the kids pulled out this big raft … I had no choice.”

The events can be seen on YouTube and the Police Department’s Twitter feed.

The CEO and interim-President of pharmaceutical giant Teva, Yitzhak Peterburg, believes that the health-care industry is facing a “huge disruption” in the coming years. The cause, Peterburg believes, is the fact that technology heavyweights are not “jostling” for consumers with more traditional providers.

“I am a very great believer that we are now in a huge disruption within the health-care (industry),” he said, “and I think it will affect our industry. For me, the digital reform, or whatever we see, is a huge enabler.”

Teva Pharmaceutical, which is located in Israel, is one of the largest producers of generic medicines. It also has treatments for sclerosis as well as late-stage programs for disorders of the nervous system.

Peterburg believes that pharmaceutical companies need to start thinking of ways to navigate their changing landscapes and take a look at the competitors that are appearing.

“Being good at manufacturing pills and injections is no longer enough for pharma companies. Consumers have also changed and they expect very different value from pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare industry as a whole,” said Peterburg.

Some of the competitors he listed that need to be watched out for in the modern pharmacy world are companies like Amazon and Google. Amazon was reported to be attempting to enter into the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry earlier in the year.

Peterburg believes that there is no easy solution to the issue and that it’s not as straightforward as one would expect. This is due to the fact that the industry is, according to him, “not moving at the same pace.”

“It’s very, very difficult, especially for incumbents, to find the right way and where to move,” he noted. “That’s why we have to do it by collaboration maybe with start-ups, with small companies and try to find the solution.”

What this collaboration would mean for the hundreds of thousands of individuals working in the industry (there were 397,430 pharmacy technicians working in the U.S alone in 2015), is unknown.

It’s no secret that information technology is a wide and varied field, encompassing hundreds of different types of jobs dealing with different sectors of the industry. And while the managed security services market is expected to almost double by 2020, from $17.02 billion to $33.68 billion, a second-annual study conducted by Cocero Network Security determined that DDoS mitigation will likely become an essential managed service in the future, according to Infosecurity Magazine.

The study found that 37% of IT services providers thought of DDoS mitigation as more of a priority than other types of managed services. About 56% said that it was equally as imperative.

The findings could be a result of the fact that around 87% of small businesses experienced a security breach in 2012 alone, according to a recent survey, and DDoS mitigation ultimately means faster resolutions to many different types of security issues.

“Given that DDoS attacks are growing in frequency and sophistication, it’s not at all surprising that providers are prioritizing and enhancing DDoS mitigation service offerings, and understand the revenue opportunity that such a service brings to the table,” said Stephanie Weagle, Corero vice president of marketing. “It’s much more cost effective — and less complicated — for a business to secure DDoS protection from their trusted provider.”

Verizon is just one big name that’s attempting to keep up with the IT needs of businesses, recently implementing a new security service based in cloud management. Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) allows businesses to scope out potential security breaches and prevent them before they occur.

When Verizon released its 10th Annual Data Breach Investigations Report in April, it found that 98% of DDoS attacks are targeted toward enterprises. Verizon partner RDS solutions, telecom solution provider based in Clinton, New Jersey, recognizes that security is an absolute priority to businesses of all sizes.

“In addition to providing the connectivity between locations and the internet, our customers rely on us to recommend and assist in understanding and implementing the necessary safeguards,” said Paul Vuoso, RDS’ vice president of technology.

According to Verizon, SDP is currently available to its business customers who are located in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Norway. Vuoso assures that security will remain a priority to both RDS and Verizon.

“Connectivity and access are crucial for today’s enterprises, but it cannot come at the expense of security,” he said.

Considering that over one-third of all home remodeling jobs involve the entire home, it is important for a homeowner to consider the return on investment that will come with home improvements. Of course, if you’re a homeowner and a landlord, it’s even more important to ensure that your investment property is actually living up to its name.

If you’re looking for modest remodeling jobs that offer a positive return on investment, here are some of the best practices and techniques to follow in order to reap the biggest payout.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is often seen as the most important room in a home. Perhaps that’s why most homeowners choose to spend the majority of their remodeling budget on kitchen upgrades. Here are a few easy ways to make simple upgrades to your kitchen:

• Investing in durable materials, such a laminate, for your cabinets. Most laminate is made of at least four materials including resin, the wear layer, the decorative layer, and kraft paper. If you’re looking for cabinetry that looks like wood but lasts much longer, this material stands the test of time.
• Installing a new faucet and sink can go a long way to giving the entire room a cleaner feel. There are plenty of modern options for just about any style.
• Incorporating new lighting can add ambiance in no time, especially if natural light is lacking in your kitchen area. Consider upgrading your lighting fixtures if you’re looking for a little project that makes a big difference.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is probably the most used room in the home, so any money spent in bathroom remodeling is worth the hard work. While it’s not the most exciting room in a home, it’s one of the most important from a practical perspective. Interesting bathroom remodeling ideas can include:

• Updated tile and grout will be like giving a bathroom a facelift. It’s all too easy for grout to get dirty or stained in this small, high-moisture room.
• Putting in matching sink and tub faucets.
• Painting the ceiling to get rid of any water stains or signs of water damage.
• If there’s a closet in the bathroom, consider removing the walls to open up the space and make the bathroom bigger.

The Flooring

The floors of a home are walked on every day, but barely anyone notices them unless there is a huge problem. Capture potential tenants’ attention by taking the following advice:

• Stay away from carpeting. Not only is it harder to clean, but going with a hardwood option keeps allergens outside of the home.
• Since they are often used only in kitchens, consider using ceramic tiles for either the bedrooms or living rooms, too. They give off a unique vibe and a fresh, modern look.
• If you opt for hardwoods, make sure to add a few smaller throw rugs to add dimension and color. While most landlords expect tenants to provide these types of rugs, they can add warmth to an empty room that would otherwise be lacking.

Of course, the remodeling projects you choose will depend greatly on the condition of your investment property. Unlike traditional homeowners, landlords don’t have the luxury of choosing renovations based purely on your own preferences. Before beginning any new work, think carefully about how it will help you generate income from your investment home.

More than 3 million people fly on commercial aircraft every single day. Some of those travelers planning a flight to Oregon for the 2017 solar eclipse, however, have been sorely disappointed.

Hotels in Oregon have received harsh criticism for the apparent cancellation of over a dozen reservations for the 2017 eclipse. In turn, they appear to have raised the rates for hotel rooms from anywhere between $600 and $1,600 a night.

In recent months, some customers have been complaining on online forums and filing reports with the Oregon Department of Justice, claiming that the rooms that they had booked well in advance have inexplicably been canceled, and the rate of the rooms driven to staggering prices. Many of the hotel managers involved with these claims have yet to respond or they seem unapologetic, even as August looms on the horizon.

According to one customer who had a room booked at the Stafford Inn in Prineville, ” … had a room booked for the eclipse on August 21, 2017, and the manager emailed to say they were canceling it because of new ownership. This is not true because the new owners took over in 2014, not just now. Now they are offering up the room for $600 a night instead of the $160 it was confirmed for.”

As of right now, the Oregon Department of Justice is looking into these accusations. If they find the hotels responsible, then those businesses could be breaking the law under the Unlawful Trade Practices Act. This makes it illegal to use deceptive marketing tactics like false advertising.

According to a department spokesperson, Ellen Klem, “A hotel can charge whatever it likes. It just can’t be deceptive in the advertising or the marketing.”

Hotels that have chosen to respond have offered an explanation many customers find difficult to accept. They are blaming either a system upgrade or glitch in the system, or even stating the changes occurred because of new ownership or new branding.

Now customers are forced to stop shopping for their sun filters and no. 14 welder’s glasses that would, according to NASA, best protect their eyes during the eclipse, and figure out how to get their hotel rooms back. Needless to say, a lot of people are not happy that their confirmation number doesn’t mean much anymore.

The investigation is still ongoing by the Oregon Department of Justice. If found guilty, those hotels could face hefty fines and serious blows to their reputations. However, the only thing most customers want is their reserved spot to see the magnificent spectacle that is the 2017 solar eclipse.

Surveys estimate that 29% of men say they would wear an engagement ring, but Tom Brady of the New England Patriots has something better — five Super Bowl rings. Unfortunately for the football superstar, after winning against the Atlanta Falcons in February, Tom Brady’s winning jersey mysteriously vanished, only to reappear six weeks later in another country — Mexico.

According to the National Football League and law enforcement officials, the jersey and a second jersey worn by Brady in a previous Super Bowl two years ago were stolen by a former media executive from Mexico — Mauricio Ortega, former employee of the tabloid Diario La Prensa. Ortega had the credentials to cover the game in Houston and was able to snag the jersey in the Patriots’ locker room.

The investigation was led by the FBI, the Houston Police Department, and league security.

“You don’t come to Texas and embarrass us here on our own turf,” said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. “The only blemish that we had from the Super Bowl was these jerseys that were stolen from the locker room.”

La Prensa said in a statement that its former director, Martin Ortega, had also been involved in the theft.

“If it turns out to be true, (La Prensa) strongly rejects the conduct of Martin Ortega … who took advantage of the position he had to use the La Prensa newspaper to get accreditation and gain access to the field,” the statement said.

Ortega could not be reached for comment, but he did resign last Tuesday for ‘personal reasons.’

At the time of the incident, Brady expressed disappointment at the loss of his jersey.

“It’s unfortunate, because that’s a nice piece of memorabilia,” he had said. “Those are pretty special ones to keep. What can you do? I’ll take the ring and that’s good enough for me.”

While Brady will soon have possession of both jerseys once again, along with all five of his super bowl rings, Robert Kraft, owner of the team, is lacking one of his own mementos.

After the Patriot’s Super Bowl win against the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2005, Kraft met Russian President Vladimir Putin later that year. Kraft said he intended to simply show the ring to Putin, but the leader ended up keeping it instead.

Ultimately, Brady’s positivity shone through as he expressed gratitude for all those who assisted with the investigation.

“I am happy my jerseys from SB 49 and SB 51 have been recovered, and I want to thank all of the law enforcement agencies involved,” said the Patriots quarterback. “I know they worked hard on this case, and it is very much appreciated. Hopefully when I get the jerseys back I can make something very positive come from this experience.”

In Richmond, Virginia, a little boy is getting a new lease on life after enduring several life-altering tragedies.

Kindergartner Thomas Miller had just turned one when his mother, Reina Opperman, was killed in a car accident. Miller was in the vehicle at the time of the accident and was ejected nearly 70 feet. While Miller survived with scrapes and bruises, his mother was tragically killed. Miller’s Aunt calls his survival after the incident a “pure miracle.” No word on what time of year the accident occurred, but according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) a higher volume of travelers combined with more alcohol-impaired drivers cause nearly two times the number of auto accident fatalities during summer months than during the rest of the year combined.

To make matters worse, Miller’s father, Erik Opperman, died of a heart attack in 2014.

In the wake of these tragedies, Miller’s aunt and uncle performed an act of courage: they took the boy in and raised him with their two daughters. In a recent turn of events, William and Gretchen Miller have decided to legally adopt Thomas.

To this day, many people who aided in Miller’s rescue efforts after the crash are still a part of his life.

“As much stuff as he’s been through, there’s a reason he’s here,” said Henrico firefighter Mike Hodges.

Hodges was present when Miller was thrown from the car and assured the family he would always be there for Thomas.

“I told his dad I would be there for his graduation,” said Hodges. “Didn’t realize I would be there for his adoption.”

For now, things seem to have settled down for Thomas. He enjoys eating his favorite foods, going to school, and playing with his new sisters. He continues to inspire people everywhere with his courageous and positive attitude. More than 90% of adopted children ages five and up have positive feelings about their adoption, and it’s safe to say that Thomas Miller is certainly one of them.

In many industries, digital advertising has virtually replaced the need for traditional print ads. After all, online advertising alone is a $149 billion annual business. So the big tech platforms that count on online advertising — like Facebook, YouTube, Google, and more — may not be so pleased to learn that consumers are rebelling against the idea of being forced to watch seemingly endless numbers of online ads.

It seems that internet users want to skip these advertisements by any means necessary. So much so that the use of worldwide ad-blocking software has shot up by 30% in just the last year.

Despite attempts by various platforms to block the use of this software, nearly 11% of all internet users used ad blockers in some way during the last year. This software isn’t relegated to just computers, either; smartphones and tablets now have ways to utilize ad-blocking software.

That 30% increase represents a loss that amounts to tens of billions of dollars for websites and publishers. Because these platforms rely on revenue from these ads, people who use ad blockers are breaking their implicit pact with these companies. Essentially, they’re getting to use a service for free with no consequences, while the websites are forced to take a huge financial hit.

Use of these blocking tools has become especially prevalent in Asian countries and the developing world. In Indonesia, approximately two-thirds of the population that access the internet uses such software. In fact, more than 90% of ad-blocking software used on mobile devices originates from the Asia-Pacific region. It’s often utilized by those who want to save money on their data plans. Since video advertisements eat up a substantial portion of that data, it makes sense that they’d want to remove them. All told, around 380 million smartphones and tablets used ad blocking software last year, representing a 39% increase in that sector alone.

But when ad blockers are used on desktop and laptop computers, it’s typically for another reason: users want to block malware that’s masquerading as advertising. This is an even more understandable reason to block digital ads, as malware poses a substantial threat to users’ privacy and safety while online. In contrast to the high percentage jump that smartphone ad blockers experienced, the use of ad blockers on computers jumped up only by 17% in the last year. Their use is mostly limited to the U.S. and Europe.

However, experts are predicting that this may change in the near future. Sean Blanchfield, chief executive of PageFair — the startup that published the initial report on the dramatic increase — said,

“In the U.S., ad-blocking on mobile is slightly immature. But there’s no doubt that people’s use of it will skyrocket.”

The problem is a significant one for the advertising and marketing industry.

Paul Verna, analyst at eMarketer, stated, “Ad blocking is a detriment to the entire advertising ecosystem.” But Verna noted that there is a way for marketers to fight back: “The best way for the industry to tackle this problem is to deliver compelling ad experiences that consumers won’t want to block.”