Tropical Storm Harvey is sending pump prices higher for motorists and causing temporary shifts in the flow of oil and gasoline around the world after taking down a huge chunk of U.S. refining capacity. Retail gas prices in the U.S. climbed 2 cents a gallon on Wednesday and have rise 7 cents in the past week, to a national average price of $2.42 per gallon, according to Gasbuddy. (CBS News)

When you slip into your daily focus routine, its adverse effects may not always be obvious. Below are some common symptoms of too much focus. If any sound familiar, you should examine the role of focus in your routine. It may well be the culprit that needs to be addressed. (Harvard Business Review)

More than half of all Americans plan to make Labor Day-related purchases this year, particularly on clothing, electronics and school supplies, according to a recent report by WalletHub. And rightfully so — this year's promotions will rival or beat Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, said Carson Yarbrough, a shopping and savings expert at Offers.com. (CNBC)

In a competitive work environment "a friend today is a foe tomorrow." The goal for most individuals at work is advancement. How do you achieve that? It’s increasing your visibility, gaining the right exposure and being noticed by the right players inside and outside of your organization. Of course, there are perfectly legitimate and integrity-based strategies for achieving those goals. But for some, it’s accomplished by any means necessary. (Black Enterprise)

Focusing on a speciality makes you more appealing to employers and shows clearly where your skills lie. It’s easier to focus on doing one thing great. Yet a growing crop of research and anecdotal evidence suggests that spending time and energy on unrelated tasks, hobbies, and interests can actually supercharge our ability to learn and grow, making us even better at all our work. (Fast Company)

You’re pumped about the opportunity and think it went well. You don’t want to bring all that momentum to a screeching halt with an ill-timed thank you note or an extended period of radio silence. Here is a checklist you can refer to whenever you’ve crushed an interview and want to be smart about your next steps. (The Muse)

Though the Donald Trump administration’s concerns regarding the status of HBCUs have been ambiguous at best, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is calling on the schools to be major players in helping to diversify the United States’ agency that deals with international relations and foreign policy issues. Citing a "great diversity gap" within the U.S. Department of State, Tillerson said. "America’s best and brightest are not just from the Ivy League." (AFRO)

When you think "old boys club," you think wood-paneled rooms, suit jackets and an ever-present cloud of cigar smoke. When you think "co-working space," you probably think fiberglass meeting rooms, beer on tap and a crowd of guys in hoodies. (CNN)

What had been cordial if unproductive negotiations turned into a brawl this week over how much the U.K. should pay to leave the European Union, an issue the EU says must be settled before the future relationship can be discussed. Investors are worried that Britain risks an acrimonious divorce from its biggest trading partner unless the discussions start to yield results soon. Fourteen months have passed since the U.K. voted to leave the EU, and five months since it gave the bloc formal notice, starting the countdown to departure in March 2019. (CNN Money)

Business schools are partnering with tech companies and upping focus on data analytics to make MBA grads appeal to Silicon Valley firms. (Business Because)

The 2017 Annual Conference and Exposition, presented by NBMBAA and Prospanica is coming up quickly. Now is the time to register to secure your sessions and housing. Visit our Conference page to learn about this year’s events, speakers and exhibitors. Register Now.

Even under Facebook ownership, Jan Koum says that the simplicity and efficiency that made WhatsApp a hit in the first place remain all-important. (Fast Company)

Restaurateurs working outside Detroit's newly desirable downtown food scene face the same structural obstacles to success that plague Black businesses nationwide. (Civil Eats)

Justin Rosenberg came up with the idea for honeygrow during an MBA at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. He’s raised over $50 million in VC funding to date. (Business Because)

Individual investors still own more individual rental properties, as they did in 2001. But as of 2015, institutional investors — all other landlords, including partnerships, companies, trustees for estates and nonprofit organizations — made gains across rental properties of all sizes. (The New York Times)

The March/April edition of Black Enterprise magazine featured a quote from Houston’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, citing the reasons Houston is so opportune for black entrepreneurship: "Our thriving black business community, the multitude of professionals in corporate positions, and the dozen ELC (Executive Leadership Council) members who have presence in Houston," were just some of the reason Turner gave. Now, a furious and unforgiving storm, Hurricane Harvey, threatens to derail the incredible progress made by African American entrepreneurs in that town—and in the other devastated areas of southeast Texas. Can black businesses bounce back? (Black Enterprise)

Houstonians in the flood stricken areas are focused on surviving and looking for a place to stay, not finding a way to pay their monthly bills or mortgage payments on homes that may be destroyed. That is why Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration, which back the vast majority of mortgages today, have already announced that they will offer forbearance for at least 90 days to borrowers in the Houston area and could, in some cases, extend that up to a year. (CNBC)

US economic growth in the second quarter is now thought to be stronger than previously reported, helped by stronger business investments and consumer spending. The Commerce Department's second estimate of Q2 gross domestic product released Wednesday printed at 3%. Economists had forecast a slight increase to 2.7% from 2.6% on the back of stronger consumer spending. ()

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Several months removed from a public-relations disaster that nevertheless failed to dent its bottom line, United Airlines is poised to lose millions because of Hurricane Harvey. According to a report published by Cowen & Co. analyst Helane Becker on Tuesday, the financial toll from the hurricane on United could surpass $265 million. (Business Insider)

The Trump administration has tapped an emergency stockpile of crude oil in response to the major refinery outages in the U.S. Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Harvey. Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced Thursday that he authorized 500,000 barrels of crude oil to be drawn down from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The reserve is made up of a complex of tanks and deeper underground storage caverns. (CNN Money)