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Today โ€” 22 May 2025News

Sofia Vergara said dating someone with less money than her would be a 'nightmare.' We asked 3 therapists what they think.

22 May 2025 at 17:14
Sofรญa Vergara
Sofรญa Vergara says dating someone with less money than her would be a "nightmare."

NBC/Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images

  • Sofรญa Vergara, 52, knows what she wants in a partner.
  • The "Griselda" star says dating someone with less money than her would be "a nightmare."
  • Income disparity can impact romantic relationships, especially around power dynamics.

Sofรญa Vergara has a list of what she wants in a partner.

During an appearance on the May 14 episode of the "Today" show, the "Modern Family" actor reflected on her dating life and got candid about some of the traits she hopes her future partner will have.

"I want to say the basic stuff, like health and somebody that loves me," Vergara told hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Erin Andrews. "And somebody tall, handsome."

"I want somebody that has as much money as me or more, because if not, it's a nightmare. They end up resenting you. And I want somebody fun. I need fun in my life," Vergara added.

Vergara has been married twice. In July 2023, after seven years of marriage, Vergara and the actor Joe Manganiello announced they were divorcing. She was previously married to Joe Gonzalez.

A representative for Vergara did not respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

How wealth can affect romantic relationships

Two therapists and one wealth psychologist told BI they've heard similar sentiments echoed by many of their affluent clients.

Income disparity can impact romantic relationships, particularly around power dynamics.

Lami Ronit, a wealth psychologist who runs her own practice from both California and London, told BI she has noticed a difference in how men and women handle being the higher earners in a relationship.

"Women who are the higher earners often face a double standard; they're expected to succeed, but not so much that it threatens traditional gender roles. Men, on the other hand, are typically socialized to feel more comfortable being the financial provider," Ronit said.

When those roles are reversed, both partners can struggle, since the woman may feel she has to downplay her success while the man may wrestle with pride or feelings of inadequacy, she said.

The challenge persists even in some progressive circles where gender norms have been disrupted, Matt Lundquist, the founder and clinical director of Tribeca Therapy, a New York-based psychotherapy center, told BI.

"While it might seem that wealth invites ease โ€” and in many ways it can and should โ€” it also becomes a space where individuals' histories with money and gender expectations play out," he said.

For instance, it could be an issue when one person sees their contributions to the relationship as being more valuable than the other because of the amount of money they possess or earn, Dana McNeil, a relationship therapist and the founder of The Relationship Place, a San Diego-based practice, told BI.

"Many wealthy partners may perceive they are entitled to exert more control and say in the relationship about how money is spent," she said.

This can sometimes cause the less wealthy partner or the one more financially dependent to resent having to rely on their partner's permission to make purchases.

"This feeling of dependence can create a parent/child dynamic that feels like a loss of freedom and autonomy," McNeil said.

How couples can navigate financial disparity

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, fairness and clarity are key, Ronit said.

"When appropriate, I often recommend that couples talk about proportional contributions rather than equal ones. For example, each person could contribute a percentage of their income toward shared expenses," she said.

The goal is to avoid feelings of imbalance or resentment, Ronit added.

When it comes to splitting bills, McNeil says she often suggests her clients have three checking accounts: a personal one for each partner and a joint account for bills and common expenses like going out to dinner or buying groceries.

To make expectations clear, it's important for couples to talk about money "sooner rather than later," Lundquist said.

"At some point, all couples need to confront the reality that a significant part of the partnership is economic and address both the material and symbolic aspects of this," he said.

It's also important for each partner to determine what they want and understand the trade-offs that may accompany that.

"And on this count, I'll give Sofรญa Vergara great credit โ€” she clearly knows what she wants," Lundquist added.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Scoop: Primary challengers circle Thomas Massie after Trump-defying vote

22 May 2025 at 16:54

President Trump's political operation has been fielding calls from Republicans interested in waging a primary challenge to Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, according to a person familiar with the talks.

Why it matters: The conversations are evidence that Trump โ€” and his $500 million political apparatus โ€” is actively entertaining the best way to back a primary opponent against Massie, who has drawn Trump's ire for voting against his "one big, beautiful bill."


  • "Massie is about to be in the fight of his life," said Kentucky-based GOP strategist Jake Cox. "Just wait until he sees the money a Trump-backed candidate can raise simply from the President saying their name into a camera or opening up his email list."
  • Two possible primary challengers being mentioned in Kentucky Republican circles are state Sen. Aaron Reed and state Rep. Kimberly Moser.
  • A statewide Kentucky GOP official tells Axios: "Massie has had weak primary opponents in previous cycles and made mincemeat of them, but I think this time is different. Supporting Trump is the No. 1 โ€” and sometimes the only โ€” issue in GOP primaries at the moment."

What they're saying: Trump has privately wondered what the point is of having a Republican in Massie's seat if "they're going to vote with Democrats and trash Republicans all the time."

  • Trump's anger boiled on Tuesday, when he told reporters in the Capitol that the congressman should be "voted out of office."
  • The president's political lieutenants piled on. "Some guys just prefer to be in the minority," White House deputy chief of staff James Blair said of Massie on X.
  • When asked during a Thursday briefing whether Trump believed โ€” as well as Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), who also voted "no" โ€” should be primaried, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: "I believe he does and I believe he does not like to see grandstanders in Congress."

The background: Massie and Trump have clashed for years.

  • In 2019, Massie joined House Democrats in opposing Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border.
  • After Massie opposed a COVID relief package in 2020, Trump called on the congressman to be thrown "out of the Republican Party."
  • Massie was one of six House Republicans to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
  • After Massie opposed a Trump-backed government spending bill in March, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the congressman was a "GRANDSTANDER."

Behind the scenes: During the transition, Trump privately asked DeSantis for advice on how to deal with Massie.

  • "Give him raw milk," DeSantis said, referring to one of Massie's legislative priorities, according to a person briefed on the conversation.

The other side: Massie told Axios he was skeptical Trump allies would find a strong candidate to run against him.

  • Massie noted he had easily fended off primary challenges in the last three elections and said his private polling showed him popular in his conservative central Kentucky district.
  • "If somebodyย got in this race and they were a reasonable person, not crazy to run against me, I would call them up and say: 'You know what you should do before you dedicate the next year and a half of your life to getting your a** kicked? You should do a poll,'" Massie said.
  • Massie also said Trump's attacks on him were helping him fundraise, pointing out he had raised $47,000 this week and had a series of donor events lined up in California next week.
  • The congressman's allies say his independent streak endears him to voters.

The intrigue: Massie said he spoke to Trump a few weeks before the election and a few weeks after, but not since. After Massie's mother passed away in June 2024, Trump left him a voicemail expressing his condolences, Massie said.

  • During the call after the election, Massie told Trump he would be interested in serving as his agriculture secretary, an idea Trump passed on.
  • "I would have taken it," Massie said.

"You don't have to die in this place": House Dems want age reckoning after Connolly's death

22 May 2025 at 16:53

Some younger House Democrats are preparing to push for a long-delayed, caucus-wide intervention on age after the tragic passing of yet another one of their septuagenarian colleagues, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The impacts of the party's aging membership were keenly felt Thursday when House Republicans passed their sweeping tax cut bill by just a single vote, 215 to 214.


  • Several House Democrats argued that vacancies created by the deaths of Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Raรบl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), all in their 70s, may have been outcome-determinative.
  • "You see where we are, we can't afford to lose anymore members. ... We're down three people because they passed away," one lawmaker told Axios just off the floor as the House was voting on the bill.
  • Said another ahead of the vote: "The tragic reality is, when ... this vote passes and the difference is the number of members who passed away this Congress, I think it's going to really infuriate many of our supporters."

By the numbers: The eight members of Congress who have died in office since November 2022 were all Democrats, with an average age of 75.

  • A half dozen of those deaths were just in the 13 months since last April.
  • Grijalva's seat won't be filled until a special election is held in late September. Texas' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has scheduled the election for Turner's seat on Nov. 4, to the fury of Democrats.
  • Some Democrats fear Virginia's Republican governor may similarly drag his feet on scheduling a contest to replace Connolly.

Between the lines: Of the House's 10 oldest members, seven are Democrats, Axios' April Rubin reported.

  • "Some folks have given their life to this place, and we're so grateful and commend them for it โ€” you don't have to die in this place," the first House Democrat said.
  • "I definitely think that someone in leadership needs to have some hard conversations and say โ€ฆ 'you don't [have to] keep doing this.'"

State of play: In interviews with a dozen House Democrats on Wednesday and Thursday, many said the time for those difficult discussions has come.

  • Most spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts about a highly sensitive topic without facing backlash from their colleagues.
  • "This is something that Democrats come up to me [and ask about] all the time, everywhere I go, like, 'You guys need a fresh face. A fresh message and a fresh face,'" said a third House Democrat.
  • A fourth told Axios it's nothing personal to older members, but "the people don't own the seats, and we just look so f**king out of touch."
  • "I think this could force a conversation," a fifth House Democrat said of Connolly's passing on Wednesday.

What to watch: It is not yet clear what reforms younger Democrats will pursue, though several floated a renewed push for committee leadership term limits as a way to incentivize older members to retire.

  • Republicans "don't have seniority over there. We do. That could be something that gets discussed," the fifth House Democrat said.
  • "The incentives, on our side, cause people to be here a long time," said a sixth lawmaker. "There's a conversation to be had there."
  • A seventh told Axios that when committee term limits were instituted in their state legislature, "I think it ended up being for the better. ... It was exciting to be on a team where it felt like everyone had an equitable shot."

The intrigue: Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Democrats' long-suffering champion of committee term limits, said he is handing off the baton as he nears 70 in an attempt to lead by example.

  • "I've passed the torch to the next generation. It was a little bit ironic that it was a couple of boomers arguing for generational change," the 69-year-old, who was first elected to Congress in 2008, told Axios.
  • The fourth House Democrat who spoke anonymously said there are "a bunch of us" planning to make that push โ€” but that "it can't happen right now" in the immediate wake of Connolly's death.

Yes, but: House Democrats' older members aren't about to concede anything.

  • More than half of the 30 House Democrats over 75 years old are running again, and many attest to their vigorous health. A sizable portion of them are facing or are expected to face primary challenges.
  • Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), 70, and Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), 76, have expressed interest in running to replace Connolly as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
  • They may face 47-year-old Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a member of House Democratic leadership who could try to use his strong relationships with colleagues to overcome his relative lack of seniority.

The bottom line: That this issue is bubbling up to the surface amid new revelations about President Biden's health only gives it more urgency, lawmakers said.

  • "It's important. It's just more symbolically important. We've got Joe Biden hanging over here ... like a huge albatross," said the third House Democrat.
  • "Then you add to this that the face of Congress just seems older. ... People keep hearing about all these older people who we have here and are like, 'Wait, what?'"

Trump admin nixes Harvard's ability to enroll international students

22 May 2025 at 11:27

The Trump administration pulled Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.

The big picture: Harvard has been at the center of the administration's war on universities over alleged antisemitism on campus and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.


Driving the news: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered DHS to terminate Harvard's student and exchange visitor program certification, the agency said.

  • "This means Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status," per DHS.
  • Noem said the administration is "holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus."
  • She said in a statement that the university lost their program certification "as a result of the failure to adhere to the law," calling it "a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country."

What they're saying: Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton called the government's action unlawful.

  • "We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University โ€“ and this nation โ€“ immeasurably," he said in an emailed statement.
  • He said the university is working quickly to provide guidance to the campus community.
  • "This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission," Newton said.

Context: The administration has for months been discussing plans to try to block certain colleges from having any foreign students if it decides too many are "pro-Hamas," Axios reported.

  • The idea of prohibiting colleges from enrolling any student visa-holders grew out of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's "Catch and Revoke" program, which now is focusing on students who protested against the war in Gaza.

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

More from Axios:

My baby isn't even a year old and has already been on 8 flights. Here's how we survived them.

22 May 2025 at 16:24
Women with a stroller and a baby at the airport
ย The author (not pictured) has taken many flights, but was nervous to fly with a baby.

Juanmonino/Getty Images/iStockphoto

  • My baby has been on eight flights and isn't even a year old yet.
  • Our first flight was short, which helped us learn how to make future, longer flights a success.
  • Now I know a travel stroller is essential for maneuvering in the airport and worth the investment.

As a person who travels quite a bit, I'll admit I was nervous about traveling with my first child. What if they cried? What if we disturbed nearby passengers? What if there was a diaper blowout? There was a lot to be anxious about.

Our first fight was just 90 minutes, but we survived it. Now, my baby is has already been on eight flights โ€” domestic and international โ€” and they aren't even a year old yet. Our goal has been to keep our baby safe and comfortable, while making sure the flight is peaceful and enjoyable for ourselves and the people around us. My family has accomplished this by following these simple strategies.

We started with a short flight

While this may not always be possible, it helped my family quite a bit that our first flight with a baby was a shorter one, just 90 minutes long. This allowed us to get our bearings, while introducing our baby to flying. Plus, it helped us to see if there was anything we might need to adjust for future, longer flights.

We always wear a baby carrier

If there's one item I wouldn't get on a flight without, it would be my baby carrier. There are many styles, but for flights, I prefer a wrap-style carrier for it's comfort and compactness.

I appreciate the hands-free experience through the airport, and, more importantly, they make it more comfortable to hold your baby throughout the flight if they are flying as a lap infant.

My own bag is super organized

Luggage organizing pouches are my best friend on a flight. I have several in my own carryon bag so I can keep snacks, headphones, sanitizing wipes, and more neat and organized. When everything is in its own bag I don't have to dig around searching for it when I need it, which can be a lifesaver.

On our last flight, my baby was asleep on my chest, but I desperately wanted my Kindle, headphones, and a snack. It was easy for me to snag them from my bag without waking the baby.

A woman packing a carryon bag for travel.
The writer (not pictured) packs carryon items in individual travel pouches so they're easy to fish out of her bag, even if she's only got one hand free.

miniseries/Getty Images

A travel stroller is essential

On our first trip, we didn't have a travel stroller. I didn't want to spend extra money on more gear and I thought we would be fine without it. That was a big mistake. Now we have an affordable model that is easy to use. It isn't as bulky as our usual stroller, but it's perfect for maneuvering through the terminal and provides an extra place to stash essentials while at the airport.

We check, and double check, our diaper bag

I always make sure we're set up for success with extra outfits that are warm and comfortable just in case we run into any delays or something gets dirty while we're traveling. A travel diaper changing mat is a must-have item that allows us to change our child no matter where we are. On our international flight, our baby had a diaper that desperately needed changing, but we were stuck in our seats. Thanks to our travel mat, we were able to get the baby back into a clean diaper right away. And, as all parents know, extra wipes and diapers are never a bad idea.

We don't skimp on toys

Of course, packing comfort items, books, and fun toys is a great way to redirect restlessness on a flight. I try to keep to items that are small, mess-free, and not too noisy and always add in a few new items that my child hasn't seen before.

We take advantage of early boarding

As soon as we get to the gate, one of us makes a beeline for the gate agent. We double check that our seats are all together and ask for any necessary accommodations. Many airlines let those traveling with young children board early, and we always take advantage of this. It's a lot easier to get down the narrow plane aisle with all of our stuff and a baby if other passengers aren't in the way.

We try to plan around naps and feeding time

Though this isn't always possible, we try to line up flights so they happen when our baby is ready for a nap. Recently, we selected a flight time not based on our typical preference, but based around our baby's sleep schedule, and it really paid off. Ideally, I'll be able to feed the baby during takeoff, which keeps them comfortable and happy and then they will settle into a nice slumber for the flight. We've used this strategy for a few flights, and it's been successful every time.

We do our best to stay calm

It may be easier said than done, but staying in a good headspace is what has helped me and my husband the most during these flights. We've both still had stressful moments, and that's when we try to help one another to take a step back and regroup. Our child picks up on our feelings and moods, so if we're anxious, they might be, too. Taking deep breaths, not rushing, staying calm has helped make the eight flights we've already been on a success and we can't wait to take more.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Trump defies ethics warnings with private meme coin dinner

22 May 2025 at 15:47

The president planned to host a highly anticipated "exclusive" dinner for the largest holders of his meme coin, Official Trump, at his golf club in Virginia on Thursday night.

Why it matters: Fight Fight Fight, LLC โ€” a company linked to President Trump's family โ€”ย sold a digital token that gave anyone in the world a chance to pay for a night of access to the commander-in-chief.


  • The promotion has stunned ethics experts. One Democrat called it "the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the White House."
  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied any conflicts of interest but refused to release the list of attendees, telling reporters: "The president is attending it in his personal time. It is not a White House dinner."

Between the lines: Wealthy donors have long used campaign contributions to gain access to elected officials โ€” but with key guardrails and oversight.

  • U.S. law bars foreign money and prohibits politicians from using campaign funds for personal gain.

What they're saying: "We've never had a president actually try to raise money and get people to buy an interest in a venture of his at the same time that he's sitting in the White House," Richard Painter, President George W. Bush's ethics lawyer, told Politico.

By the numbers: Inca Digital, a data intelligence firm, estimates that the top 220 holders collectively spent more than $140 million to ensure they got a spot in the meme coin celebration.

  • The most spent was $16.4 million.
  • The contest was announced on April 23 and ran through May 12. To qualify to attend, a wallet owner had to register with Fight Fight Fight, pass a background check, and hold a high enough average amount of Official Trump over the contest period.
  • The token had lost considerable value since its pre-inauguration release, but it's up more than 50% since the dinner was announced.

Between the lines: That price increase has held even after the contest ended, suggesting that holders might expect more perks or access ahead.

The intrigue: Only a few attendees were known ahead of time. Crypto billionaire Justin Sun, who at one point was under investigation by the SEC, is probably the best known.

  • Kain Warwick, an Australian crypto investor and creator of the decentralized finance platform, Synthetix, told the New York Times that he had a spot.
  • So did the meme coin startup MemeCore, which acquired a massive stockpile in order to send someone to the event.

How it works: Other buyers haven't been publicizing their attendance, but blockchain analysis suggested that much of the buying was happening outside the U.S., according to an analysis by Bloomberg.

What we're watching: Fight Fight Fight still controls 80% of the supply of Official Trump, which it can sell off over time.

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