Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama handed the company a big win by rejecting unionization, in a vote of 1,798 to 738. More than 3,000 ballots were cast in the closely watched vote that could have turned the facility into Amazon's first union shop in the US.

First-time unemployment benefit claims reached 744,000 last week, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week, according to the Labor Department. The tally was above the 694,000 that economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected.

The pandemic has led companies to review the impact of employee benefits on the workforce. As a result, many companies are revising their approach to better support employees, expanding benefits in some areas and deprioritizing others.

Engagement and connection will remain important even as more people return to offices, and leaders will need to listen for signs of what people need and what ideas they've brought with them, writes Julie Winkle Giulioni. "Guiding people through this uncharted terrain into a future characterized by even greater cohesion, relationships and commitment is possible," she writes.

A colony of feral cats in Lower Downtown Denver keep the rodent population down at Coors Field, and one recently made a cameo appearance on the baseball diamond. The cats have their own loyal fan base and Twitter account, and they are pursued by the paparazzi, but a reporter's attempt to draw them out with catnip failed.

My daughter, Kawai, is getting married in August. I adore my future son-in-law, Zachary, and am excited for these two to become one.

But I have to get into a dress. And this search has been less than fun. Some days I feel like I’m running in the primaries, traveling from city to city, shaking hands and making friends with salespeople who support my endeavor.

So I’m learning firsthand the importance of intention, as we see in today’s Leadership & Development story. Motivation is a nice idea, but it doesn’t move the needle on progress. Intention gets me to throw out the cookie dough ice cream and concentrate when I’m doing deadlifts at the gym.

Anyone else have tricks for being intentional on their goals? Let me know! Know someone who needs to receive this brief? Send them this link to subscribe.