Starbucks' Schultz is stepping down, young Americans are buying houses again, and more top news

The news professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments.

Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz announced that he'll be leaving his position at the end of the month. Schultz bought Starbucks in the late 1980s and oversaw its expansion to a global cafe giant with about 28,000 outlets in 77 countries. He moved from CEO to chairman in April 2018. His departure is “likely to fuel speculation” that Schultz may be planning to run for office. ? Here’s what people are saying.

First-time buyers are making up about half of all new mortgages (excluding refinancing), a sign that young people are getting a boost from the booming job market and cheap credit. The data, which looked at Freddie Mac-backed mortgages, found that 46% of new mortgages are new buyers, a share not seen since 2012. ? Here’s what people are saying.

BlackRock, the world's biggest investment firm, is hiring software engineers at twice the rate it's onboarding investment staff, COO Rob Goldstein told LinkedIn’s Devin Banerjee. Finance companies are increasingly embracing technology as a weapon in the war for client dollars, but they’re also working to adapt their cultures — such as dress codes — to attract top tech talent. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Apple unveiled new software and features at its Worldwide Developers Conference, a weeklong gathering of developers in San Jose, Calif. The company announced operating system iOS 12, available to download in the fall, as well as updates to voice assistant Siri, new “memojis” for the iPhone X, group chats of up to 32 people on FaceTime, features to help curb your smartphone addiction and more. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The SEC has appointed its first ever digital currency chief. Valerie A. Szczepanik has been named as associate director of its division of corporation finance and senior advisor on digital assets to the division's director. The newly created role will see Szczepanik coordinate the commission's efforts on emerging digital asset technologies and innovations. The SEC considers cryptocurrencies under its jurisdiction and in February began a crackdown on ICOs. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day:  The key to a successful team is having each other’s backs, and that means acknowledging each other’s work, write authors Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick.

“Our research shows strong evidence that employees respond best when they are recognized for things they are good at and for those actions where they’ve had to stretch. It is this latter practice that makes people want to grow and develop.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— Carmel Melouney and Jessica Hartogs