• Protesters gathered at Tesla showrooms nationwide to oppose Elon Musk's political role.
• Musk's advisory role under Trump has led to significant federal government changes.
• Protesters said they fear Musk's influence threatens democracy and impacts the middle class and minorities.

On Saturday morning, I observed nearly 400 protesters gathered outside a Tesla showroom in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were armed with flags and cardboard signs, and they said they felt like America's democracy was under siege.

"Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go," the group chanted as they paced up and down the sidewalk outside the dealership. They waved their signs in the air — an assortment of hand-drawn caricatures, digital graphics, and slogans that took aim at Elon Musk and the new Trump administration.

More than a couple of signs, I noticed, were emblazoned with the phrase "Fire Elon Musk."

One said, "Elon Musk smells like oligarchy and ketamine." Another, more assuringly, said, "I have friends in Canada."

The protest in Ann Arbor was one of more than 200 scheduled to take place outside Tesla showrooms nationwide on Saturday. These gatherings are part of " Tesla Takedown," an effort that began in February and describes itself as a "peaceful protest movement" that is "taking action at Tesla to stop Musk's illegal coup."

Later on Saturday, I attended another protest outside a mall in Troy, Michigan, with a Tesla showroom. The gathering was smaller, closer to 150 attendees, but more spirited.

Protesters lined up on the sidewalk outside the mall and interacted with the cars driving in and out of the parking lot. On the handful of times a Cybertruck passed through, the protesters booed, and the passengers honked in an unspoken battle of ideology — and taste in cars.

Since Donald Trump began his second term and appointed Musk as senior advisor, Musk has made drastic changes to the federal government in the name of efficiency. He's recruited a band of tech veterans, consultants, and lawyers to DOGE to help him slash spending and jobs across several federal agencies.

Under the new administration, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs have been cut. Student loans programs are also subject to change as Trump moves to dismantle the Department of Education.

Between the two protests I attended, I chatted with more than 20 people about what drove them to action on a rainy Saturday. The answer was almost unanimous. They feared that the middle class, minorities, and future generations were being silenced by the whims of billionaires in the Oval Office.

"We've never had people in government who actually are trying to destroy our government, literally, and actually working at it, and being bald-faced about it," said 73 year old Maria Marcotte, the mother of Michigan congresswoman Haley Stevens, who was protesting in Troy.

In Ann Arbor, one woman who asked not to be named told me that this is a "core assault on democracy." She said there's been a "loss of all democratic norms, institutions, rule of law — it's terrifying." She added, "I'm pretty old. I've lived through some rough periods, you know the Vietnam Era, but nothing like this."

Several people in Ann Arbor said that Musk didn't concern them before he stepped into politics. Now that he's working with Trump, though, they said he's more erratic than they ever realized.

"I was a big fan originally. I wanted to buy a Tesla," 69-year-old Judah Garber told me. "I'm really most concerned now with his actions in his unelected role as, you know, a random people-cutter," he said.

I noticed that the crowd in Ann Arbor and Troy were primarily seniors above the age of 65, white, and retired from jobs that depended on public funding as teachers, professors at local universities, and social workers. They leaned left on the political spectrum. Some described themselves as "Anti-Trump" or "Anti-Republican" or "Pro-Democracy." Others said they had made a pronounced shift from the Republican Party to Democratic Party in their younger years. As appalled as they were with the current administration, though, I noticed they were also disillusioned with the Democrats in power.

At the core of any protest is the question of who and what will feel the impact. Several attendees told me that the most achievable goal of these demonstrations is to influence the people passing by, their neighbors, and those who are one degree removed from it all.

Gus Teschke, the organizer of the Ann Arbor chapter of Indivisible, a grassroots organization for progressive causes that helped mobilize several protesters on Saturday, said the commerce felt positive.

"It's a party out here," Teschke said.

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• President Donald Trump has issued a wave of executive orders targeting high-profile law firms.
• Trump has restricted clearances — ultimately limiting the way they do business — for firms that have clashed with his administration.
• While some firms have agreed to Trump's demands, others have sued the administration.

President Donald Trump has taken a swing at major law firms over the past month, ordering reviews of government contracts and canceling security clearances for some firm employees.

Some have made deals with the president, while others are refusing to throw in the towel.

Trump has accused the Big Law firms — including Paul Weiss, Perkins Coie, and Covington & Burling, among others — of weaponizing the judicial system. His orders have, in turn, made it harder for the firms to continue conducting business as usual. Several have alleged in lawsuits that the executive orders intended to chill free speech and deter clients from doing business with the firms.

He has called out a string of law firms that he believes have wronged him in some capacity, have worked with his political opponents, or have had diversity initiatives that are counter to his anti-DEI efforts.

What's more, Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify firms with "frivolous" cases against the administration so that they could be targeted for further executive action.

Whether they're on the ropes or down for the count, here's the top firms Trump is taking on, as well as a look at where the legal process stands.

Paul Weiss

Earlier in March, Trump issued an executive order directed at the prominent New York City-based law firm Paul Weiss, where he railed against the attorney Mark Pomerantz and decried what he said was "unlawful discrimination" from diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the firm.

Pomerantz previously left Paul Weiss to aid the Manhattan District Attorney's office as it probed Trump's finances. When Pomerantz resigned as special district attorney in February 2022, he wrote in a departing letter that he believed Trump was "guilty of numerous felony violations."

In the order, Trump sought to revoke security clearances and bar access to government buildings for attorneys of the firm. Such a sweeping directive could also include federal courthouses, a scenario that would be detrimental to the firm's work.

However, Trump just days later rescinded the executive order and announced an agreement with Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp. Trump said the firm would provide $40 million in pro bono work for causes that the administration supports and end its DEI policies.

Karp received a heap of criticism, with many questioning why Paul Weiss didn't challenge Trump's order. In an email to the firm's attorneys, he said there was a desire from the outset to challenge the directive. In the same email, though, Karp argued that even if Paul Weiss won in court, it would become "persona non grata" with the Trump White House, which could prompt a wave of clients to switch to other firms and subsequently threaten the viability of the firm.

"It was very likely that our firm would not be able to survive a protracted dispute with the administration," Karp wrote in the email.

Perkins Coie

In early March, Trump targeted the law firm Perkins Coie, issuing an executive order to suspend the security clearances of the firm's attorneys and criticizing its diversity and inclusion policies.

In the order, Trump called out what he said was the firm's "dishonest and dangerous activity."

The president, in his order, noted the firm's representation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — his rival in the 2016 presidential election — during that year's tumultuous campaign.

However, Perkins Coie struck back, filing a lawsuit against the administration for actions that it said "violates core constitutional rights, including the rights to free speech and due process."

"At the heart of the order is an unlawful attack on the freedom of all Americans to select counsel of their choice without fear of retribution or punishment from the government," Perkins Coie managing director Bill Malley said in a statement in March. "We were compelled to take this action to protect our firm and our clients."

The day after Perkins Coie filed its suit, a federal judge agreed to temporarily block part of the president's executive order.

Perkins Coie, in a statement, said the ruling was "an important first step in ensuring this unconstitutional Executive Order is never enforced."

Covington & Burling LLP

Trump in late February signed a memorandum to evaluate federal contracts and direct the suspension of security clearances for some employees at Covington & Burling, a DC-based law firm known for its antitrust work.

The president in the memo said he was suspending the clearances of individuals who advised former special counsel Jack Smith.

Smith brought two federal cases against Trump — one for election interference in the 2020 presidential election and the other for retaining classified documents — but both were dropped after the president won reelection to a second term in November 2024.

In the memo, Trump went after individuals whom he said were "involved in the weaponization of government" and named Peter Koski, a lawyer at Covington representing Smith.

A Covington spokesperson earlier in March said it was representing Smith in an "individual" capacity.

"We recently agreed to represent Jack Smith when it became apparent that he would become a subject of a government investigation," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We look forward to defending Mr. Smith's interests and appreciate the trust he has placed in us to do so."

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Skadden made a deal with Trump, acting before it was singled out in any executive orders. The firm promised to provide $100 million in pro bono legal services "to causes that the President and Skadden both support," Trump announced on Friday.

Skadden also affirmed its commitment to merit-based hiring and employee retention, Trump said. The firm also agreed that it would refrain from engaging in "illegal DEI discrimination," according to a copy of the agreement that Trump shared on Truth Social.

In a statement, Jeremy London, Skadden's executive partner, said the firm "engaged proactively" with the administration to reach the agreement.

"We firmly believe that this outcome is in the best interests of our clients, our people, and our Firm," London said.

Speaking from the White House, Trump referred to the deal as "essentially a settlement."

Within the firm, some associates and employees expressed frustration about the deal, calling it the beginning of the end for Skadden.

In the weeks leading up to the agreement, Skadden associate Rachel Cohen publicly resigned and circulated an open letter among associates at top firms calling out their employers for what she has described as inaction in the face of the administration's attacks.

After the deal was announced, another employee, Brenna Frey, also resigned publicly in an announcement on LinkedIn.

Elias Law Group

The chair of Elias Law Group took a different approach after it was targeted by the administration.

Trump named the Elias Law Group in his "frivolous" lawsuits memo, formally titled "Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court."

It claimed that the law firm was "deeply involved in the creation of a false 'dossier' by a foreign national designed to provide a fraudulent basis for Federal law enforcement to investigate a Presidential candidate in order to alter the outcome of the Presidential election."

The memo went on to say that the firm "intentionally sought to conceal the role of his client — failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — in the dossier."

Marc Elias, the Democratic election lawyer who founded and chairs the group, released a statement swinging back at Trump, whose actions target "every attorney and law firm who dares to challenge his assault on the rule of law," he said.

"President Trump's goal is clear," Elias said in the statement. "He wants lawyers and law firms to capitulate and cower until there is no one left to oppose his Administration in court."

Adding that American democracy is in a state of "peril," Elias said his law firm would not cower.

"Elias Law Group will not be deterred from fighting for democracy in court," he said. "There will be no negotiation with this White House about the clients we represent or the lawsuits we bring on their behalf."

Jenner & Block

Trump signed an order naming Jenner & Block on Tuesday that revoked security clearances from the firm's attorneys and ordered a review of the firm's contracts with the federal government.

Trump's order singled out Andrew Weissmann, a former Jenner attorney who Trump accused of building his career around "weaponized government and abuse of power." Weissmann was a lead prosecutor in Robert Mueller's Special Counsel's Office, which investigated Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and its ties to Russia.

Jenner issued a statement calling the order an "unconstitutional executive order that has already been declared unlawful by a federal court."

"We remain focused on serving and safeguarding our clients' interests with the dedication, integrity, and expertise that has defined our firm for more than one hundred years and will pursue all appropriate remedies," the statement from Jenner said.

Jenner also fought back with a lawsuit filed on Friday. The firm is represented by Cooley LLP, a liberal-leaning firm that has hired lawyers from Democratic administrations.

On Friday, Judge John D. Bates of the US District Court for the District of Columbia issued a temporary restraining order that keeps the Trump administration from taking action against Jenner.

Following the ruling, Jenner said in a statement that the order holds "no legal weight."

"We will continue to do what we have always done, our job as lawyers and fearless advocates for our clients," the firm said.

WilmerHale

The Trump administration has also targeted WilmerHale, which employed Mueller and other lawyers who worked with the Justice Department to investigate ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order that suspended security clearances for WilmerHale employees and limited their access to federal buildings. The order also revoked WilmerHale's government contracts for engaging in "partisan representations to achieve political ends" and "efforts to discriminate on the basis of race."

In contrast with other firms that have inked deals with the president, WilmerHale filed a lawsuit.

The firm hired Paul Clement, the conservative legal superstar of the firm Clement & Murphy, to fight back against the Trump administration.

"This lawsuit is absolutely critical to vindicating the First Amendment, our adversarial system of justice, and the rule of law," Clement told Business Insider in a statement.

On Friday afternoon, Judge Richard J. Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia approved a motion for a temporary restraining order to halt executive actions against WilmerHale.

"There is no doubt this retaliatory action chills speech and legal advocacy, or that it qualifies as a constitutional harm," Leon wrote.

A spokesperson for WilmerHale called the executive order unconstitutional and praised the court's "swift action."

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• The FDA recalled over 4,000 bags of ground coffee mislabeled as decaffeinated across 15 states.
• The recall applies to 12-ounce bags of Our Family's Traverse City Cherry Decaf Light Roast.
• The Michigan company said customers should return mislabeled packages for a refund or replacement.

Does your decaf have you twitching? It might be mislabeled coffee.

The FDA issued recalls for more than 4,000 bags of Our Family coffee grounds that were mislabeled as decaffeinated, according to a notice released by the agency on March 13.

The recall applies to 12-ounce bags of the Traverse City Cherry Artificially Flavored Decaf Light Roast Ground Coffee from Our Family, according to the notice.

"A portion of the production of Our Family Traverse City Ground Coffee was mislabeled as decaffeinate," the FDA said in the notice.

The mislabeled coffee was distributed to 15 states — primarily in the Midwest — through food distributor SpartanNash Company, per the notice.

Cases of the mislabeled coffee grounds were distributed and sold in Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Our Family Coffee and SpartanNash Company did not immediately return requests for comment from Business Insider on Saturday. SpartanNash told USA Today in a statement that consumer safety is its "top priority."

"We issued the recall on March 13 immediately after being notified by our supplier that the product had been mislabeled," the company said in the statement. "All recalled product was already removed from store shelves and destroyed prior to the FDA's classification of the recall earlier this week."

Our Family said one "lot code" of its Traverse City Cherry Decaf flavor, which has a best-use-by date of August 3, had been recalled.

The Michigan-based company encouraged customers who bought the mislabeled decaf to return it to the store for a refund or a replacement.

"We are committed to your health and safety, and we follow best practices to ensure the quality and safety of the products we sell," the company said. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

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There's just a little more than a week left in the 2025 March Madness tournament, and the road to the Final Four is here. We've put together everything you need to know about how to watch Duke vs. Alabama, including live streaming options for those without cable.

The Elite Eight round is underway, and among the high-stakes match-ups is a No. 1 vs. No. 2 seed face-off between Duke and Alabama. The Duke Blue Devils had a stellar regular season this year, with a 31-3 record that landed them a top slot in this year's tournament. The Alabama Crimson Tide also had a solid season, earning them a No. 2 spot. Duke star Cooper Flagg has been the one to watch this season, and he's helped the team sail through the first three rounds so far, putting up 30 points in the Sweet 16 game against Arizona on Thursday night.

Whether Duke can continue their run will come down to tonight's Elite Eight game against Alabama. The two teams haven't played each other since 2013, a 74-64 win for Duke. The Blue Devils hold a 5-0 record in their long head-to-head history with the Crimson Tide, but that could all change with tonight's match-up.

Whether you're a fan of the Blue Devils or Crimson Tide, we'll make sure you're able to tune in. For more NCAA Championship info, make sure to check out our how to watch March Madness streaming guide.

• See also: How to watch MLB | How to watch NBA | Where to watch the Miami Open

What channel is Duke vs. Alabama on?

Duke vs. Alabama will be simulcast on TBS and truTV. The game will tip off right after the Florida vs. Texas Tech game.

How to watch Duke vs. Alabama in the US

If you don't have access to the networks through cable, there are a few live streaming services that will be able to help you out. Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, and Max are some of our favorites.

Sling TV carries TBS in both its Sling Orange and Blue base plans (while truTV is only available with Blue). Both plans also offer TNT. Our Sling Orange vs. Blue guide has a full comparison of the two services if you're not sure which is right for you. Each base plan carries 35-40+ live channels. Subscriptions start at $46/month, but new users can get their first month for just $23.

TBS and truTV are also available in DirecTV Stream's MySports pack. The new channel package carries 25+ popular sports channels (including TNT) for $70/month. New users can get a five-day free trial.

The game will also be available to live stream on Max, which carries most TNT, TBS, and truTV games. Sports live streaming is included with the B/R Sports Add-on, which comes with every ad-free Max plan. Ad-free plans start at $17/month.

How to watch Duke vs. Alabama from anywhere

Basketball fans can still keep up with the game via their usual viewing methods with the help of a VPN, or virtual private network. VPNs are handy tech tools that let you change your virtual location. This way, your go-to websites and apps work just like they would back home. Since the services we've highlighted require US payment methods, this option will work best for Americans who are just abroad at the moment.

ExpressVPN has consistently ranked among one of the best VPNs we've tested. The app has a user-friendly interface and a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. We have a full breakdown in our ExpressVPN review, and you can keep reading to learn how to use a VPN.

How to watch Duke vs. Alabama with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
• Install it on the device you're using to watch the game.
• Turn it on and set it to a US location.
• Sign up for one of the above streaming services.
• Enjoy March Madness.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

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• I almost didn't go back to work and send my kids to day care, but now I'm glad I did.
• I've met most of my friends through my kids, and our tight-knit group feels more like family.
• Eight years later, we still show up for each other.

Making friends in a new town isn't easy, especially when working from home and being a married mom of two under 2.

But when I sent my kids to day care, I found a few friends along the way who have become like family.

Finding common bonds with strangers

I crossed paths with many of the same faces during day care drop-off and pick-up each day. I learned to treasure those micro conversations when checking our children in and out, grabbing car seats, and watching the teachers bring out their cute little fingerpaintings and art projects to take home. These moments created a bond between us despite us essentially being strangers.

The day care had an indoor play space called The Treehouse, with after-hours events for parents and their kids. It created the perfect opportunity to meet other moms while helping my children (then ages 1 and 3) grow their social skills.

Tuesday nights were our favorite. The theme was "Work It Out," and $5 per kid covered two supervised hours of kid-play in The Treehouse while the moms got a full-body workout.

It became a weekly tradition for my crew and two other moms, Meredith and Christin, whose kids were the same ages as mine.

This was the start of new friendships for me and what has now become lifelong friendships for my children. My kids don't remember a time when they weren't friends with the other Treehouse kids.

Sharing the good, bad, and insanity of motherhood, and more

When The Treehouse ended its after-hours events, our trio continued the Tuesday tradition, hosting Work It Out at each other's houses.

Those Tuesdays evolved into lunch dates, park trips, weekend play dates, birthday celebrations, and a three-way text thread. We socialized often, with and without our kids.

Meredith and I surprised our kids by meeting up at Dollywood one summer day and again at Six Flags several years later. We have a long-standing tradition of going river tubing each summer right before the new school year starts. We gave Christin a baby shower and a meal train to welcome her second daughter. She's my go-to when I need help with school transportation. And since our older boys' birthdays are just three days apart, we plan their parties around each other.

Christin keeps an eye on my house when I'm out of town, feeds my pets, and gives me a voice of reason. She's lived in our town much longer than I have and knows everyone and everything that happens, which is why she's the first person I go to when I have questions. She's been a voice of reason for me more times than I can count.

The more time we spent together, the easier it was for me to befriend other moms. Lauren, Aundrea, and Quintina became familiar faces at birthday parties, park dates, and play dates.

Our children have formed inseparable bonds because they see each other often in and out of daycare. Even though they've made new friends over the years, they're still closest to the ones from their pre-school days.

Family is also the people you choose

The text thread is now an eight-person collaboration, and it grows ever longer. And to think I almost didn't choose day care.

We're long removed from Tuesdays, The Treehouse, and day care, and life has gotten busy for all of us. Most of our kids play sports or take lessons of some sort. One of our friends moved a couple of hours away. Another is going through cancer.

But distance, schedules, and life's unexpected surprises can't divide us. We still trick-or-treat together, do craft nights, celebrate birthdays (and know when each kid's birthday is coming up), discuss school and sports, and plan outings.

Our kids brought us together, but we chose to become friends. Now, more than eight years later, we continue to choose friendship despite the different roads we've traveled. We might go longer between visits or texts, but we always know where to turn when one of us needs help, advice, an answer, or just a friend.

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• Amazon Photos has a new feature that turns your photo library into an online marketplace.
• Users can now search for products on Amazon using photos stored in their Amazon Photos app.
• The new feature uses image recognition technology to find similar products sold on Amazon.

Amazon is now setting up shop in users' photo libraries.

Panos Panay, senior vice president of Amazon's Devices and Services division, announced an update to Amazon Photos allowing users to "search your photo library to find similar products on Amazon."

"Spot something you loved at a friend's house or a toy your kid was obsessed with?" he wrote in an X post on Friday. "Just search your photos and we'll surface relevant items for you."

Panay posted a 30-second video promoting the update, which uses image recognition technology to analyze users' photos, identify potential products, and provide links to purchase similar items on Amazon.

"You can use the Amazon Photos app to shop for products recognized in your photos," according to Amazon's customer service webpage. "When viewing individual photos, select the Lens icon to explore products in the Amazon retail app or website."

Representatives for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The photo app update is yet another way Amazon — founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos — is trying to entice shoppers.

In February, BI reported that Amazon is testing a program that pays media companies to drive traffic to the retail e-commerce platform through product recommendations. Publishers would get paid even if readers don't purchase the product.

The feature comes just in time for Amazon's 2025 Big Spring Sale, which runs from March 25 to March 31. Shoppers can snag deals across several Amazon categories, from electronics to household products.

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• The organization behind the Oscars apologized over its response to an attack on a Palestinian director.
• Hamdan Ballal said earlier this week that he had been attacked by Israeli settlers.
• Hundreds of Academy members criticized the awards body over its initial statement on the incident.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued an apology for its response to an attack on the Oscar-winning filmmaker Hamdan Ballal following pressure from voting members.

Hundreds of Academy members have criticized the awards body for not acknowledging Ballal by name in its initial statement shared after the Palestinian director said he had been attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by soldiers in the West Bank earlier this week.

The Academy released the statement on March 26, condemning attempts at "harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints," but it did not directly name Ballal — the co-director of " No Other Land," which took home the best documentary award at this year's Oscars.

An open letter signed by more than 700 of the organization's voting members said that the Academy's statement "fell far short of the sentiments this moment calls for."

"It is indefensible for an organisation to recognise a film with an award in the first week of March, and then fail to defend its filmmakers just a few weeks later," the letter read in part. It was co-signed by Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, Olivia Colman, and Joaquin Phoenix, among other leading figures from the film industry.

After a meeting with the Academy's board of governors, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and its president, Janet Yang, told members they regretted their failure to acknowledge the Palestinian Oscar winner.

In a fresh statement released on Friday and shared with Business Insider, the Academy said: "On Wednesday, we sent a letter in response to reports of violence against Oscar winner Hamdan Ballal, co-director of No Other Land, connected to his artistic expression. We regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name."

"We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement and want to make it clear that the Academy condemns violence of this kind anywhere in the world," it continues. "We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances."

Ballal, along with filmmakers Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, and Basel Adra, received the Oscar for best documentary at the 97th Academy Awards ceremony in early March.

The film, which was made between 2019 and 2023, documents the displacement of Palestinians from their homes in the Masafer Yatta area of the West Bank, focusing on the developing alliance between Adra, a Palestinian activist, and Abraham, an Israeli journalist.

The documentary struggled to find a distributor in the US, and producers eventually opted to self-distribute the film, which one New York Times critic described as "audacious and devastating."

Since its theatrical release in January, "No Other Land" has grossed almost $2 million domestically.

The Academy members' open letter said the film has done particularly well given that it was not "buoyed by wide distribution and exorbitantly priced campaigns" that others enjoyed.

"For 'No Other Land' to win an Oscar without these advantages speaks to how important the film is to the voting membership. The targeting of Ballal is not just an attack on one filmmaker — it is an attack on all those who dare to bear witness and tell inconvenient truths," the letter read.

Speaking to the Associated Press about the attack, Ballal said that he was detained alongside two other Palestinians after Israeli settlers attacked his village. He told the outlet that he was then blindfolded for more than 20 hours and that he heard those guarding him saying his name and the word "Oscar."

The Israel Defense Forces has said that an Israeli and three Palestinians were detained on suspicion of hurling rocks, per the AP.

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• As a father raising two sons, I know I need to address toxic masculinity.
• I model good behavior by showing them perseverance is more important than physical strength.
• I also teach my sons that they can openly express their emotions.

I'm not sure where I was or what I was doing the first time I heard the term " toxic masculinity," but it seems to be everywhere these days.

Aside from a brief period in middle school, I never gave much thought to masculinity. I just knew there were men in my life that I wanted to emulate, and they represented a whole range of masculinity. Some didn't know how to operate a hammer, while others could light a match off their pant leg.

As a father, I'm now confronted with my views of masculinity, especially as I raise two sons — ages 12 and 7.

After doing some research, I learned there are three main beliefs of toxic masculinity: men should be strong, men should not be emotional, and men should be in power.

While I certainly don't subscribe to these beliefs, I'm trying to model good behavior for my sons so that they don't prioritize toxic values.

Belief 1: Men have to be physically strong and tough

On the surface, my sons are physically strong. The oldest can lift a garbage can full of raked leaves across a yard. The youngest breaks boards in taekwondo with his forehead.

Instead of just celebrating those physical strengths, I'm trying to teach my children that perseverance is more important. I'm trying to show them that toughness can be better expressed through finding the will and the ability to keep moving forward in difficult situations.

For example, recently, when I lost my job, I told them that while I was disappointed, I was confident I could survive this difficult time. I modeled toughness without expressing anger and frustration about the situation.

Belief 2: Men should not express emotions

Both boys display their emotions like stage actors trying to be heard in the nosebleed. Joy, frustration, excitement, and despair are displayed like Jim Carrey on an espresso binge.

While emotions can be overwhelming for a parent, my partner and I allow the boys to experience those emotions without shame. We give our boys the safest space available for their emotions. When they express uncertainty about how to react to something, we provide the emotional space so they can figure it out for themselves.

Because we allow them that safe emotional space, my wife and I sometimes forget their ages and expect them to function as older versions of themselves. After a particularly difficult time of high emotions, we, as the parents, have to step back and go, "Oh, yeah, he's only 7."

Belief 3: Men need to be in power

This one worries me the most. I've been around powerful and influential men all my professional life, and I know how awful some of them could be. I don't want my sons to grow up to be anything like them, craving power and domination.

To ensure that doesn't happen, I'm starting with equality at home. Instead of relying on their mother to do household chores, I do various domestic duties like laundry and yard work — without complaint.

I don't expect my sons to start loving housework, but they must understand how hard it can be to keep a home habitable. They're catching on. My oldest can make a hot lunch, scrub toilets, and empty cat boxes while the youngest sweeps floors, vacuums vehicles, and occasionally dices vegetables for dinner.

Beyond that, I try to point to their mother's achievements; she's a successful grade school teacher. I also highlight their grandmother, a retired surgical nurse with a history of fighting gender discrimination.

I know I could be doing more, especially since they will be exposed to toxic masculinity across social media. I'm still unsure how to address every aspect of that challenge, but I've got a road map in place.

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The world's ATP and WTA stars have descended on Miami and are currently duking it out on the courts of the Hard Rock Stadium. Below, we've compiled everything you need to know about where to watch the Miami Open, including live streaming options from around the world.

The men's final is all set for Sunday and sees Novak Djokovic chasing his 100th career title. The unseeded Jakub Mensik of Czechia will be keen to crash the Serbian's party though.

It's been a much more exciting series on the women's side, largely thanks to 19-year-old Alexandra Eala, who had a fantastic run, beating some of the best players on the planet before losing out in a well-fought match against Jessica Pegula in the semis. Pegula will meet Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's final. After losing both the Australian Open and Indian Wells finals, we're not quite as keen to assume this will be a walk in the park for the powerful Belarussian.

Whether you're a tennis fanatic looking for a way to watch several upcoming tournaments or you're only looking to tune into the Miami Open, we've got you covered. Keep reading to learn how to watch the tournament, whether in the US, UK, or elsewhere.

• See also: How to watch March Madness | Where to watch MotoGP | How to watch MLB

Where to watch the Miami Open in the US

The Miami Open is broadcast on the Tennis Channel in the US. Tennis fans can subscribe directly through the Tennis Channel website or find the channel on a live TV streaming package, such as Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, or Fubo. All of these streaming services carry multiple sports networks beyond the Tennis Channel and are available on a month-to-month basis, so you can cancel at any time.

Sling TV is a great budget live TV streaming package. Subscriptions start at $46/month for anywhere from 35 to 40+ live channels. Regardless of which base plan you choose, you'll need to opt for the Sports Extra add-on to access the Tennis Channel and a selection of other sports networks. This extra costs $11/month, making it $57 in total each month, but new users can get $23 off their first month of service right now. For more help deciding between base plans, you can check out our Sling Orange vs. Blue guide.

DirecTV Stream is another popular live TV streaming service. While you might be tempted to get the MySports pack, it doesn't have the Tennis Channel. Instead, you'll need to opt for the Choice signature package, which carries 125+ live channels. Typically, this costs $115/month, but you can get your first three months for $90/month right now. All subscriptions come with a five-day free trial for new customers.

Fubo is another one of the top live TV streaming services out there. You'll need to go for Fubo's Elite plan to access the Tennis Channel, in addition to 200+ other live sports channels. Elite subscriptions start at $95/month, but you can get $30 off your first month of service and a five-day free trial.

Where to watch the Miami Open in the UK

Sky Sports is the UK streaming home of many major tennis events throughout the year, including the Miami Open. Sky Sports subscription prices vary by contract length, but you can also get flexible streaming access through Now TV. Month-to-month plans start at GBP35/month, but you can purchase a single-day pass for GBP15.

How to watch the Miami Open from anywhere

If you're traveling and still hoping to catch the Miami Open, you can keep up with your usual streaming methods with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are easy ways to change your device's virtual location so that your go-to websites and apps work the same way they would back home. They're also instant ways to boost cybersecurity. Since the services we've highlighted today require country-specific payment methods, this option will work best for those who are just abroad at the moment.

ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market, thanks to its user-friendliness and security perks, which you can learn more about in our ExpressVPN review. The service also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and potential savings opportunities for long-term contracts.

How to watch the Miami Open with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
• Install it on the device you're using to watch the tournament.
• Turn it on and set it to the location of your streaming service.
• Sign up for one of the above streaming services.
• Enjoy the Miami Open.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

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• My husband and I love all things Disney and took our kids when they were young.
• We are not taking our twin grandchildren until they are at least 6 years old.
• Disney World is expensive, and we want them to remember and have memories from our time there.

"Mickey!" my 3-year-old granddaughter squealed when she saw the 4-foot ceramic statue of Mickey Mouse at the Disney Springs shopping complex in Disney World.

"Mickey!" her twin brother echoed as they ran toward the icon, patting his giant yellow shoes and giving Mickey's big white glove a high five.

"Let me take a picture of you with Mickey," I said, coaxing them to sit in front of the figure and smile.

My husband and I are huge Disney fans. We're annual pass holders and Disney Vacation Club owners. Our living room is dedicated to all our Mickey and Minnie souvenirs. As much as we can't wait to take our grandkids to the Magic Kingdom, we vowed never to pay them a $150-plus entrance fee until they're 6 or 7 years old. That way, they'll remember the experience.

It's expensive and exhausting

Thirty years ago, I took my three children, ages 5, 8, and 9, to Disney World. We spent six glorious days having Snow White, Jasmine, Goofy and all the characters sign their autograph books. The Bugs Life show in the Tree of Life made the kids shriek with laughter when bug boogers (water) sprayed at them. It's a Small World was their favorite ride.

Sadly, my youngest doesn't remember any of these wonderful family moments because he was too young.

Seeing parents and grandparents trying to get every dollar's worth out of their tickets by wrangling tired, screaming babies and pleading with terrified toddlers to stand next to the Green Army Man from Toy Story and a smile takes the magic out of the Happiest Place on Earth. That's why we've shifted our strategy.

We still take them to Disney World but not to the parks

We still love to take our grandchildren to Disney World — either staying in our RV at Fort Wilderness Campground or Saratoga Springs, our home resort. Sometimes, we drive there for the day and park at the transportation center. But we don't go inside the parks. Instead, we spend hours riding the free transportation — boats, monorails, buses, and gondolas.

Disney World is more than just the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Once we drive under the Walt Disney World entrance arch, we've entered a magical place where every inch is landscaped, and all cast members are friendly. It's about the memories we've made over the years and the new memories we're creating with our grandkids.

Every time we walk into the Grand Floridian resort, my husband says, "My dad used to love to have a glass of chardonnay in that bar behind where the band used to play." I can tell he's fondly picturing his now-deceased father at his favorite table, looking out the dome-shaped window.

We have so many memories

We're excited to have a new generation of kids to share our happy place, although I often have to remind my husband of our agreement. He's a kid himself when we're at Disney.

He's tempted to take the twins into Magic Kingdom to see their eyes light up as they gaze at Cinderella's Castle and be enchanted by Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade. That's almost worth all the money just to see him excited to watch them, but I don't want to set a precedent for future visits (for the grandkids or my husband).

We did capture our time at Disney by utilizing their photographer who stood outside the Magic Kingdom ticket gate. She positioned us in front of a Mickey landscaped in flowers and the Main Street clock tower. She snapped some pictures and scanned my Magic Band so we could entertain the 3-year-olds by looking at the images in our annual pass account while waiting for the monorail. One of our favorites.

Another favorite, the Disney Skyliner — free gondola transportation — runs between multiple resorts, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios. We love to watch the tiny people from as high as 60 feet in the air in capsules decorated with characters like The Princess and the Frog and Monsters, Inc.

We don't have to spend an exorbitant amount of money to have the Disney experience with our 3-year-old grandchildren. What's most important is creating the Disney magic with lots of smiles and laughter without dipping too far into our retirement savings.

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• In recent years, photographers have captured everyday life in North Korea.
• The images give a rare glimpse into the completely isolated nation.
• Many are bleak, while others seem like they could have been taken anywhere.

It's still rare for the outside world to get a glimpse of daily life in North Korea. The country only recently allowed Western tourists back in following the COVID-19 pandemic, and sometimes photographers have difficulty getting to certain locations.

Last year, an AFP photographer captured rare images showing daily life in North Korea.

Pedro Pardo took photos of a remote part of North Korea's border from China's Jilin province. The images offer a bleak yet fascinating look at life in a country shrouded in secrecy.

Recent images that other photographers took in Pyongyang, the country's capital, almost seem like they could be from any city. They show people strolling the streets or celebrating the New Year, yet there are often large signs displaying propaganda as a backdrop.

North Korea was founded in 1948 under Kim Il Sung as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, inspired by strict Marxist-Leninist principles.

Its population of roughly 26 million people lives largely in isolation from the rest of the world in the austere communist state, barred from going abroad without permission from the government and subjected to state-run media that blare propaganda praising the nation and its supreme leader, Kim Jong Un.

North Korea's self-imposed isolation is largely because of its guiding principle of "Juche," or self-reliance, the idea that it should be able to function completely independently and remain separate from the rest of the world.

In practice, this has achieved little other than stifling the country's economy and trade, and many of its citizens face high poverty levels and severe food shortages. The CIA says the country "remains one of the World's most isolated and one of Asia's poorest."

The Guardian reported last year that since the 1950s, an estimated 31,000 North Koreans had sought to escape and defected to South Korea. The number surged in 2023 amid what the unification ministry in Seoul called "worsening conditions in North Korea."

Photos present a unique look into those conditions and life in one of the world's last communist states.

A sign reads "Great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il will always be with us" in Pyongyang, the country's capital.

A loudspeaker for broadcasts is seen in Kaepoong, which South Korea considers a propaganda village.

Buildings appear in need of repair in Kaesong.

An art exhibit for Kim Jong Il's birthday is full of paintings of the family.

People walk along a street in Pyongyang.

North Korean soldiers work on the border near China.

The North Korean city of Hyesan is seen from China.

A train carriage pulls a wagon in the North Korean city of Namyang.

A sign on a hillside in the town of Chunggang reads, "My country is the best."

A watchtower is manned on the border in Hyesan.

Portraits of the former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are seen in Chunggang.

Large portraits of the former leaders are displayed on a government building in Namyang.

North Korean people work in a field.

A sign in Chunggang reads, "Let's unify the party and all society with the revolutionary ideas of comrade Kim Jong Un!"

Trucks cross a border bridge connecting Changbai, China, and Hyesan, North Korea.

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• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Friday to reduce the DOD's workforce.
• The DOD will "realign the size" of its civilian workforce and "strategically restructure," the memo said.
• The department said in February that it planned to cut its civilian headcount by 5 to 8%.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on Friday that aims to shrink the Defense Department's civilian headcount, saying on X that it would help make the DOD "more efficient and incentivize top performers."

In a press release, the DOD said the memo — dubbed the "Initiating the Workforce Acceleration and Recapitalization Initiative" — stated that the department would "realign the size" of its civilian workforce and "strategically restructure it to supercharge our American warfighters."

"The net effect will be a reduction in the number of civilian full-time equivalent positions and increased resources in the areas where we need them most," the memo said, per the DOD.

As part of the initiative, the department will embrace automation and seek to cut down on "duplicative efforts" and "excessive" bureaucracy, it added.

In the memo, Hegseth also called for the reopening of the deferred resignation program, which previously offered some full-time employees the chance to resign with full pay and benefits, and to offer voluntary early retirement to eligible civilian employees.

"Exemptions should be rare," Hegseth said in the memo. "My intent is to maximize participation so that we can minimize the number of involuntary actions that may be required to achieve the strategic objectives."

The memo did not give a target percentage for layoffs. The DOD, which employs more than 950,000 civilians serving in 94 different countries, said in February that it planned to reduce its civilian workforce by 5 to 8%.

It comes as part of a wider push to cut federal government spending spearheaded by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency.

Hegseth announced earlier this month that following a DOGE review, the DOD would be terminating more than $580 million in programs, contracts and grants.

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• I celebrated my 40th birthday by going to Las Vegas with friends and was nervous it'd be exhausting.
• Instead of partying like I was 21, I embraced a relaxing trip with activities I was excited about.
• The trip wasn't about clinging to my youth — it was about celebrating just how far I'd come.

When I first began planning a Las Vegas trip with my girlfriends to celebrate my 40th birthday, I was a bit uneasy.

While I packed, I found myself trying on the tight, sparkly dresses I used to wear and wondering if I could still zip them up. Visions of crowded nightclubs, loud music, and tequila shooters gave me pause.

I didn't want to chug energy drinks to go clubbing until dawn and endure the cacophony of a DJ I'd never heard of. The Vegas I used to experience sounded exhausting, and I was too tired to pretend I was still in my 20s.

And then, I had a liberating realization: I didn't have to. I had nothing to prove, only things to celebrate.

I was free to craft an experience that truly resonated with me, not lean into an outdated notion of what a fun Vegas trip should look like. The pressure to be "cool" drifted away.

I planned a trip that balanced fun and relaxation

The heart of the Las Vegas Strip is a sensory overload, and its energy can be as exhausting as it is intoxicating. So, I knew that for my 40th, I wanted a sanctuary, a place to retreat and recharge.

Instead of staying at one of the over-the-top, party-centric hotels Vegas is known for, I booked a suite at Crockford's, a luxury hotel on the top eight floors of Resorts World Las Vegas.

My trip also itinerary looked a lot different from Vegas weekends in my 20s. I knew I wanted to come home to my toddler feeling refreshed, not drained, so relaxation was a top priority.

I scheduled more time at spas than at bars, prioritizing wellness and relaxation over late-night revelry. Instead of pregaming before a night out, I headed to a salon for a glamourous blowout.

On my last day in Vegas, I spent the entire afternoon at a spa getting a decadent hot-stone massage and sipping cucumber water in the sauna.

Of course, my friends and I also dove into some Las Vegas hedonism.

We drank fantastic cocktails, sharing tableside Manhattans swirling with cherry smoke at Pinky's by Vanderpump and dirty martinis downtown at Carousel Bar.

We feasted on seafood towers and bubbly during brunch at Giada and sipped espresso martinis at The Living Room. We watched the new Cirque du Soleil performance and boogied at an immersive '70s dance party and show.

The trip was the perfect way to enter my 40s

Getting older — especially celebrating milestone birthdays — was exciting when I was young but feels increasingly complicated as I age.

However, I felt exhilarated surrounded by friends in a city buzzing with such infectious energy. I've also realized that the older I get, the more I feel free of expectations.

If this is what "over the hill" looks like, I'm on board. My 40th birthday celebration in Las Vegas wasn't a desperate attempt to cling to youth — it was a victory lap and a celebration of a life lived on my own terms.

And as I raise my glass to another year, I know the best is yet to come.

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• I tried and ranked cheeseburgers from five fast-food chains.
• The chains included McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic Drive-In, and Checkers.
• Sonic Drive-In and Checkers both impressed me with their large but cheap burgers.

No menu item is quite as iconic as a fast-food cheeseburger, and every chain does theirs a little differently.

McDonald's has been serving cheeseburgers since it was founded in 1940, and its most basic cheeseburger remains one of the cheapest items on the menu.

In an effort to provide better value, other chains have beefed up their most basic cheeseburger offerings with bigger patties and toppings with tomato, red onion, and shredded lettuce.

I tried and ranked cheeseburgers from five major chains: McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic Drive-In, and Checkers.

All of the burgers were slightly different. However, there was a clear winner in terms of taste and value.

Here's how five fast-food cheeseburgers ranked, from worst to best.

McDonald's had my least favorite cheeseburger.

The most basic cheeseburger at McDonald's cost $3.49, excluding tax and fees, at my local McDonald's in Brooklyn, New York.

The cheeseburger came topped with a single beef patty, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and a slice of American cheese.

The cheeseburger had a smattering of diced onions across the bottom of the patty and inside the bottom bun. The cheese made the burger patty and top bun stick together, sandwiching the other ingredients inside.

I didn't mind the cheeseburger, but it wasn't my favorite.

Overall, it was a good snack but not hearty enough to satiate me for a full meal. I also thought the bun was a little flavorless, and the cheese could have been more melted.

The condiments also overpowered the taste of the burger — this cheeseburger really only tasted of cheese and ketchup to me, while the bun made my mouth feel a little dry.

I didn't really taste the onions, though I thought the pickles were tart and crunchy.

Burger King's basic cheeseburger was up next.

The cheeseburger cost $2.79, excluding tax and fees, at a Burger King in Brooklyn, New York. It was the least expensive burger I tried.

The burger came with American cheese, pickles, ketchup, and mustard on a sesame seed bun.

This burger appeared to be just a touch bigger than the McDonald's burger. The cheese was also more melted.

While this burger had fewer toppings, it was more flavorful.

I thought the addition of diced onion and mustard on the McDonald's burger did little to amp up the flavor, and I found this burger much tastier.

The bun had a distinct sesame flavor, and the beef patty had a slight smokiness that tasted fresh off the grill.

The cheese was thick and perfectly melted onto the burger patty, something I didn't experience with the burger from McDonald's. For its low price, I thought this burger was a good value.

Wendy's Dave's Single cheeseburger landed squarely in the middle.

While Wendy's offers a variety of different burgers, big and small, the Dave's Single is the chain's most classic cheeseburger. Named after Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, it is available in multiple sizes, from a single to a triple-stacked burger.

It features one of Wendy's signature square-shaped patties and is the chain's version of a classic cheeseburger.

It cost $8.74, excluding tax and fees, at my local Wendy's in Brooklyn, New York. It was the most expensive burger I tried.

The burger came slathered with condiments and toppings.

The Dave's Single cheeseburger comes with a quarter-pound beef patty, a slice of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mayo, and onions.

When I lifted the top bun of the burger, it was practically dripping sauces, which I didn't necessarily mind. There was also a generous serving of pickles and a large slice of tomato.

I thought the burger was tasty, but the condiments slightly overpowered the other ingredients.

Next time, I might remove the mayonnaise or ask for a half-serving to reduce how moist the burger was.

I thought the toppings tasted fresh, and it was a good size. However, I wasn't sure if it was worth the high price tag.

Checkers came in second place.

The Cheese Champ, which is Checker's most basic cheeseburger, cost $6.49, excluding tax and fees, at the location I visited in Brooklyn, New York.

The burger came loaded with toppings.

The burger had one patty and was topped with American cheese, tomato, red onion, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. It was served on a toasted "bakery-style" bun.

The burger was big and juicy. I thought it was a great value.

Checkers served one of the largest burgers I tried, and I thought it was also relatively affordable at just under $7. The burger toppings were fresh, especially the thickly cut sliced tomato and iceberg lettuce.

I thought the cheese and beef patty were both flavorful, and the burger had the perfect amount of condiments to add moisture and flavor without making it too soggy.

My only complaint was with the bun, which I thought was a little too thick and stodgy compared to Sonic's fluffier bun.

Overall, I was impressed.

My favorite cheeseburger came from Sonic Drive-In.

The Sonic cheeseburger cost $8.04, excluding tax and fees, at my local Sonic Drive-In in Brooklyn, New York.

The burger came topped with one slice of cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce, diced onion, mayonnaise, and ketchup.

There was a generous serving of each topping, and they were evenly layered across the burger patty to ensure that every bite had an equal amount of all the ingredients.

I thought this was a great classic cheeseburger, and I'd definitely order it again.

While it wasn't the cheapest burger, I thought it was a great value considering its size and the amount of flavor packed into it.

The beef was juicy but well-seasoned, the cheese added the perfect amount of tang, the pickles and tomato were fresh and added a tart crunch to every bite, and the soft bun held everything together.

Although Sonic's burger was quite similar to Checkers', I preferred the more expensive option solely for its flavor. It simply tasted fresher and better overall.

The next time I'm reaching for a classic fast-food cheeseburger, I'll stop by Sonic Drive-In.

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• Qantas' historic "kangaroo route" is a prime example of aviation innovation over the past century.
• It dates back to 1934 when tiny biplanes began hopping 12 days between Australia and the UK.
• Project Sunrise will launch the historic trek nonstop come 2027, which will last up to 21 hours.

The business of flying people from point A to point B has evolved over the decades from small rickety prop planes to massive jetliners capable of carrying hundreds of people.

Among the most famous examples of this progress is Qantas' "Kangaroo Route" between Australia and the UK.

Early versions of the over 12,000-mile journey first operated in the mid-1930s, and the route is still going strong today — but it's about to travel even faster.

What was once a 12-day and up-to-31-stop route is set to become a 21-hour nonstop journey by 2027. The Sydney to London flight is poised to become the world's longest route thanks so a specially equipped Airbus A350.

Qantas' International and Freight CEO Cam Wallace told Business Insider the ultra-long-range plane will "unlock the ability to fly nonstop from Australia to anywhere in the world."

The unofficial Kangaroo Route started as an airmail service in 1934.

The first version of the Kangaroo Route was an airmail operation flown by Qantas Empire Airways, where both Qantas and Britain's Imperial Airways each had about half a stake.

In 1934, QEA started flying between Brisbane and Singapore via Darwin, which then connected to England. It was a precursor to today's codesharing partnerships.

Passenger transport began in 1935, and the route took 12 days.

The airmail route quickly morphed into weekly passenger flights in 1935. Qantas flew the leg to Singapore, where travelers connected to London on Imperial.

The series of snaking connections included up to 31 stops, including overnights, across Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The trek from Brindisi in Southern Italy to Paris was via train.

The long journey — which was reserved for wealthy flyers as tickets cost GBP195 one-way (about $15,250, adjusted for inflation) — was still faster than the six-week option by boat.

Flying boats were introduced in 1938 to shave off time.

QAE's Short Empire flying boats were launched in 1938 and cut the flying time by several hours.

The flights were rocky and rough due to turbulence and a lack of weather radar. After the fall of Singapore in 1942, World War II halted the kangaroo service.

A truncated Kangaroo Route was revived in 1943 with the 'Double Sunrise.'

Qantas' modified route connected Australia to England via Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) instead of Singapore.

The nonstop Ceylon flight across the Indian Ocean lasted up to 33 hours and is still the longest commercial flight in history by time.

The route used Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats, followed later by Liberator planes, the latter of which were the first to sport Qantas' kangaroo logo.

Converted war-era bombers took over the re-established route in 1945.

Qantas operated the portion between Australia and Karachi, Pakistan, using Avro 691 Lancastrian aircraft.

Its partner, the British Overseas Airways Corporation, or BOAC — which is an early version of British Airways — took over for the rest of the trip to London. The trek took about 70 hours.

Qantas reverted the Ceylon portion of the route back to Singapore after the war.

Qantas fully took over the route in 1947 and trademarked "Kangaroo Route."

The airline used 29-seat quad-engine Lockheed Constellations to reduce flight time to about 55 hours across seven stops and four total travel days. Tickets were GBP525 (about $22,600, adjusted for inflation).

"When the Kangaroo Route launched in 1947, it opened a new frontier for aviation," Wallace said.

In 1954, Qantas received its first Super Constellation. These carried more people and further reduced travel time.

Qantas introduced the Boeing 707 in 1959.

Thanks to its more powerful jet engines, Qantas' 707 aircraft could carry up to 90 people and make the trek to London in 27 hours.

It was the first Jet Age aircraft bought by Qantas.

The Boeing 747 cut flying time to less than a day in 1971.

The famous 747 jumbo jet flew from Australia to London via a single stop in Singapore.

From 1979 to 1985, Qantas operated an all-747 fleet, complete with comfortable seats and an exclusive lounge and bar.

The Airbus A380 complemented the 747 beginning in 2008.

The A380 currently flies from Sydney and Melbourne to London, with a stop in Singapore. The route previously went through Dubai.

The mammoth A380 complemented the 747 fleet for decades until the iconic "Queen of the Skies" was officially retired during the pandemic in 2020.

Qantas' Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners began flying nonstop between Perth and London in 2018.

It was the first nonstop passenger service connecting Australia with the UK, but it was only for Perth.

Key destinations in Eastern Australia, like Sydney and Brisbane, still lack nonstop service.

Deep-pocket travelers can experience the famous Kangaroo Route for $30,000 in 2026.

Tour company Captain's Choice is flying a one-off tourist trip in February 2026 to nearly mirror the Kangaroo Route as it was in 1947 — hops included.

Seats start at about $30,000. While Qantas is not pricing or selling any of the tickets, it is operating the Airbus A330 charter plane.

Project Sunrise is expected to launch in 2027 in a full-circle moment for Qantas.

The up-to-21-hour and 10,000-mile flight will officially eliminate the "hop" from the historic Kangaroo Route.

Project Sunrise will include two ultra-long-haul routes using a fleet of purpose-built A350-1000ULRs: Sydney to London and Sydney to New York.

Qantas is introducing new cabins on the A350s.

Qantas's A350 will have just 238 seats and will boast four different cabins — including economy, premium economy, and enclosed business and first-class suites.

The airline announced in late February that the plane would enter final assembly in September, followed by flight testing and delivery in the second half of 2026.

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My brother and sister-in-law like to visit regularly, and after a few months of awkward couch surfing, my partner and I decided it was time to invest in a proper sofa bed for our frequent guests. Many of the best couches I've purchased have come from West Elm, so once again, we turned to this trusted retailer during our hunt for a stylish yet comfortable sleeper sofa.

After a few weeks of searching, we settled on the best-selling West Elm Shelter Sleeper Sofa, which we set up in our home office. Not only did we like its contemporary design with tapered arms and a full-width bench cushion, but we also wanted something with a memory foam mattress — not an innerspring one — for overnight guests. Two years later, my relatives still use this pull-out bed on a regular basis, and we've all been impressed at just how well the couch has held up over time.

If you're thinking about investing in a sleeper sofa for your home, here's what I think you should know about this popular model from West Elm.

Design and customizations

West Elm is known for its plethora of fabric options when it comes to upholstered furniture, and there are dozens of options to choose from, including linen, velvet, twill, chenille, and basketweave fabrics. There are even a few chunky boucle options if you want to make it a statement piece in your home and performance or contract-grade options that can resist stains and spills. West Elm provides thorough descriptions of each fabric, including details like fiber content, durability, and cleaning guidelines, and you can order up to 15 free fabric swatches to see the material in person before you buy. We didn't order any swatches this time around (though I have taken advantage of this convenient feature in the past), and ultimately, we chose the Graphite Linen Weave upholstery, a quick-ship option that's a plain yet versatile gray.

The Shelter Sleeper Sofa is only available in one size — it's 80 inches wide with a queen-size memory foam mattress inside. The mattress has a two-layer construction made of high-density foam and gel-infused memory foam, and it's supposed to contour to your body while wicking away heat on warm days. West Elm doesn't list a specific mattress thickness, but we've found that it's around 5 inches tall — enough to provide cushioning during the night, but still slim enough to fold up into the seat of the couch.

If you're looking for a bigger seating area, you may want to consider the Shelter Sleeper Sectional, which has a similar design with an added chaise on one side. It's larger, measuring 130 inches wide. If you're looking for something smaller, you might prefer a design like the Haven Chair and a Half Sleeper, which pulls out into a twin-size mattress. The oversized lounge chair is 54.5 inches wide, and it has a deep seat that's great for lounging.

Ordering and delivery

The shipping time for the Shelter Sleeper Sofa can vary quite a bit depending on which fabric you choose. When you're browsing through the different upholstery options, you can filter by "quick ship" options — these products are already made and in stock, and they'll be delivered within one to five weeks. We selected one of these fabrics when purchasing the sofa, and it was delivered in around two weeks. At the time of writing, the only quick-shipping option is the aforementioned linen weave.

However, if you want a fabric that doesn't fall into this category, shipping will take quite a bit longer, as the sofa will be made-to-order. It often takes eight or more weeks for a custom order to be delivered, and you'll want to keep in mind that made-to-order items aren't eligible for return.

I've ordered from West Elm many times, and the delivery process has always been seamless. The brand provides white glove delivery on all furniture. After you place your order, and your furniture is ready, a freight company contacts you to schedule a delivery on a date that works with your schedule. A few days before, they'll contact you with a three- or four-hour delivery window. My deliveries from West Elm have always shown up on time, and the delivery people are always very friendly and helpful.

On the day of delivery, the team calls roughly 30 minutes before they arrive, and they'll bring the furniture to any room of your choice. They've always been very accommodating and flexible — one time they even carried a heavy sofa up into my apartment loft for me. The service includes unpacking and assembling the furniture, and they also take away any packaging, so you're not left with huge boxes or piles of plastic. It's incredibly convenient and, in my opinion, worth the flat-rate delivery fee, which is generally $279 for me. (West Elm's shipping costs do vary depending on the overall cost of your order and how far you're located from the shipping warehouse.)

Comfort and durability

The Shelter Sleeper Sofa looks just like its product photos, and overall, it's a comfortable option for both lounging and sleeping. The brand describes its cushions as a 2 out of 5 on the firmness scale (with 5 being the firmest), but personally, I think they're closer to a 3. They do have some give, but they're definitely not plush cushions that you'll sink into. Personally, I think that's a good thing — they don't show any signs of sagging after more than two years of use — but they might be too firm for your tastes if you like a cushy, sink-in feel.

The sofa comes with four loose back cushions — two for the back of the sofa and two for the sides. They have a slight amount of give but hold their shape well. However, the Shelter Sofa does have a very low back, and some people may find that it doesn't offer enough support to comfortably sit upright for long periods. The 24-inch seat depth is fairly average, making it comfortable for both sitting or lounging, and you can easily seat three people on it.

When you want to transform this sofa into a bed, you have to remove all its cushions, including the large bench seat cushion. I'll admit that it's a pain to find somewhere to store all the cushions, but this is a common issue with sofa beds. We usually end up just stacking them against a wall. From there, it's just a matter of pulling the bed out using the handle under the seat. The frame is a bit heavy, so you do have to put your back into it, but once you get the first legs out, it's easy to unfold the rest of the mattress. Once it's set up, I place the bench cushion vertically behind the mattress to serve as a cushy headboard.

I'll be honest: I've only personally slept on this sofa bed a few times, so I can't weigh in much on its comfort as a bed. Instead, I asked my brother and sister-in-law for their thoughts, as they generally sleep on it once a month. They said that it's not the most comfortable sleep surface in the world but is pretty standard of what they expect for a sofa bed. The memory foam mattress is fairly firm and droops slightly in the middle, so they usually use a mattress topper and support board if they're staying for more than one night. With these added accessories, they said it's much more comfortable, and they're able to get a good night's rest on it. Keep in mind, these are extra bedding items you'll still need to find a place to store, too.

Because the mattress is fairly thin, it doesn't offer as much motion isolation as a standard mattress, and you'll definitely be able to feel a partner shifting around next to you — one of the few. The good news, however, is that the metal frame offers solid support, so you can sit or lie on the edge of the bed without worrying about it drooping. My brother tends to sleep warm, and he said that the mattress doesn't make him overheat, likely thanks to its gel-infused foam.

Cons to consider

After more than two years of use, there are a few downsides that we've discovered about this sofa bed. First, it's very heavy. Because there's a mattress and metal frame inside, the sofa is much heavier than your average couch, which makes it tricky to move around. If you're someone who likes to rearrange furniture frequently, it won't be an easy task with this sleeper bed.

I also personally don't like that there are large gaps on each side of the mattress when it's set up as a bed. The gaps are about 10 inches wide to keep the bed a true queen-size, while providing a larger seating area.The few times that I've slept on the bed, I always felt like I was going to roll off into them. We usually end up shoving the sofa's side pillows into the gaps to make it feel a little more secure.

The bottom line

If you're looking for a well-made and stylish piece of furniture for your living space, the West Elm Shelter Sleeper Sofa is a worthwhile option to consider. It's on the more expensive side — the price starts at $2,600 and can go up to $3,100 depending on the fabric you choose — but it's made from high-quality materials and is more durable than cheaper models.

After two years of regular use, the sofa still looks as good as new, and we have overnight guests who sleep on it once a month (or sometimes more). They say its comfort level is fairly standard for a sofa bed, but it can be easily improved with accessories like a mattress topper and/or support board.

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• My wife and I moved from Florida to Medellin, Colombia, where we could afford a life of luxury.
• I had a private chef, a cleaner, and a personal trainer; I also had great healthcare.
• Now that we are back in the US, I can't justify the costs anymore.

I was born, raised, and spent most of my life in Milwaukee. I married and had three children with my first wife there.

After vacationing in Maui, Hawaii, in my 30s, my wife and I decided to move there in 2014. We fell in love with the island and its slow pace of life. I stayed for two years but ended up getting divorced; I moved back home to the mainland.

In 2018, I started dating a friend, Cindy, who I would marry. We dated long-distance at first because she lived in Florida. After all three of my children graduated from high school, I moved to Florida to be with her. My kids liked visiting their dad in a warm climate.

Eventually, Cindy and I decided to sell everything and travel full-time, but we quickly got sick of traveling to a new country every month. That's when we decided to settle down once more in Colombia.

I decided we should move to Medellin, Colombia

Medellin is a popular destination for expats and digital nomads. I enjoyed my previous visits to Medellin. I knew my wife and I could have a good quality of life there.

I knew Colombia has great healthcare and a lower cost of living than the US, so I decided to make it our home to recover from constant travel.

I applied for and received a two-year student visa to study Spanish. Cindy was still traveling between Colombia and visiting family in the US, so she had a tourist visa.

We got to Medellin in June 2022 and got to work on setting up our lives.

I lived in the best part of Medellin, the Golden Mile in Poblado, and optimized my life. The Golden Mile is a great area because it's walkable to everything one needs. I secured a beautiful two-bedroom, two-bath apartment in a fancy building in Poblado.

Two malls, with many restaurants, were within a 10-minute walking distance. American brands such as Starbucks are also nearby. My language school was also located there.

I lived a life of luxury for less in Colombia

I hired a cook, cleaner, and personal trainer to come to the apartment daily. These professionals freed up my time to focus on building my business and getting healthier.

I had great healthcare in Colombia and used it frequently with no copays. While there, I had some issues related to a vasectomy and needed to go to the hospital. The stay, procedure, and doctor's visit didn't cost me anything out of pocket.

I also used Rappi — a cross between Uber Eats, Amazon, and an errand service — almost daily. You can order food, get medicine from the pharmacy, have groceries delivered, have Rappi run errands for you, and even get cash delivered. It's an all-in-one app that made me never want to leave my apartment.

In Colombia, I had all the comforts of a wealthy life without the high costs, and I didn't have to hustle to earn those comforts.

My wife and I moved back to Florida in 2024 to be near our grandkids

After two years in Colombia, my wife and I returned to the US for our families. We are back to paying a large amount for rent, so I can't afford any of the comforts I could before. I can't imagine how much it would cost to hire professionals.

We're in the process of leaving the country for good because I can't justify living in the US anymore. I can't keep lying to myself about paying the always-increasing cost of living, and I'm afraid a medical emergency while in the US will bankrupt us.

Life abroad offers us a better quality of life and saves us money. We can save, invest, and work toward our goal of financial freedom without sacrificing our quality of life.

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• With tariffs announced for April 2, many Americans are worried about the effect on their money.
• It's not a good idea to make broad changes to your investments based on the news.
• If you have a good reason to adjust your strategy, though, work on it with a financial advisor.

Recent headlines have many Americans understandably worried about the stock market and how it will affect their money. President Donald Trump has announced new tariffs that will come into effect on April 2.

As a certified financial planner, I know many people are wondering what to do to better protect their investments. My goal is to help investors think long-term and holistically consider their investments.

Stick to the fundamentals

There is really only one thing to do in these circumstances: Stick to the fundamentals. In my practice, I teach clients that there are only three good reasons to make changes to their investments.

First, your investment thesis has changed. Perhaps you've decided to invest more in alignment with your values or shift between active and passive-based investing.

Second, your personal financial situation or goals have changed. Maybe you're shifting from real estate to the stock market, you want more liquidity in your portfolio, or you're converting to a Roth IRA.

Third, your investment time horizon has changed. This is one of the most common reasons people shift investments. Perhaps you have been planning to retire in 15 years, and now you've decided that you're a little bit ahead of schedule. That would warrant revisiting the asset allocation of your portfolio to be more in line with your new retirement date.

Reacting to the market is a bad idea

However, what is not a valid reason is reacting to the economic headlines or market swings. Numerous studies have shown that when people react emotionally to the market, they typically underperform investors who stay invested through the volatility.

If you are finding yourself nervous about the market, I want you to answer a few questions:

• Is your asset allocation appropriate for your age and the time horizon that you have for your goal?
• Is your risk tolerance in alignment with your asset allocation?
• Is your risk capacity in alignment with how you're invested?
• Has your portfolio drifted substantially from your target allocation?
• Lastly, have you gone too hard on the set-it-and-forget-it train and not paid attention to where your portfolio is moving?

Your financial advisor can help you when it's time to adjust your strategy

If you find that you need to revisit your portfolio, market downturns present a great time to do so. They remind us of the risks that are very real in the market.

There is substantial volatility that you experience on a day-to-day basis, and downturns remind us of the risk that is the entry fee for investing.

Yes, the market has been fantastic over the last couple of years, but it's not always sunshine. What goes up must come down, but hold faith that over time the market has generally been shown to be up more than down.

Your financial advisor can also help you make the appropriate, unemotional decision regarding your portfolio if you're tempted to react to the current headlines.

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• Emma Roma Jayne struggled with her weight until she got bariatric surgery in 2022.
• She lost 130 pounds in two years, and found some unexpected changes other than the weight loss.
• These changes include her feet shrinking, starting to like avocados, and losing friends.

On a family trip in 2022, Emma Roma Jayne stayed in the car as everyone else went to the beach. The thought of being in shorts in public, and having the body she was so insecure about on display, made her feel viscerally uncomfortable.

Roma Jayne, a TikTok creator and influencer partnership manager based in Australia, had always struggled with her weight. She tried to eat healthily, trying different diets and exercising "all the time," but she wasn't losing weight.

After the beach trip, her mom told her enough was enough.

"She was like, 'This isn't right. You're 22. You should be enjoying your life and be able to go to the beach whenever you want and feel comfortable.' She suggested that I should get weight loss surgery like she had," Roma Jayne told Business Insider.

So, in 2023, Roma Jayne had bariatric surgery, and her relationship with food and her body has been totally different since.

"At first, I was very much like, 'That's cheating. You need to put in the hard work to lose weight.' But I looked at weight loss surgery as a way that I could stop the food noise and then change my lifestyle, because I didn't want to spend the next 10 years still struggling with the same issues," she said.

She lost around 110 pounds in the year after the surgery. Now 24, she's lost a further 22 pounds in the year since — and kept the weight off — having made huge lifestyle changes; she now works out six times a week and eats a high-protein, low-carb, balanced diet.

While bariatric surgery is becoming less common, per one recent study, weight loss is booming as more people are prescribed drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro to lose weight.

Weight loss surgery "is the best decision I have ever made in my entire life," Roma Jayne said. "It has transformed my life completely."

Aside from the obvious, Roma Jayne has noticed seven unexpected changes after her weight loss.

People are more friendly

"There's no beating around the bush, I was definitely treated differently when I was bigger," Roma Jayne said. "People were just not as friendly, but they are so nice to me now."

She said that people hold doors for her, greet her in the street, and strike up conversations with her now, whereas before she lost weight she felt "invisible."

Her feet have gotten smaller

"One of the more random changes that I didn't even know that was a thing is that my feet shrunk," Roma Jayne said.

She has four pairs of shoes, all in different sizes, which she bought as her feet got smaller as she lost weight.

Her feet are slimmer now, and she went from a US size 9 shoe to a 7.5.

A 2014 study published in the Turkish Journal of Surgery found that 80% of the 212 participants, who all underwent bariatric surgery, bought shoes at least one size smaller a year after the surgery. The researchers suggested this could be because of fat loss on the foot, as well as the arches getting higher once there is less weight pushing them down.

Her voice has changed

Roma Jayne also said that her voice has gotten higher and sounds more clear since her surgery.

There's not much research on the impacts of weight loss on voice. A few small, limited studies have suggested that there could be minor changes to people's voices after bariatric surgery, but the differences aren't noticeable enough to hear.

Her skin is clearer

Roma Jayne has previously struggled with acne, but found that her skin cleared up when she lost weight.

She said that she eats a low-carb diet and has cut out sugar. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, eating high-glycemic foods that raise your blood sugar quickly — such as white bread, potato chips, pastries, and white rice — is associated with acne.

Roma Jayne also has PCOS, of which acne is a symptom. The UK's National Health Service said that weight loss can improve symptoms of PCOS.

Her tastes have changed

Roma Jayne used to hate avocados, and now loves them. She also used to eat a lot of fruit, but now eats far less fruit and far more vegetables.

A systematic review of research, published in the Nutrition Journal in 2023, found that across 26 studies, it seemed that weight gain and obesity could change people's perception of tastes, and increase their preferences for sweetness. However, the authors said that these results weren't conclusive and that more research needs to be done.

She lost some friendships

When Roma Jayne lost weight, she said that she dealt with "a lot of jealousy and resentment from friends."

"I realized that they were my friends when I was bigger because I made them feel better about themselves," she said. "But now that I'm on my own journey and bettering myself and making these healthy changes, suddenly they had a problem with that."

She's more confident

"When I was bigger, I definitely used my size as a shield to protect myself from other people knowing the real me. Now that I feel so much more confident in myself and I have so much appreciation and love for myself," Roma Jayne said.

"I'm the most confident version of myself that I've ever been, and I continue to get more and more confident every day."

She said that surrounding herself with the right people has also improved her confidence.

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• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seems to favor "operator casual" style on official trips.
• The style, popularized during the Global War on Terrorism, blends professionalism and tactical function.
• Hegseth's look contrasts with predecessors, reflecting a generational shift.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is known for steering clear of the traditional, somber attire expected in Washington, DC, playing the suit game by his own rules. But he's also got a second kind of unconventional look — operator casual.

It's a different, more relaxed vibe from the conspicuously bright blue suit he wore at the recent NATO summit, drawing criticism, but it can share some similarities to some of his other preferred flair, like flag-linings in his suits, patriotic socks, and a star-spangled pocket square.

The style gained momentum during the Global War on Terrorism, or GWOT, though earlier versions date back to the 1990s. US special operators deployed to areas away from support forces have, at times, needed to blend in. Lightweight, nonmilitary clothing that can convey professionalism while offering tactical features that allow the wearer to maneuver in a gunfight has come in handy.

And it's since given rise to this look.

Hegseth donned this kind of attire on recent trips to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and the US-Mexico border. He wore the same style while addressing reporters in Hawaii this week as he disputed that he and other Trump administration officials discussed sensitive attack plans on an unsecured messaging app.

The travel look differs from previous defense secretaries. Hegseth has cultivated an image of "lethality" and having "dust on his boots," characterizing himself as a "change agent" with real, on-the-ground combat experience. That's meant to stand in contrast with his predecessors, many of whom not only had combat experience but significantly more leadership experience.

He may have taken notice of the comfortable "operator casual" style while serving in the Army National Guard, though it is unclear. The Office of the Secretary of Defense has not responded to Business Insider's request for comment on the secretary's attire.

The general vibe associated with this look is that someone, often soldiers or civilian first responders, could "be traveling at one minute, and then be on the range the next minute, and then be back in the professional office in the third instance," said Tim Jensen, cofounder of the clothing brand Grunt Style, in an interview with BI. The term "grunt" is used to describe infantry personnel.

What is operator casual?

The look usually includes five components, Jensen said. Normally, a baseball-style hat, maybe with a subdued American flag, sunglasses, a collared shirt or tee with a patriotic symbol, technical fabric pants (good in case you need to break into a sprint, Jensen explained), and hiking-style boots.

Early versions of this operator casual look can be seen in photos from the 1990s, like when elite US Delta Force personnel were photographed traveling with Operation Desert Storm leader, US Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, carrying rifles with button-down shirts.

Before the GWOT, special operations-coded words like "operator" weren't really part of the general American lexicon, Jensen observed. But after two decades of war and countless movies, books, and TV shows depicting niche SOF cultures, those preferences have seeped into other parts of American life, including into conventional corners of the US military.

Hegseth did not serve as a special operator, but he is known to enjoy working out with Army Green Berets and Navy SEALs.

Concurrent with the increased cultural popularity of special operations forces, as troops returned from deployments seeking more functional clothes to wear at home or to take on future overseas rotations, many were drawn to the new clothing styles, said Michael Standing, a marketing coordinator for the Zero Foxtrot clothing brand popular with veterans and first responders.

The demand for a more outdoorsy style, with plentiful pockets and a loose fit to help obscure pistols for concealed carry, arose as US special operations units also drafted lucrative contracts with brands like Patagonia, Salomon, and Arc'teryx.

A different look

Hegseth's travel look is a notable departure from some of the most recent secretaries. Jim Mattis, Trump's first defense secretary, was rarely seen in anything but dark formal suits. Leon Panetta dressed down in khakis and dress shirts while Ash Carter wore dress shirts and multiple holsters for devices. And Chuck Hagel favored a country club vibe and grandfatherly sweaters.

One predecessor, though, Gulf War combat veteran Mark Esper, was photographed in a casual operator style on several occasions while visiting Iraq and Afghanistan during his time as the US Army secretary.

While the off-duty operator look has surged in popularity with veterans and first responders over the past two decades, much of Hegseth's look can probably be chalked up to generational differences between him and his predecessors, said Derek Guy, a menswear expert and author of the blog Die, Workwear.

As men's tailored clothing has declined in popularity while technical fabrics become more ubiquitous, a collared, button-front shirt and khaki-adjacent pants can convey a modern professional image, Guy told BI. A polo shirt could also suffice for such official travel, though it might communicate a less rugged image, he said.

Hegseth is no stranger to tailored clothing, though his tightly fitted and brightly colored suits also distinguish him from other secretaries. But when visiting troops, especially in warm climates, it might make sense that he would gravitate toward a younger look, Guy said.

"If you're a 60 or 70-year-old guy, and you're going out to visit troops, you might still wear a tailored jacket because it is so ingrained in your behavior," he said. "I think generationally, these different types of men across different age groups have different ideas of what it means to look presentable."

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• After last week's Fed meeting, concerns over stagflation are beginning to rise.
• It can be smart to open checking and savings with the same bank to get special benefits.
• Bundling checking and savings can let you earn high rates, bonuses, and extra perks.

Investors are starting to be worried about stagflation, which is when inflation is high and economic growth is slow. Stagflation is hard to deal with, and it can decrease your savings if poorly performing investments can't keep up with inflation.

Stagflation can also lead to increased unemployment, which means you might be at greater risk of experiencing layoffs. This means you'll want to have more cash easily accessible in case of emergencies, and less cash tied up in investments.

Opening a high-yield savings account and a checking account at the same bank lets you start building up your emergency savings by giving you extra rates, bonuses, and perks that you might not get otherwise.

1. Relationship rates give you extra benefits for loyalty

Many banks, especially traditional brick-and-mortar banks, offer special relationship rates for people who open a savings account and a checking account with the same financial institution.

For example, if you open a Wells Fargo Platinum Savings Account, you can only earn a 0.01% annual percentage yield without a linked checking account. But if you link the Premier Checking account, you can earn 0.01% to 2.51% APY.

While relationship rates from brick-and-mortar banks aren't as high as what you can get from online banks and credit unions, they might still be a good option for you if you prefer to bank in person.

Some banks and credit unions offer hybrid bank accounts, sometimes called bundled checking and savings accounts. These accounts include both checking and savings accounts; you can't open just one.

These accounts might come with higher interest than the non-bundled accounts offered by the same financial institution. For example, the Axos ONE Savings and Checking Bundle offers up to 4.86% APY on the savings portion of the account, which is one of the highest rates you can currently find from a high-yield savings account and is higher than the bank's other savings accounts.

Another high-interest bundled account is the SoFi® Checking and Savings (Member FDIC), which offers up to 3.80% annual percentage yield. also offers a bundled version of the UFB Portfolio Savings and the UFB Direct Freedom Checking that offers a higher interest rate for both accounts.

2. Checking and savings account bonuses let you earn extra cash for bundling

Some banks offer bonuses to people who open both a checking and saving account with them. This bonus can be a nice start or boost for your emergency fund.

SoFi® Checking and Savings (Member FDIC) will give you a checking and savings account bonus up to $300 with qualifying direct deposit for eligible customers (offer expires 01/31/26, terms apply) when you open the account and make a qualifying direct deposit. The exact amount you earn will depend on how much money in direct deposits you receive within a month.

If you direct deposit at least $1,000 but less than $5,000, you'll receive a $50 bonus. If you direct deposit at least $5,000, you'll receive the full bonus.

You also won't have to worry about monthly bank maintenance fees with this account, which isn't true for many of the accounts that give bonuses.

Another checking and savings account that gives a bonus is the PNC Bank Virtual Wallet®. Your exact savings and checking account bonus will depend on what type of account you open and how much you put into the Spend account, but you can earn $100, $200, or $400. You can also earn relationship interest rates by doing this. Just keep in mind that these accounts come with waivable monthly service fees.

3. Linking same-bank checking and savings accounts can get you savings perks

If you have a specific financial institution you want to bank with, and that institution doesn't offer relationship rates or bonuses, you can still benefit from opening a checking and savings account with the same bank. Many banks offer additional perks, such as savings tools, overdraft protection, and easier money transfers, if you have both a checking and savings account with them.

One savings tool to look out for when choosing an account is debit card round-ups. By linking your checking and savings account, you can have your bank automatically round up every debit card purchase to the nearest dollar and put the remaining money into your savings account. and both offer this tool, among others.

Many banks also let you set up automatic transfers between accounts to automate your savings. Banks and credit unions might also offer a tool that analyzes your checking account balance, looking for money you can afford to transfer into savings and automatically transferring it for you. This can help you save up for savings goals, such as your emergency fund, without much effort on your part.

If you find yourself overdrafting your checking account frequently and spending unnecessary money on expensive overdraft fees, many banks let you set up overdraft transfer protection between your checking and savings accounts with that bank. In case of an overdraft, money will be automatically transferred from your savings account to your checking account to cover the difference.

Sometimes, you'll have to pay an overdraft transfer fee to use this service. But that fee is usually less than an overdraft fee would be. Just keep in mind that, if you use this feature often, you could accidentally drain your savings without realizing it. You might want to switch to one of the best banks for avoiding overdrafts that doesn't charge fees at all instead of using this feature if you're worried about losing your savings.

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• Scott Barbee, BI's Investor of the Month for March, has been a fund manager for over 25 years.
• He's guided the Aegis Value Fund through the dot-com bubble and the 2008 financial crisis.
• Here's how Barbee uses the lessons from previous recessions to outperform today.

Scott Barbee, manager of the Aegis Value Fund ( AVALX) and Business Insider's Investor of the Month for March, is no stranger to the ups and downs of the stock market.

Barbee has overseen the fund since its inception in 1998, which means he's weathered some of the biggest market crashes over the decades.

Barbee specializes in finding deep-value small-cap companies. He analyzes investment opportunities using a bottom-up approach and looks for companies with low debt balances, robust cash flow, and cheap valuations.

Despite tariff volatility and recession fears rocking the market in 2025, Barbee is finding ways to outperform. His fund is up over 11% year-to-date.

Below, Barbee shared with Business Insider some of the takeaways he's learned from steering the fund through over 25 years of market cycles.

Don't buy into the hype

When asked about the AI trade, Barbee expressed caution and drew comparisons to the dot-com bubble.

"Historically, you've seen certain situations where folks get very interested in a particular type of scientific advancement, and you get very high multiples for a while, then you get over-building and corrections," Barbee said.

Similar to how internet-based companies skyrocketed in 2000 and then plunged almost 80% afterwards, AI stocks could be heading into bubble territory, Barbee believes.

Especially in recent years, the meteoric outperformance of the Magnificent Seven has been perplexing to Barbee, especially as interest rates crept up from pandemic lows.

"Typically, higher interest rates act as a gravitational force pulling the multiples down," Barbee said.

In his opinion, the momentum these tech stocks have seen in recent years creates a snowball effect where investors keep on allocating capital to the sector, bidding up valuations past reasonable levels.

"My sense is we're going to get a correction at some point," Barbee added.

Have conviction in your choices

Instead of hopping aboard the Magnificent Seven train, Barbee swooped up unloved materials and metals stocks.

"A lot of these have scored poorly on ESG frameworks. In 2021, 2022, there was this huge prevalence of ESG-type investing and mandated divestment of fossil fuel-type businesses, and mining is sometimes viewed poorly under those rubrics," Barbee said. "That's led to a lot of purging of positions for non-fundamental reasons that long-term investors could take advantage of, and we positioned ourselves into a lot of those names."

It turns out materials and metals ended up being the areas of the market that outperformed amid tariff volatility. Gold is at an all-time high as investors run to safe-haven assets, and Barbee thinks there's still more room for gold mining stock prices to rise.

Some things are out of your control

Even the best fund managers have bad days — or bad years.

"I think 2008 was one of the roughest years in my career," Barbee told Business Insider. "We had a big drawdown. It was 50% or so."

The fund started 2009 with another 20% decline. The especially frustrating part about the fund's 2008 performance was that much of it was out of Barbee's control.

"You can do your work, you can determine whether the company's on fiscally solid ground," Barbee said. "We suffered these big drawdowns anyway because it was much less about the companies themselves. It was much more about the other owners of the companies."

When homeowners began defaulting on their mortgages, highly levered banks like Lehman Brothers saw the value of their mortgage-backed securities plunge and experienced a credit crunch.

"The Lehman Brothers proprietary trading desk would own a lot of the names that they would then be forced to liquidate as they were getting the repo lines pulled, in what amounted to a huge margin call," Barbee told BI. "Some of the names traded down to underneath cash value per share."

"Being able to ride through periods of volatility where other stockholders might get washed out is a very important aspect of getting through those difficult times," Barbee added. "Sometimes the best opportunities become clearly available when you're feeling the worst about yourself."

Ultimately, staying steadfast paid off — the fund bounced back strong and was up 91% by the end of 2009.

For Barbee, the most rewarding part of the job has been the relationships he's built with clients. Some of his clients have been with him from the beginning and weathered the last two financial crises alongside the fund.

"To have the clients that decide to stay with you through difficult times, and then have it work out for everybody is is a really rewarding thing," Barbee said.

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• Switching jobs led to higher pay raises after the pandemic.
• But federal data shows that the trend is in decline, with job switchers seeing falling pay growth.
• A cooling of the Great Resignation and fewer job offers are weakening workers' bargaining power.

Switching jobs was once a surefire way to get a big raise, but federal data suggest that's no longer the case.

According to the Atlanta Fed's Wage Growth Tracker, the median pay increase for job switchers fell to 4.2% in February, a sharp decline from 7.3% in early 2023.

Job stayers also saw wage growth slow, though to a lesser extent, declining from 5.8% to 4.4% over the same period.

This marks a stark shift from the labor market immediately post-pandemic, when job switchers consistently outpaced job stayers in pay gains. At their peak in July 2022, job switchers earned as much as 2.6% more than those who stayed put.

The end of the Great Resignation

Labor market analysts attribute the wage downturn to the cooling of the Great Resignation — the post-pandemic wave of record job quits and a labor shortage that drove up wages.

In 2021 alone, about 47 million Americans left their jobs, often securing higher pay elsewhere.

"Job switchers enjoyed a significant wage premium from late 2021 through early 2023 because employers were facing significant labor shortages after the pandemic and needed to offer significant wage increases to lure workers away from their prior positions," Nancy Vanden Houten, Oxford Economics' US Lead Economist, told Business Insider.

Now, however, slowing inflation, fewer job offers, and reduced competition for workers have weakened employees' bargaining power.

"Labor markets are still fairly strong, but nowhere near as tight as in 2022," Harry Holzer, a nonresident senior fellow in economic studies at Brookings and a public policy professor at Georgetown University, told BI.

"The really large gains in 2022 were occurring during the Great Resignation when the labor market was extremely tight, and workers demanded higher pay," he said. But now, "quits have gone way down."

This shift is making many workers reluctant to leave their current jobs.

"Certainly, in DC, there's this feeling that you're better off staying put in a way right now with all the layoffs," Elise Gould, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, told BI.

"There's some economic insecurity that would be leading to this kind of phenomenon where people might be just staying still more," she said.

The wage squeeze in tech

Tech professionals, in particular, are feeling the effect of a cooling job market.

Jim Harrington, a principal software engineer at Cart.com who earns over $200,000 a year, told BI that during his 12-month job search, he has seen wages on job listings top out at $180,000.

"It's not a bad wage, but it is not the levels that we were accustomed to seeing over the last few years," he said.

According to Levels.fyi data, wages for software engineers, product designers, and technical program managers fell 1-2% in the second half of 2024.

Some professionals have even left the industry altogether.

Ryan Essenburg, who said he worked for 21 years as a Business Development Director at SimulTrans, a translation and localization services company in Mountain View, California, told BI he saw his position eliminated in April 2024.

After what he termed an "existential" job search and lower salary offers, "I decided to put my search on indefinite hold," he said, adding: "I am coaching tennis now and very happy."

Others have had to take significant pay cuts.

Raymond Traylor, who was laid off as PairTree's Chief Technology Officer in December 2023, went from a $180,000 salary to $36,000 as a computer systems analyst at VSorts, a SaaS platform, from December 2023 to March 2023, and has been earning between $3,000 and $5,000 a month as Negotiate Fairly's CTO and cofounder since March 2024.

"It's been a multi-year downturn, but hopefully it's not too much longer, and I hope that we don't go back to just a boom-and-bust bubble sort of economy," he told BI, adding he hopes it's just an "in-between weird time."

What's next for wage growth?

While job stayers saw slightly higher pay raises than job switchers in February, their long-term prospects aren't much better.

Workplace advisory firm Willis Towers Watson projects that US employees who stay in their roles will see an average 3.7% salary increase in 2025, down from 3.8% in 2024 and 4.6% in 2023, though still above the pre-pandemic norm of 3%.

Some economists warn this isn't just a temporary dip.

"The amount of uncertainty facing businesses today is leading to further reluctance to hire," Thomas A. Kochanco, co-director of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research, told BI.

"If anything, the labor market will get weaker in the months ahead."

"I hope we are not in for a recession," he added. "But if that does occur, expect the bargaining power of both job hoppers and incumbents to continue to decline."

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• This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Welcome back! If you've ever wondered how economy flights compare, don't worry. BI's travel reporter put two airlines to the test. The winner felt like "a class above…for a lower price point."

On the agenda:

• Welcome to the era of wellness vacations.
• For the rich, Manhattan is now flyover country.
• Doctor for superagers shares four mistakes people make about longevity.
• Move over, Aspen. A new Colorado ski town aims to take center stage.

But first: We have to talk about colon cancer.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

Why is colon cancer affecting more young people?

Actor Chadwick Boseman shocked fans in 2020 when he died at age 43 from complications related to colon cancer. Five years later, the rate of young people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer has risen swiftly, according to the American Cancer Society.

If caught early, colon cancer is treatable. What complicates this particular cancer, however, is just how hard it is to diagnose since the symptoms — abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and weight loss — can lead to misdiagnosis. It doesn't help that routine testing isn't offered to people under 50 years old in the US.

As March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, BI's health team spoke to many people affected by the disease. They detailed the early signs and symptoms in hopes of helping others.

• Katie Couric said her first husband, Jay Monahan, who died at age 42 from colon cancer, had symptoms of fatigue and digestive changes.
• Shannin Desroches, a 27-year-old living in Ontario, couldn't eat without severe pain despite eating a clean diet. She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer last year.
• JJ Singleton was diagnosed in 2015 at age 27. One of his early symptoms was losing five pounds in a week. He later discovered he had Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
• Tracy Robert, diagnosed 10 years ago at the age of 40, said she experienced bloating and chalked it up to IBS. Robert said, looking back, she wishes her doctors had taken her " symptoms and concerns seriously."

My week of rest and relaxation

Americans are stressed. Instead of adventure-forward vacations involving bustling cities or day drinking on the beach, they're turning to more restorative options.

Wellness retreats and self-care centers are happy to step up. The wellness market was valued at around $480 billion in 2024, according to a McKinsey estimate. At one resort, a week of Pilates, pickleball, and Watsu water therapy could all be yours — for $5,650 per person.

" It's very White Lotus."

The rich vs. rush hour

Forget hired cars. Some of New York's moneyed set are taking to the skies instead, relying on helicopter services like Blade for their regular commutes.

Blade's service starts at $95 for a nine-minute ride from the west side of Manhattan to JFK airport. When an Uber can take longer than an hour and cost more than $100, that seems like a deal.

Plus, the views are wild.

Debunking longevity myths

Dr. Sofiya Milman studies people who are 95 or older, a cohort known as super-agers. She aims to understand what helps healthy people live to 100 years old.

Her research showed centenarians are just as likely to have unhealthy habits as other people. She said it's a myth that longevity is all about lifestyle or genetics — and that it's only about living as long as possible.

These are common misconceptions.

A new luxury hot spot in Colorado

For decades, Snowmass Village, Colorado, was often compared to its glitzy neighbor, Aspen. Now, the luxury town is ready to step into its own spotlight.

As a $1 billion development wraps up, Snowmass offers newer amenities, fine dining, and luxury shopping. It also targets a set of travelers Aspen can't: families.

Paving its own way.

What we're watching this weekend

• "Holland": Nicole Kidman stars as a teacher and homemaker whose seemingly perfect life in Holland, Michigan, gets uprooted by strange happenings in Prime Video's new thriller.
• "Queer": Daniel Craig plays an American expat who falls in love with a much younger man in Luca Guadagnino's adaptation of the novella "Queer," now streaming on Max.
• "The Studio": Seth Rogen portrays a newly- appointed movie head of a movie studio head fighting to keep the film industry alive in this new Apple TV+ comedy series jam-packed with celebrity cameos.

See the full list

What to shop

• A pillow we use every night: Everyone has different sleep needs, so it's rare that one product can cater to them all. The Coop Sleep Goods Pillow comes close, and you can learn why in our review.
• Entry-level espresso making: Becoming your own barista isn't cheap, but you don't have to spend $800 to start. Instead, consider the more affordable Breville Bambino, one of our favorites.
• Sweats for every occasion: Whether you're getting groceries, hitting the gym, or just lounging around, the right pair of bottoms can carry you through it all. Check out our roundup of the best men's sweatpants to find your own.

More of this week's top reads:

• We guide CEOs through psychedelic mushroom trips in the mountains. Here are the most common takeaways.
• 'The White Lotus' viewers are window-shopping for this $160,000-a-week superyacht.
• Women's sports are rethinking childcare for their mom-athletes.
• My 12-year-old accidentally committed credit card fraud. I realized she wasn't ready to have a phone.
• 8 workout trends you'll see in 2025, according to fitness experts.
• Dennis Quaid lied his way into teaching Marlon Brando the mandolin.
• We spent years looking for the perfect US city to live in. After our dream picks let us down, we chose a spot we never expected.
• A 73-year-old who did her first pull-up at 63 works out six times a week. Three simple things helped her get into shape.
• Americans are clamoring to buy the highest penthouse in the world.

The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City (on paternity leave). Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter misstated the streamer that airs "Severance." It is Apple TV+, not HBO.

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• At 30, I took a gap year in Italy and hope my story inspires others.
• My life was fine in San Francisco but something was missing.
• I found myself in Italy and it helped me take the next leap in my career when I returned to the US.

I was entering a new decade of my life at 30 and decided to take inventory of my life.

I was happily living in San Francisco with a wonderful group of friends. I had a rent-controlled apartment and had saved enough money for a down payment on a home.

After a while, though, I felt like something was missing. I needed somewhere that would foster my creativity and give me a new perspective.

So, at 30, I quit my job and took that money to put toward living in Italy for a year. In that one year in Florence, I learned more about myself and my self-worth than I'd learned in my entire life up to that point.

My friends and family didn't understand but I knew taking a gap year at 30 was right for me

The reality was that I was single and had an unexplained drive to explore myself more before committing to a person or a place.

More of my friends were getting married and having kids, but I wasn't ready for that. A part of me was afraid to move to a new country, knowing it would only make relating with them harder, but I ultimately chose to do what was best for me.

My parents, who had taken the classic trajectory of marriage, kids, and buying a house, definitely didn't understand it. Some friends shared their concerns about what I would be gaining from this.

To me, though, I had saved almost $40,000 and I had every right to choose how to use it. I hope my story sheds light on the idea that taking a gap year at 30 should not be frowned upon and doesn't have to be scary.

How I found my community in Florence

I knew no one in Italy at the time, but I found an apartment in Florence and a side hustle writing music to keep me structured and afloat (I even managed to salvage a portion of my savings when I returned home).

When I first arrived, I was very ambitious. I visited seven countries within the first six weeks. Although I wouldn't change these experiences, I realize now that I quickly burned myself out.

I was so focused on making this time count and checking off places from my bucket list that I forgot to enjoy the luxury of calling Italy my home. I needed to slow down.

I joined some Facebook groups for nomads in Florence. At a happy hour for Girls Gone International, I met what would soon be my five close girlfriends. They were all like me: single, 30, and giving up a stable life to experience something greater within the world.

It felt so good to be around like-minded people. It also helped me find comfort in the times when I questioned the decisions that got me to Florence.

With a community in place, I started slowing down on my travels and diving into Italian culture. I joined a creative writing program where I met writers with endless ideas. It helped boost my self-confidence in my own writing, and through that, I was able to reinvent myself into a better, more balanced version of myself.

I also started taking Italian classes with a private tutor, and before I knew it, I was able to hold my own when ordering at a restaurant or conversing with Italians at a bar. I was creating, speaking the language, and walking the streets of Florence without a map.

Eventually, I started seeing myself as a part of the world, instead of someone looking at it. The Italian phrase, "ricominciare da zero" (meaning "to start from the beginning") became my motto.

I found the new perspective I was searching for

I returned to the States in October, but instead of going back to what I knew in San Francisco, I took another leap into the unknown and moved to New York City.

I'd never felt ready for New York before. In Italy, however, I'd gained confidence, which made me feel fearless in taking the next step in my creative endeavors.

Living in an artist-driven city like Florence and meeting a community of writers who both supported and inspired my work changed the game for me.

Since returning to the US and living in New York, I've written and edited my first poetry book and am supporting myself as a successful freelance writer. If I hadn't moved to Italy, I might not have become this version of myself.

The experience felt priceless, and I continue to stay in touch with the friends I made in Florence. Looking back, I would spend the money again the same way. In fact, I'm now saving up to buy a Tuscan villa to host creative writing workshops in Italy.

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After years of earning high interest rates, time is running out on the opportunity to cash in on the money you have in the bank, like checking and savings. How can you be sure that you're getting the best interest rate to earn money on your deposit accounts?

We monitor rates from banks and credit unions daily to help you feel confident before you open a new account — and it's looking like now is the time to lock in a high rate before APYs go off a cliff. Here are the top rates for popular banks on Saturday, March 29.

Featured Nationally Available Savings Rates

Open a new bank account or cash management account and earn best-in-class rates.

Featured Nationally Available CD Rates

Featured High Interest Checking Account Offers

Compare checking accounts that offer high APYs, rewards on debit card purchases, or both. APYs (Annual Percentage Yields) are accurate as of 03/28/2025.

• BCU PowerPlus Checking: Earn up to 8.00% APY on balances up to $15,000 (See website for details).*
• SoFi® Checking and Savings (Member FDIC): Earn up to a $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposits for eligible customers through 01/31/26. Earn up to 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) with direct deposit or qualifying deposits.**
• Discover® Cashback Debit Account: Earn 1% cash back on up on up to $3,000 per month in eligible debit card purchases (See website for details).***
• Axos ONE Savings and Checking Bundle: Earn 4.86% APY on your savings account balance and 0.51% APY on yoaur checking account balance by getting at least $1,500 in monthly direct deposits by the 25th of each month and by maintaining an average daily balance of $1,500.

How Much Interest Can You Earn With High-Yield Savings?

The average interest rate on a savings account is 0.41% APY, so any account that pays more than that may be worth considering. It's not unusual to find high-yield savings, CDs, or even high-yield checking accounts that pay up to eight times as much.

Here's how it works: Let's say your savings account pays that average rate, 0.41% APY, and compounds daily. You put $1,500 in that account, and don't contribute any more for a year. At the end of the year, you have $1,506.16 — you earned a whopping $6.16 in interest.

Now, let's pretend everything remains the same except the savings account you choose. This time, you open a high-yield savings account that pays 4% APY. At the end of that same year, you should have $1,561.21, thanks to earning $61.21 in interest.

Is it a fortune? Maybe not. But it's still about 10 times as much as you would have gotten in a typical savings account, with no effort on your part. If you had continued contributing throughout the year, the difference would be even more stark.

About High-Yield Accounts

High-yield savings accounts aren't the only accounts paying favorable rates right now. You'll typically see the highest rates at online or lower-profile institutions rather than national brands with a significant brick-and-mortar presence. This is normal; online banks have lower overhead costs and are willing to pay high rates to attract new customers.

High-Yield Savings Accounts

The best high-yield savings accounts provide the security of a savings account with the added bonus of a high APY. Savings accounts are held at a bank or credit union — not invested through a brokerage account — and are best for saving cash in pursuit of shorter-term goals, like a vacation or big purchase.

High-Yield Checking Accounts

The best high-yield checking accounts tend to pay slightly lower rates than high-yield savings, but even they are strong in today's rate environment. A checking account is like a hub for your money: If your paycheck is direct deposited, it's typically to a checking account. If you transfer money to pay a bill, you typically do it from a checking account. Checking accounts are used for everyday spending and usually come with checks and/or debit cards to make that easy.

Money Market Accounts

The best money market accounts could be considered a middle ground between checking and savings: They are used for saving money but typically provide easy access to your account through checks or a debit card. They usually offer a tiered interest rate depending on your balance.

Cash Management Accounts

A cash management account is also like a savings/checking hybrid. You'll generally see them offered by online banks, and, unlike a checking account, they usually offer unlimited transfers. A savings account often limits the number of monthly transfers, while a checking account doesn't. Cash management accounts typically come with a debit card for easy access, but you may have to pay a fee if you want to deposit cash.

Certificates of Deposit

The best CD rates may outpace any of the other accounts we've described above. That's because a certificate of deposit requires you to "lock in" your money for a predetermined amount of time ranging from three months to five years. To retrieve it before then, you'll pay a penalty (unless you opt for one of the best no-penalty CDs). The longer you'll let the bank hold your money, the higher rate you'll get. CD rates aren't variable; the rate you get upon depositing your money is the rate you'll get for the length of your term.

About CD Terms

Locking your money into an account in exchange for a higher interest rate can be a big decision. Here's what you need to know about common CD terms.

No-Penalty CDs

Most CDs charge you a fee if you need to withdraw money from your account before the term ends. But with a no-penalty CD, you won't have to pay an early withdrawal penalty. The best no-penalty CDs will offer rates slightly higher than the best high-yield savings accounts, and can offer a substantially improved interest rate over traditional brick-and-mortar savings accounts.

6-Month CDs

The best 6-month CDs are offering interest rates in the mid-5% range. Six-month CDs are best for those who are looking for elevated rates on their savings for short-term gains, but are uncomfortable having limited access to their cash in the long term. These can be a good option for those who may just be getting started with saving, or who don't have a large emergency fund for unexpected expenses.

1-Year CDs

The best 1-year CDs tend to offer some of the top CD rates, and are a popular option for many investors. A 1-year term can be an attractive option for someone building a CD ladder, or for someone who has a reasonable cash safety net but is still concerned about long-term expenses.

2-Year CDs

The best 2-year CD rates will be slightly lower than 1-year and no-penalty CD rates. In exchange for a longer lock-in period, investors receive a long-term commitment for a specific rate. These are best used as part of a CD ladder strategy, or for those worried about a declining rate market in the foreseeable future.

3-Year CDs

The best 3-year CDs tend to have rates that are comparable to 2-year CDs. These are usually less popular for your average investor, but can be an important lever when diversifying investments and hedging against the risk of unfavorable rate markets in the long term.

5-Year CDs

The best 5-year CDs will offer lower rates than the other terms on our list, but are still popular options for investors. These CDs are best for those looking to lock in high rates for the long term. CDs are generally viewed as safe investment vehicles, and securing a favorable rate can yield considerable earnings in year three and beyond — even if rates fall elsewhere.

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• In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Suzanne Collins revealed that the Covey has ties to Katniss Everdeen.
• Collins introduced readers to the Covey in "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."
• This article contains spoilers for "The Hunger Games" series.

Just a week after its release, Suzanne Collins' latest " Hunger Games" prequel is already a massive hit.

"Sunrise on the Reaping" — which follows Haymitch Abernathy's experience in the 50th Hunger Games — was released on March 18 and has already sold 1.5 million copies.

The novel is full of revelations about the Hunger Games universe, much of which centers on the Covey family, who were introduced in Collins' other "Hunger Games" prequel. Most importantly, it reveals that Katniss Everdeen has Covey ancestry.

Spoilers ahead for "The Hunger Games" series.

The Covey first appears in 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'

Collins released her first "Hunger Games" prequel, " The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," in May 2020.

Set 64 years before "The Hunger Games," the book follows a young Coriolanus Snow as he mentors a tribute for the 10th Hunger Games. He is assigned to the female District 12 victor, Lucy Gray Baird.

After she is reaped for the games and taken to the Capitol, Lucy Gray explains to a reporter that she is from the Covey family and isn't originally from District 12.

"My people are Covey. Musicians by trade. We just took a wrong turn one day and were obliged to stay," Lucy Gray said. She explained they were from "no district in particular" and used to "move from place to place" playing music before Peacekeepers forced them to stay in District 12 following the first rebellion.

At the start of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," there are six living members of the Covey family living in District 12: Billy Taupe Clade, Clerk Carmine Clade, Tam Amber, Maude Ivory Baird, Barb Azure Baird, and Lucy Gray Baird.

Billy Taupe and Clerk Carmine are brothers, and Maude Ivory, Barb Azure, and Lucy Gray are cousins. Tam Amber is not related to the rest of the Covey by blood, but the group treats each other as a found family.

By the end of the book, only four Covey members are left in District 12. Billy Taupe is murdered, and Lucy Gray is either killed by Coriolanus or disappears into the woods as she flees from him, never to be heard from again in Panem.

The Covey has blended into District 12 in 'Sunrise on the Reaping'

When Collins brings readers back to District 12 in "Sunrise on the Reaping," the Covey has further assimilated to District 12 in the 24 years since the events of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

Tam Amber and Clerk Carmine are still living in the district, and they are raising their niece, Lenore Dove Baird. Lenore is Haymitch's girlfriend, and Haymitch says in the text that her mother died giving birth to her.

Any of the three Covey girls could be Lenore Dove's mother, but it's most likely Maude Ivory for a few reasons. Most importantly, at the end of the book, Haymitch sees graves for Lucy Gray and Maude Ivory when he visits Lenore Dove's resting place.

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Lenore Dove is around 16, so she would have been born about eight years after Lucy Gray's Hunger Games. Even if she survived her final encounter with Coriolanus at the end of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," it's unlikely that Lucy Gray was in District 12 when Lenore Dove came into the world, as she would have run off to live out her days in the wilderness for safety.

Lucy Gray's grave is also described as "a mossy slab of stone," while Maude Ivory's is "a creamy white stone," making Maude Ivory's seem slightly newer.

Readers can infer from Lenore Dove's age and the timeline the graves suggest that Maude Ivory was Lenore Dove's mother, not Lucy Gray.

Katniss is a Covey descendant

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Haymitch says he meets Lenore Dove through his friend Burdock Everdeen, Katniss' father.

"She wasn't one of Burdock's Everdeen cousins, but I knew he had some distant ones on his ma's side," Haymitch says of Burdock's ancestry.

Because of Muade Ivory and Lucy Gray's fates, Burdock's mother seems to be Barb Azure Baird. Barb Azure would then be Katniss' grandmother, making her a distant relative of Lucy Gray and Lenore Dove.

Collins laid the groundwork for the similarity between Katniss and the Covey girls throughout "The Hunger Games."

She has a rebellious spirit like her ancestors, and both Katniss and her father are described as having beautiful singing voices throughout the series. Haymitch reinforces singing as a trait Burdock inherited from the Covey in "Sunrise on the Reaping." He describes Burdock as having a "remarkable voice." A few pages later, he says Lenore Dove loves music: "Like all the Covey, music in her blood."

Later, at Haymitch's mother and brother's funeral, Burdock sings "The Old Therebefore," a song Lucy Gray sings when she thinks she is about to die in the Games. Music, specifically Covey music, is in Burdock's blood, too.

The Covey also inadvertently gives Katniss her Mockingjay pin

The Mockingjay token Katniss wears in her first Hunger Games becomes an important symbol throughout Collins' series.

The bird represents that the Capitol cannot control everything, as it results from the mating of Capitol Jabberjays and naturally-born Mockingbirds. Katniss embodies that spirit when she leads the rebellion against President Coriolanus Snow and his government, using the Mockingjay symbol to help inspire others to act.

Katniss' friend, Madge Undersee, gives her the pin to wear after she volunteers as a tribute to District 12. In "Catching Fire," Madge tells Katniss the pin originally belonged to her aunt, Maysilee Donner, who competed alongside Haymitch for District 12 in the 50th Hunger Games.

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Haymitch reveals that Tam Amber originally forged it. Maysilee never wore hers, telling Tam Amber that Mockingjays were "ugly old things" to Lenore Dove's anger.

Haymitch explains the mythology surrounding Mockingjays to Maysilee while they're in the arena, giving her a new perspective on them. She says she will give the pin another try if she survives the Games. Maysilee never gets the chance to wear the pin, but a Covey girl does, bringing the moment full circle.

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• Okta CEO Todd McKinnon told BI the Signal military group chat mishap is likely a usability issue.
• McKinnon suggests that Signal could improve its features to prevent accidental contact additions.
• He also said it's challenging for companies to figure out what data is considered sensitive.

Blame is being passed around and served on a platter after US officials mistakenly added a journalist to a Signal group chat about war plans — and Okta CEO Todd McKinnon has some thoughts on the fiasco.

In an interview with Business Insider, McKinnon said the Signal military group chat debacle is more of a usability issue than a cyberinfrastructure failure. In other words, it comes down to how easily users can navigate the app.

McKinnon said Signal could add or tweak some features to make it easier to use — like displaying more than just a contact's initials as an icon. The CEO said "there's many JGs," referencing the initials of Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who was mistakenly added to the group chat. McKinnon said the platform could also somehow try to show who the person was so they wouldn't accidentally land on the CCd list.

The reality is that encrypted messaging platforms like Signal can still be undermined by usability challenges — and when people send messages quickly, "that leads to mistakes," he said. McKinnon added that when companies get hacked, it's often "the simple stuff" that leads to it.

"There's some account that's left open or has the default password, or some account doesn't have multi-factor authentication," McKinnon said.

Signal wrote in an X post on Tuesday that there has been "misinfo flying around" that could deter users. The company cited an NPR report that said it obtained a Pentagon warning on March 18 about a potential vulnerability on Signal. Signal said in the post that the "vulnerability" didn't have anything to do with Signal's "core tech" and was a warning for phishing scams targeting the app's users.

"Signal is open source, so our code is regularly scrutinized in addition to regular formal audits," the company added in the post.

McKinnon added that an app like Signal has to run on a phone or computer, and if that device isn't secure, the messaging app can't fully be either. McKinnon said that's often the issue in cyber-related incidents.

"Ultimately, an end-to-end encrypted messaging app is only as secure as the endpoints that are hosting it," McKinnon, who runs the leading cloud-based identity verification platform, said.

The CEO also said while Signal may be encrypted, there's challenges around deciding "how accessible a piece of information should be." McKinnon said companies often make things too accessible and struggle to decide what data should be narrowly or broadly accessible.

McKinnon said the "one size fits all" approach usually doesn't work out either, because that would probably mean no one, or very few people, can access anything — which means people will likely end up going around it.

McKinnon's comments come after Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal group chat called "Houthi PC small group." The chat was primarily made up of senior US officials, and its participants, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were discussing strikes on Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Signal did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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• Some NATO countries are considering alternatives to the F-35 stealth fighter jet.
• The Trump administration's shifted stance towards Europe has allies concerned about reliability.
• Lockheed's business is feeling the trust erosion between the US and its allies, an analyst said.

The Trump administration is throwing some cold water on the once-hot market for Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter. And that's not the company's only headache.

At least two NATO militaries are weighing alternatives to the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter as the US signals in public statements and unintentionally leaked private chats that it is less committed to Europe's defense. Top Trump officials have characterized Europe as a "pathetic" freeloader.

Trump's trade wars and public spats with the leaders of countries buying F-35s pose risks for Lockheed, which makes the fifth-generation F-35 fighter for the US military and foreign customers, aviation experts said.

A reduction in F-35 purchases by foreign buyers would drive up the cost-per-unit of jets, including for the US because the fixed costs can be spread across fewer planes.

Many foreign military sales "are now endangered by these new concerns about US reliability," said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor on defense and security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

To make matters worse for Lockheed, Trump last week selected its rival, Boeing, to build the next-generation F-47 stealth fighter. Lockheed's stock briefly dropped following the contract announcement, and Bank of America downgraded the defense giant, citing the F-47 contract upset.

A Lockheed spokesperson said that "foreign military sales are government-to-government transactions, so anything further will be best addressed by the US or respective customer governments." And on the F-47, the company has said it will continue to work with the Air Force on new capabilities.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from BI on recent turbulence.

Growing anxiety

The Trump administration's warming position toward Russia and its criticism of NATO countries has triggered a shift in how some members of the alliance view their defense relationship with the US. NATO countries field a variety of US-made weapons, but the F-35 is a top product.

Earlier this month, Portugal's defense minister said that the country should re-consider replacing its arsenal of F-16s with the more advanced F-35s, citing the US stance on security issues as cause for concern.

Canada's defense minister then said the country would review alternatives to the F-35 amid rising tensions with the US over Trump-ordered tariffs and other trade threats.

A Canadian defense ministry spokesperson told BI that Canada is not canceling its planned F-35 fighter procurement, with deliveries set to begin next year. They said the ministry is "in the early stages" of reviewing the current F-35 process "in a way that is both efficient and thorough."

Last week, the chairman of Denmark's parliamentary defense committee said he regretted buying the F-35, citing concerns that the US State Department could abruptly block spare parts needed to maintain the aircraft. He said purchasing American weapons is now "a security risk."

The country's defense ministry told BI that "any limitations in the use of Danish F-35 aircraft are classified information, but Denmark is still open to buying additional F-35 aircraft in the future."

Denmark, like Canada, is an original F-35 program participant. The fifth-gen aircraft has also been sold to another dozen countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Since the first F-35 rolled off the factory floor nearly two decades ago, over 1,100 jets have been delivered to allied and partner militaries.

Three other F-35 program participants, specifically the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands, voiced their continued support for this program.

The Dutch defense ministry told BI that there's "no reason to assume that the good cooperation with the US in the F-35 program will change or stop," and a spokesperson for the Australian defense ministry said that it is "committed to continued investment" in the F-35.

Other allies, like Germany, have also reiterated their support for the program, even amid lingering uncertainty. A spokesperson for Poland's defense ministry told BI that its F-35 program "is being implemented according to schedule. Currently, there are no decisions on the possible termination of the agreements signed with the American side."

Questioning alliances

NATO allies have not yet made any firm decisions to pull the plug on more F-35 procurement, but unease has replaced a once certain confidence. Analysts and experts say that US allies may be justifiably concerned about the potential leverage the Trump administration could have over them.

There's no kill switch or anything like that for the jets, but the US provides critical additional support for its weapons that makes them effective. American-led maintenance and supply chains, as well as networks and planning support, are essential to the program. Without them, these jets could end up being display pieces costing in excess of $80 million.

As with other weapons systems, the State Department must approve potential F-35 sales to foreign buyers. Trump raised eyebrows last week when he said some US allies might only be able to buy a less-capable version of the coming F-47. The US has sold modified export models of weapons, but the reasoning here was notable.

When he announced that Boeing Co., a longtime leader in stealth aircraft production, will build the sixth-generation Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, fighter, Trump said that allies could purchase a "toned-down" version of the aircraft "because, someday, maybe they're not our allies."

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation expert and the managing director of the US consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said that reduced foreign exports could drive up US purchasing costs. That's not great for the F-35 program.

The jet has faced criticism, including from the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk, for design issues, program costs, and persistent sustainability challenges. There's a risk the plane could be targeted in future budget decisions, though that would be a bigger fight.

"There is a scenario where a bunch of export orders go away, and a bunch of domestic US orders go away," Aboulafia said, adding that this "would make this a much more expensive airplane and, therefore, more vulnerable to cuts."

Lockheed expects to deliver up to 190 F-35s to the US and its allies in 2025.

Retired US Army Maj. Gen. Gordon "Skip" Davis, who previously served as NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general for the alliance's defense-investment division, told BI that while it's possible a US administration could use F-35 support as leverage, "doing so would come at a high strategic cost and provoke resistance from Congress, allies, and industry," not just Lockheed.

Davis told BI there are a number of constraints on the administration after the aircraft has been sold, including contractual obligations, jeopardizing multinational defense cooperation, and driving away foreign interest in the F-35.

He said that allied countries vary in their vulnerability. "Countries without a domestic alternative and not involved in the F-35 component and parts production would be the most vulnerable to such a tactic," Davis said.

There are some European-made alternatives to the F-35, like the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter. However, no European jet matches the fifth-generation F-35, a low-observable networking platform capable of quarterbacking a range of combat capabilities.

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• A formerly remote federal worker based in Illinois was called back into the office in March.
• They were asked to report to an office building they'd never heard of that has a trickier commute.
• They said other employees who RTO at the same facility don't work together but do commiserate.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a federal worker based in Illinois. They've asked to be anonymous for fear of job repercussions. Business Insider has verified their identity and employment. It's been edited for length and clarity.

My agency announced the return to office.

I had been expecting it, so it wasn't that bad. But grieving the remote work took a couple of days — and grief is nonlinear, so it came and went and came and went. When I thought I was over being upset about it, it came back.

I was fully expecting to be assigned to downtown Chicago in the district office, but instead, I got an email at 10 o'clock on a Wednesday night with orders to show up on Monday at some place I'd never heard of.

I was like, "What the hell is this place?" I thought I had seen the full list of available places they could assign me to go. That one came out of left field, and it was a shock.

I was surprised at the office I was assigned to

I'd been looking in my agency's facilities resources, and they have these cool occupant guides that tell you everything you need to know about each one of their facilities. They didn't have one for this office. There was barely anything about it on my agency's internal website.

That area is home to a lot of industrial parks. There are some residents who live there, but it's largely office parks and factories. The only time I'd been here previously was to pick up something at a UPS center.

The nearest place to get lunch is the better part of a half-mile walk up the road to your choice of Mexican restaurants. No shade, I love Mexican — it's my favorite non-steak and potatoes cuisine.

At any rate, I showed up there on the Monday and I'm in a room with 10 other people who had their remote agreements terminated. There were people who used to work at the Chicago district office, there were people who have been remote for over 10 years, and there was me.

When we first got here, they hadn't cleared out offices for us, and they hadn't moved staff to other offices. They had to move people to accommodate us because this facility simply isn't built for this many employees, I guess.

The RTO process felt a bit rushed and mean

The speed of the return was, I want to say, intentional cruelty.

Still, the staff who manage the facilities have done their best to minimize the impact of that cruelty.

The people who made the decisions and the schedule on the return to office had almost no consideration for the space and administrative services people who actually handle the facilities. Those people have done heroic lifting in trying to make this all work. They shouldn't have had to move mountains on the schedule that they did.

Some of that was consistent with the Russell Vought quote about terrorizing us as federal employees. It's one thing for a private citizen to want to terrorize us. It's another for the director of the Office of Management and Budget to want to do it.

My commute is tricky — it's 42 stops if I take public transit

Getting here by public transit is very complicated. I haven't actually done it yet; I've been getting a ride from my wife.

I'm going to be busing when she goes back to work, but fortunately for me, she's not going to work right now.

It's six miles to my office, and then she has eight miles to her work — but this is all rush hour on city streets. It's about 25 minutes to get to my office if we leave early. It's going to take what was her 40-minute commute and make it over well over an hour.

To my office, it would be 42 stops on one bus and then a mile-and-a-quarter walk that involves going under a highway underpass. It's not the greatest walk.

In an ideal world, you can do it in an hour and five minutes. In the real world, I don't even know. If you miss one of the long buses, that's an extra 23 minutes while you're waiting for the next bus.

Going to the downtown office would have taken about 45 minutes — nine stops on the train. You miss a Chicago Transit Authority train, and it's only another five to seven minutes during rush hour. It's not a big deal.

It's $4 a day to take public transit, paid by the taxpayer due to the provisions of the Clean Air Incentives Act. While it's still intact, federal employees get subsidies if they take public transit.

If I drove, the car maintenance, gas, and total cost and depreciation would be all on me. Still, if I were here long-term and I knew I had certainty in my job, I would buy a second car.

I don't work with anyone else in the office

The people who RTO-ed were assigned to a conference room for a few days while we sorted things out.

We were all a little gobsmacked about being there. We're 10 randos thrown together from random divisions in a company.

None of us work together. None of us are from the same division. None of us have anything in common other than locality and having been remote.

There is almost no synergistic benefit to the American taxpayer or the government to have us stationed here in addition to the regular staff already stationed here.

We're a bunch of spreadsheet monkeys who could maybe show each other neat tricks in Excel. Otherwise, there's no knowledge transfer. There's no collaboration. We're not like a normal office as people would understand it.

Most of the people I work with are in Maryland.

When people return to the office, even at a large company that has maybe 10 sites or something, the people who are thrown back into the office generally work together. They generally sit together and maybe go to lunch together.

That's not what's happening here.

This is people from disparate parts of a big agency being thrown back together in whatever the nearest facility was regardless of what they do. There's no search for synergy in the return to office, at least from my experience.

We're commiserating. We're doing our best to support each other.

That was something that I thought would happen with return to work in general — that people would find other people, we would have some mutual solidarity and support, and we would be there for what I call a good water cooler session.

Even though we don't have a water cooler, we can still stand around and chat. That's something that just helps the morale and helps you get through the day.

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• Smaller stocks are off to a disappointing start once again.
• The group's enticing valuations haven't yet swayed momentum-focused investors.
• Although smaller companies are at risk right now, strategists say they're worth it.

Even when large-cap stocks lose, they still find a way to win.

It's been a rocky year for the S&P 500, but the mega-cap-heavy index has still easily beaten its peers with a relatively modest 5.2% loss. For comparison, the mid-cap-dense S&P 400 and small-cap-oriented S&P 600 have sold off by 6.9% and 10%, respectively, in the first quarter.

If this performance gap holds throughout 2025, it will mark yet another year that small- and mid-cap stocks, also known as SMID caps, fail to live up to the hype. Proclamations that the long-beleaguered group's turnaround is coming could be nearing boy-who-cried-wolf territory.

Smaller stocks may have a tough road ahead, yet some market strategists are holding out hope.

The bull case for SMID caps is simple: they're under-owned and trade at a big valuation discount, so they're set to take off once interest rates fall, the economy strengthens, or both. Those catalysts could be far off, but once they materialize, investors won't want to miss out.

"All that should accrue a little bit more quickly to the earnings and revenue profiles of these small-cap companies, and therefore, they should have their day in the sun again," Jordan Irving, a small-cap portfolio manager at Glenmede Investment Management, said in a recent interview. "And yet, we're still waiting."

Why smaller stocks are pricing in pain

Small- and midsize equities have made little progress in the last four years, as the S&P 1000 index designed to track those groups is up just 6% in that span.

"This has been the weakest beginning of a bull cycle for small caps on record," Kevin Gordon, an investment strategist at Charles Schwab, recently told Business Insider. "It's not even close."

Those paltry returns are a product of what's been an unusually uncertain economic backdrop. Smaller companies are often more economically sensitive than large firms with more resources, so they tend to outperform early in economic cycles and lag as growth weakens or contracts.

Once the pandemic recovery boom lost steam, so did SMID caps. The US economy was roiled by 40-year-high inflation, negative GDP growth, and recession calls that were ultimately wrong.

But although growth stabilized, smaller stocks didn't take off since interest rates remained high. Plus, there was the looming uncertainty of the 2024 election. All of that left SMID caps in limbo.

"We didn't go through a traditional recession, which would kind of wash out the economy, get you to a reset moment," Gordon said. "And that's when small caps rally."

While SMID caps caught fire after Donald Trump won, the rally has reversed since markets are antsy about how the president's strict trade and immigration policies will impact the economy and inflation. Gordon said tariffs and deportations would hit smaller firms hardest since they lack the resources or flexibility needed to quickly revamp their supply chains or replace workers.

Another major issue is that trade policy changes by the day, making planning nearly impossible. Gordon noted that small-business optimism just fell again, and uncertainty is near record levels.

"If businesses know what they're facing and it doesn't change from there, then I think that they can adjust," Gordon said. "And that's really what the business community is telling the administration: Just tell us what the policy is and don't change it; then, we can adjust over time."

Cracks could form in the economy if investment and business spending slows, Gordon warned, which may explain why smaller stocks have continued to sag this year.

A recession could be a blessing in disguise

But ironically, economic weakness could mark the beginning of the end of a multi-year dry spell for smaller stocks. The Federal Reserve would finally have a reason to cut interest rates, which Gordon said would incentivize investors to move into SMID caps — even during the downturn.

"If you do get a recession somewhat sooner, that's probably better for small-cap outperformance after the recession," Gordon said.

Irving from Glenmede agreed with that reasoning. And while the portfolio manager doesn't see an imminent downturn, he said the market may be bracing for one.

"Small caps have been left out in the wilderness a little bit as we've had a bit of this perceived safety trade happening," Irving said.

For patient investors, investing in smaller companies may be a win-win scenario. If the economy re-accelerates, the group should benefit most. And while a contraction would hurt, SMID caps might have less room to fall since they're already cheap — plus they'd be closer to a recovery.

"That first move off the bottom tends to be pretty powerful from a performance standpoint," Irving said, adding that "it doesn't take anything heroic to see a pretty big bounce coming out of small caps here at the current valuation disparity."

Make quality a priority

Instead of flocking to smaller stocks sight unseen, strategists agreed investors would be wise to prioritize high-quality companies, which are less risky during economic volatility.

Brian Belski, the chief investment strategist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a late March note that he's prioritizing high-quality SMID caps that offer "GARP," or growth at a reasonable price.

"Not only does this subset of stocks have a long outperformance track record, but they also currently trade at even bigger relative discounted levels and offer better growth expectations compared to the index," Belski wrote in the note.

Historically, quality SMID caps that offer earnings growth at fair valuations have bested the broader market, rising 9.6% on an annualized monthly basis since early 2002 versus 8.1% for the S&P 1000, Belski noted — all while having a slightly safer risk profile.

And while that cohort hasn't met expectations in recent years, that may be changing. The group's key catalysts are projected profit growth of over 20% in each of the next two years, superior earnings revisions, and a double-digit valuation discount versus the long-term average.

"Trends may be slowly reverting to historical norms, providing an opportune time to consider these stocks," Belski wrote.

Both Gordon and Irving endorsed that philosophy.

"Investing in higher-quality businesses trading at a reasonable valuation tends to work out over time," Irving said, adding that he'd avoid companies that are unprofitable.

Avoiding landmines can be tough in the small-cap space, Gordon said, since nearly half of small-cap companies lose money. And while finding fairly valued SMID caps that are projecting confidence amid turbulence may seem like an unfair challenge, Gordon thinks it's a worthy one.

"I would be very conscious around looking for companies or industries, if you're at the industry level, that have strong earnings growth, strong margins, and relatively strong guidance," Gordon said. He added: "It's a tall order because of the uncertainty we're in, but if you don't have strong guidance, then you haven't been rewarded at all by the market."

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• A small Nebraska city with less than 900 residents has unveiled an incentive for newcomers.
• Pawnee City is offering $50,000 in down payment assistance to qualified new residents.
• Officials hope that the payments to help people buy newly built homes spark a "rural renaissance."

Fans of " Parks and Recreation" can finally live out their dreams of living in Pawnee — sort of.

Pawnee City, Nebraska, which is about 90 minutes south of Lincoln, Nebraska, and two hours north of Kansa City, Missouri, is offering $50,000 to new residents who qualify.

Between March 14, when the program was announced, and March 27, 115 people have applied, Pawnee City Chamber of Commerce official Aaron Sawyer told Business Insider.

The city's plan, dubbed Vision 2030, starts with a commitment to build 25 new single-family homes on currently empty lots. Plans on the Vision 2030 website show ranch-style homes with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two-car garages, and spacious backyards priced at $325,000. (The average home value in Pawnee City is $102,705, according to Zillow.)

The program's $50,000 payouts will go toward down payment assistance for buyers of the new houses.

Applications are open to families, single professionals, or retirees. Qualified homebuyers must make less than certain income caps, which range from $69,450 for a one-person household to $115,100 for a six-person household.

Interested homebuyers must complete an application form that asks for their current employers, monthly incomes, and household sizes.

In November 2024, workers broke ground on the first home, which is expected to be ready for move-in by this summer, according to the Vision 2030 website.

Remote work can be a source of tension between employers and their workers, with Amazon and J.P. Morgan calling employees back to the office five days a week five years after their initial COVID-19 shutdowns. But for those who still have the flexibility, the opportunity to move somewhere with a financial incentive can be enticing in today's expensive housing market, where older homes may cost just as much as new builds.

Pawnee City is dreaming of a 'rural renaissance'

The down-payment assistance initiative is part of Pawnee City's effort to spark a "rural renaissance" that could rejuvenate the town, according to the Vision 2030 website.

Its population has dwindled. Pawnee City has 865 residents, according to the most recent data available from the US Census.The city has experienced a 50-year decline from a population high of 1,280 residents, according to the civic group Pawnee Bold.

For such a small place, Pawnee City has still produced several notable figures, including the first governor of Nebraska, David Butler; vintage Hollywood star Irish McCalla; and famous comedian Larry the Cable Guy.

"It's a great place to grow up and raise kids," said Sawyer, who has ties to the city through his grandparents. Pawnee City has its own school, hospital, two parks, and a brand-new amphitheater that just opened last year, he added, which is notable for a town of its size.

This summer's amphitheater programming will include a polka band, a rock concert, and a screening of " Cars" that features a visit from the hometown hero himself: Larry the Cable Guy.

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• Former baseball star turned investor Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez shared his new, improved daily routine.
• He said his workouts shifted from heavy weights and sprinting to more stretching and lighter lifts.
• He also cut back on red meat and follows an intermittent fasting schedule for long-term health.

At the height of his career as a pro athlete, Alex Rodriguez was playing well over 150 games a year, and every minute of his day was spent preparing — "eating like a horse" and working out for hours with heavy weights and sprint sessions.

As a 49-year-old investor and CEO, A-Rod is still dialed in, but the name of the game now is longevity.

For that, he prioritizes consistency over intensity to stay healthy for the long haul.

"It's so much different because back when I played, I would go at it really, really hard," he told Business Insider. "Today it's more finesse. A little bit more cardio, a little bit lighter lifting, a lot more stretching."

Rodriguez spoke with BI as part of a partnership with Lysol^® Laundry Sanitizer.

With his 50th birthday coming up, he hasn't slowed down (this week he's embarking on a new campaign and sweepstake to highlight the importance of sporting officials). He also keeps a full plate of collaborations, including his Bloomberg investing podcast, "The Deal."

Here are five habits he follows in a typical day to stay focused, energized, and healthy as a busy CEO and investor.

Morning yoga and meditation

Rodriguez said his habits for health and performance start right away in the morning, with the first part of his day dedicated to self-care.

For a few hours each day, beginning around 8 a.m., Rodriguez focuses on working out (a mix of cardio and strength training), plus yoga and meditation. Then, he fits in time for podcasting before heading to the office around noon for his role at A-Rod Corp, which invests in real estate, sports, entertainment, and more.

At 6 p.m., he clocks off to spend time with his family and unwind before bed.

Rodriguez said he aims to get eight hours of sleep. It doesn't always work out, but sticking to a consistent schedule keeps him on track for better focus and health overall.

"I try to keep it pretty predictable. The more routine-oriented I am, the better results I get," Rodriguez said.

Lighter weights with more cardio

Before he retired from Major League Baseball, Rodriguez said, his training was all about lifting heavy — 400 pound squats, 300 pound bench presses — and sprinting, sometimes uphill, to maximize strength, speed, and power.

These days, he said he's still lifting weights, which is important to maintain muscle over time, but focuses more on lighter weight and consistency.

He does daily cardio (like 30 minutes on a stationary bike or stair stepper) for heart health, and often takes a walk in the evening after dinner near his home in south Florida.

Low-intensity cardio can be great for your health at any age. And staying consistent with a cardio routine improves heart health and metrics like VO2 Max, which is linked to better longevity.

More mobility and lots of stretching

Rodriguez said he also aims to stretch more, although it's sometimes a challenge to find the time.

He swears by assisted stretching — where a hands-on trainer helps get your body into position — for getting the most out his mobility and flexibility exercise.

"I feel like you can get an extra 20% or 30% if you take your time and somebody's helping you with the hamstrings and the quads. That has been the biggest thing for me," Rodriguez said.

Mobility exercise helps maintain a full range of motion and strengthen the joints, which is essential as we get older to prevent injury and keep up with daily activities.

Less red meat, more fish and chicken

Rodriguez has always been a fan of steak as a go-to protein sources. These days, he's cutting back — research suggests eating too much red meat can increase the risk of some age-related illnesses like heart disease and cancer.

"I love meat unfortunately, but I'm definitely trying to cut that in half at least," he said.

Instead, he relies on fish and chicken to get enough protein. Swapping in both for red meat has been linked to a longer life, according to some research, and seafood in particularly rich in healthy fats that protect the brain and joints over time.

Rodriguez also eats plenty of carbs for energy, usually in the form of sweet potatoes or brown rice.

Intermittent fasting

Rodriguez said that in contrast to his pro-athlete days of constant eating, his first meal of the day is now typically around noon.

The intermittent fasting schedule was initially part of a change to his routine that led him to lose 32 pounds.

However, he's kept up the habit for the health benefits for fasting, such as improved digestion, more energy, and even better sleep.

"It's less about weight loss and just giving your digestive system a little bit of an opportunity to breathe and to recover," Rodriguez said.

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• Elon Musk is heading to Wisconsin on Sunday.
• The world's richest man and his group have spent over $12 million on a state Supreme Court race.
• This is Musk's biggest US political bet since the 2024 election.

President Donald Trump may have run his last race, but that doesn't mean Elon Musk is done campaigning.

Musk will travel to Wisconsin on Sunday, days ahead of a Supreme Court race that could shift the balance of the state's highest court. True to his word, the world's richest man is cementing his status as one of the GOP's biggest megadonors in an off-year election that has drawn significant national attention.

Musk and his America PAC have spent over $12 million so far on the officially nonpartisan state Supreme Court race to help conservative Judge Brad Schimel. Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, have rallied behind liberal Judge Susan Crawford.

More than $80 million has been spent, making the contest the costliest judicial election in US history — supplanting a Wisconsin court from just two years ago.

"Both sides are making a pitch to make it a referendum on Donald Trump or Elon Musk as the case may be," Marquette Law School professor Chad Oldfather told Business Insider. "It's kind of the first election of consequence in the Trump era, so I think people are looking for signs here as to how the population is reacting to everything."

Oldfather, who studies state constitutional law, said Musk's presence has given this race a different feel.

"We've had outside money coming into these races in the past, I suppose what distinguishes it is that Musk is not trying to downplay his role at all," Oldfather said.

Tesla is suing to open dealerships in the state, fighting a state law that doesn't allow automakers to sell directly to consumers. ( It's a frequent issue for Musk's company.) Musk and just about every other major figure who has weighed in on the race is more concerned about what the seven justices can do that will have national effects.

"We're trying to stop the Democrats in Wisconsin from removing two House seats," Musk told Fox News anchor Bret Baier during an interview for "Special Report."

If Schimel loses, Musk said, "we could lose control of the House and all of the government reforms could be shut down."

The GOP holds a 6 to 2 majority in the Wisconsin US House of Representatives delegation. History shows that the president's party typically loses seats. The GOP has a slim House majority, meaning it cannot afford to see more districts become more competitive.

Musk isn't hard to miss in the state.

Crawford and her allies have repeatedly highlighted Musk's spending in the race. Wisconsin Democrats' website has a splash page that shows Musk as the puppet master of Schimel.

"Elon Musk is the most unpopular active national figure in Wisconsin politics, and the more voters see that the man who is attacking social security and their healthcare is pouring millions of dollars in to help Brad Schimel, the more voters are enraged about the idea of someone trying to buy our state Supreme Court," Wisconsin Democrats Chairman Ben Wikler told Business Insider.

After Musk announced his initial giveaway, Crawford's campaign wrote on X, "Brad Schimel and Elon Musk are corrupt."

In response to Crawford, Schimel's campaign said their opponent has plenty of well-heeled supporters herself, including George Soros, Bernie Sanders, and Hakeem Jeffries.

"The attempts by Susan Crawford and the Democrats to distract the people of Wisconsin from her extreme views and the radical billionaires funding her are a mockery of hypocrisy," Jacob Fischer, Schimel campaign spokesperson, said in a statement to Business Insider.

Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming called the focus on Musk's spending "a diversion."

"It's a way for them to take shots at Donald Trump and at Elon Musk," Schimming told Business Insider. "There's no lack of lack of big money people that have come into Wisconsin over the years that have greatly outspent Elon Musk."

According to a March 5 Marquette Law School Poll, Musk has a -12 percentage point approval rating in Wisconsin. The same respondents only slightly disapproved (-3 percentage points) of Trump's first six weeks in office. Trump won the state last November, part of his swing state sweep over Vice President Kamala Harris that ushered him back into the White House. Just days before Election Day, Trump announced his endorsement of Schimel.

Like in the 2024 election, Musk's campaigning is also drawing opposition. On Friday, he wrote on X that he would personally award two voters $1 million checks at the Sunday rally. He then deleted the tweet and later clarified that the checks were for attendees who had agreed to become spokespeople for a petition America PAC is pushing across the state. Musk's political outfit previously promised to give $100 to voters who signed the petition against judicial activism.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, said he would challenge Musk's giveaway in court. Wisconsin law prohibits anyone from giving "something of value" to voters, which led some election law experts to conclude that Musk's effort was illegal.

The national attention is unlikely to fade for long.

Wisconsin justices serve 10-year terms. Due to retirements alone, the state will hold multiple Supreme Court elections over the next five years. In the meantime, the current race seems almost inescapable, Oldfather said.

"It's a deluge," he said, "every time you turn on the TV, every time you pull up YouTube, every you open your mailbox, every time your phone dings with a text message."

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• A pet care company is looking for a "dog breath sniffer" intern.
• The marketing job pays $25 an hour and has pulled in more than 100 applicants in only a few days.
• People are contacting the company "nonstop," asking whether the role is real.

This could be your hot, dog summer.

While some pick up the scent of seemingly bound-for-greatness junior roles offered by stalwarts like Google, Goldman, and McKinsey, one pet care company in New York City wants to fill an internship that offers an alternative: "dog breath sniffer."

And the job market being what it is, the role, whose compensation includes $25 an hour and "unlimited puppy kisses," is getting more traction than you might think.

Among the more than 100 applicants Spot & Tango has had for the posting, which went up Wednesday, more than half have bachelor's degrees, 20% have a master's degree, and nearly 10% hold MBAs, stats on LinkedIn show.

The company makes meals, snacks, and supplements for dogs.

While it's not an early April Fool's — we checked — it is actually a slightly different role than described.

It began as a dog and pony show cooked up by Spot & Tango's PR folks but has now morphed into a serious marketing internship, Chondita Dayton, the company's head of marketing, told Business Insider.

The role will actually involve customer research and community outreach.

"It is not going to be a sommelier of dog scents," she said.

Like the work itself, the competition also appears serious. Some applicants hold Ivy League degrees. Dayton said one "friendly acquaintance" contacted her through LinkedIn to ensure her niece's application for the six-week program would be seen.

Dayton said Spot & Tango employees, which include about 50 people at its New York corporate office, have been getting "nonstop" texts and emails asking whether the job is real. Recommendations are flying as well.

'Nostrils to tongue'

Many people, eager to prove their dog-loving bona fidos, have included pictures of themselves with a pooch in their applications.

Dayton said it's self-evident, yet also spelled out in the job description, that the successful candidate will love dogs, even if the person isn't really "nostrils to tongue on this one."

Instead, she said, whomever the company selects will spend 35 hours a week roughly split between office work doing things like contacting customers and the rest attending events and canvassing Gotham to chat up dog owners about the company's new product for "canine dental wellness."

The work should be fun, Dayton said, because the industry is, too.

"Pet brands are not above talking about number two's," she said.

A dog breath algorithm

While it's not a surprise, many applications are replete with puns — descriptions of a willingness to go "nose-deep" into the work and jokes about resumes fetched, Dayton said. One applicant described a passion for creating "the world's first breath freshness scoring algorithm." Take that, AI.

Another detailed the person's love for sampling cheeses, while the "achievements" section of one person's resume included the self-conferred accolade "Best Doggy Owner 2024."

One possible reason the internship has drawn interest — beyond those hoping to manifest their urban Devil Wears Pawda fantasy — is that so many of us are obsessed with our pets. They're a big business.

Revenue in the pet-care industry more than quadrupled from 2004 to 2021, totaling $10.7 billion in 2021, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Jeffrey Simmons, CEO of Elanco Animal Health, which makes medicines and vaccines for pets and livestock, told BI that factors such as an aging population, loneliness, the pandemic, and a decrease in the number of people having children have pushed some households to get pets and driven others to go from, say, one dog to two.

Simmons also said that, in some cases, the prevalence of people's anxiety is also a factor.

"Pets become the non-pharmaceutical intervention," he said.

Spot & Tango has likewise seen a rise in Gen Z and millennial "pet parents," especially in urban areas. So, Dayton said, it makes sense to have someone in New York doing some grassroots marketing — talking with people at dog parks and interacting with smaller dog communities.

She said the internship could lead to a bigger role. That would require the right candidate, perhaps someone who shows dogged determination.

"It's a five-senses kind of job," Dayton said. "No one said dog breath is pretty."

Additional reporting by Steven Tweedie.

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• Three of the biggest players in AI made big moves this week.
• OpenAI's image generator for ChatGPT went viral, while Google launched its most advanced model yet.
• Anthropic also published new data showing how people are using AI in the workplace.

It was a busy week in AI, as top companies rolled out new tools, models, and research.

Here's a look at what happened.

OpenAI's image generator broke the internet

On Tuesday, OpenAI rolled out a native image generation feature in ChatGPT — and the internet immediately jumped on it.

The new tool, powered by the GPT-4o model, allows users to generate images directly in the chatbot without routing through DALL-E.

It became an instant hit, with users transforming real photos into soft-focus, anime-style portraits, often mimicking the look of Studio Ghibli films.

By Wednesday night, users noticed that some prompts referencing Ghibli and other artist styles were being blocked. OpenAI later confirmed it had added a "refusal which triggers when a user attempts to generate an image in the style of a living artist."

Demand became so strong that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said temporary rate limits would be introduced while his team worked on making the image feature more efficient.

"It's super fun seeing people love images in chatgpt. But our GPUs are melting," Altman wrote. "Chatgpt free tier will get 3 generations per day soon."

The feature wasn't without issues, with one user pointing out that the model struggled to render "sexy women." Altman said on X that it was "a bug" that would be fixed.

Things also took a dark turn as the week progressed.

Google dropped its most advanced model yet

While OpenAI dominated headlines, Google introduced its Gemini 2.5 on Tuesday — a new family of AI reasoning models designed to "pause" and think before responding.

The first release, Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, is a multimodal model built for logic, STEM tasks, coding, and agentic applications. It can process text, audio, images, video, and code.

The model is available to subscribers of the $20-a-month Gemini Advanced plan.

Google says all new Gemini models will include reasoning by default.

Anthropic's report on how people are using AI at work

On Thursday, Anthropic released the second report from its Economic Index — a project tracking AI's impact on jobs and the economy.

The report analyzes 1 million anonymized conversations from Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet model and maps them to more than 17,000 US job tasks in the Department of Labor's O*NET database.

It offers a detailed look at how people are using AI at work.

One key takeaway was that "augmentation" appeared to still edge "automation," making up 57% of usage. In other words, most users aren't handing work off to AI, but are working with it.

The data also suggested that user interaction with AI differs across professions and tasks. Tasks linked to copywriters and editors showed the highest levels of task iteration — where the human and model write together.

In contrast, tasks associated with translators and interpreters showed the highest reliance on directive use, where the model completes the task with minimal human involvement.

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• Meta on Thursday announced a new friends-only tab — no unwanted content recommendations there.
• It's one of many big changes the company's feed has undergone in Facebook's 20-year history.
• Here's a closer look at how your Facebook feed has changed over the years.

Mark Zuckerberg wants to get back to the Facebook of yesteryear. Do you remember what that was like?

The company on Thursday announced a new friends-only tab, which the Meta CEO called "phase one of bringing back OG Facebook."

The social media site's feed has undergone a number of big changes in the two decades since it launched in 2004.

In case you've forgotten, here's a trip down the Facebook feed's memory lane:

When Facebook launched in 2004, it looked like this

The site was originally called Thefacebook and was limited to students at Harvard, where Zuckerberg was still an undergraduate when he launched it. He later dropped out of the university to focus on it full-time.

Facebook launched the news feed and mini-feed in 2006 — and users were outraged

Though Facebook employees expected it to be popular, many users actually hated it at first, and there was even talk of boycotting the site as a result.

So many people were incensed that Zuckerberg wrote a response.

"We think they are great products, but we know that many of you are not immediate fans, and have found them overwhelming and cluttered," he wrote. "Other people are concerned that non-friends can see too much about them. We are listening to all your suggestions about how to improve the product; it's brand new and still evolving."

In 2009, the company introduced a real-time news feed

Facebook's real-time news feed was their response to Twitter, which launched in 2006. Facebook's news feed previously took a while to update, but this change meant you'd see things as they were posted.

The ticker came in 2011

The ticker feature helped address the issue of the time lag by showing you instantaneous updates on your friends' posts, likes, shares, comments, check-ins, and more.

It appeared as a bar on the right side of users' screens. It was axed years later.

'Sponsored stories' ads started appearing in users' news feeds in 2012.

These were different from regular display, or "Marketplace," ads that appeared on Facebook.

The news feed got a big makeover in 2013 when Zuckerberg said he wanted to 'give everyone the best personalized newspaper in the world'

The most notable change was that multiple feeds became available, organized by topics like news, music, photos, videos, and events. Photos and videos also became bigger and appeared more frequently.

Facebook also focused on mobile consistency so your feed would look the same on your phone as on your desktop.

In 2016, the company said it was updating the news feed to show posts from friends and family higher up

That year, the company also introduced a slew of reactions besides just the like button. Initially, the algorithm just interpreted any reaction, whether positive or negative, to assume the user wanted to see more of that content in their feed.

But users still said they were seeing too many public posts, rather than posts from friends and family. Zuckerberg said addressing this would be a key focus area in 2018

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=htt…

"Recently we've gotten feedback from our community that public content — posts from businesses, brands and media — is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other," he wrote in a Facebook post. "Based on this, we're making a major change to how we build Facebook. I'm changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions."

As a result, he said, users could "expect to see more from your friends, family and groups."

In 2021, Facebook added a 'feed filter bar' that gave users three options on how to customize how their news feeds would look

The menu lets users choose between a feed sorted by algorithmic ranking, chronology with the newest posts first, and Favorites, where users could choose up to 30 friends and Pages to prioritize in their feeds.

In 2022, the company dropped 'news' from the product's name to become just 'feed'

While there was no big aesthetic change, it represented a shift in how Facebook wanted users to view their feeds. The change was made to "better reflect the diverse content people see on their feeds," a Facebook spokesperson said at the time.

The move came at a time when Facebook was trying to show users less political content in their feeds amid broader concerns about how the content its algorithm does and does not prioritize could sow polarization and the spread of misinformation.

This came a year after a much bigger name change: the company's corporate name. Facebook rebranded as Meta in 2021.

The company's latest change to users' feeds brings us full circle

Speaking on "The Colin and Samir Show" podcast, Zuckerberg said the launch of the friends-only tab marked "phase one of bringing back OG Facebook."

It's a tab that shows your friends' stories, reels, posts, birthdays, and friend requests, no recommended content in sight. It's currently available in the US and Canada.

"Connecting with friends has been a part of Facebook since it launched," Meta said in its announcement. "Over the years, Facebook evolved to meet changing needs and created best-in-class experiences across Groups, Video, Marketplace and more, but the magic of friends has fallen away."

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• Donald Trump's family is large and often in the spotlight.
• Many members have been involved in the family business, the Trump Organization.
• Here's what you need to know about Trump's parents, siblings, wives, and children.

Donald Trump has been in the spotlight for decades, and his family has often been right there with him. From messy divorces to reality TV to business dealings, the Trump family has often made headlines.

It's also a sprawling family. Donald Trump is one of five children, and he had five children himself. His son Donald Trump Jr. also has five kids of his own. They're fond of passing down names, so there's more than one Fred, Donald, and Eric.

Here's a closer look at the Trump family tree, including Donald Trump's parents, siblings, wives, and children.

Donald Trump's parents

Donald Trump's parents were married in 1936 and had five children together.

Fred Trump

Born in New York in 1905, Fred Trump grew up in the Bronx. Both of his parents were from the German village of Kallstadt.

Fred's father, Friedrich Trump, came to the US as a teenager in 1885. A few years later, he moved to Seattle, where he ran restaurants and hotels. Then Friedrich returned to Germany in 1901 and met Elisabeth Christ.

The couple married and eventually moved to New York. Together, they had three children, Elizabeth, Fred, and John.

Fred Trump was 12 when his father died of the Spanish Flu in 1918. Elisabeth continued her husband's real estate business, and in 1927, Fred Trump joined E. Trump & Son. Later, he would rename it to the Fred Trump Organization.

The company developed and sold single-family homes and then expanded to larger projects.

In 1927, The New York Times reported that Fred Trump was arrested when the Ku Klux Klan clashed with police during a march in Queens, New York. It's unclear why Fred Trump was in the area, and the New York City police department doesn't have records dating back to 1927. Donald Trump has repeatedly denied his father was there.

In 1936, Fred Trump married Mary Anne MacLeod. Eventually, the couple had five children: Maryanne, Fred Jr., Elizabeth, Donald, and Robert.

By the late 1960s, Fred's son Donald was involved in what would become the Trump Organization. "The most important influence on me, growing up, was my father, Fred Trump," Donald Trump wrote in his 1987 book, "The Art of the Deal." "I learned a lot from him."

In 1973, the Justice Department brought a civil rights lawsuit against the father and son and Trump Management, claiming their company discriminated against Black and Puerto Rican applicants looking to rent apartments. The Trumps settled the case two years later without admitting guilt.

Three years later, Fred Trump was arrested in Maryland after receiving citations for housing code violations, The Washington Post reported at the time.

In 2020, Fred's granddaughter Mary Trump published a tell-all book about her uncle Donald Trump, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man." She described Fred Trump as a "high-functioning sociopath."

Donald Trump denied the characterization in a "Fox News Sunday" interview with Chris Wallace. "My father was — he was tough, he was tough on me, he was tough on all of the kids. But tough in a solid sense, in a really good sense," he said.

Fred Trump received a dementia diagnosis in 1991. He died in 1999 at age 93 after being hospitalized for pneumonia.

A New York Times investigation found that Donald Trump received the equivalent of $413 million in 2018 dollars and that "much of this money came to Mr. Trump because he helped his parents dodge taxes."

In a statement to the Times, Fred Trump's son Robert said that "all appropriate gift and estate tax returns were filed, and the required taxes were paid" after both his father's and his mother's deaths.

Mary Anne MacLeod Trump

Mary Anne Trump was born in Scotland in 1912. Then known as Mary Anne MacLeod, she grew up in the Outer Hebrides in a remote village on the Isle of Lewis. Her parents, Malcolm MacLeod and Mary Smith, had 10 children.

Malcolm MacLeod worked several jobs to support his family, including fishing and farming land as a crofter.

Mary Anne MacLeod had sisters who were living in the US by the 1920s. In 1930, MacLeod, who was about to turn 18, traveled on the SS Transylvania from Glasgow, Scotland, and headed to New York City. The ship's manifests and the 1930 census list her occupation as "maid" or "domestic."

After her arrival, she found work as a maid in the Carnegie Mansion, working for Andrew Carnegie's widow, Louise, according to Nina Burleigh's "Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump's Women."

Some stories say her sister Catherine introduced Mary Anne to Fred Trump, whom she married in 1936.

In 1937, Mary Anne gave birth to Maryanne, her first child. A few years later, in 1942, she became a naturalized citizen of the US.

Trump's childhood home was a a five-bedroom Tudor-style house in Jamaica Estates, before the family moved into a 23-room home in the same upper-middle-class area of Queens, New York.

"We had a very traditional family," Donald Trump wrote in "The Art of the Deal." "My father was the power and the breadwinner, and my mother was the perfect housewife." Mary Anne stayed busy caring for her five children, cleaning their large home, and doing charity work for the nearby Jamaica Hospital.

In 2018, Donald Trump posted a video tribute to his mother on Twitter, now X, calling Mary Anne Trump "warm, loving, smart" and saying she "could be tough if she had to be." He wrote in "Art of the Deal" that he identified with her "flair for the dramatic and grand."

Yet the relationship between mother and son could be strained. She's said to have expressed disapproval during his first divorce when news of his affair with Marla Maples became public, Vanity Fair reported in 1990.

Little more than a year after her husband's death, Mary Anne Trump died in August 2000 at the age of 88.

Donald Trump's siblings

Donald Trump is the second youngest of his four siblings.

Maryanne Trump Barry

Maryanne Trump Barry was Fred and Mary Anne Trump's first child. She was born in 1937, the year after they married.

Though she was nine years older than her brother Donald, Barry said she "knew better even as a child" than to compete with him. Yet she became an accomplished attorney and judge.

Barry attended Mount Holyoke College before getting a master's degree from Columbia University in 1962. More than a decade later, she earned a law degree from Hofstra University in 1974.

After law school, she became an assistant federal prosecutor in New Jersey. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan nominated her to become a federal judge. President Bill Clinton selected her to join the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in 1999.

In 2017, Barry took senior status, a form of semiretirement for federal judges, after her brother Donald Trump's inauguration. She fully retired in 2019 in the midst of the investigation surrounding the Trump family's taxes.

She married David Desmond in 1960, and the couple had a son, David, who became a psychologist and writer. Barry and Desmond divorced in 1980, according to her obituary in The New York Times. Two years later, she married John J. Barry, a fellow attorney. They were together until his death in 2000.

Though Maryanne Trump Barry attended Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017, she was said to have doubts that he'd become president two years earlier. In her 2020 book, Barry's niece Mary Trump quoted her aunt as saying, "He's a clown — this will never happen."

Leaked recordings that the Washington Post published in 2020 also have Barry saying: "It's the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel."

Jason Miller, then a senior advisor for Trump's reelection campaign, attributed the comments to "sibling rivalries" in a 2020 interview with NBC News' Meet The Press.

In 2023, Barry died at the age of 86.

Fred Trump Jr.

In 1938, the year after Maryanne's birth, Fred Trump Jr. was born. His family called him Freddy.

Fred Trump Jr. attended Lehigh University. In 1958, he rented a plane and flew to the Bahamas before returning for classes. There he met Linda Clapp, who was also vacationing from Florida. Two years later, they reconnected when she moved to New York to work as a flight attendant. They married in 1962.

"My mother once told me that Freddy Trump was the most handsome man she'd ever met, and he could make her laugh," Mary Trump wrote of her parents in her 2024 book, "Who Could Ever Love You?"

Though Fred Trump Jr. loved to fly and had both his private and commercial licenses, he joined his father's company after he graduated from college. Mary Trump wrote in her 2020 book that he often clashed with his father, who once told him, "Donald is worth 10 of you."

Eventually, Fred Trump Jr. quit the family business and became a pilot for Trans World Airlines. Mary Trump said his father and brother Donald both mocked his new profession, with Donald telling him, "Dad's right about you: You're nothing but a glorified bus driver."

In 2019, Donald Trump told The Washington Post that he regretted pressuring his brother to stay with the family business.

In 1962, Fred Trump Jr. and Linda Trump welcomed their first child, Fred Trump III. Their daughter, Mary, was born in 1965. The couple separated in the late 1960s, and Fred Trump Jr. moved back into his parents' house.

Fred Trump Jr.'s heavy drinking took a toll on his life. "By 1967, my father's career and health had deteriorated," Mary Trump wrote in her 2024 book.

In 1981, he died of a heart attack related to alcoholism. In her 2020 book, Mary Trump said her Uncle Donald and Aunt Elizabeth went to the movies instead of visiting their brother in the hospital.

"I had a brother, Fred," Donald Trump said during a 2017 speech. "Great guy, best-looking guy, best personality, much better than mine." He added that his older brother warned him of the dangers of alcohol, which was why he never drank.

When Fred Trump Sr. died in 1999, Fred Trump III and Mary Trump sued their family, saying they'd been cut out of their grandfather's will and taken off their family's health insurance. The case was settled in 2001.

Elizabeth Trump Grau

One of the middle Trump siblings, Elizabeth Trump Grau, was born in 1942. She mostly stayed out of the spotlight.

Donald Trump wrote in "Art of the Deal" that his sister Elizabeth was "kind and bright but less ambitious" compared with his other sister Maryanne.

For college, she attended Southern Seminary College, known as Southern Virginia University. Grau worked for many years at Chase Manhattan Bank, according to her mother's obituary.

In 1989, she married James Grau, who produced documentaries and sports movies with his company Charisma Productions.

Before she married, Grau spent much of her free time visiting her parents' home, Mary Trump wrote in her 2024 book.

Grau is Donald Trump's only living sibling.

Robert Trump

The youngest Trump sibling was born in 1948. A moment that Robert Trump often talked about from his childhood was when his older brother Donald took his blocks and glued them together to make a "beautiful building," Donald Trump wrote in "The Art of the Deal."

Robert attended Boston University before getting a job on Wall Street. Later, he became executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

In 1984, he married Blaine Beard. He adopted Christopher, her son from a previous marriage.

The couple was relatively private, though Blaine Trump did fundraising for organizations including the American Ballet Theatre and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

They were married for 25 years but went through a lengthy, public divorce amid allegations of Robert's affair with Ann Marie Pallan, an employee of the Trump Organization, according to his obituary. Robert Trump and Pallan married in 2020.

Despite a previously strained relationship with his brother Donald, the two eventually made up. When Donald Trump first ran for president, Robert Trump supported him.

In 2020, Robert Trump unsuccessfully tried to block the publication of Mary Trump's book, "Too Much And Never Enough," saying she was violating a confidentiality agreement she entered into while settling the dispute over Fred Trump, Sr.'s estate.

Robert Trump died in 2020 at the age of 71.

"He was not just my brother, he was my best friend," Donald Trump said in a statement at the time.

Donald Trump's wives

Donald Trump has been married three times. His relationships and marriages were often the subject of tabloid fodder in the 1980s and '90s.

Ivana Trump

In 1949, Ivana Marie Zelnickova was born in Zlin, Czech Republic, formerly Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia. Ivana Trump skied as a child, even joining the Czech junior national team. She received a master's degree in physical education from Charles University in Prague in 1972.

Later, she said her short-lived marriage to Alfred Winklmayr, an Austrian ski instructor, helped her get an Austrian passport and move to Canada. The marriage ended in 1973.

Ivana met Donald Trump in 1976 and married him within a year. She became a US citizen in 1988.

The former model began pursuing her interior design license. Soon, she took on the role of vice president for interior design for the Trump Organization.

Thanks to her mathematical skills, Vanity Fair in 1988 called her a "platinum-blond computer." Known for her work ethic, she rode around in a helicopter several days a week and kept busy late into the night.

Ivana had three children with her then husband, Donald: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.

She told the writer Dominick Dunne, "In fifty years Donald and I will be considered old money like the Vanderbilts," Vanity Fair reported in 1990.

In 1989, Ivana had a public confrontation with Marla Maples during an Aspen vacation. Maples was having an affair with Donald Trump at the time.

Ivana and Donald Trump divorced a year later, though it took longer to settle the terms. During a deposition related to the divorce, Ivana said Donald had raped her. In a 1993 statement, she said she didn't mean rape in a "literal or criminal sense."

In 2015, she also said the "story is totally without merit," saying that she and her ex-husband were the best of friends. The same year, a spokesperson for Donald Trump's campaign said in a statement, "This is an event that has been widely reported on in the past, it is old news, and it never happened."

Following the highly publicized divorce, Ivana occasionally stepped back into the spotlight. She developed clothing and jewelry lines for QVC and made a cameo in the 1996 movie "The First Wives Club," delivering her advice to divorcing women: "Don't get mad. Get everything."

After her split with Donald Trump, Ivana married and divorced twice more. In 2017, she released "Raising Trump," an autobiography of bringing up her children.

In 2022, 73-year-old Ivana Trump died after she fell down some stairs in her home.

"She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life," Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post following her death.

Marla Maples

Marla Maples was born in Georgia in 1963. In 1981, she attended the University of Georgia but left before graduating. Maples moved to New York City in 1985 to pursue acting, appearing in an episode of the soap opera "Another World" in 1987 and on "Dallas" in 1989.

She gave various dates for when she first met Donald Trump. In 1990, their relationship made headlines as Donald Trump was splitting from his first wife, Ivana.

Maples publicly apologized to Ivana Trump in 2016, but the overture wasn't accepted. "She actively participated in humiliating me in the media and indirectly put my kids at risk for months," Ivana Trump wrote in "Raising Trump."

After Donald and Ivana divorced, he and Maples had an on-again, off-again relationship. In 1993, Maples gave birth to their daughter, Tiffany. She and Donald married soon after. Maples signed both a prenup and a confidentiality agreement, Vanity Fair reported in 2019.

Throughout the '90s, Maples had bit parts on TV shows, including "Designing Women," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Clueless," and "The Nanny," sometimes appearing as herself. She also performed on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2016.

In 1997, Trump and Maples separated. Maples and Tiffany moved to California. Their divorce was finalized in 1999.

Maples recently appeared at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial confirmation hearing when he joined Trump's cabinet as health secretary.

Melania Trump

Born Melanija Knavs in 1970, Melania Trump is from Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia, which is now part of Slovenia.

"My elegant and hardworking mother, Amalija, introduced me to fashion and beauty," Melania said in her speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

When Melania was a teenager, the photographer Stane Jerko scouted her. She later left architecture school and continued modeling. Around this time, she also changed the spelling of her last name to Knauss. The 5'11 model moved to the US in 1996.

Two years later, 28-year-old Melania met Donald Trump at a party at the Kit Kat Club in the midst of his divorce from Marla Maples.

Melania and Trump wed in 2005 and their son, Barron, was born the next year. Melania also got her citizenship in 2006.

During Donald Trump's first presidential campaign in 2016, Melania only infrequently campaigned with him or gave interviews. When he was elected, she became the first naturalized citizen to become the first lady of the US.

Instead of moving into the White House in 2017, she Melania stayed in New York City because she didn't want to take Barron out of school in the middle of the year.

As first lady, Melania created Be Best, a campaign promoting children's health and combating online bullying. After some of her fashion choices provoked criticism, she told "Good Morning America," "I could say that I'm the most bullied person in the world."

In 2018, several different news stories broke involving the couple's relationship. The adult film star Stormy Daniels and the Playboy model Karen McDougal both said they had affairs with Donald Trump shortly after Barron was born in 2006, which he denied.

After the Stormy Daniels story, Melania Trump canceled a trip to Davos, Switzerland, and her public appearances became more infrequent.

Leading up to and throughout Trump's first presidency, several women came forward with allegations of sexual assault or misconduct over more than 40 years, all of which Donald Trump has denied. Two Trump lawsuits are related to these allegations and involve E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of defamation in 2019 and 2022.

In 2024, Melania released her self-titled memoir, "Melania."

In the book, she wrote about several snafus and scandals, including her defunct skincare line and the jacket she wore during a visit to a government-run immigration facility with "I really don't care, do u?" written on the back.

During her husband's second term as president, Melania attended events including his inauguration and his speech before a joint session of Congress.

Donald Trump's children

Donald Trump has five children from his three marriages.

Donald Trump Jr.

Donald and Ivana Trump's oldest child is Donald Trump Jr., who was born in 1977. While the couple were still married, both worked long hours and had two nannies plus a bodyguard for the children, Vanity Fair reported in 1990.

Once his parents split up, Donald Jr. and his siblings lived with Ivana. "I made the decisions about their education, activities, travel, childcare and allowances," she wrote in "Raising Trump." She insisted that her children get jobs, for example.

He went to boarding school in Pennsylvania before graduating from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School in 2000. Soon after, he joined the Trump Organization.

Appearances on " The Apprentice," his father's reality show, helped bring Donald Jr. into the spotlight.

In 2004, 26-year-old Donald Jr. proposed to the model Vanessa Haydon at a mall in front of reporters.

The two married at Mar-a-Lago in 2005. Before Vanessa Trump filed for divorce in 2018, she and Donald Jr. had five children together.

In 2020, Donald Jr. became engaged to the former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. They split in 2024. Despite the breakup, the president nominated Guilfoyle to become ambassador to Greece in 2024. Donald Jr. was seen with model and influencer Bettina Anderson soon after.

During Donald Trump's first term as president, Donald Jr. and his brother Eric took control of the Trump Organization, which raised legal and ethical questions about how the company would deal with foreign governments and anyone with a vested interest in policy decisions.

The family's 2024 crypto venture, which Donald Jr. is involved in, could also cause conflicts of interest, ethics experts said.

In 2022, the New York attorney general's office brought a civil fraud lawsuit against Donald Trump, and Donald Jr. was also named. He received a lighter penalty than his father but the court ordered him to pay $4 million.

In recent years, Donald Jr. has become more involved in politics. He pushed for his friend JD Vance to become his father's running mate in the 2024 election. He also invited some of his father's political allies onto his podcast, "Triggered with Don Jr."

Ivanka Trump

In 1981, Donald and Ivana welcomed a daughter, Ivana Marie. She was named after her mother but uses the nickname Ivanka.

As a teenager, Ivanka attended Choate Rosemary Hall, a Connecticut boarding school. At 14, she started modeling. Throughout the late '90s, she walked in fashion shows. She was on the cover of Seventeen in May 1997.

For college, she briefly went to Georgetown University before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania and earning a degree in economics.

In 2003, she appeared in a friend's documentary, "Born Rich," about the young heirs of wealthy families including the Bloombergs and Vanderbilts. In the film, she said she always wanted to go into real estate development and preferred getting Lego blocks to Barbie dolls as a child.

She joined the Trump Organization in 2005. A year later, she started appearing on "The Apprentice" in its fifth season.

In 2007, she opened a boutique to sell her diamond jewelry, and she then launched a clothing line a few years later. Nordstrom and other retailers sold her designs, which were aimed at young businesswomen.

Ivanka met Jared Kushner, the son of the real estate developer Charles Kushner, in 2007. Kushner was raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish family, and Ivanka converted to Judaism before their marriage in 2009. They have three children together.

Ivanka stepped away from her fashion business after her father became president, but retailers started dropping her line, citing poor sales. In 2018, Ivanka's brand shut down.

Both Ivanka and her husband had prominent roles in the White House during Doland Trump's first presidency. During their time in the administration, they received backlash for some of their actions.

For example, Ivanka tweeted an endorsement for Goya brand products (a potential ethics violation), and Kushner led the administration's Middle East policy despite lacking sufficient expertise, critics said.

In 2023, Ivanka testified at her father's civil fraud trial. She was originally named as a defendant in the case but was dismissed on statute of limitation grounds.

During Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, Ivanka said she'd move away from politics, though she still supported her father. She attended his inauguration in 2025.

Eric Trump

Eric Trump, who was born in 1984, is Donald Trump's youngest child with Ivana, and was only 6 when his parents separated. He attended the same Pennsylvania boarding school as Donald Jr.

In 2006, Eric graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in finance and management. He shares the title of Trump Organization executive vice president with his brother Donald Jr.

A year after graduating, he started the Eric Trump Foundation, which raised millions of dollars for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The charity held tournaments at the Trump National Golf Club.

Initially, the club hosted the events for free then charged the foundation hundreds of thousands of dollars, Forbes reported in 2017. This may have been at odds with federal and state rules and laws.

In 2012, a "Celebrity Apprentice" sponsor withdrew support after photos of Donald Jr. and Eric hunting elephants and other animals in Zimbabwe surfaced.

Like Donald Jr., Eric was named in his father's civil fraud lawsuit and was ordered to pay $4 million.

After his father's first term as president, Eric was involved in his reelection campaigns. His wife, Lara Trump, took on more political roles in recent years. In late 2024, there was some speculation that she might replace Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, but she withdrew her name from consideration.

Eric and Lara Trump have been married since 2014 and have two children together.

Tiffany Trump

Marla Maples gave birth to Tiffany Trump in 1993. She's the only child from her mother's marriage to Donald Trump.

After her parents' divorce, Tiffany went to live with her mother in Calabasas, California. It meant she didn't see her father as often as her older siblings.

As a teen, Tiffany released a single, " Like a Bird," but attended the University of Pennsylvania instead of pursuing a musical career. During college, she hung out with other socialites and garnered an Instagram following while posting about vacations on Greek islands and in the Hamptons.

In 2016, she gave a speech at the Republican National Convention but didn't have a role in the White House during Donald Trump's first presidential term. Instead, she enrolled at Georgetown Law School, with Secret Service agents in tow. She graduated in 2020.

Tiffany didn't speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention, and she's not expected to be involved in her father's second term.

But her husband's father, Massad Boulos, has been tapped to serve as a senior advisor on Middle Eastern affairs.

Tiffany met Michael Boulos in 2018. In 2022, the pair married at Mar-a-Lago. The couple has confirmed their first child is due in 2025.

Barron Trump

Donald and Melania Trump share one child, Barron Trump, who was born in 2006. At 6-foot-7, he's also the tallest of Trump's children. As a toddler, he frequently talked to his mother and maternal grandparents in Slovenian.

Most of Barron's siblings were adults when he was born. He's closer in age to many of his nieces and nephews than to Ivana's children. For the first part of his childhood, he lived in Trump Tower.

When Barron was 10, his father was elected president. He finished the school year in New York before moving into the White House in 2017. Barron transferred to a high school in Palm Beach, Florida, after his father's first term ended.

During his father's 2024 presidential campaign, Barron was more visible than he'd been as a child. He attended one of his father's rallies in Florida and was invited to be an at-large delegate for Florida at the Republican National Convention. Melania Trump's office quickly announced that Barron had a prior engagement and couldn't attend.

In 2024, he started his first year at New York University. He lived in Trump Tower instead of the dorms.

Donald Trump's grandchildren

There are 10 Trump grandchildren. Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric all have kids, and Tiffany is pregnant with her first child.

Donald Trump's eldest grandchild is Kai Trump. The daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump was born in May 2007. The teenage golf enthusiast spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention and attended her grandfather's inauguration in 2025.

Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump share four other children: Donald Trump III, Tristan, Spencer, and Chloe. They were born between 2009 and 2014.

Ivanka and Jared have three children. Their first child, Arabella Kushner, was born in 2011. Joseph followed in 2013, and Theodore arrived in 2016.

Following family tradition, Eric Trump named his first son after himself. Eric Luke, born in 2017, goes by his middle name. His sister, Carolina, was born two years later.

Tiffany Trump is expecting her first child in 2025.

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• "Boomerasking" is a conversational trick where questions are used to talk about oneself.
• Behavioral researchers found it's perceived as insincere, regardless of good intentions.
• Boomerasking is one of many annoying habits such as name-dropping, mansplaining, and unsolicited advice.

Asking someone a question just so you can talk about yourself is a conversational trick that's as annoying as it is old.

Now it has a name: boomerasking.

Not boomer as in "OK boomer" — think of it more like a conversational boomerang, where you constantly bring the focus back to yourself.

Behavioral researchers Alison Wood Brooks from Harvard and Michael Yeomans from Imperial College Business School coined the term in their paper published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General this year.

It's when someone feigns interest by asking a question but doesn't really pay attention to the answer. Instead, they use it as a way to springboard into their own story or anecdote. It's a ruse to make someone self-serving and egocentric pretend they're really a good listener.

Turns out, though, nobody's really falling for it.

In their research, Wood Brooks and Yeomans studied the responses from more than 3,000 people in surveys about their own boomerasking habits and those of others. Wood Brooks told Business Insider they'd like to see boomerasking become the word of the year.

The study found a stark disparity between what boomeraskers think they're doing, and how they're perceived. While those who do it think they're being engaging and pleasant, they come across instead as rude and insincere.

Yeomans told BI that while on their own, each boomerask is a small annoyance to someone. If these are part of a broader pattern of insincere concern for others, "you will lose their patience."

The problem is people think a chronic boomerasker is only interested in themselves, Yeomans said.

"Questions can be windows into other people's minds," he said. "If you use these opportunities to just talk more about yourself, you are missing out on real chances to learn and connect."

Wood Brooks and Yeomans came up with three ways people boomerask after asking a question:

• ask-bragging, when it's followed up with something positive to boast about;
• ask-complaining, which is usually about something negative;
• ask-sharing, which is more neutral, like describing last night's dream.

While boomeraskers are perceived as insincere, Yeomans thinks they probably don't mean to be.

"I suspect that when we want to disclose something, we can be timid about bringing it up directly," he said. "A question functions to pry the door open. But by trying to be polite, we mislead others into thinking we care about them."

'Hepeating' and 'manterrupting'

Boomerasking is up there with other annoying conversational habits, such as name-dropping and offering advice when it wasn't asked for.

In the workplace, women have coined several terms to describe irritating ways some of the men they encounter communicate, including the widely used "mansplaining."

There's also " hepeating," which describes when a man appropriates a woman's comments or ideas and is then is praised for them being his own, and "manterrupting," which is when he talks over her.

Wood Brooks and Yeomans have also studied all the complicated conversational goals we have to balance, such as understanding each other, making a good impression, having fun, and giving or receiving information.

Yeomans said if a boomersker wants to change their ways, they can practice asking questions they don't know the answer to.

"Ask follow-up questions that build on what the other person just said," he said. "If you pay someone sincere attention, that can buy you the trust and space to do a little disclosing of your own later on — if you must."

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• John Moore delivered mail in a Massachusetts city for 31 years before retiring.
• After leaving the post office nine years ago, he started working as a floral delivery driver.
• The part-time job means he hasn't had to draw on his retirement savings at all.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with John Moore. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I delivered mail with the post office for 31 years. As a mailman, you know everyone. Depending on what you're delivering, sometimes they're happy to see you, and sometimes they're not. When my kids and their friends were applying to college, I'd give them a heads-up if they had a much-anticipated envelope in the day's delivery.

For most of my career, my route was in a residential neighborhood. I'd park the truck and walk a big loop, then move the truck further down and do two more loops. I walked about eight miles a day.

There was one kid who would meet me on the steps every day and say, "Did you watch the game?" He always wanted to talk sports — a big topic in greater Boston, where I live and work. I watched this kid grow up, and now he works for a professional sports team.

I always planned to work in retirement

Being with the post office, I had a traditional retirement account, a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which is similar to a 401(k) but for federal employees. That gave me peace of mind, but I always figured I'd work even after I retired, both to earn money and to keep busy.

I retired from the post office nine years ago when I was 59. My wife was still working, so I immediately started looking for a part-time job after I left the post office. On her way home from work one day, she saw an ad for delivery drivers at a local florist.

It was a funny turn. Not only had I already spent my whole career delivering things, but my father, who was a firefighter, had a second job doing floral deliveries. It felt like everything had come full circle.

Everyone's happy to get a flower delivery

When you bring flowers, everyone is happy to see you. It's a pleasant surprise in their day. I always notice if I'm delivering sympathy flowers, but even those people are happy to see me. One time, a woman opened the door, teary-eyed because her husband had died. I felt terrible, but she was still so nice and cheery.

When I worked at the post office, I understood that I might be the only person some people talked to each day. That was especially true for older people. I keep that in mind when I deliver flowers, too, and always try to be kind and pleasant.

I've only had one flower customer who wasn't happy to see me. I delivered a bouquet of a dozen roses to an office building. The security guard paged the woman who the flowers were for. As she walked toward me, she said, "Roses? Really? I told him I don't like roses!"

I would love to know if they're still together.

I don't see myself fully retiring anytime soon

I work about 18 hours a week and make $20 an hour delivering. Sometimes I think I should be paid more, especially when I consider what my employer is charging for delivery fees. Still, the job is easy and low-key. I listen to sports radio and music in the van. If I need a week off, I just tell them I won't be in. It's a trade-off for that kind of flexibility.

Sometimes people try to tip me, but 98% of the time I refuse it. They're the ones getting the gift, so they shouldn't have to pay. If they really insist, however, I'll take the money.

Although I'm not making a ton of money delivering, the income has meant that I haven't had to touch my retirement savings yet. My wife and I also travel more than we used to. We love going on cruises with our two children, their spouses, and our grandson. We have similar schedules, since she watches our grandson on the three days a week when I work.

At 68, I don't see myself giving up this job anytime soon. It's nice to have a bit of extra money, and not need to dip into savings. I like walking to work, and delivering something people can smile about.

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• A Department of Defense memo on February 26 mandated that all content related to DEI be removed from DoD websites.
• Jessica Peterson, a flight test engineer with the Air Force for nearly 20 years, has seen her work removed.
• She says history shouldn't be removed and is concerned about future opportunities for women and minorities.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jessica "STING" Peterson, a 42-year-old flight test engineer who has worked with the Air Force for nearly 20 years, first as a civil servant and later as a contractor. In February, Peterson found out that many articles highlighting her accomplishments or written by her would be removed following orders in a memo from the Office of the Secretary of Defense about the removal of content related to DEI from Department of Defense websites. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I've been a flight test engineer for nearly 20 years, and it's been amazing. We're the bridge between design engineers like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman who are designing the system, and users — the warfighters and pilots — who will use the system.

When I very first started working for the Air Force 20 years ago as a college intern, I was the only woman on my team. Throughout my career, I've sometimes been the only woman in the room.

But to be honest, I usually don't even notice it. As I've gotten more experience and more credentials — like graduating from test pilot school, which is very hard to get into — my confidence has grown.

For most of my career, the gender divide hasn't been that big of a deal to me, which is one of the reasons that the removal of content about me has been so shocking.

In articles written about women, even if the focus wasn't on someone being a woman, there was often a side note about their gender and the things they had to overcome because it was unique, making them susceptible to now being removed.

It is un-American and incorrect to remove historical context; no history should be removed.

My daughter was devastated by my articles being removed

As test flight engineers, we collect data and evaluate the systems to make sure they're doing what they're supposed to. The exciting part is flying in airplanes; I've flown in over 40 different types of airplanes, including F-16s and T-38s, which are supersonic fighter aircraft, and C-12s, which are cargo planes.

I had friends in the public affairs office who warned me that several articles about and by me would be removed, such as one about a flyover by our female crew to send off the US women's soccer team to the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023.

When I first found out, I honestly thought, Oh, that's a bummer. But I wasn't majorly upset; we already had the benefit of doing the outreach and getting kids excited about flying and about STEM.

When the articles started getting removed, it became more emotional. The straw that broke the camel's back was when I told my family, and my daughter was devastated.

I saw the impact that this will have on the next generation. It isn't just about removing the stories — it's about the message that it sends to the next generation of kids. I'm concerned that there will be fewer opportunities for them, especially females and minorities, in the future.

It's sad to see my factual articles being removed

It was unfortunate to see one of our factual articles about the testing of aircrew flight equipment that fits females removed. For years, women didn't have bladder relief systems while flying, so many were having medical issues and dealing with tactical dehydration from not drinking water.

I was so encouraged when there started to be a focus on getting these systems for women in the last four or five years. As an engineer, I want to solve problems. That was a problem we were trying to solve, and then the article was removed. It was sad.

When I first started flying about 10 years ago, I remember specifically asking for a female flight suit, and I was told no because they were more expensive. I didn't question it because I felt so happy and fortunate to get to fly.

I don't want any woman to have to deal with that in the future.

People have been so supportive

I decided it was important to let people know that this was happening, so I posted my experience on LinkedIn. The response I've gotten has been so positive.

Many previous coworkers, including male fighter pilots, have reached out to tell me how much they appreciate my contributions and how shocked they are about what's happening.

Last year, I took students from the aerospace engineering club of the University of Nevada, Reno, where I'm currently working on my Ph.D., on a tour to Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave desert to see how flight tests work. Several of those students have reached out to tell me how much they support me. That's been encouraging.

I've also had many Department of Defense civilians and military members reach out and express frustration and fear over what's happening. They feel they can't publicly speak out, and I fear there's been extensive damage to the morale and trust in the DoD workforce.

I feel hopeful that the content will be restored, but haven't seen it happen yet

With the recent statement from the DoD on the reassessment of archived content, I'm hopeful that all historical content will be restored, but I haven't seen any action yet. Within the last two weeks, two more news blurbs about our US women's soccer team flyover were deleted from other Air Force websites.

I want people to contact their representatives and say, "We should not be removing history. We should not be removing articles based on specific words that are in them."

I believe that the vast majority of the US population, independent of their political beliefs, thinks that censorship and removal of history aren't right but people just don't know it's already happening.

A Department of the Air Force spokesperson told BI: "In response to President Trump's Executive Orders and Secretary Hegseth's priorities, all Military Departments received guidance from the Department of Defense to review and remove DoD news and feature articles, photos, videos and social media posts that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion."

The spokesperson said that public affairs teams across the Department of the Air Force (DAF) used keywords to identify and remove content from service websites and social media accounts that did not align with the DoD memo's guidance, adding that part of the process involved consulting the DAF historian. The spokesperson did not specify which keywords were used to locate the content for removal but said that the review was based on the February 26 memo and that around 45,0000 pieces of content have been removed.

Regarding the March 21 statement that the DoD will be reevaluating content that was archived that should not have been, the spokesperson said: "We are not tracking the items that have been or are being restored. Our intent is to restore purely historical content after we review to make sure it complies with the guidelines."

Do you work in the federal government and have a story or tip? Contact this reporter via email at janezhang@businessinsider.com or Signal at janezhang.01. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

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• I attended Legalweek, an annual gathering of thousands of legal professionals in New York City.
• The potential of artificial intelligence to reshape the legal profession emerged as a key theme.
• Speakers issued stern warnings that a failure to adopt new tech will leave lawyers in the dust.

On the first day of Legalweek, a conference where thousands of lawyers gather to hobnob with their peers and explore the latest tech, Max Junestrand, clad in a black overcoat that highlighted his 6-foot-3-inch stature, stepped out of his hotel, ready to seize the day.

Long viewed as Luddites, law firms and corporate lawyers have begun to adopt artificial intelligence to deliver better service faster and cheaper. This has led to a Cambrian explosion of startups trying to sell tools for drafting contracts and tracking billable hours. Junestrand's startup, Legora, helps legal professionals work smarter with a digital workspace built on top of large language models.

Earlier in the day, Legora jacked up its battle with a chief competitor by announcing in the trade papers that it had signed Goodwin, a leading law firm for tech deals, as a client. It also opened a new office in New York City, the Swedish-born company's first outpost outside Europe. Later in the day, Junestrand would join his employees in Times Square to watch Legora's logo light up the iconic Nasdaq MarketSite screen.

"We don't build Legora so law firms can check the box on doing AI," Junestrand said, sitting at Legora's event booth. "We want to transform and rethink what it means to do great legal work."

'Lawyers are dinosaurs'

At Legalweek at the New York Hilton Midtown, artificial intelligence was on trial, scrutinized with the precision of a shark litigator. Behind closed doors, lawyers spoke on panels about the coming "death of legal busywork" and the costs of fake legal cases making their way into real briefs. In the exhibition hall, software engineers wearing slacks and pencil skirts tried to woo lawyers with promises to shave off hours of work without killing the billable hour.

I learned that Junestrand, the Legora founder, has an uphill battle ahead of him. Selling software to lawyers isn't the same as shilling to sales reps or programmers. Lawyers work mostly out of documents. Before the arrival of large-scale language models, software wasn't very good at extracting data from text. So the tools weren't all that useful.

Junestrand said the advent of large models trained mostly on textual data changed everything. Now, these models can parse and understand complex legal documents, streamlining tasks like legal research and contract review. But for all the hype around virtual paralegals at Legalweek, numerous lawyers said the adoption of the tech has been slow.

"Lawyers are dinosaurs," an employment lawyer said over a catered lunch of beet salad and deli sandwiches. The Philadelphia attorney said when she gets a contract by email, she likes to print it and mark it up with a pen. When she's done, she files it away. That's how she's been doing things since the dictaphone.

Tech savants want to work with lawyers like them

Later in the week, dozens of attendees poured into a dimly lit conference room for a panel discussion on how legal teams can start using artificial intelligence. Panelist Amy Sellars, an attorney at the business law firm Gunster, told lawyers to ask vendors for demos and make it easy for people in their firms to experiment with new tools.

"Lawyers need to wake up," said Todd Itami, an attorney at the large legal defense firm Covington & Burling, saying that learning to use artificial intelligence was "imperative" for their success.

Younger lawyers may be more receptive to Itami's call to action. Aaron Crews, a partner at the global law firm Holland & Knight, places lawyers on a bell curve with early adopters and laggards on the far ends and the rest in the middle. Law students and junior associates often try new products before most others.

The tech-savvy standouts in their programs, according to Crews, are likelier to want to work for firms that take a friendlier stance toward new tech. This means the top firms won't be sought after for long if they fall behind the times.

Have a tip? Contact the reporter via email at mrussell@businessinsider.com or Signal at @MeliaRussell.01. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

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• Anthony Mackie said actors need to behave like investors and diversify their portfolios.
• The "Captain America" star warned it's risky to rely solely on acting income as it could dry up.
• Mackie said he keeps his four sons "humble" and they've "never had a pair of Jordans."

Actors should think like investors and make sure to spread their bets, Anthony Mackie says.

The " Captain America: Brave New World" star recently told "The Pivot" podcast he's seen many of his peers get "hot" and land a bunch of leading roles, only for their careers to flatline a few years later.

"It's like, yo, you have no staying power," Mackie said, "because you're not diversifying your portfolio. If all you're investing in is Walmart, and Walmart has a bad week, you're fucked. So you've got to be able to do all the other shit, and that's what I always tell young actors."

Investors typically buy multiple assets to avoid betting the farm on a single horse. They might offset the risk of holding stocks by owning bonds too, and within a stock portfolio, they might balance the higher volatility of a growth stock like Tesla with the stability of a more staid name like Walmart.

Mackie repeated his point when asked how to achieve longevity in an entertainment career. "By diversifying your portfolio," he said, adding that now he's in his mid-40s, he's eager to do more producing and curate his own experiences for moviegoers.

" Tyler Perry has shown us the mold," Mackie said, adding that the billionaire filmmaker behind the "Madea" franchise has "created the wheel, so it don't make sense for me to get a chisel and try to make another one."

Perry's income streams include his Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, along with other investments.

Mackie — known for portraying the superhero Falcon in past Marvel movies and his roles in " The Hurt Locker" and "8 Mile" — said athletes have been parlaying their fame into owning car dealerships, barbecue joints, and other businesses for decades.

George Foreman, who died earlier this month, made way more money from his grills than from his boxing career.

Mackie also echoed Warren Buffett's famous advice to find a job you're passionate about. The legendary investor has often said he enjoys being Berkshire Hathaway's CEO so much that he tap dances to work.

Similarly, Mackie said that "if you love it, you never work a day in your life."

The actor also spoke about ensuring his four sons remain grounded despite his success. "I keep my boys humble," he said, adding they've "never had a pair of Jordans."

Mackie said they "don't do all that internet fly shit," and the message he sends them is: "I could be the biggest star in the world, do not let me catch you being stupid."

Ben Affleck, another actor who's played multiple superheroes, recently said that he frequently gives his teenage son a reality check.

"There's always some grift why I need to be buying," the "Daredevil" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" star said about his son's taste for luxury goods. "I'm like, bruh, you do not need $1,000 shoes. He's like, 'We have the money.' I'm like, 'I have the money — you're broke.'"

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• In the 1980s, Cynthia Jones wanted to own a home, but her husband didn't. They later divorced.
• After the split, she spent $28,000 on her first home for herself and her young daughter to live in.
• Jones, now 68, has taught her daughter the value of investing in real estate as a single woman.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cynthia Jones, a 64-year-old retired librarian in Toledo, Ohio, who purchased several homes without a cosigner or spouse. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When I was in my mid-20s, I discovered that my husband had no interest in becoming a homeowner. This, along with other factors, ultimately led to our divorce.

In 1982, as a single woman, I purchased my first property for my toddler and me. Since then, I've bought and sold four homes. Now, at 68, I live in my fifth — and final — home.

I love being a homeowner because whether I use my home equity to make improvements, invest in other ventures, or simply enjoy the stability of ownership, it's mine to do with as I please.

I've also passed this lesson on to my daughter, who happens to be single, too.

Before turning 30, my daughter also purchased her first property alone, without a spouse. Prior to that, she earned her graduate degree. Now, at 44, she's enjoying traveling and her career.

We're two women embracing single life, traveling, and making the most of our future.

I have always encouraged single women to build wealth through homeownership and real-estate investing. Owning property is one of the few investments that allows you to retain the asset while still making money. In contrast, with investments like stocks, you must sell to realize any profit.

Owning a home could also have developmental benefits. Some research has shown that children who live in a family-owned home may fare better in school, among other things. I have seen some of these benefits firsthand.

I didn't need a spouse to be a homeowner

Homeownership wasn't the sole reason my husband and I got a divorce, but it was, as I say, the straw that broke the camel's back.

In 1981, I was living in Toledo, Ohio, in a townhouse with two bedrooms and one bathroom that my ex-husband and I rented for around $500 a month.

At the time, I was considering setting up a private music studio to teach violin lessons from home, which required more space. The apartment was under about 1,000 square feet and felt cramped. Plus, when you share walls with neighbors, you hear them, and they hear you. There was also no laundry facility in the complex, so we had to go to a local laundromat.

With a young child and the possibility of expanding our family, I realized it was the right time to stop renting and start building equity in a place of our own.

While owning a home is a core value for me, my ex-husband never wanted the responsibility of homeownership. He believed it would be too costly. My counterpoint was that while there are expenses associated with owning a home, you can't build equity in an apartment, pay it off, or pass it down.

Buying my first home after the divorce was surprisingly easy. Fortunately, my former boss's wife, a real-estate agent, knew an elderly man who was looking to sell his condo. He offered seller financing, and the process went smoothly with no issues.

In 1982, I paid $28,000 for his two-bedroom, one-bathroom condo. The master bedroom and closet were spacious, and my daughter was thrilled to have her own room. I also enjoyed a nice balcony overlooking a pond, which was a peaceful place to relax.

We lived in the condo for eight years before selling it for around $35,000. Although it was just a starter home, I was thrilled to finally own something. And now, even after all these years, my daughter and I still talk about the memories we made there.

I taught my daughter the importance of homeownership

After my divorce, I remained single and returned to school to study fine arts and business. My focus was solely on my education and raising my daughter.

Over the years, I purchased four more homes, with each sale helping to finance the next. I bought my final home — a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house — for $187,000 in 2019. It's now valued at nearly $300,000, according to Realtor.com.

In the future, it will need a few repairs, so some of my equity will go toward that, and the rest will be saved, perhaps in a high-yield savings account for emergencies. That's the beauty of homeownership — while real estate goes through up-and-down periods, over time, you're generally building equity.

In 2013, my daughter purchased her own home in Toledo for $130,000 — a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house in the same neighborhood as mine. My 90-year-old mother and my nephew are currently leasing it. Last year, a house across the street from hers sold for $313,000, so I estimate her home is now valued at around $300,000.

My father passed last August, so we're transitioning my mother to my home, which has a first-floor bedroom and bathroom. Although my daughter's house has a chair lift, my mom is reaching a point where even that could become a challenge. It's safer for her to be here with us.

In this situation, owning a home is definitely a benefit compared to living in an apartment because we can adjust or renovate it to suit her needs. Some apartments have accessibility issues. While some complexes are required by law to make accommodations, this isn't always the case. Even if a landlord agrees, renters can be expected to pay for the upgrades.

My daughter plans to sell her house, and then we'll all be living together in my home. We are joining the ranks of others enjoying a multi-generational household.

Our neighborhood is fantastic. Everyone knows each other and looks out for one another. Plus, we're lucky to be right next to a park that offers plenty of nature. This will definitely be our forever home.

I want to encourage more single women to become homeowners

I've made many financial blunders in my life — but owning homes hasn't been one of them.

My only regret in my homeownership journey is that I sold my previous properties instead of keeping them as rentals. I'd be in an excellent financial position now and could have passed that portfolio on to my daughter.

It would have also helped with retirement. The rental income would have served as my primary source of retirement income, alongside other sources.

A friend of mine, who also bought her first home as a single mother, has paid it off and also owns a paid-off investment property. Now, in retirement, she's reaping the rewards of those smart investments.

Many years ago, I obtained my real-estate license, but due to various circumstances, I didn't pursue using it at the time.

As part of my "encore career" or second act, I plan to return to real estate — not just for income, but to educate women about the benefits of homeownership and investing in real property.

I've kept up with reading about the real-estate market, and I'm aware that single women are outpacing men in homeownership. I think it's because women like me are no longer waiting for marriage or a partner to invest in their own homes. I think, in many cases, they are thinking long-term about securing their retirement and building wealth.

More women understand the financial benefits of homeownership, and as I always say, you'll always need a place to live — so why not make it something you own?

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• Gone are the days when most movie theaters were packed on a Friday night.
• The pandemic, streaming, and inflation have thrown cold water on the popcorn-fueled outing.
• However, some movie theater superfans are living it up using subscription services like AMC A-list.

This year, I've already seen ten movies in theaters. If that sounds like a lot, let me assure you: I pale in comparison to my fellow AMC A-List fanatics.

For instance, Marcel English, 25, estimates that as inflation hits movie tickets, he saved $900 last year with the subscription service. AMC's A-List runs moviegoers about $20 a month for up to three movies a week, depending on location. English saw 55 movies in 2024 and has already seen 29 this year.

One of his favorites last year was a Christmas Night showing of the remake of the vampire horror film " Nosferatu."

"And when I tell you I loved those showings — I've seen 'Nosferatu' at least four or five times and I saw 'Wicked' six times before that," English, a tutor in Alabama, said.

After Jeremy Chao, 42, had a stroke in late 2021, he hinged his recovery on one big goal: He wanted to regain his ability to walk back over to his local AMC theater. Within a year, Chao had made his triumphant return. These days, the New York City paralegal aims to see four or five movies a month.

Chao, English, and I are all members of the movie theater chain AMC's highest-tier loyalty program, A-listers, but several others exist from the likes of Regal, Alamo Drafthouse, and Cinemark.

Prices range from $15 to $30 a month, and industry research indicates that these offerings have helped lure in moviegoers. Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble said in a February earnings call that the company's subscription offering Movie Club has nearly 1.4 million members and tickets purchased through the program make up 25% of its domestic box office sales.

Gamble added that the company has seen moviegoing "buck the trends" during inflationary periods, speculating that it may be a more affordable option than other forms of entertainment.

A report from Cinema United found that, in 2024, subscription services saw a 12% increase in membership year over year. While AMC no longer shares exact membership numbers anymore, the paid A-List tier boasted about 790,000 members in the first quarter of 2019.

"The usage of and love for the program is strong among our A-list members," Carrie Trotter, the vice president of loyalty and brand marketing at AMC Theatres, said in a statement.

Not everyone has been swayed back into theaters, however. One reason is that prices have been on the rise — the average movie ticket was $10.78 in 2023, up from $9.35 at the start of 2020, per box office site The Numbers — and ticket prices have increased 26% since 2019. Even AMC is upping prices for its A-List tier, although it's also adding some extra perks.

Plus, two-thirds of Americans polled by HarrisX for IndieWire said they'd rather wait to stream movies than go to the theater. It's a big disappointment for filmmakers and even some moviegoers.

"Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen; I know I will," Sean Baker, whose "Anora" swept the Oscars, said in his acceptance speech for best director. "Distributors, please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films." Baker also had another plea: "For all of us, when we can, please watch movies in a theater, and let's keep the great tradition of the moviegoing experience alive and well."

In an economy where Americans are less eager to go out drinking or partying — or to have the disposable income to throw at more lavish entertainment — the movie theater's appeal is becoming more clear to a certain set of superfans.

"Once it reopened after the pandemic, I just really wanted the movie theater experience to survive," Chao said. "So I thought the best way to do that was to, even if I couldn't go every week, was to sign up for A-list and see as many movies as I could."

Movie theaters are a phone-down social outing and subscriptions help save money

I'm no AMC shill — I simply chose that membership because I love the option to visit the giant IMAX screen in Lincoln Center, and the chain's locations are convenient for me and several of my friends.

Other friends have other subscriptions, and the rivalries run deep. One BI editor loves their Regal Cinemas subscription because it's truly unlimited; if they wanted to, they could see up to three movies a day for $26.49 monthly. They estimate they saved around $624 using their subscription last year. Different models fit different needs. Several A-Listers BI spoke to said that having a variety of theater and film options would make the subscription even better.

A-Listers get perks beyond discounted tickets: It's cheaper to buy tickets for friends, there's a special concessions line, and you get free popcorn and soda upgrades. Plus, you can also see movies at traditionally pricier screenings in IMAX or Dolby.

"It's been really nice to sort of not worry about price because it can be like $20 for a ticket, and if I'm already paying 25 for unlimited, I can see one or two and feel like I've gotten my money's worth," Chao said.

For Austin Martin, 31, AMC A-List has, for the most part, replaced nights out at the bar.

Martin works remotely in North Carolina and no longer drinks — a growing trend among younger Americans — so he has more free time and a little extra cash. In 2024, he saw 36 movies; this year, he's already seen 12. His roommate is in Martin's "entourage" — an A-List feature that allows you to book tickets on behalf of a select group of friends or family.

"My roommate, literally my best friend, says, 'This is our therapy to get out of the house and just not look at your phone, not be distracted,'" Martin said, adding that even his phone-addicted boyfriend focuses when he's at the movies.

Having a phone-down experience is also a draw for Taylor Gillman, a 33-year-old executive assistant on Long Island; she saw around 20 movies last year. Unlike Martin, Gillman was never a cinephile until she drank the A-List Kool-Aid; she had once proclaimed that she would never go to the movies. But after getting dragged to see the new "Mean Girls" and then "Wonka," she got the film bug.

"It's like I'm on another planet. I put my phone away," she said. "And I'm a lot less interrupted than I would be at home just watching in the background."

For Gillman and her husband, it's become a nice new shared hobby — they've tried everything from ax throwing to top golf, and both were far more expensive than AMC. Having a new third space — somewhere that isn't home or work — that lets them get out has been a good experience; the air conditioning in the summer also doesn't hurt.

"It feels different than a streaming platform because you could see anything you want on Netflix whenever, but being able to go somewhere and do something out of the house, I think is a really big plus for this," she said.

Low on funds, but still wanting to go to the movies

Jonathan van Halem, a 30-year-old television researcher in Brooklyn, is no longer an A-Lister.

He joined during a bout of unemployment and was seeing around four movies a month. However, the membership wasn't as convenient for his friends. They'd either have to trek from Brooklyn to Manhattan to go to the AMC, or he'd miss out on group events like Barbenheimer if they chose a non-AMC venue.

Ultimately, van Halem left A-List due to a combination of lower pay, shorter runtimes for smaller films, and movies heading straight to streaming services. If an AMC were to open closer to his home — or another service would let him go to multiple movie chains — he might be lured back into a new subscription service.

While movie theater attendance is still fluctuating at Regal, Cinemark, and AMC — in January 2025, it was down 1.7% compared to a year prior, per data from Placer.ai provided to Business Insider — February saw 8.9% growth from a year prior.

The rise of subscription services might also bring about the community and third spaces that folks like Gillman crave. Sierra Hanson, a 29-year-old bartender at AMC in Missoula, Montana, said that A-Listers bring a completely different demeanor to the theater. They're efficient and always respectful, she said.

One frequent customer came to the theater right after he'd proposed. "We were the first three people he told that she said 'yes,'" Hanson said. "It is really special. You really do form special bonds with the people who come in."

But, of course, there are hazards to centering social life on subscription services. Prices might go up, or folks might move out of the range of an AMC. And with individual services — like AMC vs. Regal — forcing moviegoers to choose brand loyalty, there can be divisions when you leave it behind. Look no further than van Halem.

"My entourage was like seven or eight people and we rolled deep. It's a meaningful thing to be in an A-list entourage with someone. It was a sad day when I had to tell them I was no longer participating," he said. He told them the cost just wasn't making sense anymore.

"They understood, but I never got a text to go to the movies with any of them ever again."

Do you have a story to share about your finances? Contact this reporter at jkaplan@businessinsider.com or fill out this survey.

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• Supporters of Elon Musk and President Donald Trump are organizing "Tesla Shield" counterprotests.
• Pro-Trump individuals have previously shown up at anti-Tesla protests.
• The "Tesla Takedown" movement is planning over 260 demonstrations at Tesla dealerships this weekend.

The "Tesla Takedown" movement is planning its largest series of protests on Saturday — and supporters of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are gearing up for their own counterprotests.

Referred to as "Tesla Shield" in some of the social media posts on Facebook and X, the supporters are trying to organize an answer to the Tesla Takedown demonstrations.

The counter-protest effort appears to be smaller in nature. Business Insider identified fewer than a dozen posts organizing counter-protests. A Tesla Takedown organizer told Business Insider that more than 266 planned demonstrations had been confirmed, and the group was "getting updates hourly as new events are being added."

One individual on X, who goes by the handle @PatriotDadEV2.0, wrote on March 23 that he "had enough" after seeing a group of protesters at a Tesla dealership in Columbus, and decided to "start an effort here to create a shield around the facility next time they show up."

Their digital flyer, titled "Join the Tesla Shield," has since been reposted by other accounts on Facebook and X.

Some are organizing counterprotests under different names. One user on X referred to the effort as "Takedown The Takedown" and shared details about a counterprotest planned for Saturday at a Tesla facility in Irvine, California.

"Are you disturbed by the recent attacks and vandalism against Tesla facilities and owners?" X user @MichaelPhan wrote in the post.

"Please make your own sign such as, "Thank you Elon" or, "I love Tesla" or whatever you want," they added.

A pro-Trump organizer in New Jersey, Terry Beck, told NBC News that she was looking to organize a group of vehicles to meet protesters in Lawrenceville on Saturday.

She said she supported Musk's work.

"He's proven his record. I look up to him," she told NBC News. "Every person should look up to him."

Some pro-Trump and pro-Tesla counterprotests have already taken place in recent weeks.

One social media user posted a video on X showing a group of Trump supporters waving American flags while counter-protesting an anti-Musk protest in Westmont, Illinois in March. In Tennessee, counter-protesters also appeared at recent anti-Tesla protests, though some stumbled upon the event rather than organizing a formal effort, local publication The Tennessee Star reported on Monday.

Another social media user posted a video on March 22 of a Cybertruck driver chanting "USA" while driving past a Tesla protest in Tennessee.

Other Trump or Musk fans have suggested other ways to support the company. One user posted a poem about the cause on Truth Social and asked that people counter anti-Tesla efforts "by investing in Tesla stock" to show "unwavering support" for those helping MAGA efforts.

The pro-Tesla efforts come as Tesla protests and vandalism incidents have ramped up around the country in response to Musk's political involvement with DOGE. Some of the incidents have involved graffiti, gunfire, and arson, pointed at Tesla buildings and vehicles.

Several arrests have been made, with the latest occurring on Thursday following the damage of five Tesla vehicles, three of which were destroyed by fire, resulting in arson charges.

The "Tesla Takedown" organization told BI that there were scheduled protests at Tesla dealerships and showrooms in Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

The protest organizers hosted a virtual planning session last week with over 6,000 attendees, the organizers said. They said the Tesla Takedown movement stands for peaceful and nonviolent protests.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

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• "Social wellness," which blends socializing with health and fitness, is becoming more popular.
• A Business Insider health reporter went to a social sauna and ice bath class designed to reset the nervous system.
• At first it was awkward, but that changed when she got in an ice bath with a classmate.

I turned right at Barry's Boot Camp and arrived at my destination: Arc, a communal sauna and cold plunge studio in London's financial district, which markets itself as a place for people to connect.

You can start your week there with a guided contrast therapy class —that is, switching between extreme heat and cold— at 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning, and see it out with a sauna party on Saturday night, complete with DJs, aromatherapy, and of course, cold plunges.

While saunas and ice baths aren't new (they're known to help athletes recover faster and are a must in any bougie gym or spa), they're quickly becoming a staple of social wellness: the blending together of socializing with wellness activities, such as running clubs and longevity retreats.

The merging of these trends makes sense. The global wellness industry was valued at $6.3 trillion in 2023, up 25% since 2019, and after being starved of social connection during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are becoming more aware of the link between socializing and longevity.

Social saunas are popping up everywhere. Rebase, another self-proclaimed "social wellness" club, opened in London last May, while Othership, a Toronto-based "social sauna" and ice bath studio, launched its first US spa in July with more than 20 locations across North America expected to follow in the next five years. Bathhouse, a New York-based spa with two locations, just added four additional pools and two saunas to its Williamsburg branch.

Arc opened in London's Canary Wharf in January and calls itself a community-focused space, where guests are guided on "a journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and meaningful connection within themselves and others." I was there to attend Dopamine Reset, a guided contrast therapy session that promises to "reset the brain's reward system," "break old habits," and "unlock new levels of growth and peak experiences" — a tall order for a 50-minute class.

I wanted to try it for two reasons. Firstly, as a woman in my twenties I naturally spend too much time on the internet and have anxiety. So, I'm always keen to experiment with something that might snap me out of my thought spirals. But secondly, and most importantly, I wanted to see if meeting new people while exposing myself to extreme temperatures, almost nude, would be as awkward as it sounds, or actually provide an opportunity for bonding. Breaking the ice, if you will.

So I took the plunge and booked the GBP35 ($44) class.

I felt uncomfortable walking into the class

Excited and nervous, I left the chic changing room in my swimsuit and entered a dimly lit ampitheatre-cum-cave called The Lounge: a terracotta room big enough for 50 people, with a tiered conversation pit at its center. I sat near three young women, all wearing smartwatches that were most certainly tracking their biometrics. So far, so awkward and lonely.

Of the 12 out of a possible 40 of us in the 12:30 p.m. class, there was only one man, who was taking a break from training for Hyrox, a buzzy, intensive indoor fitness competition.

(You'll notice that there are no people in the photos accompanying this piece — the sauna understandably didn't want us to take pics of guests in their swimsuits, or disrupt their journeys of self-discovery).

After a few minutes, our teacher — or "sauna master" in Arc lingo — appeared mic'd up and wearing a one-piece swimsuit and a long sarong to explain the structure of the class.

We would be led through breathwork, meditation, and gentle stretches in the sauna for around 15 minutes before hitting the ice baths. There, we would submerge ourselves in freezing water (a maximum of 42 degrees Fahrenheit) for two minutes. The magic — the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body relax — starts to happen after the 30-second mark, she said.

We spread out along the benches of the sauna built to could accommodate 65 people

The 65-person wooden sauna was wide and tall enough for the twelve of us to spread out along its three benches. Our teacher started the class by throwing a snowball filled with essential oils onto the coals at the center of the room and whipping a towel in a circular motion in the air to spread the floral aromas. The room was heated to a near-uncomfortable 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and I started sweating almost immediately.

Breathing exercises in extreme heat weren't relaxing

As we started the breathwork —which involved rounds of inhaling, holding our breath, and exhaling for four seconds each — I loosened up a bit, mainly because we were encouraged to close our eyes. I'm used to breathing exercises like this in my weekly yoga classes and know my way around the Headspace app , but holding my breath in the extreme heat was strenuous and frankly unpleasant.

I didn't feel particularly relaxed yet and hadn't shared so much as a smile with anyone. This all changed when we moved on to the next section of the class.

I shared my ice bath with a fellow classmate

After a quick post-sauna rinse in the shower room adjacent to the sauna, where I slathered myself with complementary Malin+Goetz shower gel, it was time to get chilly.

In a charcoal-colored room made entirely out of stone were eight ice baths. It had a harsh feel compared to the light natural materials of the sauna and the lounge.

Each bath was large enough for two people, and I partnered with Carli Wheatley, 42, who I later found out is a lymphatic massage therapist and has worked in the wellness industry for years — a theme among my classmates.

I felt apprehensive as we assumed our positions and at the count of three, all stepped inside the icy vats and sat down. The pain hit my feet, legs, and hands immediately, and I had to fight the urge to get out. But lo and behold, after about 30 seconds, my muscles started to relax, and I felt calmer. Wheatley and I intermittently shared exasperated looks, which reassured me.

A gong signaled that two minutes were up, and we stepped out. My legs felt numb, and it was as if currents of electricity were zapping me. I felt awake from the inside out: an awakeness I had never felt before. Like an espresso entering your bloodstream, but without the mania.

After the ice bath, I started to feel more comfortable and chatted with the people around me

Re-entering the sauna, the atmosphere had softened. Everyone's body language was more open, and we started chatting about our shared experience (trauma). The intensity of the ice bath served as a welcome social buffer.

I asked people why they decided to come and if they enjoyed it. Those I spoke to (I wasn't able to chat with everyone in the class) were either into health and wellness or worked in the industry. They had come for the sauna's physical and mental benefits, not to socialize, but I do wonder if this would've been different had I come to an evening event.

Renata Bianchi, a 38-year-old hypnotherapist from Brazil, said that she found Arc online, thought the facilities looked beautiful, and wanted to try it. She told me she'd like to come back again next week.

One woman, who wants to train as a sauna master and is a fan of the cult health-optimization podcast, the " Huberman Lab," told us that she had been to Arc about seven times in the three months since it opened. She grew up using saunas and loves the high she gets from contrast therapy.

"I've heard it's good for metabolism and brown fat, but that's not why I do it," she said.

I went for a second dip, with friends!

Although no one had come for the social aspect, they were all up for chatting, and a group of us decided to give the ice baths a second go. We exhaled loudly and giggled to get through round two. It reminded me a little of summer camp.

We popped into the sauna again to warm up, shared some last-minute reflections on the state of the world, and gradually dispersed.

As I made my way back to the changing area, I realized that I hadn't thought about anything outside of these three rooms for at least 20 minutes. That was a huge win, which told me I had been in the moment and felt calm.

The social sauna class got me out of my head

I felt calmer and more grounded leaving Arc than I did walking in. I also had some pleasant conversations and enjoyed myself.

But, as is the case with many wellness treatments designed to help you destress and boost your sense of well-being, the effects were short-lived. After I left the luxury subterranean spa, I rejoined the real world: the cause of my stress.

I felt that I could've achieved that calm feeling for less money, or even for free, if I put my phone down and started each morning with a sunrise walk.

But it's easier to go to a sauna class than to delete your Instagram account or confront a demanding boss.

If I had the money and the time, I could see myself becoming a regular, albeit more for the relaxation than the connection. Did I leave with a new group of friends? No. But it got me out of my head and chatting to people, which is a difficult feat in our fast-paced, digital-first world.

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• Black federal workers have historically benefited from stability, good benefits, and less discrimination.
• Trump's job cuts and DEI scrutiny, helmed by Elon Musk's DOGE office, threaten that security.
• Five former and current Black federal workers say the upheaval has hurt their finances and optimism for the future.

When BreAntra Jackson started working at the Internal Revenue Service last October, she was excited to have secured a coveted position in the federal government.

"Working at the IRS was one of the best jobs I've ever had," said the 24-year-old IRS administrator. The full-time, hybrid work schedule allowed the single mother to find stability and afford day care.

She had planned to build a lifelong career in civil service, like her predecessor, who she said had processed requests for IRS agents for three decades before retiring.

Those aspirations were interrupted on February 20 when Jackson became one of roughly 25,000 probationary workers fired by the Trump administration.

While a federal judge in mid-March deemed the firings illegal and ordered the Trump administration to reinstate workers, including Jackson, the financial uncertainty over several weeks took a toll on her savings. While she and thousands of her colleagues have returned on paid administrative leave, it may not last long. The White House's DOGE office has ordered federal agencies to devise plans to reduce staff in the coming months through less legally dubious means.

Federal jobs, with their stability and comparatively good benefits, were once a pathway to the American dream for many workers, especially for Black professionals like Jackson. Black Americans make up nearly 1 in 5 federal workers, compared to their 14% share of the US population.

Now, DOGE's hiring freezes and slashing of government jobs threaten that legacy of security for Black Americans in the federal workforce. Plus, the administration's heightened focus on DEI could make the path forward more difficult for Black workers.

"Protecting the civil rights and expanding opportunities for all Americans is a key priority of the Trump Administration," Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, wrote in an email to BI when asked about federal jobs providing a stable path to the middle class for Black Americans, which is why Trump "took decisive actions to terminate unlawful DEI preferences in the federal government."

"I was laid off and just thrown to the wolves," Jackson said. In February, Jackson was living off the money she had set aside for a down payment on a future home. She told BI it was "the first time that I've ever not had a job, not had income coming in to cover my bills," since she was 16 years old.

A pathway to middle-class security is now uncertain

Some former federal workers BI spoke with decided to take matters into their own hands, rather than subject themselves to the career rollercoaster their peers have endured in recent months.

Alphonso McCree Jr., a veteran and former visual information specialist in Veterans Affairs, started working on Capitol Hill last April. In September, he bought a house in Charles County, Maryland, where he lives with his wife and two young children. He left his job in January when he saw the budget cuts on the horizon.

"Nobody can tell what they're going to do next. It's just really unpredictable," McCree said of the Trump administration.

As the main breadwinner, McCree decided it was riskier to stay at his job than to pursue his freelance videographer business full-time.

"I needed to do what I needed to do to separate myself from their decision-making that was affecting me and my life and my family," he said.

McCree grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC. His parents worked for the federal government, and he recalls having his hair cut by a barber in the basement of their government building. He said almost everyone in his family spent their careers in civil service.

"I've never seen Black people really thriving anywhere like we do in Maryland," said the 30-year-old, adding that while "departments are being abolished and blown up, I don't know what's going to happen."

It's too soon to have data on the demographics of this year's federal government attrition; however, the Office of Personnel Management provided data on the ethnic and racial background of federal workers as of last September. This data seems to have been removed from its website in the last month; OPM did not respond to comment when BI inquired.

Joseph Dean, a research specialist who studies race and economics at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, said it's clear that historically, federal jobs have played a large role in building Black wealth in the DC area — particularly in McCree's hometown of Prince George's County.

In 1970, white residents made up 84% of Prince George's County, while Black people were only 15%. In three decades, the Black population had grown to 64%. Today, Prince George's County is still known as one of the wealthiest, Black-majority counties in the nation.

"The opportunities from the federal government drew Black people, especially throughout the country, to DC to work," said Dean. Today, nearly 18% of all wages earned in Prince George's County come from federal jobs.

Black employment in the public sector dates back to the Reconstruction Era when the United States Postal Service offered some of the first jobs to formerly enslaved people, said Eric Yellin, a history professor at the University of Richmond.

In his book, "Racism in the Nation's Service," Yellin detailed how Black employment ebbed and flowed under various administrations.

"It's never certain in American society that African Americans or minorities in general will be given a fair shot," said Yellin. "It was a 50-year struggle." The civil rights movement led to the fastest progress in closing the racial wealth gap.

It was in the 1960s, when the federal government got serious about preventing discrimination in the workplace, that Black professionals began to flourish — particularly in the federal government.

Black employees face larger wage gaps in the private sector compared to their peers in the public sector due to standardized pay across identical titles and roles in the federal workforce.

"The federal government is the fairest employer in the country as a whole," said Yellin of the standardized merit tests and safeguards in federal jobs meant to prevent bias.

Ashley Shannon chose a career in public service for that reason. In the fall of 2023, Shannon was accepted into the Attorney General's Honors Program — a prestigious program that admits only a handful of entry-level attorneys each year. When she started her position at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, she felt inspired seeing other Black lawyers in leadership who had successfully matriculated to general counsel and deputy attorneys.

"In private practice, there was not as much mobility, or expectation of mobility for people in our community," said Shannon. "Black women, specifically when you look at private firms or large firms, make up less than 1% of those in partnership." In 2020, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that Black women made up 11.7% of the civilian federal workforce, nearly twice their participation in the general labor market.

Shannon moved to DC with the expectation that she would build a life-long career in civil service. She was even looking to purchase a home in the area by the end of 2025.

But seeing the layoffs for probationary employees like herself around the corner, Shannon decided to hand in a resignation letter.

"I'm going to have to move back in with my parents at 28 years old, almost 29, and that is a very defeating feeling as a very new attorney," said Shannon. "I feel like I just got done building a life out here."

Former federal workers are facing a tough job market and more scrutiny on diverse hiring

Not everyone has a safety net in the event of a job loss, and federal workers who leave their jobs are entering a tough hiring market.

Shaye, a contractor for Veterans Affairs, has spent her entire career working in the federal government from the time she was 19 years old to her early 30s. As a current federal employee fearing retaliation, she asked to only be identified by her middle name.

"Many of my co-workers have said, 'We don't even have a backup plan,'" said Shaye. "A lot of us have always worked for the government, and we don't know anything else."

Andrea Slater, director of UCLA's Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity at Work, said that those who've dedicated a large part of their careers to public service face bigger challenges to finding work again after these layoffs.

"A lot of these jobs are very focused and so if they've been in these jobs for decades, there's a high probability that their skill set might not match up with a lot of positions and needs in the private sector," said Slater.

Then there's the added layer that Black employees and other people of color may have been singled out as part of the scrutiny leveled against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, said Yellin. This moment rings eerily of the past that he's studied.

Entering office, Trump signed an executive order "ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing."

"That was the argument that segregationists made, that when you found someone Black in a position of power or participating as equals, something had gone wrong," Yellin said. He compared the executive order to the actions of President Woodrow Wilson who purged Black workers in the federal government in the early 20th century. "There's something similar in the attacks on DEI."

On Wednesday, a group of federal employees across government agencies, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed a class action lawsuit against the White House, claiming they were unlawfully fired for their participation in DEI initiatives and targeted on the basis of their race in violation of their civil rights.

"Every man and woman in this great country should have the opportunity to go as far as their hard work, individual initiative, and competence can take them. In America, grit, excellence, and perseverance are our strengths," the White House's Fields wrote.

All the upheaval has taken a heavy mental toll on Shaye, who loves her work procuring supplies for hospitals that serve veterans. She's frustrated by the insinuation that she was only hired because of her race.

"To be reduced down to that is infuriating and honestly disrespectful to the many hardworking Black federal employees," said Shaye. "I got my job because I showed that I had potential, I showed that I had drive, I showed that I wanted to be there and I was willing to learn."

The stability of Shaye's job in the federal government provided her with the opportunity to pursue the American dream: get married and buy her dream home.

"I have been able to essentially break out of the cycle of struggle," said Shaye, who was raised by a single mother who had to work several jobs to make ends meet.

Now, with the uncertainty around her employment, she feels a cloud of anxiety hanging over her head. She's been trying to alleviate her stress by blasting Lady Gaga while swinging a kettlebell at the gym and journaling about her feelings.

"I am a plan-for-the-worst type of person," said Shaye. She's cut down spending, canceling subscriptions, and is already looking for an exit plan if she is laid off. "I am operating like I am going to lose my job within the next couple of months, if not sooner."

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• Record-high gold prices could see a steep correction in the coming years, according to one analyst.
• There are long-term trends that could push bullion back to $1,820, Morningstar's Jon Mills says.
• That implies a 38% decline for the metal from current levels.

Gold has become a surprise winner of the Trump trade as investors seek shelter amid the policy chaos, but there are longer-term trends that threaten to drag the metal back down to earth.

Jon Mills is an analyst at Morningstar with a particularly downbeat forecast for gold prices. While the rest of Wall Street is setting higher forecasts for bullion, he thinks that gold—which reached a fresh record-high this week—could ultimately tumble to $1,820 an ounce over the next five years.

That implies a 38% drop from its record high of over $3,000 and would wipe out its gains over the past 12 months.

Gold prices traded around $3,080 an ounce on Friday, a fresh all-time high.

Prices for the yellow metal have soared this year due to factors including geopolitical uncertainty, a more challenged outlook for the US economy, and expectations for higher inflation, which has piqued investor interest in safe-haven assets.

The restlessness in markets has made gold a standout asset in the opening months of Trump's term.

But Mills believes that more secular pressures will weigh on gold in the coming years. He told Business Insider he sees three reasons prices will head lower over the long term.

1. Supply in the market will grow

High gold prices have encouraged producers to keep mining more gold, but higher supply will add downward pressure on prices in the coming years, Mills said.

According to data from the World Gold Council, gold mining has become increasingly lucrative in recent years. Average profit margins for gold miners hit $950 an ounce in the second quarter of 2024, the most profitable mining period since 2012.

According to the group's analysis, the above-ground stock of gold also swelled to 216,265 tonnes in 2024, up 9% in five years.

Mills added that more gold is expected to be recycled in the coming years, which will also increase supply.

"Every person and their dog is trying to open a gold mine because it's been profitable," Mills said, pointing to Australia in particular as one of the world's largest producers of gold. "I think you'll see supply increase based on that.

2. Demand for gold will ebb

Central banks and investors have been more interested in buying gold this year as a way of diversifying reserves and to seej shelter from the macro uncertainty.

Global central banks purchased a net 1,045 tons of gold through 2024, the third straight year of purchases over 1,000 tons.

Meanwhile, on the investor side, gold funds are the most popular they've been in years. Inflows into regional gold ETFs reached $9.4 billion in February, the highest inflow in nearly three years, World Gold Council data shows.

But there are signs that the world's appetite for gold is starting to wane. In a survey last year conducted by the WGC, 71% of central banks said they expected their own gold holdings to remain the same or decrease in the coming 12 months.

Investor appetite is also likely to dip, Mills said, given that concerns about the economy are typically short-term factors that influence gold prices. He pointed to gold's brief price spike in 2020, when the pandemic fueled unprecedented concern about the economy. Prices, though, quickly fell after that and didn't climb back to their prior peak until late 2023.

"You need to be careful not to project all these bullish tailwinds on gold," Mills said of record-high gold prices. "If you look at the gold price over the past 25, 30 years, you can see that it goes up a lot, gone up a lot, and then it came back a bit."

"On the demand side you've got all these positive sources of demand now, which I'm not too sure long-term," he added.

3. There are signs a peak is near

Activity in the gold industry is following a familiar pattern that has historically indicated prices are nearing a top, Mills said.

For one, M&A activity is booming, which tends to be the case at the market's peak. Dealmaking in the gold industry climbed 32% year-over-year in 2024, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

There's also been a proliferation of gold-based funds recently, which has been the case in prior peaks, Mills said.

"Long story short, you have all these things that are pushing up the gold price," Mills told BI. "I think you have to be careful not to project current spot prices unto eternity or over the long term."

Many Wall Street forecasters expect gold prices to keep climbing in the near term. This week, Bank of America raised its gold forecast over the next two years to $3,500 an ounce, assuming investment in the metal increases by 10%. Goldman Sachs also raised its forecast, predicting that gold could rise to $3,300 by the end of the year.

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