Most U.S. adults (9 in 10 Republicans and close to half of Democrats) say they support mass deportations of immigrants living in the country illegally — but that enthusiasm quickly erodes when presented with options over how to carry them out, according to a new Axios-Ipsos poll.

Why it matters: President-elect Trump has vowed to initiate one of the "largest mass deportations in U.S. history" starting early in his return to the White House. Beyond the logistical obstacles, costs and possible pain to the U.S. economy, the survey suggests Americans could quickly sour on deportations depending on how they are carried out.

By the numbers: Two-thirds of all Americans surveyed said they support deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally.

• Among Republicans, support was at 93%, followed by 67% for independents and 43% for Democrats.
• But just 38% of Americans support using active-duty military to find and detain undocumented immigrants in U.S. cities and towns; and only 28% want to use money allocated for the military to pay for deportations.
• Just one in three endorse separating families or sending people to countries other than their country of origin in the interest of speed. And just one in three support deporting those who came to the U.S. as children.
• The trends largely track with findings from a Ipsos-Syracuse University poll from November from which the questions were replicated. But the new survey shows even less support for use of active-duty military, or military funds, than the survey from two months ago.

What they're saying: "There's essentially broad agreement with Trump's position on these topics, but as soon as you start pushing into specifics, a lot of that dissipates," said Chris Jackson, Ipsos pollster and senior vice president.

• The concept of mass deportations may work better for Trump in the abstract than in reality, Jackson said. "Immigration, in reality, is complicated, messy and difficult."
• "The real question is going to be... does that level of support maintain or fragment as they confront the reality of what it means."

The other side: About one in 10 Americans — and close to 1 in 5 Republicans — said they'd support deporting immigrants who are in the country lawfully.

Context: Trump has said he would use the military to round up undocumented immigrants and would consider putting them into camps.

• Trump also has said he would deport American citizens if that means it would keep families together since he wanted to deport their undocumented parents or spouses.
• And he has indicated interest in deporting Haitian immigrants who currently have Temporary Protected Status.

The bottom line: To remove a sizable proportion of the estimated 11 million or more undocumented immigrants from the country, Trump would need not only broad but sustained public support.

Methodology: This Axios/Ipsos Poll was conducted Jan. 10-12, 2025, by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,025 U.S. adults age 18 or older.

• The margin of sampling error is ±3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.

• Tiffany Trump has been in the public eye her entire life thanks to her famous father.
• Her style evolved as she went from socialite to first daughter when Donald Trump became president.
• She often blends professional and laid-back looks.

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, his youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump, 31, is expected to remain distanced from politics as she did during her father's first term.

Although her role — or lack thereof — in the Trump administration isn't changing, Tiffany's life has changed pretty dramatically since her father first took office. She graduated from college, entered law school, got married, and is expecting her first child.

Tiffany's personal style has also transformed since she first entered the public eye.

Take a look at her fashion evolution, from her time as a New York socialite to her life as a first daughter.

When Tiffany Trump first started attending red-carpet events, she often wore minidresses.

In July 2011, she attended an event celebrating the cast of "Love, Loss & What I Wore" in a black minidress.

The dress had a straight neckline with a V in the center. She wore it with strappy black heels.

Her looks often had a daring edge in her socialite years.

Tiffany attended a New York Fashion Week event in September 2014 in a form-fitting blue minidress.

It had a chic halter neckline, and she paired the dress with black heels.

Tiffany was spotted in a sheer look in August 2015 — shortly after her father announced his candidacy for president.

Trump's youngest daughter didn't immediately change her style after her father announced his candidacy for president in June 2015. In August 2015, she attended a VH1 benefit in a minidress.

The halter dress dipped low in the back and featured a sheer base. It was overlaid with a layer of see-through fabric covered in a blue floral pattern.

Nude shoes completed the beachy look.

By the Republican National Convention in July 2016, Tiffany looked every bit the politician's daughter.

Tiffany gave a speech at the 2016 RNC, walking onstage in a blue dress.

It had a high, scooped neckline, a bow that cinched her waist, and a skirt that flared around her knees.

Tiffany and Ivanka Trump wore coordinating looks on election night in 2016.

Both Trump sisters appeared alongside their father on election night in 2016 wearing light-blue minidresses.

Tiffany's silk column dress hit her mid-thigh. It was sleeveless, and sparkly gems trimmed the scooped collar. Nude heels completed her look.

The Trump sisters had another matching moment on Inauguration Day in 2017.

Tiffany and Ivanka coordinated their looks for Donald Trump's Inauguration Day in 2017, both attending in white ensembles.

Tiffany wore a custom Taoray Wang coat and coordinating dress. The coat was stark white and double-breasted, and she accessorized the look with a double-strand pearl necklace.

Tiffany chose a more elaborate look on the evening of Inauguration Day.

Tiffany tapped Simin Taghdiri of Simin Couture for her dress for the inaugural balls.

The strapless pink dress was form-fitting and flared to a mermaid skirt. It was covered in intricate floral embroidery with pops of blue, and textured embellishments adorned the trim of the neckline and waist.

The sparkly look contrasted the clean lines she wore earlier in the day.

After her father became president, Tiffany appeared in more professional dresses, as she did at New York Fashion Week in February 2017.

Tiffany attended a few Fashion Week shows in 2017, sitting front row at Taoray Wang's presentation on February 11, less than a month after wearing the designer at her father's inauguration.

For the occasion, she wore a white sheath dress with a low V-neckline and a pleat running down the center. A pink and beige coat and gold heels added pops of color.

However, in September 2017, she showed off a more daring side of her style in a minidress with cutouts and sheer detailing.

During a night out in New York City, Tiffany was photographed in a black dress that hit her mid-thigh.

Cutouts covered the top half of the long sleeves, and strips of silver and sheer fabric adorned the skirt's hem.

Tiffany added sparkly black heels to the look.

She rocked another see-through outfit during a night out in London in July 2018.

Tiffany and her mother, Marla Maples, stepped out at The Arts Club in London in July 2018.

Tiffany wore a powder-blue blazer and trousers, but her sheer, high-neck top was the standout aspect of her look. The black top featured a subtle striped pattern.

She added open-toe black shoes to the outfit.

She arrived at the 2019 Trump Christmas celebration in a semi-sheer lace dress.

The base of the dress was blue and strapless. It was covered with a sheer overlay adorned with floral black lace.

The lace formed off-the-shoulder sleeves, and Tiffany's black shoes matched the gown.

A sparkly shirt made Tiffany's outfit for the August 2020 RNC pop.

Tiffany spoke at the virtual Republican National Convention when her father ran for president in 2020, selecting a powder-blue suit.

The wide-legged trousers had pleats on the sides, showing off a strip of darker fabric. Tiffany also added a sparkly blue shirt to the look, blending the professional silhouette with textures she favors in her streetwear attire.

Tiffany chose a more muted ensemble when Donald Trump left office in 2021.

Tiffany was photographed exiting Air Force One in Florida in January 2021 after her father left the White House. She was wearing a knee-length black dress.

The double-belted sweater dress had a high neckline. She wore it with an oatmeal coat and sunglasses.

Ahead of her 2022 wedding, Tiffany was spotted in a blue floral dress, looking every bit the bride.

Tiffany was spotted with her father before her November 2022 wedding at Mar-a-Lago.

She wore a white dress covered in blue florals. It cinched at the waist and flared out before hitting her mid-calf.

After keeping a low profile in 2023, Tiffany reemerged at the 2024 RNC in a chic two-piece.

Tiffany wore white throughout the 2024 RNC, including a coordinating white set from Amanda Uprichard.

The outfit consisted of the sleeveless $247 Hughes vest, featuring buttons down the center, and the $172 Hope skirt. Both featured a subtle ruching pattern.

And she wore another white look on election night in 2024.

Tiffany appeared alongside her family on election night in a simple cream dress.

The short-sleeve dress had a high neckline and a flared skirt that hit her mid-calf. It belted at the waist, with a subtle gold buckle cinching in the center.

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

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, where we round up some of our top stories and take you inside our newsroom. No prestigious pedigree? No problem. This one-time Big Tech staffer detailed how he managed to nab jobs at Google and Meta despite being what he describes as lacking a "top tier" résumé. He mapped out four steps that would be useful to most anyone in business.

On the agenda today:

• Meta is mirroring Amazon's brutal workforce management philosophy.
• The sneaky rise of no-work Fridays.
• Anthony Scaramucci shares his predictions for the economy under Trump 2.0.
• He told his former employee quitting for OpenAI in 2016 was a bad idea. The rest is history.

But first: Trump is back.

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

A new era

It's happening.

We're about to go into a new administration, a new party, a new president.

And Business Insider is going to be there for you.

We already have been.

Here at BI, we're focused on what politics means for your pocketbook, your taxes, your investments, and your career.

And we've already been all over these subjects.

Take Meta. Ahead of the inauguration, and as its CEO celebrates Donald Trump's election, our team has brought you scoops on Meta's process for cutting low-performing employees and how the cuts could become an annual tradition.

We also gave you insights into how Meta's employees feel about the changes, from their thoughts on Mark Zuckerberg's "year of intensity" to their reaction to Meta backing off DEI efforts. If you need a recap, check out our piece here on Zuck 3.0.

On taxes, we're getting ahead on what you need to know depending on what happens with Trump's tax cuts.

The fate of TikTok has been wrapped up in politics for years, and we've brought our readers numerous angles and insights, including Friday's big Supreme Court news.

This is just a sampling of how we plan to approach Trump coverage this year — what it means for your money, your work, your life.

What do you think? I always want to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected].

I expect to be at the Davos conference all week, unlike some billionaires and CEOs who are jetsetting between Washington and Switzerland. I'll be joined by Dan DeFrancesco, your weekday anchor, and some of our other fantastic colleagues. We'll share the Davos dish, what we're hearing about the new administration, TikTok, AI, and more. Please stay in touch!

Meta is done playing nice

The social media giant internally announced plans to cut 5% of its workforce, focusing on its lowest-performing employees. It's a more aggressive approach to workforce management but one Amazon has embraced for years.

It also marks a departure from Silicon Valley's traditional talent retention strategy, where tech companies overpaid workers to steer them away from competition. Now, lean, high-performing teams appear to be the new Big Tech trend as companies like Microsoft and Google look to make similar performance-based job cuts.

A page out of Amazon's workforce playbook.

Also read:

• The linguistic somersaults Meta and other companies use to disguise how job cuts are coming

On Fridays, WFH means OOO

Instead of one last push before the weekend, "quiet Fridays" are becoming a sneaky personal day for some remote workers.

The four-day workweek dream remains out of reach for many, but fed-up remote workers are taking back the day for themselves. Fridays also remain the least popular day to commute, even as office attendance creeps back up.

Three-day weekend, every weekend.

'If I'm being brutally honest'

Anthony Scaramucci is a vocal Trump critic. The hedge-fund founder, also known for his 11-day stint in Trump's first administration, hasn't held back on the former president.

Even so, Scaramucci predicts a sunny economy under the president-elect. He told BI that pro-growth policies like Trump's tax plan and potential clarity on crypto legislation are boons for the country.

But he's still worried about some of Trump's other moves.

The world's worst career advice

Business Insider's Alistair Barr was an editor at Bloomberg in 2016 when his reporter Jack Clark told him he was quitting to work at OpenAI. At the time, it was a relatively obscure nonprofit that was less than a year old.

Barr told him it wasn't a good idea. Clark had a pretty stable job as a reporter on Bloomberg's Big Tech team and OpenAI didn't seem to have a clear direction. In the end, Clark ignored him and went to OpenAI anyway.

Now, he's set to become a billionaire.

This week's quote:

"People get sick. They change their mind or family circumstances. So even if you thought you knew today, you couldn't be completely sure."

— JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon on picking his successor.

More of this week's top reads:

• Wall Street is booming. Here's where the hot jobs are now.
• Restaurants and clubs are cashing in on a clientele who is young, sober, and ready to party.
• Newly public FBI records from the 1970s reveal an investigation into Home Depot cofounders over alleged anti-union bribery.
• Gen Z is the loneliest generation — but boomers are feeling good.
• Amazon cuts jobs in its Fashion and Fitness group, according to internal messages.
• One of the world's biggest oil companies is cutting thousands of jobs.
• Biden warns of a 'tech industrial complex' and says America must lead the way on AI, not China, in farewell address.
• Activist short-seller behind Hindenburg Research will disband firm.

• If you want to land a job this year, get good with AI.

  ---

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

• Light unveiled its Light Phone 3 with a new back camera feature.
• "Dumb phones" have targeted users seeking a break from high-tech gadgets.
• Intentional tech use will be on the rise in 2025, Amazon's Werner Vogels said.

"Dumb phones" are devices with much less functionality than the typical smartphone. However, they still have a high-tech feature that their users can't stand to lose.

Light announced the third iteration of its simplified cellphone in June 2024. It doesn't look much different from its predecessor, which started shipping in 2019, and the company says it didn't change much in terms of software.

It spent most of its time and resources on introducing a particular aspect of the Light Phone 3: the back camera.

The new Light Phone is "a little bit bigger, a little bit faster, and a slightly different screen, but the camera is definitely the new feature," Joe Hollier, the cofounder of Light, told Business Insider.

The Light Phone 3 can call and text and has smarter features such as fingerprint ID, rear- and front-facing cameras, and the potential to support a digital wallet, the company said.

The other available tools, according to the company, include an alarm, a timer, a calculator, a calendar, a directory, directions, notes/voice memo. There's the option to add music and podcasts to the device by connecting to a computer and downloading them from the Light website.

Smartphone makers have also been working on improving their cameras. Apple's latest phone lineup, the iPhone 16, has an "Ultra Wide" camera and autofocus for photos that can be edited using AI. Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra has an AI-powered camera that can improve low-light photography.

Light doesn't expect their new camera to compete with an iPhone, which Hollier acknowledged can shoot commercials, but it's a "very intentional" tool, he said.

It saw a need to add a new camera with a "nostalgia feel." Hollier said his interest in film photography was a "North Star" for the Light Phone 3's new back camera. Photos from the dumb phone don't look quite as clear as those from the iPhone, but Hollier said they weren't designed to be.

Users have turned to dumb phones for a break from the bright and colorful smartphone displays and all the distractions they offer. That's similar to a trend Amazon CTO Werner Vogels highlighted for 2025. As artificial intelligence charges ahead, people will turn to more intentional tech use, Vogels wrote in a blogpost.

Although Hollier said adult Gen Zers are becoming more interested in dumb phones, it remains the smallest portion of its user base at 12%. However, their older siblings, Zillennials between the ages of 25 and 34, make up 38% of Light Phone users.

Light has set out to reduce the "infinite feed," as Hollier put it, by guaranteeing that its phones will never have email, social media, or an internet browser. The company treads a careful line when deciding what to offer in Light Phones.

That's at odds with the many companies trying to evolve by incorporating AI into their operations. Apple launched Apple Intelligence in 2024, and Samsung's S24 is a lineup of AI-powered phones. Hollier said Light has no current plans to bring AI to its phones.

The Light Phone 3 is available for preorder for $599 as of January 16— a $200 discount from its retail price. Shipping is expected to begin in May.

• Billy Busch is an heir to the Anheuser-Busch multi-billion-dollar fortune.
• He said he learned through manual labor on his family's farm full of exotic animals.
• His inheritance plan is designed to avoid family feuds like those that embroiled his siblings.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Billy Busch, founder of the Busch Family Brewing & Distilling Company and author of "Family Reins: The Extraordinary Rise and Epic Fall of an American Dynasty." It has been edited for length and clarity.

I learned the value of hard work laboring on my parents' farm. But their farm was no typical operation. Grant's Farm was a sprawling estate that had been home to my family since 1903. In 1954, my parents opened it up to the public to promote their brands.

The farm had elephants, monkeys, and almost any other animal you could imagine. It was also home to the famous Clydesdale horses, which were intertwined with Budweiser thanks to my Dad's brilliant marketing.

My siblings and I were charged with maintaining the farm, keeping it beautiful so that when the public came through they would see a place that was well taken care of. On a typical day, I might go from slopping out the pig pen to running elephant shows. The reputation of the Anheuser-Busch brand was always top of mind for my parents, especially my father. The business was his love, and he felt a huge responsibility for the legacy left by his father and grandfather.

My parents kept us grounded through farm work

My parents didn't talk much about money, but we understood it should never be wasted. There was a sense that even a great fortune could be lost if we didn't care for it. I learned to always turn the lights off so I didn't rack up the electric bill.

My parents wanted my siblings and me to be grounded. My dad was always in favor of getting us up early to do chores. He wanted us to know it took hard work to build anything, much less a dynasty.

My parents didn't just teach us to do what we were asked — they wanted us to do twice what we were asked. Anything we do should be done to perfection. That was very important to them.

In addition to these lessons, I learned a lot about hard work from the employees on the farm. My parents were running a massive business, so it sometimes felt like I was raised by the workers around us. Our farm manager worked for Grant's Farm for more than 50 years and had a huge influence on me, teaching me about plants, animals, and machinery.

I had a trust to live off so I could pursue my passions

My dad had 11 kids, including five sons. It was always assumed that his oldest son, my half-brother, would take over the business. My oldest full brother was also groomed to be involved with Anheuser-Busch. I was never pressured to work in the brewery.

When I was 18, my father gave me a trust. It was enough money that I could live on it comfortably, which freed me to work in areas that I was passionate about. I went to the University of Missouri to study agriculture and animal husbandry. I also became a champion polo player, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.

Later, I invested in a bar business and a distribution company, where I worked in the warehouse and drove trucks. It was very interesting learning about a different aspect of my family business.

I received the rest of my inheritance in 1989 when my father died. I was about 30.

Luck of the draw will determine my children's inheritance

I took a similar approach to inheritance with my seven kids, who range in age from 18 to 33. When they turned 18 they received a small trust that they could use for investing or starting a business.

I want my children to be financially intelligent and understand hard work. I've taught them about investing. I want them to have a trusted team around them but to always make their own financial decisions. When you rely on someone else to make your decisions for you, you're setting yourself up for a big mistake.

My dad's will caused strife between my siblings and me that we still haven't recovered from. I wanted to create a very black-and-white inheritance plan. That's hard, but I know it will save my children a lot of heartache and lawyer's bills in the future.

I'm heavily invested in land. So, I've split my land assets up into seven parcels. When I pass, each of my children will pull a number from a hat, and that will decide what parcel they get. I hope that will lead to no arguments, and an inheritance that's as even as possible.

• I was a helicopter parent to my firstborn but learned that it wasn't the best approach.
• My firstborn was frustrated, anxious, and struggled to do simple tasks.
• I started implementing age-appropriate independence and my three kids are better for it.

It's been nine years, but I can still clearly remember the first time we got a bike for my 2-year-old son. What was supposed to be an exciting new milestone turned into a disappointment.

Being a first-time mom who was consumed by "what ifs," I let my overprotective instincts take over. Despite his protests, I loaded him up with protective gear from head to toe — knee pads, elbow pads, a padded vest and shorts, and a fitted helmet.

After just a few minutes of riding, he frustratingly told me that he wanted to go inside because all the padding was making him uncomfortable.

That bike ride was just one of countless examples of my helicopter parenting. I decided what he would eat and wear, and who he would befriend. I made sure he didn't mingle with strangers and was always quick to jump in to help, even unprompted.

I thought this was how a mother's love should be, not realizing how it would impact his emotional growth years later.

My need to control was ruining his joy in exploring and trying new things

As he grew older, my eldest struggled to make simple decisions, like choosing new clothes, and he was often a bit too anxious about hypothetical scenarios, like what if our car ran out of fuel in a deserted area.

He lost interest in reading because we would always read what I chose for him. Even ordering meals when we went out was tough because he felt uncomfortable speaking to unfamiliar people.

My apprehensions kept causing hindrances for him, until one day, he couldn't hold back anymore.

"Mama, you won't ever let me do anything on my own," he cried after I stopped him from playing football with a few unknown kids at the park.

Hearing that was painful but necessary. I realized I needed to make a change for him and my secondborn.

I started with small, subtle changes

I loosed the reins and started giving my eldest the freedom to choose what to wear, eat, and read. I also stopped saying no so often, especially when he offered to help.

Some changes came more slowly than others. His anxiety over hypotheticals, for example, diminished pretty quickly.

However, it took years for him to build up his self-confidence starting with small activities like helping me fold laundry and make sandwiches for him and his little brother.

It didn't matter if his attempts were imperfect, I made a point to praise and thank him. And I stopped helping him all of the time.

Once, he was struggling to make a bridge with his engineering toy set. It kept collapsing, but I resisted the urge to help and watched instead. Eventually, he figured out what was wrong and built a sturdy bridge all by himself. His face lit up with pride.

Milestones like these made me realize the value of loosening the reins so that my kids could experience struggle and learn resilience by themselves.

My eldest, now 11, is a confident, caring big brother for his siblings. He is the wisest when it comes to spending his allowance. He makes well-thought-out choices, and his adventurous restaurant orders always bring a smile to our faces.

All of my children became more confident as I changed my parenting style

My younger kids also benefit from the lessons I learned raising my eldest. I became a more relaxed parent.

I allowed my secondborn to mingle with unfamiliar kids when he wanted and to choose his own clothes and books.

As a result, from a very young age, my secondborn was not scared of risks like trying new rides and foods. He makes friends quickly and even helps new classmates who struggle to adapt.

My youngest, my 3-year-old, surprises us with her strong will, crystal-clear choices, and self-assured demeanor at such a young age.

My eldest taught me the importance of endorsing age-appropriate independence over helicopter parenting, and because of that, I've had the joy of watching my kids thrive as they grow up.

• My husband and I deal with clutter in different ways.
• It used to cause conflict in our relationship.
• I had a breakthrough moment about my relationship with clutter, and now, we communicate better.

If I have to retrieve something from our basement utility room, I get heart palpitations. A waist-high assortment of boxes, bags, and building supplies is piled three feet from the wall. The paint shelves overflow. A broken chair sits in the middle of the floor, dust thick on its upholstered seat. For 25 years, I've wanted to toss that flea market find, but my husband insists he will fix it.

The utility room is my husband Mike's domain, and, in his defense, much of the clutter is a result of his beautiful basement renovations, which include a laundry room, new bathroom, and spacious rec room. Still, Mike is a saver, and I'm not, and that difference is a source of conflict.

I'm not a minimalist, either, but I don't save as much as he does

Full disclosure: I'm no neat freak. I often leave dishes in the sink, dirty socks on the floor, and my dresser top accumulates toiletries and tchotchkes faster than you can look up the definition of the word "tchotchke." Like Mike, I tolerate a certain degree of disorder. I feel as though my disorder is within my control, though. I can pick up quickly and toss what I choose. But when our collective clutter crosses an invisible line, and I lack the decision-making authority to address more than half of it, I want to scream.

Often in the past, I held my tongue because I didn't want to nag, and I'm instinctively a people-pleaser. But then my resentment grew and when I finally spoke up, it was nasty. We both ended up feeling bad. Mike would dig in his heels, I'd back down, and the situation remained unresolved.

I used to think my anger was simply a result of Mike holding onto too much "junk." That's part of it, of course. One woman's trash is her husband's treasure, I think the saying goes. Recently, however, I realized it's more complicated.

An overstuffed closet helped me have a breakthrough

This past November, I was in a funk. I wasn't happy with the result of the election. Also, I'd published a book about my people-pleasing in 2023 and had grown tired of marketing it. In fact, I'd grown tired of writing. I was a retired empty-nester with bad knees trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

One day, I opened the spare room closet and immediately became tense. The overflow of belongings wasn't Mike's alone, it was our entire family's. I wasn't angry at a person but at the clutter. Or maybe it wasn't exactly anger that I was feeling.

I had a lightbulb moment: Too much stuff makes me anxious, and decluttering gives me a feeling of control. If I'm bored or worried about something else, purging an area of its detritus makes me feel better. It's not about Mike, after all. It's about my relationship to clutter — we just don't get along.

Now, Mike and I communicate about clutter better

Before I got to work on the closet, I told Mike, "Just so you know — I enjoy getting rid of stuff. I'm doing this to make myself feel better." I'd never stated it so clearly before. My aha moment allowed me to approach Mike more lovingly about his other stashes. Instead of snidely scolding him, my words and tone were kind.

"Mike, do you want these two hats, or should I give them to Goodwill?"

Here's the bonus: Since I've been nicer about it, Mike lets go of more stuff. He no longer has the need to dig in his heels because I'm not attacking him.

It will always be easier for me to part with possessions than it will be for Mike. What is anxiety-provoking for me may be comforting for him. However, identifying my contribution to our dynamic and changing my behavior has allowed me to better respond to my needs. It's really a form of self-care.

I'll still avoid the utility room to control my blood pressure and respect Mike's man cave. If what looks like junk to me is his treasure, my way of loving him is to say, "It's all yours."

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, loyalty will be a key aspect of his second term. Unlike 2017, Trump is no longer a political outsider adjusting to Washington for the first time. While Trump has to contend with a closely-divided House, he now has much more control over the GOP.

• Hospitals are using gig work apps to fill nursing shifts.
• While lucrative, many of the shifts can be difficult and stressful for nurses.
• Three nurses who have used the apps explain how much they've earned — and what they've experienced.

Nurses are using gig apps to make money. Doing so often involves working some of the most stressful jobs in nursing.

Some hospitals have trouble retaining full-time staff because they have a stressful work environment. That could be a trauma center, for instance, or a facility with many homeless patients who aren't getting support for chronic conditions, one nurse who picks up shifts for CareRev in Southern California, told Business Insider.

The problem has been compounded in the years since the pandemic, with many nurses feeling overwhelmed and considering a career change. Private-equity-owned facilities looking to reduce costs have also driven the rise of these apps, a report summary from the Roosevelt Institute released last month says.

One solution that hospitals are using is apps that allow nurses to pick up shifts — similar to the way that Uber drivers claim gigs driving people to the airport. Apps like CareRev, ShiftMed, and Clipboard Health pitch themselves to medical facilities, including those with staffing problems.

"We are that emergency help that they need to keep their hospital going," the nurse in Southern California said. The nurses who spoke to BI asked that their full names not be published for fear of retaliation from the apps, but BI has verified their identity and work.

CareRev, Clipboard, Medely, and ShiftMed did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

Nurses often find themselves 'thrown into' gigs

One nurse in California who has used the apps CareRev, Clipboard Health, and Medely said that many hospitals in her area that offer work through the apps don't appear to have the resources to hire as many full-time nurses as they need.

"Well-known hospitals like the Mayo Clinic are probably not going to be using ShiftMed," the nurse said. "It tends to be kind of smaller facilities and less-funded facilities."

At some facilities that use gig apps, nurses working through the apps can outnumber employees. At one intensive care unit where she has worked, the nurse in Southern California said, "There were eight of us, and seven didn't actually work there."

"When I go to these hospitals, especially some of them, you'll see only the app people and some travel nurses, and that's it," she said.

What orientation those hospitals provide to nurses who work there through the apps can affect the kind of care patients get.

"Every hospital has policies and procedures when they do things and we don't get training," the nurse in Southern California said. "We can read the booklet real fast in the morning, but we don't always know we're doing our best."

"There are instances where you get thrown into something and you do the best that you can, and care can unfortunately suffer because of that," the nurse on three apps in California told BI.

Sarah, a nurse in Wisconsin, said that most hospitals she's worked in have required workers hired through the apps to have at least one year of nursing experience. However, she said stepping into a new hospital with limited training can be challenging — and that this level of experience might be insufficient.

"You have to have a solid foundation — this is not the environment to build your skills," she said. "You really have to be solid."

Challenging nursing gigs often come with higher pay

Despite the challenges that come with these gigs, Sarah said the pay motivates many nurses to give them a shot.

"Everybody wants to chase the money," she said.

While the hourly rates for these gigs vary by hospital, the nursing role, and other factors, nurses told BI that they often pay roughly double what they make in their regular nursing jobs — as much as $115 an hour.

Sarah said that $75 an hour is a fairly standard rate in her experience — which would earn her $900 over a twelve-hour shift.

"What I'm making in CareRev is about double what I would be paid as a staff nurse for the hospitals in this area," she said.

The nurse in Southern California said that she considers roughly $90 an hour to be a typical hourly rate. That's compared to the roughly $80 an hour she estimated that a very experienced nurse would make at a large hospital in her area.

"I've seen it get to $114 on a holiday like Christmas," she said.

The nurse on three apps in California said she earns between $30 and $40 an hour at her main nursing job but often makes between $50 and $70 an hour through gig apps.

"If you're just picking up shifts on your own through these apps, it's more profitable to do it that way," she said.

Are you a nurse who works as an independent contractor and has a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected]

• At least six retail brands have said they're closing US stores this year, totaling over 2,000 locations.
• Twice-bankrupt Party City is the largest chain on the list, with 700 stores facing closure.

A Business Insider tally of disclosures from six retail chains found more than 2,000 stores have closed or are set to close across the US in 2025.

The number is up slightly from last year's total but down from 2023, when the collapse of Bed Bath & Beyond contributed to the shuttering of more than 2,800 locations.

UBS analysts last year estimated US retail closures could reach 45,000 stores by 2029, led largely by smaller stores going out of business.

Meanwhile, larger firms such as Walmart, Costco, Target, and Home Depot continue to expand.

Topping this year's list is the twice-bankrupt Party City, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in late December with 700 stores facing closure.

See the list of major closures below.

Party City: 700 stores

Party City filed for Chapter 11 protection in late December, after CNN reported that the company was closing all of its stores.

Big Lots: 480 stores

Big Lots received a last-minute lifeline to remain in operation after bankruptcy, but its new owners are selling the leases to 480 stores.

Walgreens: 450 stores

Walgreens said it is on track to close 450 locations through the end of 2025 as part of its multi-year effort to reduce its store fleet.

Family Dollar: 370 stores

Dollar Tree said it will close 370 locations as leases expire, following last year's closure of 600 stores as it leans away from the Family Dollar brand and expands the Dollar Tree footprint.

Macy's: 66 stores

Macy's has identified 66 stores across 22 states that will close this year, the first of 150 locations that the retailer plans to shutter through 2026. Following the closings, there will be about 350 Macy's left.

Kohl's: 27 stores

Kohl's said it will close 27 locations across 15 states, which represent a small fraction of the overall 1,150-plus store fleet the company says is healthy, strong, and profitable. The closures are expected to be completed by April.

• The thought of taking our tired kids out to a dinner they likely wouldn't enjoy wasn't appealing.
• Instead, we left them in our rental armed with devices, made sure they were safe, and set out.
• This experience allowed us to embrace our kids' independence once we were back home too.

It was the summer of 2022 when my family of four descended, via bus and train, from the relatively temperate and isolated peaks of Switzerland into a hot, crowded, Italian summer. My Pacific Northwest children, then 7 and 9, were not built to handle heat. When I pulled out my camera on a crowded ferry my daughter let her head loll back and moaned, "Document my misery!"

They recovered slightly when they ate their first real Italian pizza for lunch. But when it came time for dinner, no one wanted to leave the sanctuary of our air-conditioned Airbnb rental. I didn't know what to do. I had to eat something but I felt exhausted at just the thought of coaxing the kids through walking into town, searching for a ristorante-pizzeria — the only acceptable choice — that could seat us, and then waiting for our food with them.

As it happened, there was a restaurant on the ground floor of where we were staying, but it wasn't a pizzeria. I knew our very picky eaters wouldn't touch anything on the menu.

Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the time we'd spent in Switzerland watching our friends' kids walk themselves to school, head out to the store, and navigate a complex train system without help. Maybe we were just sick of the kids. Whatever it was, my husband had an idea:

"We could just leave them here," he suggested cautiously.

If we'd been home in Seattle, I would have flatly rejected him. I would have said something like, "Good parents don't leave their kids unattended."

But they say travel lets you become a different person, just for a few days. So maybe that's why instead I said, "If we give them their tablets, they literally will not move."

"There's leftover pizza from lunch," my husband pointed out. "We could just heat that up for them here."

We fed them the leftovers, handed them their tablets, made them practice unlocking the door (but not for strangers!), and warned them not to eat any food lest they choke. My husband and I went downstairs and had a peaceful dinner looking out over the sparkling waters of Lake Como.

It was glorious

When we returned to our rental, as predicted, the kids had not moved an inch. We felt like we'd gotten away with something, and also like we'd all just passed some sort of parenting test. The kids reported not feeling scared or abandoned at all. There was no reason not to do it again.

And we did, venturing out a few blocks away the next night, and many of the nights that followed as we wound our way through Italy.

Our perspective changed at home

"You know what's crazy," I said at a leisurely dinner along a piazza in Rome, feeling not at all rushed, not needing to apologize for my boisterous American kids. "We would never do this at home, and yet we're totally fine doing it in a country where they have no local knowledge and they don't even speak the language."

"Maybe we should do it at home, then," my husband said.

And that's exactly what we did, similarly tentatively, with frequent check-ins and warnings to help ease any anxiety on our part or theirs. We stopped letting some vague sense of what we were supposed to do direct our parenting, and started living our life in a way that made sense for us. Now we assess the situation and make a decision based on what we think our family is capable of.

In the years since then we look for opportunities to encourage our kids' independence and ability to be self-sufficient. So far they've risen to the occasion. My son, now 12, in particular, likes it when I can send him to the corner store on his electric scooter to pick up some forgotten ingredient I need for dinner. When I watch him pull out of the driveway, perched on his silly scooter seat, his helmet atop his head, you could almost imagine he's on a Vespa, heading out on a solo adventure through the Tuscan countryside.