• The Russian central bank has dismissed rumors of freezing retail bank deposits.
• Freezing deposits would harm financial stability and undermine trust, the bank said.
• Last year, the central bank hiked rates to 21% in an attempt at cooling Russia's wartime economy.

Russia's central bank has taken to Telegram to publicly dismiss rumors that its citizens' bank deposits may be frozen.

The idea that retail bank deposits could be frozen is "absurd" and "unthinkable," the Central Bank of Russia wrote in a Telegram post on Monday.

"In addition to the fact that this is a gross violation of the right of citizens and companies to manage their assets, such a step will undermine the foundations of the banking system and the financial stability of the country," the regulator wrote.

The concerns came after Elvira Nabiullina, Russia's central bank governor, hiked rates to 21% late last year in a bid to cool soaring inflation — an economic pain point President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged.

The high interest rates attracted a flood of bank deposits. Recently, rumors emerged that retail deposits could be frozen, prompting Russians to swarm the central bank with questions, the bank wrote in its Telegram post.

"It is quite obvious that in any market economy, of which bank lending is an integral part, such a step is unthinkable," the bank wrote in the post dismissing the rumors.

The rumors about frozen deposits are a reflection of the nervousness in Russia's wartime economy.

This is not the first time Russia's central bank has addressed concerns that Russians' savings could be frozen and interest withheld.

In November, Nabiullina dismissed such concerns as "nonsense," Russia's RBC news outlet reported. She was responding to a question from the lower house of Russia's parliament.

Russia has been under a slew of Western sanctions since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. It has managed to avoid going bankrupt thanks in part to growth from its massive spending on military and defense activities. It has also managed to pivot to alternative export markets such as China and India.

However, the Russian central bank has warned that the economy is at risk of overheating.

Russia's economy faces multiple issues like high inflation, a decline in the value of the ruble, and a severe manpower shortage.

In November, the country's inflation rate hit nearly 9%. Prices of staples from butter to potatoes in the country have risen sharply, putting a strain on the finances of ordinary citizens.

As the war in Ukraine nears its fourth year, Russia's economy could run out of cash before the end of this year, a Swedish economist wrote on Tuesday. This could hit its ability to continue financing the war and its economy.

• Consuming diet and false nutrition content online is part of what led Rachel Evans to develop an eating disorder.
• She became an advocate of "clean eating," a trend she now criticizes for being restrictive.
• Now an ED psychologist, she advises clients to view online health content through a critical lens.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rachel Evans, 34, a chartered psychologist who lives in the UK. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

There's often no single reason why a person develops an eating disorder, but viewing misleading nutrition information on social media contributed to mine.

Through my recovery and training to become an eating disorder recovery psychologist, I learned ways to navigate the treacherous online health space and free myself from restrictive eating.

Growing up in the 90s, I read about celebrity diets and workouts in magazines and thought I should copy what they were doing.

It got worse when social media became a part of my life. In 2012, when I was studying psychology at university, Instagram was becoming popular, and the "clean eating" trend was everywhere.

Some clean-eating influencers would promote certain types of food as "good" and "bad," and make extreme claims like saying you should eat foods in a certain order.

Some of the messages had a kernel of truth to them, and the more I started to believe those, the more I started to believe the farfetched ones, too. The more I became obsessed with being healthy, the less critical I got.

I started to develop some health problems. My digestion was messed up, my hair was falling out, and I stopped having periods.

A number of other factors also contributed to my developing an eating disorder. By 2013, I was finishing my master's in health psychology, and I didn't know what I was going to do next. I based a lot of my self-worth on how well I did in my studies, and I was about to lose that stream of validation, so eating perfectly became a hobby I could get really good at.

I became a 'clean-eating' blogger

In 2014, I was living abroad in Singapore and working as a research assistant. At the time, I was maintaining a restrictive diet I had found on YouTube. My preoccupation with food was interfering with my life.

I went into therapy, which helped a bit as I managed to introduce more foods into my diet.

The "clean eating" trend was going strong at the time, and I started posting photos of what I ate on Instagram and created a blog. I amassed thousands of readers, had partnerships with popular brands, and I promoted protein powders and nut butters.

At the time, I thought I had recovered because I was better than I was at my worst, but looking back, I had once again set myself strict rules to follow. Behind the scenes, I was struggling with cycles of binge eating and purging.

Once I decided I wanted to help other people, I knew I had to help myself first

In 2017, with the help of a coach, I decided that I wanted to become an eating disorder recovery psychologist. That was ultimately helpful to my recovery. Once I decided I wanted to help other people, I knew I had to help myself first.

I already had a strong foundation in this area, as I have a Ph.D. in the psychology of eating, habits, self-control, and behavior change from the University of Sheffield, UK. On top of that, I studied to become a master practitioner in eating disorders at the National Centre for Eating Disorders in 2018.

As I learned how to treat people with eating disorders, my relationship with food slowly got more flexible. I deleted the blog in 2020 because it no longer aligned with my views. Now, I post educational content on my Instagram with a more nuanced perspective.

When I was recovering, I spent less time on Instagram and unfollowed accounts that promoted the lifestyle I was trying to move away from.

Food no longer takes up much of my headspace. I try to cook from scratch when I can and eat enough fruits and vegetables every day, but I don't stress if it doesn't happen.

When I speak to my clients about navigating nutrition and diet content online, I tell them just because someone online presents something as a fact, that doesn't mean it's true, or true for you. They don't know you and your body better than you.

I remind my clients to take "what I eat in a day" videos with skepticism and that even if they eat and exercise like someone else, they still might not look like them because their genetics are different.

I also tell my clients to try to scroll less "mindlessly" and make sure they're thinking critically about what they see online.

Some of the most destructive wildfires in California's history have killed at least 25 people in Los Angeles County, caused hundreds of thousands to evacuate and choked air quality across the region for the past week.

The big picture: The fires erupted in extremely dry conditions last Tuesday as powerful Santa Ana winds struck. As some assess damage in what's set to be among the most costly wildfire disasters ever in the U.S., parts of L.A. and Ventura counties face a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Red Flag Warning into Wednesday.

Timeline: Wildfires threaten Southern California

Jan. 7

Jan. 8

Jan 9.

Jan. 10

Jan. 11

Jan. 12

Jan. 13

Jan. 14

• Finland said a Russia-linked oil tanker was close to wreaking havoc on its undersea cables.
• Its president said that officials intervened about 12 minutes before the damage got "much worse."
• The tanker is accused of being part of a Russian "shadow fleet" sabotaging European infrastructure.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Tuesday that his country had stopped the crew of a Russia-linked oil tanker just minutes before it caused catastrophic damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea.

"Had it continued for another 12 minutes, the carnage would have been much worse than the four basic cables that were there," Stubb told reporters at this week's Baltic-focused NATO summit in Helsinki.

The tanker, the Eagle S, was seized in late December as Finland probed recent damage to its Estlink-2 power line, one of two vital cables carrying electricity in the Baltic Sea.

Four data cables were also severed.

Finnish investigators have accused the Eagle S crew of trying to sabotage the cables by dragging the ship's anchor for miles along the seabed.

The Finnish head of the investigation, Risto Lohi, told Reuters on Tuesday that the Eagle S would likely also have attempted sabotage on the other power cable, the Estlink-1, had police not boarded the vessel.

"There would have been an almost immediate danger that other cables or pipes related to our critical underwater infrastructure could have been damaged," said Lohi, who is the chief of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation.

On Tuesday, Stubb said that Finland's security process for protecting the cables started with the private company overseeing them. If a cable is severed, the firm would alert the authorities, who then try to find possible ships around the location of the damage.

"Once that happens, you identify the ship and contact the ship. Number four, you stop the ship," Stubb said.

Stubb added that Finnish authorities would compel the ship to enter Finnish waters, where officers could then legally board the vessel.

That process is set to change now. European members of NATO announced at the summit that they would launch a new program, called the "Baltic Sentry," to collectively patrol near Baltic Sea infrastructure.

The surveillance program involves frigates, maritime aircraft, and "a small fleet of naval drones," said NATO's secretary-general, Mark Rutte, at the summit.

The investigation into the Eagle S is of particular significance to the European Union because it's suspected for years that Russia has been intentionally trying to covertly damage Western undersea infrastructure. Other cables, such as two fiber-optic data cables running between Finland and Germany, were cut last year.

Though the Eagle S is registered in the Cook Islands, European officials say it's tied to Russia because it was carrying 35,000 tons of unleaded gasoline loaded in Russian ports.

They have accused the ship of being part of a Russian "shadow fleet," or a network of vessels with owners registered outside Russia that are actually carrying sanctioned Russian oil.

Russia has denied being involved in any way with such sabotage. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to a comment request sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick for Defense secretary, on Tuesday called the problem of extremism in the military "fake," but researchers warn there's a growing trend of military-linked terrorism.

The big picture: The rising number of people with military backgrounds engaging in domestic terrorism over the past three decades can partially be attributed to the difficulty transitioning from active duty to veteran status and a lack of community or purpose, experts say.

Driving the news: In the most recent high-profile cases, the New Year's Day attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas were both carried out by Army veterans.

Zoom in: The FBI said Tuesday the suspect in the deadly New Orleans vehicle attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar had been isolating himself from society and began following extremist views last year.

• Investigators believe the 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran was "radicalized online" and he "appears to have been inspired — from afar — by ISIS," retiring FBI Director Christopher Wray told CBS' "60 Minutes" in an interview broadcast Sunday.
• The Vegas suspect, Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, from Colorado Springs, was an active-duty U.S. Army soldier on approved leave when he died inside a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in the city, officials said.
• However, Hegseth said during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that the Pentagon overreacted in attempting to combat extremism and characterized it as "peddling the lie of racism in the military."
• He added that efforts to weed out extremism pushed "rank-and-file patriots out of their formations."

By the numbers: A December report from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism found that from 1990 to 2023, 730 individuals with U.S. military backgrounds had committed criminal acts that were motivated by their political, economic, social or religious goals.

• There has been an incline in the past decade or so: From 1990-2010, an average of 7.1 people per year with U.S. military backgrounds committed extremist crimes. Since 2011, that number has grown to 44.6 per year.
• Some 84% were no longer serving in the military when they committed extremist crimes, per the report.

Zoom out: The National Institute of Justice said in analysis last year that people who encounter difficulties leaving the military may be attracted to the pull of domestic extremist groups.

• This is possibly because they can be introduced to additional combinations of risk factors for radicalization, according to Jeffrey Gruenewald, professor and director of the Terrorism Research Center at the University of Arkansas. These include a lack of purpose, social alienation or struggles with mental health.
• "Knowing this, terrorist groups may target individuals with military experience, as the ideologies underlying violent extremism have something to offer them, including a clear enemy to direct their anger, a sense of belonging and meaning, and a purpose bigger than themselves," he said.

Meanwhile, extremist groups are increasing recruiting online and specifically targeting veterans, Heidi Beirich, chief strategy officer and co-founder of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, told PBS.

• The military has "not done a good job of rooting out extremism in its ranks in recent years," she added.

Yes, but: There isn't a single factor or profile that's predictive of radicalization to violence, Gruenewald told Axios.

• "Nonetheless, it is feasible that military experience for some can increase or exacerbate risk factors associated with radicalization to violence," he said.
• Being in the military may increase a person's chances of experiencing a significant personal loss, trauma, or feelings of social isolation and alienation, Gruenewald said.
• It could also exacerbate struggles with identity, mental health and grievances, he added.

Situation report: The Defense Department said in a 2021 report that it "has long prohibited Service members from actively engaging in extremist activities" but after a number of threat attacks, it built a program to "detect, deter, and mitigate such threats."

• This included efforts to combat extremist groups from recruiting military personnel and veterans.
• Defense Department spokesperson Sue Gough said even a single incident in which those in the military commit prohibited extremist activities "can have an outsized impact on the Department and its mission."
• She added in her email: "There is no place for prohibited extremist activities in the Department of Defense. Every attempt is made to ensure such behavior is promptly and appropriately addressed and reported to the authorities."

The bottom line: People with U.S. military backgrounds represent only 14.7% of the broader set of extremists who have committed criminal offenses in the United States since 1990, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism report found.

• "The problem is that somebody who has military training who gets radicalized can be far more deadly," Beirich said.
• "Mass attacks that are perpetrated by active-duty military or veterans are more lethal than those that aren't."

Go deeper: New Orleans attack mirrors global pattern of using vehicles as terror weapons

Flags at the U.S. Capitol will fly at full-staff during President-elect Trump's inauguration despite President Biden's directive that they remain at half-staff through January to honor former President Carter's death.

Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and some Republican governors are promising to fly flags at full-staff Monday after Trump repeatedly complained about them being lowered for his swearing in.

Driving the news: Johnson announced Tuesday that flags at the Capitol will fly at full-staff for the inauguration and then return to half-staff the next day in honor of Carter.

Zoom out: An increasing number of Republican governors have ordered that flags at state buildings be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day.

• These include Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.
• Some cited a federal statute that calls for the flag to be displayed 24 hours a day on certain occasions for "patriotic effect," instead of from sunrise to sunset.
• "While we honor the service of a former President, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America," Abbott's announcement said.

Between the lines: Flags at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club returned to full-staff days after Carter was buried in Plains, Georgia, AP reported.

• Trump took to Truth Social in early January to complain: "The Democrats are all 'giddy' about our magnificent American flag potentially being at 'half mast' during my inauguration," he wrote, incorrectly using the term to refer to a flag on a ship.
• "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it," he added. "Let's see how it plays out."

Go deeper:

• Trump inauguration 2017 vs. 2025: What's changed
• Gov. Cox faces flag choice for Trump's inauguration during Carter mourning period

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional states that have said their flags will be full-staff on Inauguration Day.

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested at his presidential residence on Wednesday morning local time following an hours-long standoff, images from the scene show.

Why it matters: It's the first time an incumbent president has been detained in South Korea and marks the second attempt by anti-corruption investigators to arrest him for questioning related to his brief martial law declaration last month that triggered protests and shocked allies.

• Yoon's many guards and supporters prevented the last attempt earlier this month.

The big picture: South Korean police are investigating Yoon for possible insurrection in connection with his declaration that saw him impeached and suspended from presidential duties.

• He has via lawyers, denied the allegations and maintains he took the emergency action to counter "pro-North Korean" elements in the country.
• Yoon could face life in prison or the death penalty if he were charged and convicted of the offenses he's accused of as presidential immunity doesn't extend to insurrection or treason in South Korea.

Go deeper: South Korean president hit with travel ban after martial law mayhem

• Small businesses are struggling to stay afloat in the wake of the deadly Los Angeles fires.
• Many structures have been destroyed, but others left standing are damaged, with no foot traffic driving business.
• For some industries with slim margins, just days without business has forced permanent closures.

As deadly fires continue ripping through Los Angeles, leveling residential and commercial districts alike, even small business owners whose storefronts have been left standing aren't out of the woods.

Though more than 12,300 structures have been destroyed by the fires, commercial buildings that haven't been totaled are still struggling with costly damages to repair and with no foot traffic driving business.

For some industries with slim margins — like bars and restaurants — going just days without business has begun to force permanent closures.

AccuWeather estimates the damages and economic loss from the wildfires totals between $250 billion and $275 billion, making it one of the costliest wildfire disasters in modern US history.

"We have come to the heartbreaking decision that at this time, operating The Ruby Fruit is no longer possible due to financial impact from the current natural disaster," Emily Bielagus and Mara Herbkersman, owners of The Ruby Fruit, a lesbian wine bar in the Silver Lake neighborhood, posted Sunday on the bar's Instagram page.

"Sadly, along with all the feelings of grief and shock that we have experienced over the last few days, also came this undeniable reality: that running our small business is no longer sustainable. The hospitality industry functions on a day-by-day basis and right now, as they say — the math just isn't mathing," they wrote.

The announcement was met with an outcry from fans and devoted patrons of the bar — one of the city's only bars catering specifically to lesbians and "those who fall under the sapphic umbrella," according to the bar's website.

Some customers, in the comments of the bar's closure announcement, begged Bielagus and Herbkersman to create a community fundraiser to save the business. The Ruby Fruit's GoFundMe campaign, raising money to provide wages for the bar's staff — has raised about half its $15,000 goal in three days.

Bielagus and Herbkersman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Financial aid is available for small businesses trying to recover from the aftermath of the wildfires. The Small Business Administration's disaster loan program offers up to $2 million in loans with low interest rates for eligible businesses suffering economic losses and physical damage due to disaster. Interest on these loans does not begin to accrue for a year.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced extended tax filing deadlines and relief from interest and penalties for businesses impacted by the fires. However, tax breaks and interest-accruing loans are nothing compared to regular business, and the costs accrued from being closed stack up quickly.

"Thankfully we are safe and, as of now, able to operate," Betsy Martinez, owner of Fan Girl Cafe in West Hollywood, told BI. "However, business has definitely been impacted by the situation and we are navigating it the best we can."

Martinez, who runs Fan Girl Cafe with her wife, said the pair lost roughly $5,000 in just two and a half days of closures, in addition to the slow business in the days since. As a new restaurant in its first year of operations, margins were already tight. They're now considering debt consolidation and taking out a new loan and have contacted their existing lenders asking for extensions on their bills.

Some business owners are turning to the local community for financial support, but such funds are inconsistent — and largely targeted toward businesses that have been destroyed. Restaurants, including Fox's Restaurant, The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop, and The Reel Inn, have all burned down and have started GoFundMe campaigns to raise money to rebuild.

Martinez said she and her wife aren't comfortable starting a GoFundMe, given how tight funds are for everyone else — and that other businesses are dealing with more severe losses.

"It's just a heavy time right now for everyone," she said. "Right now, we're just looking at who we can help, even those of us who need help."

For now, many small business owners in the Los Angeles area are white-knuckling it through another costly disaster just a few short years after the COVID-19 pandemic saw more than 7,500 small businesses shutter across the county, the California Business Journal reported.

"We closed last week and are closing this week. We hope to reopen next week," the owners of Honey's at Star Love, a queer bar in Little Armenia, told BI in an email. "We're taking it all day by day."

At least two wildfires ignited in Southern California during critical fire weather and triggered fresh evacuations on Tuesday, one week after deadly blazes first erupted across Los Angeles County.

The big picture: The fires have killed at least 25 people and the "Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning" that the National Weather Service's L.A. office issue remains in effect until Wednesday afternoon.

Threat level: "Southern California continues to see ingredients for high fire danger: strong wind gusts in the 45-70 mph range and relative humidities in the 8-15 % range," per an NWS forecast discussion.

• Santa Ana winds were weaker than expected Tuesday. But the National Weather Service's L.A. office said on X: "We are not out of the woods yet. Please stay on guard for a fast-moving fire."
• It added: "The winds underperformed today, but one more enhancement could happen tonight-tomorrow."

The high fire risk extends into the San Diego County, where peak wind gusts had also exceeded well over 50-60 mph in several places, per a post from the local NWS office Tuesday. Sill Hill recorded a gust of 74 mph — hurricane intensity.

• The winds are expected to subside after that, but the fire threat remains due to extremely dry conditions as firefighters continue to tackle California's biggest blazes — the Palisades and Eaton fires, which are already among the state's most destructive on record.
• Evacuation orders remain in effect for both of those fires, which ignited as Santa Ana winds arrived last Tuesday.

Situation report: The Palisades Fire has killed at least eight people and destroyed thousands of structures over an estimated 23,713 acres as of Tuesday evening. It was at 18% containment, per Cal Fire.

• The Eaton Fire has killed at least 17 people and destroyed thousands of structures over an estimated 14,117 acres over the same period. That fire was 35% contained.

Meanwhile, authorities issued evacuation orders in response to the Scout Fire that's burned at 0% containment across an estimated two acres in Riverside County since igniting during Santa Ana winds at lunchtime Tuesday.

• Angeles National Forest announced on X that another Riverside County wildfire that ignited in Hemet on Tuesday, the Stone Fire, had been "knocked down at 1/2 acre."

Between the lines: Research suggests a climate-change related weather "whiplash" that saw two wet winters and an extremely, unusually hot spring, summer and fall helped contribute to the weeklong fires in L.A. county.

• "The evidence shows that hydroclimate whiplash has already increased due to global warming, and further warming will bring about even larger increases," per a statement from UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain, lead author of a study published during critical fire weather in the L.A. area on Jan. 9.
• "This whiplash sequence in California has increased fire risk twofold: first, by greatly increasing the growth of flammable grass and brush in the months leading up to fire season, and then by drying it out to exceptionally high levels with the extreme dryness and warmth that followed."

What we're watching: "Although winds have overall trended lighter than initially expected, NE to E winds may create large breaking waves to Avalon and Two Harbors Late tonight into Wednesday late morning," per an NWS LA forecast discussion.

• This could potentially create "hazardous conditions and possible minor coastal flooding."
• The region may face more critical fire conditions next week, the NWS' Climate Prediction Center warned on Tuesday.

More from Axios:

• In photos: L.A. County endures a week of fires
• LA's wildfires sparked by rare collision of climate factors
• The psychological toll of California's catastrophic fires
• Weather Service struggles to convey fire warnings to public

Editor's note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Former first lady Michelle Obama won't attend President-elect Trump's inauguration next week, her office announced on Tuesday.

Why it matters: All other living first ladies and presidents have confirmed they will follow the tradition of attending the presidential swearing-in ceremony, including her husband, former President Obama.

• Representatives for former President Clinton and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 presidential rival, have confirmed their attendance at Monday's ceremony — as have former President George W. Bush and ex-first lady Laura Bush.
• Michelle Obama was also notably absent from former President Carter's funeral.

Driving the news: "Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies," per a media statement from the Obamas' office.

• "Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration," added the statement, without elaborating further.
• Representatives for the Obamas did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Tuesday evening.

Go deeper: Village People, Kid Rock to play at Trump inaugural rally

OpenAI is rolling out a beta feature called Tasks to ChatGPT that lets users schedule future actions and reminders.

Why it matters: Tasks is a step toward making ChatGPT a more helpful AI companion, reducing reliance on other apps such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa for reminders.

• This comes amid reported plans to release an autonomous computer-controlling agent called "Operator."

Zoom in: Tasks, which is available to some ChatGPT Plus, Team and Pro users starting today, lets subscribers schedule actions ahead of time.

• OpenAI eventually plans to roll the feature to everyone with a ChatGPT account.
• If a free user asks ChatGPT to set a reminder, it suggests they use Siri, Google and Alexa.

How it works: Select the "GPT-4o with scheduled tasks" model from the menu and then send a message about what you'd like it to do and when. This will create the task.

• Some examples of tasks could be "give me a daily weather report for Queens, NY every morning at 7am" or "remind me three months from now that I have a dentist appointment at 4pm."
• ChatGPT will send push notifications on the web, desktop (macOS) and mobile. It also sends an email notification of the task.
• A user can have up to 25 active reminders at a time.
• Users can manage and name tasks by selecting the Tasks option in the profile menu on web. ChatGPT may also suggest tasks based on a user's chats, and users can choose to accept them or not.

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional features about email notifications and active reminders.