In partnership with

Today’s Big Story

Women at Work

Females in corporate America are backsliding, warns new report

In 2025, it seems that the women in corporate America are falling behind. They’re getting less support from employers and reporting lower ambition than men, warns a new report out Tuesday from McKinsey and women’s advocacy group Lean In.

The findings cap a year of setbacks for women, including political attacks on corporate diversity efforts, return-to-office mandates that fall hardest on mothers, and growing cultural nostalgia for “trad wives”, who don’t work outside the home. Despite years of corporate pledges to advance women, 54% of HR professionals surveyed by the group now say women’s career advancement is a priority at their organization—and that falls to 46% for women of color. That marks a sharp drop from 2017, when gender equity surged on to corporate agendas after Donald Trump’s election and 88% of companies told Lean In it was a high priority.

“This is a moment where corporate America is backsliding on women,” Sheryl Sandberg, the former Facebook executive who founded Lean In, tells Axios. And Forbes called it “deeply concerning.” They spoke with Lean In’s other co-founder, Rachel Thomas, who said this isn’t just a stagnation of progress; it’s a dangerous decline.

For instance, the researchers found a new “ambition gap” between men and women in the survey of about 9,500 professionals conducted this summer. It’s not just the record number of women exiting the workforce, it’s also the fact that women are now less inclined to seek promotions. Across categories, women say they want to be promoted at lower rates than men. Only 69% of entry-level women want a promotion compared with 80% of entry-level men. Likewise, 84% of senior-level women want to be promoted, while 92% of senior-level men do. And overall, 80% of women overall say they want to be promoted to the next level, compared to 86% of men.

Interestingly, it doesn’t start out that way. Young women are extremely ambitious. In fact, women under 30 are more interested in being promoted than young men, but after 40, only 52% of entry-level women want to advance, while 71% of men still do. What do they know? Or learn along the way, that changes their mind?

Trump Unveils $12 Billion Bailout for Farmers

They’ve been among the hardest hit by his trade war

You might recall back in April, on the so-called “Liberation Day”, (when President Donald Trump announced the tariffs that have since upended global trade), the president vowed that “jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country.” So far it has not worked out that way and the president is moving to contain the economic and political damage. On Monday, he announced $12 billion in bailout money for America’s farmers who have been battered in large part by his trade policies.

“We looked at how they were hurt, to what extent they were hurt,” Trump said, explaining how the administration came up with the size of the package. Trump said the money for the program will come from tariff revenue. Farm groups and Republican farm-state lawmakers have sought the aid in part to support farmers with purchases of seeds, fertilizer and other expenses for next year's growing season. The Associated Press reports that farmers appreciate the aid package, but they say it’s likely only a down payment on what’s needed and government aid doesn’t solve the fundamental problems of soaring costs and uncertain markets.

Much of the aid—$11 billion—will be in the form of one-time payments through the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which helps U.S. crop farmers. The remaining $1 billion will go toward commodities not covered under the bridge assistance program, the Trump administration said. Reuters reports that farmers are set to receive a near-record $40 billion in government payments this year, fueled by ad-hoc disaster and economic aid programs. However, net farm income could fall by more than $30 billion in 2026 due to a decline in government payments and low crop prices, according to an estimate from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri.

BMW Has a Smart Idea to Stop Drunk Driving

The German automaker’s simple but effective solution makes drinking and driving in its cars impossible

Here’s an interesting fact: BMW drivers lead the U.S. in drunk driving citations with over three violations for every 1,000 drivers, according to a recent study. Luxury car brands comprise four out of the top five spots for vehicles subject to the most drunk driving citations, the data showed, from Audi and Volvo to Acura.

But BMW is working to change that. A new patent filed with the World Intellectual Property Office, reports CarBuzz, suggests combining existing technologies to stop inebriated individuals from getting behind the wheel, or at least, from getting a sufficiently equipped car started and moving. Many new cars are available with the option of a digital key, where the user’s smartphone or smartwatch is used to unlock and lock the vehicle, remotely start the engine/electric motors, activate driver preferences, turn on climate control, and determine things like battery state of charge, among other pieces of information. BMW’s patent suggests that the phone be connected to a breathalyzer, which could be part of the car or a portable gadget. Regardless, until the user blows into the breathalyzer to confirm that their blood-alcohol level is below the legal limit, the car could remain immobilized.

Autoblog raises questions about how an individual’s data might be used and whether their breathalyzer scores would be recorded and possibly even sold to insurance companies; GM was sued for selling customer data earlier this year. Even if a person doesn’t attempt to drive in an inebriated state, recording and passing on such information could be detrimental to their premiums. But, given the reputation that BMW drivers often have, perhaps a little more oversight wouldn’t be so bad.

You Don’t Have to Face Debt Alone

You don’t have to face debt alone.

Debt in America is at an all-time high, but there are more ways than ever to take control.

Whether you’re managing credit cards, personal loans, or medical bills, the right plan can help you lower payments and simplify your finances.

Money.com reviewed the nation’s top relief programs to help you compare trusted options and choose what fits your life.

You can start taking back control in only takes a few minutes.

Compare your options today

Take some time for yourself.