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Is the future of concert venues more spheres? It seems so. Following on the success of Sphere in Las Vegas, plans are underway to bring a smaller-scale version to the National Harbor in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, announced on Sunday that the state and Prince Georges County are working with Sphere Entertainment Co. and Peterson Companies to develop a 6,000-seat sphere, its second venue in the U.S. This will be one of the largest economic development projects in Prince Georges County history, Moore said in a statement. Were excited for what this means for our people, and how it will showcase the best of what Maryland has to offer to everyone who visits. The collaborators are estimating that Sphere National Harbor could generate an economic impact in excess of $1 billion annually and support 4,750 jobs once operational. Though theres not yet an estimate of the cost of construction, this project could receive state, local, and private funding to the tune of approximately $200 million. MORE SPHERES COMING Located across the Potomac River from Alexandria, Virginia, National Harbor already draws tourists and convention-goers alike. Its attractions include the Capital Wheel, a giant Ferris wheel, and an MGM resort that boasts more than 135,000 square feet of gambling and a 3,000-seat concert venue. A rendering of the new Sphere indicates a potential location set off from the Harbor and next to the MGM. Even at a smaller size, the sphere would still feature the same Exosphere as the one in Las Vegas, which is an exterior LED display that allows the venue to take on different looks. Inside, the venue would feature the highest-resolution LED screen, haptic seating, 4D environmental effects, and other advanced technologies found in the original that seats more than 17,000 people. Construction is well underway for Sphere Entertainments second Sphere in Abu Dhabi, and National Harbor would mark the first smaller-scale version of the concert venueand potentially pave the way for others. Our focus has always been on creating a global network of Spheres across forward-looking cities, James L. Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of Sphere Entertainment, said in the statement. He also praised local and state lawmakers for recognizing the potential that a Sphere at National Harbor could elevate and advance immersive experiences across the area. There is no estimate on timing for the new Sphere yet, as the proposed venue is still being negotiated and requires various approvals. NOT SOLD ON SPHERES Though the planners behind the project boasted that Sphere in Las Vegas topped rankings by Billboard and Pollstar for top-grossing venues worldwide, many people havent been entirely sold on the venue. It has an average rating of 3.3 out of 5 on Tripadvisor, while panning events held there has become somewhat of a sport for some influencers. Whats more, the Sphere has been the topic of much criticism since it opened in 2023. Most recently, some film fans fumed because The Wizard of Ozcurrently showing at the Sphere for tickets starting at $104 per seatused generative AI to reimagine aspects of visuals from the classic to fit the venues capabilities. Even so, such criticisms havent slowed Sphere Entertainments meteoric rise. Its stock has surged 134% in the past year.
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U.S. Donald Trump linked his aggressive stance on Greenland to last year’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norway’s prime minister that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” two European officials said Monday.Trump’s message to Jonas Gahr Stre appears to ratchet up a standoff between Washington and its closest allies over his threats to take over Greenland, a self-governing territory of NATO member Denmark. To force European countries that have rallied around Denmark and Greenland toward talks, Trump on Saturday announced a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight nations, including Norway.Those countries issued a forceful rebuke. But British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to de-escalate tensions on Monday. While the White House has not ruled taking control of the strategic Arctic island by force, Starmer said he did not believe military action would occur.“I think this can be resolved and should be resolved through calm discussion,” he said.Still, the American leader’s message to Gahr Stre could further fracture a U.S.-European relationship already strained by differences over how to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, previous rounds of tariffs, military spending, and migration policy.In a sign of how tensions have increased in recent days, thousands of Greenlanders marched over the weekend in protest of any effort to take over their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Monday that the tariff threats would not change the their stance.“We will not be pressured,” he wrote. “We stand firm on dialogue, on respect, and on international law.” Trump sends a message to the Norwegian leader According to two European officials, Trump’s message to Gahr Stre read in part: “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”It concluded: “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it had been forwarded to multiple European ambassadors in Washington. PBS first reported on the content of Trump’s note.Gahr Stre confirmed Monday that he had received a text message from Trump but did not release its contents. The White House did not respond to questions about the letter or the context for Trump sending it.Gahr Stre said Trump’s message was a reply to an earlier missive sent on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in which they conveyed their opposition to the tariff announcement, pointed to a need to de-escalate, and proposed a telephone conversation among the three leaders.“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” Stre said. “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to president Trump what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government.”The Norwegian Nobel Committee is an independent body whose five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.Trump has openly coveted the peace prize, which the committee awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Marķa Corina Machado last year. Last week, Machado presented her Nobel medal to Trump, who said he planned to keep it though the committee said the prize can’t be revoked, transferred, or shared with others. Starmer says a trade war is in no one’s interest In his latest threat of tariffs, Trump indicated they would be retaliation for last week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of troops from the European countries to Greenlandthough he also suggested that he was using the tariffs as leverage to negotiate with Denmark.European governments said that the troops traveled to the island for Arctic security training in response to Trump’s own concerns about interference from Russia and China.Starmer on Monday called Trump’s threat of tariffs “completely wrong” and said that a trade war is in no one’s interest.He added that “being pragmatic does not mean being passive and partnership does not mean abandoning principles.”Six of the eight countries targeted are part of the 27-member European Union, which operates as a single economic zone in terms of trade. European Council President Antonio Costa said Sunday that the bloc’s leaders expressed “readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.” He announced a summit for Thursday evening.Starmer indicated that Britain, which is not part of the EU, is not planning to consider retaliatory tariffs.“My focus is on making sure we don’t get to that stage,” he said.Denmark’s defense minister and Greenland’s foreign minister are expected to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday, a meeting that was planned before the latest escalation. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report. Aamer Madhani, Geir Moulson and Jill Lawless, Associated Press
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Small businesses are planning to hire fewer recent college graduates than they did in 2025, making it likely harder for this cohort to find entry-level jobs. In our recent national survey, we found that small businesses are 30% more likely than larger employers to say they are not hiring recent college graduates in 2026. About 1 in 5 small-business employers said they do not plan to hire college graduates or expect to hire fewer than they did last year. This would be the largest anticipated decrease in small businesses hiring new graduates in more than a decade. Small businesses are generally those with fewer than 500 employees, based on standards from the U.S. Census Bureau and federal labor data. This slowdown is happening nationwide and is affecting early-career hiring for people graduating from both college and graduate programsand is more pronounced for people with graduate degrees. Nearly 40% of small businesses also said they do not plan to hire, or are cutting back on hiring, recent grads who dont have a masters of business administration. Almost 60% said the same for people with other professional degrees. National data shows the same trend. Only 56% of small businesses are hiring or trying to hire anyone at all, according to October 2025 findings by the National Federation of Independent Business, an advocacy organization representing small and independent businesses. Job openings at small employers are at their lowest since 2020, when hiring dropped sharply during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some small businesses may change their hiring plans later in the spring, but our survey reveals that they are approaching hiring cautiously. This gives new graduates or students getting their diplomas in a few months information on what they can expect in the job market for summer and fall 2026. How small businesses tend to hire new employees Our survey, which has been conducted annually at the LeBow Center for Career Readiness at Drexel University, collected data from 647 businesses across the country from August 2025 through November. About two-thirds of them were small businesses, which reflects their distribution and proportion nationally. Small businesses employ nearly half of private-sector workers. They also offer many of the first professional jobs that new graduates get to start their careers. Many small employers in our survey said they want to hire early-career workers. But small-business owners and hiring managers often find that training new graduates takes more time and support than they can give, especially in fields like manufacturing and health care. Thats why many small employers prefer to hire interns they know or cooperative education students who had previously worked for them while they were enrolled as students. Larger employers are also being more careful about hiring, but they usually face fewer challenges. They often have structured onboarding, dedicated supervisors and formal training, so they can better support new employees. This is one reason why small businesses have seen a bigger slowdown in hiring than larger employers. Then there are small businesses in cities that are open to hiring recent graduates but are struggling to find workers. In cities, housing costs are often rising faster than starting salaries, so graduates have to live farther from their jobs. In the suburbs and rural areas, long or unreliable commutes make things worse. Since small businesses usually hire locally and cannot pay higher wages, these challenges make it harder for graduates to accept and keep entry-level jobs. Industry and regional patterns Job prospects for recent college graduates depend on the industry. The 2026 survey shows that employers in health care, construction and finance plan to hire more graduates than other fields. In contrast, manufacturing and arts and entertainment expect to hire fewer new graduates. Most new jobs are in health care and construction, but these fields usually do not hire many recent college graduates. Health care growth is focused on experienced clinical and support roles, while construction jobs are mostly in skilled trades that require prior training or apprenticeships instead of a four-year degree. So, even in growing industries, there are still limited opportunities for people just starting their careers. Even though small businesses are hiring less, there are still opportunities for recent graduates. Its important to be intentional when preparing for the job market. Getting practical experience matters more than ever. Internships, co-ops, project work and short-term jobs help students show they are ready before getting a full-time position. Employers often say that understanding how the workplace operates is just as important as having technical skills for people starting their careers. We often remind students in our classes at LeBow College of Business that communication and professional skills matter more than they expect. Writing clear emails, being on time, asking thoughtful questions and responding well to feedback can make candidates stand out. Small employers value these skills because they need every team member to contribute right away. Students should also prepare for in-person work. Almost 60% of small employers in our survey want full-time hires to work on-site five days a week. In smaller companies, graduates who can take on different tasks and adjust quickly are more likely to set themselves apart from other candidates. Finally, local networking is still important. Most small employers hire mainly within their region, so building relationships and staying active in the community are key for early-career opportunities. Murugan Anandarajan is a professor of decision sciences and management information Systems at Drexel University; Cuneyt Gozu is an associate clinicalprofessor of organizational behavior at Drexel University, and David Prisco is a director at the Center for Career Readiness at Drexel University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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