• Angelina Jolie is one of the biggest movie stars of the last 40 years.
• She's been nominated for two competitive Oscars, winning one.
• But she's also appeared in some bombs like "The Tourist" and "Alexander."

Jolie is an Oscar-winning actor who has been in dozens of movies over her 43-year career. Some of her films have made hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, including "Kung Fu Panda," "Eternals," and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

But while some of her films have been beloved by critics, others have been panned.

We used Rotten Tomatoes to find the best and worst films of her career, according to critics. Here are the 10 worst — and 11 best films — of Jolie's filmography.

These are the worst films of Jolie's career, according to critics.

Not all of Jolie's films have been highly regarded by critics. Here are some of the worst, according to reviews.

10. "Life or Something Like It" (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%

In "Life or Something Like It," Jolie plays Lanie, a Seattle TV reporter who meets Jack (Tony Shalhoub), a man claiming to be a modern-day prophet. When he tells her she only has seven days to live, she begins changing her life.

Rex Reed of The Observer called the film "Formulaic, delusional and about as accurate a depiction of life in television news (or something like it) as a Pillsbury bake-off."

9. "Gone in 60 Seconds" (2000)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 26%

"Gone in 60 Seconds" stars Nicolas Cage as Randall, a former car thief who returns to the game to save his brother's life. In order to do so, he has to steal 50 cars in 72 hours. Jolie plays a mechanic, Sara (or Sway), who is also Randall's ex-girlfriend.

"What's missing from 'Gone in 60 Seconds' is anything new. There's a 'been there, done that' feeling to the enterprise," wrote David Ansen of Newsweek.

8. "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life" (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%

Jolie returned to play the famed video-game character Lara Croft for the 2003 sequel, "Cradle of Life." This time, the treasure hunter/archaeologist is hired by MI6 to find the Cradle of Life, an ancient artifact with deadly capabilities.

"This Indiana Jones knockoff goes down smoothly enough, and Jolie isn't bad at all," wrote Chicago Reader's JR Jones.

7. "Taking Lives" (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 22%

"Taking Lives" is a thriller that stars Jolie as an FBI profiler, Ileana, who is called to Montreal to help with a serial killer who takes on the identities of his victims. Ethan Hawke costars as a civilian, James, who helps Ileana crack the case … but all is not what it seems.

"If you can buy the pillow-lipped Angelina Jolie as a psychic FBI agent in Montreal to hunt a serial killer, then you can swallow the other implausibilities in this retread thriller," wrote Peter Travers for Rolling Stone.

5 (tie). "The Tourist" (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

In "The Tourist," Jolie stars as Elise, the lover of famed criminal Alexander Pearce, who has since gone missing and is believed to have altered his appearance with plastic surgery.

When she receives a note from Pearce to pick a random man to give over to the police in place of Pearce, she chooses Frank (Johnny Depp), a mild-mannered math teacher from Wisconsin. But there are many parties interested in finding Pearce, and a chase across Europe ensues.

"Though she's given virtually nothing to do but sashay down train platforms in designer outfits, I will say that I enjoy how much Angelina Jolie enjoys being a movie star," wrote Dana Stevens for Slate.

5 (tie). "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

Lara Croft made it to the big screen in this 2001 action film which stars Jolie as Lara, a British archaeologist/treasure hunter/martial arts expert/tech genius.

In order to keep a mysterious object known as the Triangle out of the wrong hands, she goes on a globe-trotting adventure with fellow treasure hunter Alex West (Daniel Craig) and Manfred Powell (Iain Glen), the leader of the Illuminati.

Time Out said the film was "a jerky, fragmented tale that jumps from one exotic location to the next without any explanation or flow."

4. "Playing God" (1997)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%

"Playing God" stars David Duchovny as a surgeon who loses his license after being caught operating under the influence. He's then hired as the personal doctor of a mob boss, Raymond (Timothy Hutton). Jolie has a supporting role as Raymond's girlfriend, Claire.

"What can you say about a time-waster like 'Playing God' with its multiple murders, corrupt FBI agents, obligatory car chase and dumb, self-referential, four-letter-word humor," wrote SF Gate's Edward Guthmann.

3. "Alexander" (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15%

One of the more ignominious legacies of "Alexander" is that a 29-year-old Jolie was cast to play Queen Olympus, the mother of Alexander, played by the 28-year-old Colin Farrell. Yes, the two are just 11 months apart and played mother and son.

The film depicts the rise and fall of Alexander in the ancient world.

"While it's worth applauding 'Alexander' for not making its legendary hero 100% hetero, there's nothing else to recommend about this stilted, tedious epic," wrote Alonso Duralde for The Advocate.

2. "Beyond Borders" (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%

Jolie plays Sarah Beauford, a young socialite who gives up her privileged life to become an aid worker in Ethiopia after meeting the bold doctor Nick Callahan (Clive Owen).

Jen Chaney of The Washington Post called the film "well-intentioned but astonishingly flat."

1. "Original Sin" (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 12%

"Original Sin" is a twisty thriller in which Jolie plays a young woman, Julia, who is chosen by a wealthy Cuban man Luis (Antonio Banderas) to be his mail-order bride. But Julia is not who she says she is, leading Luis to question their entire relationship.

"The only sin committed here is the cardinal one of boring us to tears," wrote Neil Smith for the BBC.

Now for the best work of Jolie's career.

These films were ruled the best of Jolie's career by critics, including multiple "Kung Fu Panda" films and the recent critical darling "Maria."

11. "Those Who Wish Me Dead" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%

"Those Who Wish Me Dead" was directed by the mind behind "Yellowstone," Taylor Sheridan. It stars Jolie as a traumatized firefighter who finds herself involved in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as two assassins trail the son of a forensic accountant who has uncovered shady business dealings.

"The fiery explosions and chase sequences are handsomely shot, but the plot is undeniably absurd and the ominous/rousing soundtrack downright hokey. It's the performances and banter that make the project worth watching," wrote Charlotte O'Sullivan for The London Evening Standard.

8 (tie). "Wanted" (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

"Wanted" is based on the comics series of the same. It stars James McAvoy, a nervy young man, Wesley, prone to panic attacks who learns that he's actually part of a somewhat supernatural order of assassins called the Fraternity. Jolie plays Fox, a member of the Fraternity and Wesley's mentor.

"Visually stunning and ethically loathsome, for better or worse, 'Wanted' is one of the freshest action movies in years," wrote The New Republic's Christopher Orr.

8 (tie). "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

"Sky Captain" may have been a box-office bomb at the time, but it's since become a cult classic. The film takes place in an alternate, steampunkish New York in 1939. Jolie has a small role as a Navy pilot named Franky, an ally of Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), the titular Sky Captain.

"His nostalgia enabled by technology, [director Kerry] Conran takes the ghosts in his machine seriously, and the results appear at once meltingly lovely and intriguingly inhuman," wrote Ed Park for The Village Voice.

8 (tie). "Beowulf" (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

"Beowulf" might not have the best reputation now, but at the time it was warmly received by critics. It's an adaptation of the Old English epic poem "Beowulf," and stars Ray Winstone as the titular legendary warrior. Beowulf's archenemy is Grendel (Crispin Glover), a troll and one of Beowulf's enemies. Jolie plays Grendel's mother, a Water Demon.

"The film strives for mythological depth and epic breadth, but it's hard to get below the flat, shallow gloss over every surface," wrote the AV Club's Tasha Robinson.

7. "The One and Only Ivan" (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

"The One and Only Ivan" is based on a real gorilla named Ivan. He grew up in an enclosure in a shopping center in Tacoma, Washington, until a campaign led by the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) led to his transfer to a zoo. Sam Rockwell voices Ivan and Jolie voices one of his friends at the zoo, an elephant named Stella.

"Whether you think of yourself as a marshmallow or believe you have a heart of steel, there's a strong probability that The One and Only Ivan is going to make you cry... or well up, at least," wrote Melanie McFarland for Salon.

6. "Maria" (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%

Jolie was nominated for a Golden Globe and is receiving Oscar buzz for her performance as opera singer Maria Callas in "Maria." The film follows the last seven days of Callas' life in 1973 before she died of a heart attack.

"La Diva Eterna lives in Jolie, with a performance as towering as it is understated: sad and soulful and heartbreaking. She has never been better. Brava," wrote John Nugent for Empire Magazine.

5. "A Mighty Heart" (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

"A Mighty Heart" is based on a true story, the search for Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped in Pakistan in 2002. Jolie plays Mariane Pearl, Daniel's wife and fellow journalist.

The film received criticism for Jolie's casting, as in real life, Pearl is of Afro-Cuban descent and Jolie is white, but Pearl herself approved Jolie's casting, per Time.

"Although it is impossible to erase the specter of Brangelina from your mind altogether while watching Jolie inhabit the role of Mariane Pearl, you can manage it for surprisingly long stretches at a time," Sandra Hall of The Sydney Morning Herald.

4. "Kung Fu Panda 2" (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

"Kung Fu Panda 2" sees the return of Po (Jack Black) a lazy kung-fu-loving panda, and the rest of his friends: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), the Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), Crane (David Cross), and Monkey (Jackie Chan). They team up to defeat the evil peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) from taking over China.

"It's a great-looking animation and a nice entertainment, though targeted at a younger audience, without the extra level of adult sophistication," wrote Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian.

2 (tie). "Kung Fu Panda 3" (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

In "Kung Fu Panda 3," Po is named leader of the Furious Five, and discovers a secret village of pandas and reunites with his biological father Li Shan (Bryan Cranston).

"Gaze in wonder at the beautiful woodcut-inspired landscapes, the 2D manga-style flashbacks, and the inventive choreography. Skidoosh, indeed," wrote The Irish Times' Tara Brady.

2 (tie). "Kung Fu Panda" (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

In "Kung Fu Panda," audiences were first introduced to Po, a giant panda who helps his adopted father Mr. Ping (James Hong), a goose, run his noodle restaurant, but his dream is to practice kung fu with the Furious Five, kung fu masters. Po gets his chance to join the team and achieve his dreams when a contest is held.

"The aphorisms creak. The plot's an open book. But all of those clichés are part of the joke in this ebullient ursine coming-of-age tale about a humble panda destined for greatness," wrote the Houston Chronicle's Amy Biancolli.

1. "Gia" (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

"Gia" tells the true story of one of the US' first supermodels, Gia Carangi (Jolie). It begins when Carangi first moves from Philadelphia to New York City and follows her career's rise and fall and her struggles with drug use. Jolie won a Golden Globe for her performance.

"A film about a woman's meteoric rise to fame, made shortly before Jolie's own career went stratospheric, this is a widely overlooked production that shows the incredible breadth of the actor's talent," wrote Kat Halstead for Common Sense Media.

• Business Insider spoke with professional stylists about 2025 jewelry trends.
• They predicted that watches and rings would be the center of attention this year.
• However, the quiet-luxury trend is replacing big, branded pieces.

Jewelry can be just as important as clothing when it comes to curating a personal style.

Although some aspects of the accessory are more personal and subjective — wedding bands, family heirlooms, etc — there are still overarching trends that rotate in and out of style.

Business Insider spoke with three professional stylists to get their take on all the jewelry trends that will be popular and out in 2025.

Curating a collection of comfortable everyday jewelry is the way to go.

Personal and celebrity stylist Kim Appelt predicts a general trend toward convenience, comfort, and ease in 2025.

In other words, jewelry that goes with everything — like stacked gold pieces — offers an effortless way to accessorize.

The stylist emphasized the subjectivity of this trend, saying, "your body and your environment" dictate which pieces are best suited to you.

Have fun with your rings.

If you think you're wearing enough rings, consider adding another.

"Everyone has a million rings on, like rings on every single finger," Ceila "CG" Quarles, who's styled multiple musicians and worked at RSVP Gallery, said.

When following the trend, the stylist suggested leaning toward solid precious metals rather than stones for a more industrial feel.

1990s-inspired bling is back in a big way.

Fashion is cyclical, and '90s ware has been back in style for a few years now. Sandra Okerulu, a celebrity stylist with over 10 years of experience, said it's also time to start experimenting with jewelry trends from the decade.

Whether that means investing in customized nameplate pieces or an initial ring surrounded by encrusted gems, bling is at the forefront of the retro trend.

Play around with minimalism this year.

As "quiet" status symbols become more prevalent in the fashion world, Appelt said minimalism will be big in 2025.

"I see classic, I see luxury, I see dainty," she told BI.

With more inspiration from the '90s, the professional stylist recommends focusing on classic pieces — like a pair of studs or a simple gold chain — for a minimalistic look that exudes luxury.

Don't shy away from mixing metals.

You may have been told that you should never mix gold and silver jewelry, but CQ said that's an antiquated school of thought. What was once considered a fashion faux pas now adds a perfect touch to a stylish look.

"People are not afraid to mix metals anymore," she said. "Having stacked silver and gold? That's hot."

Layering silver and gold pieces can help personalize a look while also making it more modern.

Pearls are still in style.

Appelt said pearls will still be hot in 2025.

Although the jewelry trend has been around for decades, celebrities like Harry Styles have bolstered it and turned pearl necklaces into genderless accessories.

In addition to chokers and other necklaces, Appelt suggested incorporating pearl earring studs into your jewelry box.

A good pair of hoops goes a long way.

There will likely always be a time and place for hoop earrings.

Okerulu said a more modest hoop will complement the overarching trends of simplicity and quiet luxury in 2025.

"Modesty in what you're wearing is definitely in," she said.

It's time to buy a watch.

CQ said watches are popular right now, especially among younger crowds looking for more mature looks.

She credits the shift to social media, telling BI that she's noticed that the pressure to curate an image for yourself on different platforms may have "expedited a lot of people's youth."

Just as blazers and other business-casual clothing have come back in style, adding a watch to an outfit helps exude a more tailored and professional look.

On the other hand, we can leave big gold earrings in the past.

Although 2025 style seems to be taking a lot of inspiration from the '90s, we can leave some looks in the past.

Appelt said the big, gold earrings — à la Princess Diana — that have been popular the past few years are on their way out.

The shift matches the general trend toward luxurious minimalism.

Layering is out, and simplicity is in.

Okerulu said she's seeing more people ditch heavy necklace layering. To follow the quiet-luxury trend, opt for a statement piece instead.

Stacking rings and bracelets will still be in, but Okerulu encourages people to choose one or the other to keep things simple.

Designer labels have almost become a faux pas.

The rise of modesty and quiet luxury has also led to many being less interested in buying accessories with visible designer labels and logos.

In general, Okerulu told BI, that people aren't being as obvious with their luxury jewelry.

Instead of flashy logos or easily recognizable designs, the stylist recommends looking for simple, high-quality pieces that will last forever.

• I'm raising a teenager, and I often feel that none of my choices is right.
• Parenting right now often feels like the "Barbie" monologue where we can't do anything right.
• I wonder what he's going to remember as an adult and what he's going to forget.

My teenage son was about to miss a school deadline. We'd spent the last few days mapping out a plan: breaking down the project into manageable pieces, setting reminders, checking in here and there. But when the final weekend of the due date arrived, Joey wasn't working on it. He wasn't panicking, either. He was on his phone.

I stood in the kitchen with my coffee, frozen in that familiar parenting dance. Should I demand he work on the assignment now, or should I stay quiet, letting him manage his own time?

Neither choice felt right.

If I stepped in, would I be an overbearing helicopter parent hovering too close? But if I let it go, would I be failing him by taking away adult support to guide his follow-through practice?

And then a bigger, deeper question that always surfaces for me: In the grand scheme of parenting and all that's happening in the world, is this even something worthy of such contemplation?

Parenting in today's day and age feels like an impossible task.

Parenting feels like the famous 'Barbie' monologue

The iconic "Barbie" monologue still lingers with me even more than a year after its release — not because it's about parenting (it's not) but because Greta Gerwig gave words to something both deeply personal and undeniably universal. The monologue, powerfully delivered by America Ferrera, calls out the contradictory expectations and impossible standards placed on women.

I think parenting is like that, too.

It is literally impossible to be a parent. You love your child so deeply, and it's heartbreaking to worry that it's not enough. Like, we need to be extraordinary at this difficult thing all the time, no matter what, and somehow, there's always someone saying we're doing it wrong.

You're supposed to raise independent kids, but not so independent that they feel abandoned. You want them to be fully themselves but also protect them from a world that isn't understanding. You have to discipline them, but not too harshly, or you'll damage them. Be patient but not permissive. Cherish every moment, but don't forget to think about and prepare them for the future.

You have to balance being their authority figure and their empathetic listener. You need to stay calm, even when you're completely exhausted. You're supposed to love your career, but never let it interfere with your family. You're supposed to provide them with every opportunity but also don't spoil them.

You can't admit how hard it is because that might make it seem like you don't love them enough. And if they struggle in any way — socially, academically, emotionally — that's your fault. Didn't you read the right parenting books? Take the right classes? Use the right tone?

And, on top of all that, how do we know which moments will matter most?

I wonder what he's going to remember about me as a parent

I wonder what Joey will remember from these years and what he won't.

I think about my own childhood and how certain moments stayed while others quietly fell away. I remember an afternoon when the kids in my neighborhood made fun of me for not knowing how to ride my bike without training wheels. My dad shooed them away, and even though I didn't magically learn to ride that day, I felt protected and watched over.

Years later, I was in a minor fender bender on my way to high school. Still a bit rattled after exchanging insurance information, I drove home instead of heading to school and called my dad. He explained that this wasn't a time to retreat but a time to keep going. So, to school I went.

Or the night my mom stayed up late helping me clean my room, even though I was the one who made the mess. I was so overwhelmed I couldn't start, and instead of lecturing me, she sat on the floor and helped. On the flip side, I knew better than to call her at work if I forgot a school assignment at home; those consequences were mine to handle.

I will always wonder if I've done enough as a parent

The truth is, I don't think I'll ever stop second-guessing myself as a parent. I'll always wonder if I should have done more or less, if I should have stepped in earlier or held back longer. Or is my perspective too insular in proportion to the external happenings in the world?

What I'm trying to hold onto is that raising a perfect kid in an imperfect world surely can't be the goal.

My parents' style was both hands-on and hands-off. Now that I'm a parent, I understand the seemingly infinite number of factors that influence parenting choices. I have a hunch my parents didn't have a precise formula for when to use which approach. What I am certain about is that my parents did their best with each decision.

That's what we're all doing, right? Our best at any given moment. That's what I can commit to: showing up every day, doing my best in each particular moment, warts and all. I hope that's enough.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg has outlined a new template for companies to make up with President-elect Trump and MAGA.

Why it matters: Meta did this with a methodical striptease over nine days, capturing massive public and MAGA attention.

• "This is speaking Trump's love language," a transition source told us.

Zuckerberg had been considering some of the moves for years. Almost all had been in the works for months. But sources tell us Meta deliberately packaged them all up for detonation over nine days to maximize the pop for Trump.

• "It's hard to break through in this media environment," said a source familiar with the strategy. "It sends a signal."

Here's the Meta formula:

• Put a Trump friend on your board (Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White).
• Promote a prominent Republican as your chief global affairs officer (Joel Kaplan, succeeding liberal-friendly Nick Clegg, president of global affairs).
• Align your philosophy with Trump's on a big-ticket public issue (free speech over fact-checking).
• Announce your philosophical change on Fox News, hoping Trump is watching. In this case, he was. "Meta, Facebook, I think they've come a long way," Trump said at a Mar-a-Lago news conference, adding of Kaplan's appearance on the "Fox and Friends" curvy couch: "The man was very impressive."
• Take a big public stand on a favorite issue for Trump and MAGA (rolling back DEI programs).
• Amplify that stand in an interview with Fox News Digital. (Kaplan again!)
• Go on Joe Rogan's podcast and blast President Biden for censorship.
• And light up social media with all the fireworks.

Between the lines: Love it or hate it, the strategy seemed to work brilliantly. Trump praised Meta. Rogan hailed Zuck.

• House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who has aggressively investigated Big Tech, said he hopes other companies "follow the lead of X and Meta in upholding freedom of speech online."

Behind the scenes: After visiting Trump at Mar-a-Lago in November, Zuckerberg decided to relax Meta's speech policies and "asked a small team to carry out his goals within weeks," The New York Times reported.

• Knowing the change would be contentious, Zuckerberg "assembled a team of no more than a dozen close advisers and lieutenants, including Joel Kaplan ... Kevin Martin, the head of U.S. policy; and David Ginsberg, the head of communications. Mr. Zuckerberg insisted on no leaks," The Times added.
• Zuckerberg was back at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, a day after taping with Rogan in Austin.

The big picture: Every company in America is watching. We can expect some to copy Zuckerberg — after Elon Musk showed the way.

• Shifts this fast are rare. And rarely isolated.

What we're watching: Backlash — internal and external — is already brewing.

• Training materials for Meta's new speech policies list examples of permissible attacks against various identity groups.
• Roy Austin Jr., who built and led a small civil rights team inside Meta beginning in 2021, announced Friday he was leaving the company.
• Biden criticized Zuckerberg's fact-checking reversal as "shameful" at a new conference Friday.

The bottom line: Alex Bruesewitz — CEO of X Strategies LLC, and trusted adviser to the Trump campaign on alternative media — told us companies are either "a. Finally recognizing that 'wokeness' is a cancer, or b. Strategically adapting to the political climate and pandering to Republicans now that we are in power."

• "Only time will tell which is the true motivation," Bruesewitz said. "Regardless, MAGA is winning and will continue to win!"

Axios' Zachary Basu contributed reporting.

President-elect Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Saturday to push for a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, Israeli officials said.

Why it matters: Witkoff's traveled to Israel from Qatar as part of a last-minute effort by Trump to press all parties involved in the negotiations to conclude the deal before Jan. 20.

• Trump has threatened there would be "hell to pay in the Middle East" if Hamas didn't release the hostages by the time he is inaugurated.

Behind the scenes: A senior Israeli official said Witkoff delivered a message to the prime minister of Qatar in their meeting in Doha on Friday that Trump wants to see a deal within days.

• Witkoff is expected to deliver the same message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they meet later on Saturday.
• Witkoff declined to comment.

Driving the news: Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas with Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediation are still ongoing in Doha.

• President Biden's top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk is in Doha and is involved in the negotiations. U.S. officials say McGurk and Witkoff are coordinating their efforts.
• About 98 hostages are still held by Hamas in Gaza, among them seven Americans. Roughly half of the hostages are believed to be still alive, according to Israeli intelligence, including three Americans.
• If an agreement is reached, the first phase could include the release of 33 hostages — some who are still alive and some who are dead.
• The first phase is also expected to include a ceasefire in Gaza for a period of between six and seven weeks and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those who murdered Israelis.

State of play: White House spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that progress has been made in the negotiations and that a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal is possible before Jan. 20.

• "But more compromises are needed," Kirby said.
• Israeli officials said on Saturday that there has been progress in the talks over the last 24 hours.
• They said Netanyahu has to decide whether to send the directors of the Israeli Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence agencies to Doha to join the talks and try to close the deal.

What they're saying: CIA director Bill Burns told NPR in an interview publish on Friday that the hostages are held "in hellish conditions in tunnels and Gaza civilians are also in hellish conditions and suffering terribly."

• "So there's every reason for political leaders to recognize that enough is enough. That perfect is rarely on the menu in the Middle East and it's time to make a deal," he said.

• I visited Lapland, Finland's northernmost region, and stayed in an igloo for $150 a night.
• It was much cheaper than other similar accommodations I found in the area.
• The outside temperature was below freezing, but I slept extremely well and had a blast.

I've always dreamed of staying in an igloo. The novelty experience just seems perfectly nostalgic to me — the sort of thing you conjure up in childhood but forget to tick off your list as an adult.

When I booked a trip to Lapland in December, I knew I wanted to make it happen.

Unfortunately, most igloo stays are out of my budget, especially in December, when prices tend to go up due to higher demand. Everything I saw was either close to $800 a night or booked out months in advance.

I almost resigned myself to failure until I stumbled across Lucky Ranch, a family-owned lodge just outside Pyhä-Luosto National Park on the shores of the serene Lake Pyhäjärvi.

Stays in its elaborately carved igloos were available for just $150 a night — and they included breakfast. I couldn't believe my luck.

I arrived early and familiarized myself with the property.

I arrived a little early at "base camp" (a toasty wooden cabin with washroom facilities and a restaurant), where reception staff immediately offered me a hot drink.

A kind employee then offered to take me on a guided tour to get the lay of the land.

Stepping out the back door, I was giddy at the sight of four igloos surrounded by pine trees and strung-up fairy lights. The backdrop of the frozen lake made the novelty accommodation even more impressive.

As the first igloo guest to arrive for the day, I had the pick of the bunch.

The igloos are really just made of snow.

The igloos were a remarkable feat of architecture, a true winter wonderland.

A staff member told me that the lodge savvily creates them by inflating a huge balloon and dumping tons of snow on top. Once the walls are intact, a local artist begins carving unique decorations in each room.

The whole building process takes about a day, and the igloo I stayed in was built only a week before my trip.

It was beautiful inside.

Once I selected my igloo, I got settled in.

There were no doors — I entered my lodging by pulling aside a heavy cloth curtain. Inside, a double bed topped with reindeer pelts sat underneath an ice carving of a horse head, illuminated by delicately hung lights.

Getting ready for bed took a little extra prep work.

Back inside the base camp, I lined my stomach with a hearty Margherita pizza and charged my phone to prepare for my night in the igloo.

Then, I started layering up.

The staff emphasized the risk of frostbite, saying it was vital that I dress appropriately and remain in the sleeping bag overnight. However, the base camp would remain open for anyone who got too cold or needed a complimentary hot drink.

I went with a full-body merino base layer, thermal waterproof trousers, woolen sweaters, and woolly socks. It was hardly my trendiest look, but it was definitely comfortable.

I tested its warmth with regular dashes outside onto the frozen lake, gazing up at the stars and trying to see the northern lights.

It was chilly, but I was surprisingly comfortable.

By 9:30 p.m., it was bedtime. Staff members handed out pillows and sleeping bags with liners, provided a short safety briefing, and offered us hot water bottles.

Once I was tucked in, all my nerves drifted away. Although it was -12 degrees Celsius, or about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, outside, the temperature gauge inside the igloo hovered closer to 3 C.

The cold had a calming effect, and I was surprised at how comfortable I felt.

Scandinavian parents famously let their babies nap outside in prams in freezing temperatures to improve their sleep quality. Over 10 hours of blissful sleep later, bundled in my multiple layers, I could see why.

I woke up feeling refreshed and rested.

The nearby activities were worth getting up for.

Since the igloo was relatively affordable, I had the dispensable budget to treat myself to an optional add-on activity.

After a complimentary breakfast of toast, eggs, and salad, I stored my bags at reception and waited to be picked up for a $60 tour of a husky farm.

I met the dogs and watched training demonstrations while drinking hot berry juice to warm up. Then, I set off on a quick self-guided hike up the Soutaja Fell.

I can't image any of the pricier options being better than my igloo stay.

Lucky Ranch's location was a dream for adventurous tourists like me. The rural setting was a far cry from the urban bustle of Rovaniemi — where much of Lapland's winter tourism takes place.

I found the experience priceless, which is ironic considering it was one of the most budget-friendly options.

Between the beautiful property and the great night's sleep, I can't wait to come back. Next time, I'd definitely book a longer stay.

• Dana Bull plans to optimize her real estate portfolio in 2025 rather than acquiring more properties.
• She aims to increase revenue by focusing on insurance, taxes, and renovation costs.
• With insurance costs on the rise, any investor can benefit from shopping around.

Dana Bull isn't looking to acquire any more properties in 2025.

The experienced investor built wealth by buying primarily multi-family properties in Massachusetts. She's also a real-estate agent and consultant, and a mother of four. Between her various work projects and renovating her primary residence, she says she has plenty to keep her busy in 2025.

While she's not expanding her doors, she still expects to grow her revenue in the new year.

Any investor can benefit from optimizing what they already own, said Bull: "If you're not going to buy right now — for personal reasons or you just don't like the interest rates or whatever is going on — this could be a good year to just focus on your business, your expenses, and tighten up what you already have."

Specifically, she's looking to optimize in three categories, which could improve her returns significantly.

1. Insurance

Like many investors and homeowners, Bull has seen her insurance rates rise over the past couple of years.

The general trend is that "insurance is harder to get and it's more expensive," she said. "That cost for me has just jumped. It's a big line item. I have had the same provider for the past 10 years, and I need to just go out there and procure quotes and make sure that I'm not getting overcharged for what's being covered."

It can be time-consuming to keep track of each policy and its changes, especially if you own a lot of properties.

"I feel like it's the wild, wild west," said Bull of navigating the insurance world. "Many times, a program that we have a property covered by will just be dropped, or they'll no longer cover that property for reason X, Y, or Z, so it's like this revolving door of making sure that the properties all have coverage — and the right coverage."

She says she's been more "passive" about optimizing insurance in the past, but now that prices are soaring, she plans to shop around and do her due diligence in 2025.

2. Taxes

In addition to insurance, her property taxes have gone up.

"The tax rate has not gone up, but the value of the properties has gone up so significantly that you're just paying thousands more a year for taxes," explained Bull. One of her properties, for example, will cost an extra $2,000 a year. "If I multiply that across my whole portfolio, that's a lot of money."

If you think your property is overvalued, you can appeal your property assessment.

"I think I have a few properties that are overvalued," said Bull. "Some aren't, so obviously there's nothing to do there. But if I can make a case and bring in comps and show them this is an overvaluation and now I'm being taxed higher than I probably should, I have found in the past that if you're just a squeaky wheel, they'll work with you."

3. Renovation costs

Bull has seen the availability and cost of hiring contractors vary dramatically over her investing career.

"When I first started in real estate, which was at the tail end of the recession, contractors were out of work, and they needed work, so the pricing was way different 10 years ago than it is today," she said. "And then during the pandemic, everybody was renovating their home and contractors had such a surplus of work that they could basically charge whatever they wanted, and you were going to pay it because you were desperate."

Heading into 2025, "the tides are kind of turning," she said, in that contractors won't be able to pick their price.

It's worth it to shop around, said Bull, adding that you may be surprised by the varying prices you receive. For example, she had to replace three roofs for one of her multi-family properties: "One quote came in at $30,000, another came in at $21,000, and then another came in at $12,000. And I'm reviewing the quotes and pretty much everything is the same. The product is the same."

While meeting with multiple contractors can be "a pain in the butt," she acknowledged, it could mean tens of thousands of dollars in savings.

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a challenge to the Affordable Care Act's requirement that insurers cover certain recommended preventive services at no cost.

Why it matters: Eliminating the requirement could limit access to services like cancer screenings, preventive medications for heart disease, behavioral health counseling and HIV drugs known as PrEP.

• The timing of the high court review puts the legal defense of the ACA mandate in the hands of the incoming Trump administration.

Zoom in: The case takes up whether the coverage requirement, based on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, is invalid because the panel lacked authority since its members weren't Senate-confirmed.

• Two Christian-owned companies and several individuals sued the federal government on religious freedom grounds in 2020 over the requirement that their employer-sponsored insurance cover no-cost preventive medicines for HIV.
• A federal judge in Texas in 2022 ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and blocked the government from requiring insurers to provide free coverage of recommended services.
• The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year agreed with some of the arguments but overturned the nationwide injunction, only blocking the requirement for the companies and individuals who brought the case.

The Biden administration and the challengers each asked the Supreme Court to review that mixed ruling. The administration argued it called into question insurers' legal duty to cover task force recommendations without cost-sharing.

• Allowing employers to exclude PrEP over religious objections could open the door to objections over other covered services, including vaccines, KFF has noted.

• The war in Ukraine has given rise to explosive-packed drones modified with fiber-optic cables.
• These drones are dangerous, as they can't be jammed with electronic warfare and are harder to detect.
• But one Ukrainian company is developing a solution so front-line soldiers can find the drones.

Russian forces are using explosive-packed drones connected to their operators by fiber-optic cables to deliver unjammable precision strikes on Ukrainian troops and military equipment, and Kyiv is looking for a fix to fight back.

Fiber-optic drones have been increasingly appearing in combat over about the last year, and they're a challenge. These drones are dangerous because they can't be jammed with traditional electronic warfare and are difficult to defend against, highlighting the need for a solution.

The drones are "a real problem" because "we cannot detect and intercept them" electronically, Yuriy, a major in an electronic-warfare unit of the Ukrainian National Guard, told Business Insider. "If we can see, we can fight."

The problem is one that the defense industry is looking into closely. Kara Dag, for instance, is an American-Ukrainian technology company that's developing software and hardware to defend against Russian drones for the military and working on a solution, but it's still early days.

The company's chief technology officer, who goes by the pseudonym John for security purposes, said the ongoing conflict is a "war of drones." He told BI Ukraine had managed this fight well with jamming techniques, but Russia has found ways to slip past some of its defenses.

Fiber-optic drones, which Russia appears to have started flying into battle last spring, are first-person view, or FPV, drones, but rather than rely on a signal connection, they are wired with cables that preserve a stable connection. As a result, these drones are resistant to electronic warfare, like radio frequency jammers, and produce high-quality video transmissions.

In August, combat footage from Russian fiber-optic drones began to circulate, indicating a more lasting presence on the battlefield. Now, both militaries are using these drones.

Fiber-optic drones are highly dangerous, John said, as they can fly in tunnels, close to the ground, through valleys, and in other areas where other drones might lose connection with their operators. They are also tough to detect because they don't emit any radio signals.

Russia can use these drones to destroy Ukrainian armored vehicles and study its defensive positions, he said. Since they don't have bandwidth problems, these drones "can transmit very high-quality picture and they literally see everything."

The drones aren't without their disadvantages, though. Yuriy shared that the fiber-optic drones are slower than the untethered FPV drones and unable to make sharp changes in direction. He said that Russia does not have too many of these drones, either, nor does it use them in every direction of the front lines. But where they are used, they're a problem.

Because jamming doesn't work on fiber-optic drones, there are efforts underway to explore other options for stopping these systems, such as audio and visual detection. But this kind of technology can be expensive and hard to manufacture.

John said that the company has developed a low-cost solution to find fiber-optic drones. One element of this system is an array of dozens of microphones that can be focused on one point in the sky to listen for any nearby drones. The second element is an unfocused infrared laser that highlights any object in a certain area of the sky while a camera records any reflected light coming back.

It's a single device that can be placed around a kilometer from troop positions. John said the device is in lab testing, and the next step is to deploy it in real combat conditions on the front lines next month. The plan is to eventually produce several thousand of these devices every month.

The introduction of fiber-optic drones into battle — and Ukraine's subsequent efforts to counter them — underscores how both Moscow and Kyiv are constantly trying to innovate with uncrewed systems before the enemy can adapt, a trend that has been evident throughout the war.

In a previous interview with BI, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, described the technology and drone race playing out in this fight as a "cat-and-mouse game." He said that Kyiv is trying to stay several steps ahead of Moscow at all times.

The Ukrainian military said last month that it was testing fiber-optic drones, adding that "FPV drones with this technology are becoming a big problem for the enemy on the front line."

On Tuesday, a Ukrainian government platform that facilitates innovation within the country's defense industry shared new footage of fiber-optic drone demonstrations on social media. Russia, if it's not already, may soon find itself working to counter these new drones as well.

They say it's hard to turn a battleship around, but Mark Zuckerberg just about-faced his globe-spanning, $1.5 trillion-value, 3 billion-user company — transforming Meta from a bastion of Silicon Valley's socially progressive neoliberalism into a full-on MAGA hive.

Why it matters: After Zuckerberg's embrace of Trump and Trumpism, Silicon Valley is holding its breath to see whether a whole row of tech dominoes is about to fall in the same direction.

Some early signs of wobble:

• Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon have all lined up to give $1 million each to the Trump inauguration. (Apple's donation came personally from CEO Tim Cook.)
• Amazon put $40 million behind a Melania Trump documentary.

State of play: So far, while Meta's competitors have ritualistically expressed their willingness to work with the new administration, none of them has gone as far as Zuckerberg in donning the corporate equivalent of a MAGA hat.

• This week he announced Meta was ending its fact-checking program; loosening restrictions on hate speech; and shutting down the company's diversity efforts.

Publicly traded companies with billions of customers generally try not to alienate any large bloc of the public. Becoming closely aligned with either side of the U.S.'s red/blue divide risks limiting a business's market reach.

• Until now, Elon Musk has been the striking exception to this rule. Zuckerberg makes two — and his moves open the door wider for anyone else who wants to emulate them.

Yes, but: Zuckerberg, unlike his rival CEOs, has absolute voting control of his company.

• As he said in a three-hour conversation with Joe Rogan Friday, "Because I control our company, I have the benefit of not having to convince the board not to fire me."
• None of the other members of tech's trillion-dollar club can move with the same speed or independence, even if they wanted to.

Case in point: Apple has always aimed, and often managed, to transcend mere politics and inhabit a separate dimension making "great products that people love."

• Cook worked with Trump last time around, winning "Tim Apple" as a sobriquet but also occasionally speaking out about the importance of protecting immigrant workers and LGBTQ rights.
• Google and Microsoft — both with immigrant, non-white CEOs — also offered some pushback on those issues during Trump's first administration as well.
• Tech leaders united to oppose Trump's ban on transgender troops and, in a variety of combinations, took on some of his immigration policies.

This time around, these firms are quietly signaling they want to cooperate with the new Trump team on issues — like competition with China — where they see common ground.

• All these companies were the target of a federal antitrust full-court press in the Biden era, and each is wondering whether they can get a reprieve from the new team in D.C.
• Every tech giant also wants to expand the use of skilled-worker visas, and that has already led to friction with the immigrant-hostile MAGA movement.

During the first Trump term, an activist young tech work force occasionally took to the barricades to protest government policies and pressure reforms from their employers.

• But multiple rounds of layoffs and a messy pandemic recovery have left workers feeling more insecure.
• While Zuckerberg's new policies have sparked internal debate and dissent at Meta, the CEO may welcome an exodus of dissenters as a sort of voluntary lay-off.
• In a Threads post, he described users who might quit Meta's platforms in protest as "virtue-signaling."

What we're watching: With each fresh controversy the new administration touches off, tech CEOs will have to navigate a maze involving Trump's demands for loyalty, employees' emotions and wishes, and their own strategies.

• If Zuckerberg's experiment of committing a whole megacompany to taking overt sides in America's vast culture war pays off, others could follow.

The bottom line: Trump used to say that Zuckerberg would "spend the rest of his life in prison." But the incoming president's relationships with business leaders are strictly transactional, and Meta's CEO is probably resting a lot easier now.

• While struggling with parenting duties, Babette Lockefeer considered quitting her business.
• Her husband didn't agree with her decision to stop work and be a stay-at-home mom.
• Lockefeer was angry at first but later realized she wouldn't be happy if she wasn't working.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Babette Lockefeer, 35, from the Netherlands, about navigating motherhood alongside her career. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Four months after my second child was born, I wasn't living life as I'd envisioned it.

I was in the midst of a big project for my business as a leadership and team facilitator and struggling to balance my career and motherhood. I felt overwhelmed, stressed, and sleep-deprived.

In the summer of 2021, I told my husband I wanted to quit the business. He immediately said no.

At first, I was angry. I'd always valued doing important work and my career, and I was willing to stop doing that for our family, but felt he wasn't letting me.

Over time, I realized he was right: I wouldn't have been happy as a stay-at-home mom. Talking with my husband and processing my feelings helped me realize that being a mother wasn't a detriment to my career. I had to deal with some insecurities and make some changes at home to understand I could do both.

I was always a high achiever at work

I started my career in 2014 as a consultant at McKinsey. I spent two and a half years there, but in 2016, I joined Alibaba as a global leadership associate. I spent around half a year in their Dutch office, helping Dutch e-commerce players connect to the Chinese market.

In the summer of 2017, my husband, who I'd met as a student, and I moved to China, and I worked for Alibaba in Hangzhou.

I really enjoyed it. We had monthly trainings where we learned more about China, e-commerce, and leadership. The training made me realize that my real interests lay in leadership development. In 2018, I left Alibaba and started my own business in the leadership space, TheoryY.

I was also pregnant with my first child at that time. Five months after his birth, in December 2019, we decided to leave China and move back to the Netherlands.

Soon after we returned, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I got pregnant again and had a second child in February 2021. Because of the pandemic, it was difficult to have family assistance with childcare or access to day care.

Around 10 weeks after giving birth, I started a new project with my business after being referred to a new client. Our newborn wasn't fond of sleeping, so we had a lot of broken nights.

For me, motherhood was about having a healthy attachment with my children, being present, and attending to all of their needs.

This was impossible to achieve all the time. I was too tired, overwhelmed, and full of doubt. With hindsight, I still did a good job as a mother, but I'd internalized the perfect mother myth.

Society's picture of an ideal mother is in direct conflict with that of an ideal employee. The employee is always available and wants to go the extra mile, but the mom also needs to be fully committed and always have the space to attend to her children's needs.

I was always a high achiever at work, but now, I had less time and energy to go the extra mile. I was working fewer hours than before having children, but when I was with my kids I wasn't always present because I was thinking about work. I felt like I wasn't doing a good job on the work front or the motherhood front.

My husband didn't think quitting would make me happy

My husband worked full-time. He was very involved as a dad. When our second child was born, he took some parental leave, spread across the year, plus six weeks of birth leave. But because I was self-employed and had more flexibility, I was always picking up things that fell off the wagon — which was a lot of the time during COVID.

I would spread my hours around, sometimes working in the evenings so I could still do the tasks I was hired to do. We never had a consistent schedule, and I felt like I was firefighting. Whenever a child was ill or had a doctor's appointment, the mental load was predominantly on my shoulders.

When I spoke to my husband about quitting, he said he didn't think it was the right decision. He also wanted to spend time with our kids and thought it wasn't fair if he was the sole breadwinning parent.

He also said he didn't think I'd be happy as a stay-at-home mom. I disagreed, saying I wasn't happy as it stood.

I spoke with my husband, processed my feelings and decided to continue working

From our first conversation, it was clear we weren't aligned, so we continued to discuss it.

I shared that I felt I was undervalued and wasn't appreciated by him unless I was achieving something professionally. He told me he still appreciated me now that I was a mom and wasn't on a steep career trajectory at the time.

I decided to continue working, but we also changed some practical things about our household. When our third child was born in July 2023, my husband was granted 26 weeks of parental leave by his new company, and he took all of it, taking full end-to-end responsibility for the household for the first time.

It allowed me to trust him fully with the kids and family chores going forward, so our dynamic has become more equal. We don't split things 50-50 all the time, but regularly discuss how best to divide responsibilities between us.

Looking back, I'm grateful that my husband could see that, in the long term, it wasn't a good idea for me to quit working. I need the intellectual stimulation that comes from a job, and my work fills me with the energy to show up as the mom and partner I want to be.

Do you have a story about balancing parenting with your career? Email Charissa Cheong at [email protected]