Roundup: Small business owners / Elevated car prices / Teacher bonuses

Content creators: Some 73% of small business owners now identify as creators, showing how entrepreneurship is increasingly tied to content creation. These owners are building businesses through social media, audience engagement and personal branding alongside traditional operations. Overall, this reflects a shift where being a “creator” is becoming a core part of running a small business. Inc. has the full story.

New concerns: U.S. car prices remain elevated due to lingering supply constraints, past chip shortages, inflation and strong demand for higher-priced SUVs and tech-heavy vehicles. A new concern is AI-driven demand for memory chips that could tighten supply further, keeping inventories constrained and affordability under pressure despite expectations of gradual stabilization. CNBC has the full story.

Data center tax bonanza: Some Richland Parish teachers are receiving unusually large end-of-year “13th checks,” with some full-share payouts reaching nearly $51,000 for certified staff. The payments are funded by a surge in local sales tax revenue tied to construction and economic activity from the Meta data center project, which has significantly boosted the parish tax base. The amount varies by employment status and years of service, with the school district distributing the checks as a one-time annual payout. KNOE has the full story.