As an education specialist for a museum in Kansas City, Mo., Cherie Kelly says it can be tough to keep her work schedule to 40 hours a week. On weeks with evening events or special programming, she might have to put in closer to 60 hours — something she says happens about once a month. She was looking forward to earning some extra money through overtime pay soon, thanks to a federal rule that was slated to kick in this week. But she and many other workers are now in limbo after a federal judge in Texas ruled last week to halt an overtime rule that was supposed to take effect Dec. 1. (The Washington Post)

Saudi Arabia wrangled OPEC ministers into a tougher-than-expected oil production deal — a maneuver critical for its own long-term plans. Wednesday's deal comes as Saudi Arabia is trying to remake its oil-dependent economy into one that is more diversified, under a plan it callsVision 2030. A higher oil price would help boost revenues at a time when it has been running deficits and borrowing. (CNBC)

Here we are again; it’s hard to believe that we’re less than 30 days until Christmas. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the rear-view window, it’s likely that the gift-buying feeding frenzy may have already begun for you; however, it’s not too late to truly enjoy the spirit of the holiday. (Forbes)

A report released Wednesday by the District government drew attention to stark racial and gender inequalities ownership of technology companies in the city, while praising other aspects of D.C.’s tech scene. Based on interviews, surveys, and data analysis carried out with the help of Howard University MBA students, the report scored aspects of D.C.’s technology community’s "inclusiveness" based on how the representation of disadvantaged groups compares to their share of the population. (The Washington Post)

If you’re a normal professional, you may just feel at least a smidge of apprehension or resentment when it comes time to drag yourself to (or get dragged to) a professional networking event. Sure, sure, the crab puffs might be killer, but there are so many things to not love about these shindigs that I’d be here for hours if I tried to highlight each one. (The Muse)

You have a passion that you invest a lot of your time and energy into, but would love to transition it from just a passion into a money-making business? Here are some steps that you can follow that will make the transition much more smooth: (Black Entrepreneur)

Employers often overlook age as a diversity factor. As a result, they can lose out on many of the benefits of full inclusiveness and expose themselves to bias claims and workplace disharmony. That’s the view of several lawyers, advocates and diversity trainers who recently spoke with Bloomberg BNA about age diversity, on-the-job discrimination and managing today’s multigenerational workforces. (Bloomberg BNA)

More women are applying for MBA degrees than ever before. This year, 35% of MBA students at Financial Times-ranked schools were women, compared with 29% a decade ago. The highest-ranking positions in business are still occupied by men. Only 23 Fortune 500 firms have female chief executives; less than 5%. However, with more women applying to business school, things look set to change. (Business Because)

After years of soaring prices reduced the value of the largest 100-bolivar bill to just a few U.S. cents, Venezuelan authorities are finally preparing to issue larger-denomination bank notes, much to the relief of shoppers. (Bloomberg)

Lufthansa was once a proud symbol of Germany Inc., standing for the quality and smooth functionality of Europe’s No. 1 economy. But that was before the last week, when a strike by the airline’s pilots stranded more than half a million passengers. As of Wednesday, 4,461 flights had been scratched over six days, with no end in sight to a dispute over wages for pilots. (The New York Times)

What happens in the next four years remains to be seen, but colleges, our nation’s hotbeds for diversity progress, can take some actions to ensure that they are just as inclusive and progressive in four years as they are today. Here’s how to keep college and university campuses moving forward for diversity in a Trump-led America: (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)

The University System of Georgia’s African-American Male Initiative will fund a course this spring at the University of North Georgia aimed at helping African-American male students develop greater communication, decision-making and leadership approaches. (Gainesville Times)

The National Black MBA Association® (NBMBAA®) and Prospanica®, The Association of Hispanic Professionals (formerly the National Society of Hispanic MBAs) today announced a new strategic partnership to co-present the 39th Annual NBMBAA® Conference and Career Exposition. The Conference will occur in Philadelphia, PA from Sept. 26–30, 2017, and will include the Career Expo, as well as programming and workshops designed to address topics important to graduate students and executives of color. (PR Newswire)

Urban Movie Channel (UMC), the first subscription video on demand (SVOD) service created for African American and urban audiences in North America, has announced the arrival of the highly-anticipated iOS app. Created by Robert L. Johnson, Chairman of RLJ Entertainment and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), UMC features quality urban content and showcases feature films, documentaries, original series, stand-up comedy, and other exclusive content for African American and urban audiences. (BlackNews.com)

Google Pixel device activations were up 112% compared to the smartphone’s average number of activations in four preceding weekends, according to new data from mobile app analytics company Localytics. In comparison, iPhone 7 activations were only up 13%. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 saw activations grow by 36%, according to the research firm. (Fortune)

"How might we create fertile ground for the African-American community to grow with the city’s current tech boom?" That’s the question that David Harris posed at his first weekend hackathon, dubbed Hack the CD (a venture he launched in partnership with Startup Weekend after he won Crosscut’s Community Idea Lab in 2014). The weekend spun out ideas for several startups, including community-based crowd lending for minority-owned businesses and educational ebooks on prominent African American figures for 2nd-6th graders. (Crosscut)

The small-business creation rate falls short of the average for women, Hispanics and African Americans, notes a new Center for American Progress (CAP) report. On a per-capita basis, these groups own significantly fewer small businesses than white males. That news may not come as a surprise, but what does appear to be unexpected is this: The entrepreneur gap doesn’t vanish even after accounting for such factors as income, wealth and education. (Knowledge@Wharton)

Benji Wagner knows a dirty little secret about the outdoor apparel industry: Big brands like Patagonia and The North Face may advertise their gear being put to the test in the highest mountains and at the ends of the Earth, but 83 percent of all camping trips in the United States actually take place within a few feet of a car or a house. So Wagner is going straight at those consumers -- people who want to feel comfortable inside a tent perhaps just a few feet above sea level. (Entrepreneur)

Americans should expect the "largest tax change since Reagan," with federal tax cuts for average income earners as well as U.S.businesses, President-elect Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary said Wednesday. (USA TODAY)

The U.S. is seeing modest to moderate growth in most regions of the country, the Federal Reserve's Beige Book showed Wednesday. It cited the "strong dollar" as a "headwind," saying there was "mixed" demand for manufactured goods. It noted that employment "continued to expand," and the wage growth was "modest." (CNBC)

Cyber Monday, the final lap in the Thanksgiving holiday shopping relay, yielded $3.45 billion in sales, a new online record. On the day when retailers traditionally roll out a raft of digital deals, Adobe Digital Insights said shoppers spent 12.1% more than Cyber Monday 2015, and 2.6% more than Adobe initially predicted. (USA TODAY)

After years of progress, the median earnings gap between black and white men has returned to what it was in 1950, according to new research by economists from Duke University and the University of Chicago. (Phys Org)

It’s not uncommon for business owners to make big purchases before year-end to get the tax write-off. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to buying a car, truck, RV or van for your business. However, making that big purchase isn’t always the best long-term tax decision, not to mention the wisest economic decision. (Entrepreneur)

Corporate profits continued to rebound last quarter alongside solid growth in the broader U.S. economy. A key measure of after-tax earnings across U.S. corporations rose 5.2% in the third quarter from a year earlier, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. That was the first annual increase since late 2014 and the strongest year-over-year growth since the fourth quarter of 2012. (The Wall Street Journal)

It brings me no joy to write these words. The push for a $15 starter wage has negatively impacted the career prospects of employees who were just getting started in the workforce while extinguishing the businesses that employed them. I wish it were not so. But it’s important to document these consequences, lest policymakers elsewhere decide that the $15 movement is worth embracing. (Forbes)

The federal government is on track to forgive at least $108 billion in student debt in coming years, according to a report that for the first time projects the full cost of plans that tie borrowers’ payments to their earnings. (The Wall Street Journal)

Even before becoming Commander-in-Chief, Donald Trump has become negotiator-in-chief, as illustrated by the deal he struck with air conditioning manufacturer Carrier. (Fortune)

A lot of people believe you only have one shot at success. Let’s agree that’s just not true. But what is true is that many people don’t even take that one shot — out of fear of failure, inexperience, lack of motivation or just not knowing where to begin. Daymond John, one of the stars of ABC TV’s "Shark Tank," wants to change all that. He has written "The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage," a terrific book devoted to getting you ready to take that one shot. (Upstart Business Journal)