• Tejas Vijh navigated visa challenges to secure a venture capital role in the US.
• Visa sponsorship is rare in venture capital, and many international students stick to Big Tech.
• He feels more secure about his job at a small firm than his peers at Big Tech companies.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tejas Vijh, an employee at a venture capital firm based in Indianapolis, Indiana. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified his employment and visa history.

After I completed my bachelor's in computer science in India, a series of internships and connections led me to a role at a very early-stage venture capital firm. I loved the job and the research it involved.

Seven months into working at the firm, I wanted the exposure of living and working abroad. I got into a business analytics master's program at Columbia University and moved to New York City in 2022.

Right off the bat, I figured out that venture was not a typical career path for international students, including MBA and business majors, for one main reason: visa sponsorship issues. I interned at two places in the summer, and both said they wouldn't be able to sponsor my long-term visa, even though they liked my performance.

When I started researching the job market after graduation, I could not find a single person in the industry who was an immigrant, which was really demotivating. But I was convinced that I wanted to work in healthcare or climate tech and decided to keep going.

As a Science-Technology-Engineering-Math graduate, I am allowed a three-year work permit called the Optional Practical Training visa. It's seen as a pathway to securing an H-1B — a visa for highly skilled foreign workers.

500 cold emails

Using software called PitchBook, a venture capital database, I downloaded a list of 2,000 firms. I started emailing them personalized notes. I pitched myself but did not mention my visa situation.

Many firms replied to me even though they weren't hiring, and I met people for coffee and built connections.

I started getting some interviews by my 200th email.

By my 500th email, I had two offers — one from a larger firm that told me they could not sponsor my H-1B but that I could join them for my three years of OPT, and another from my current firm, where our managing partner took time to understand my visa requirements and the support I would need from them. I told him how I'm loyal and I will stay where I go. My firm has three partners, and I'm the only employee.

The advantages of a small company

I did not get my H-1B visa last year, but my visa was selected as part of this year's lottery last week. My firm has also been supportive and has helped me explore alternative routes like the O-1 visa or the EV-1, which are visas for extraordinary talents in the event my H-1B did not come through.

Some of the recent changes around H-1B also give me a lot of hope, since they are focused on making the process fairer. The US immigration authorities have reported fewer entries into the lottery this year compared to 2024. Elon Musk, who is working with President Donald Trump's administration, has also publicly supported the H-1B program.

I'm grateful I decided to join a small company over a Big Tech company, where a lot of my classmates from my master's and family members work. Large companies are traditionally seen as more stable and a safer bet for visa holders, but as layoffs sweep the tech industry, this mindset is changing. I have family members who are always on edge about when they may lose their jobs and be forced to quickly pack up and leave the US because their stay depends on their employment.

I believe my partners will honestly give me a heads-up if we need to cut employees. The firm is also heavily involved in helping me find alternative visas, which is not always a service provided by large firms. It adds to my peace of mind.

• The Senate voted to block Trump's Canada tariffs — right after his "Liberation Day" tariff event.
• It's a largely symbolic vote, and Trump's tariff power won't be restricted.
• Still, it's an embarrassment that Trump tried to avoid.

Just hours after President Donald Trump unveiled a host of new tariffs, the GOP-controlled Senate voted to block a major part of his trade agenda.

The Senate passed a resolution to terminate the national emergency that Trump declared on February 1 that enables him to enact tariffs on Canada. The bill is not expected to be taken up by the House, so Trump's ability to impose tariffs on Canada won't be affected.

Still, it's an unwelcome symbolic rebuke of the president's trade agenda, coming on what he had dubbed "Liberation Day."

It was a 51-48 vote, with every Democratic senator voting for the bill, along with four Republicans:

• Sen. Susan Collins of Maine
• Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
• Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky

Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas was not present for the vote.

Paul, a libertarian Republican who's consistently spoken up in support of free trade, even co-sponsored the resolution, which was introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

"Tariffs on Canada will threaten us with a recession," Paul told reporters on Wednesday. "I mean, it's a terrible, terrible idea."

Collins, who faces a competitive reelection fight in 2026, cited her state's reliance on trade with Canada in a floor speech earlier on Wednesday.

"The Maine economy is integrated with Canada, our most important trading partner," Collins said. "The tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies."

While Murkowski isn't up for reelection next year, her state is also reliant on trade with Canada, and she hasn't been shy about criticizing Trump and his administration. McConnell, the former Senate GOP leader, has also been critical of Trump's tariff plans.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump announced a 10% baseline tariff on imports from all foreign countries, plus higher reciprocal tariffs on a long list of other countries and a 25% tariff on foreign auto imports.

Trump did not announce new tariffs on Mexico or Canada, and the White House said that there will continue to be no tariff on goods that comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Kaine and other Democratic senators said that tariffs on Canada specifically didn't make sense, given the country's longtime alliance with the United States.

"The President has justified the imposition of these tariffs on, in my view, a made-up emergency," Kaine said. "The fentanyl emergency is from Mexico and China. It's not from Canada."

In an early morning Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump said that he hoped that the GOP senators who planned to vote for the anti-tariff resolution would "get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change."

"They are playing with the lives of the American people, and right into the hands of the Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels," Trump wrote. "The Senate Bill is just a ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans."

That argument may have won over some Republicans who are otherwise suspicious of tariffs, such as Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

"I'm not going to support their attempt to damage Trump," Johnson told reporters.

When asked about Trump's argument, Paul was undeterred.

"I would argue that tariffs, particularly that leads to a recession, are devastating politically," Paul said.

• Rumors swirled Wednesday that Elon Musk may leave his role at the White House DOGE Office.
• After Politico's report, BI heard from 16 federal workers about what his departure would mean.
• The Trump administration and Musk both denied his exit on X, and workers say it doesn't make a difference anyway.

Even if Elon Musk is eyeing the exit, federal workers say the anxiety and financial chaos DOGE caused will stick with them long after his tenure ends.

After Politico reported that the world's richest man might be leaving his post as the de facto leader of the White House DOGE Office soon, Business Insider spoke with 16 current and recently fired federal employees who are left wondering what it means for the future of their agencies — while most are crystal clear about their distaste for Musk himself.

"Obviously, my reaction is good riddance," an employee at the Office of Personnel Management said. Employees requested anonymity for fear of retaliation or because they were not authorized to speak, and BI has verified their identities.

Musk has been a vocal advocate of firing federal employees and slashing government budgets. Some federal workers who voted for Trump previously told BI that they support efforts to make the government more efficient but feel "betrayed" by widespread job cuts and upset by Musk's role.

The White House has denied that Musk plans to step back from the cost-cutting effort, directing BI to a post on X by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: "Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete." No timeline was given. Representatives for DOGE did not respond to a request for comment from BI, and Musk said on X, "Yeah, fake news."

As a special government employee, Musk is only legally allowed to work for the government for at most 130 days a year. Most employees BI spoke to doubted that a quicker departure would make much of a difference.

Five current and former employees told BI that they think Musk will still influence the DOGE office's operations, even if he technically gives up his government role. As one put it, he'll still "pull the puppet strings — whether inside the White House or out of it."

Others said they didn't see much daylight between Musk and his allies, like Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and young DOGE office staffers.

"I'm assuming he's getting out sooner because this has cost him and his businesses far more than he anticipated, for which I am glad. I hope he never fully recovers," a NOAA employee said.

The Politico report comes as Tesla stock has fluctuated amid Musk's growing power in the West Wing. The company's reported first-quarter deliveries were well below analysts' estimates, and shares are down roughly 30% this year. Even as the president has championed Tesla on the White House lawn, owners of the vehicles have been putting them up for sale in droves. Just yesterday, a conservative judge lost a key election in Wisconsin — despite getting more than $12 million from Musk's PAC.

At a town hall on Sunday, Musk said that his role in the Trump administration is "costing me a lot." Meanwhile, some federal employees are skeptical he'd leave his government influence behind.

"Maybe on paper, they'll say someone else is in charge, but in reality, it will still be Musk," an IRS employee said. An employee at NASA predicted that Musk would simply use X to "pressure anyone not doing what he wants."

Eight employees said they hoped the news was true. Yet many of those who welcomed Musk's departure also said that DOGE has already made a significant, enduring mark on the federal government.

After so many firings, an employee at the Institute of Museum and Library Services said Musk's departure "would be a hopeful sign to keep the federal workforce afloat, but so much damage has already been done. We need more people to proactively help us rather than just wait around for him to leave."

Noah Sheidlower and Ayelet Sheffey contributed reporting.

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President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on dozens of nations during a White House event he dubbed 'Liberation Day.' Here are some key moments.

• Meghan Markle's first As Ever collection sold out within an hour of its launch.
• The Duchess of Sussex's show "With Love, Meghan" was also a hit when it was released in March.
• Despite vocal criticism, Meghan's pivot to lifestyle is off to a good start.

Meghan Markle just dropped her first lifestyle collection — and it's already sold out.

After months of anticipation, the Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle venture As Ever officially launched on Wednesday. The brand's entire collection sold out within an hour of it dropping online.

As Ever's triumphant launch follows the successful debut of the duchess' Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," which was a hit with viewers despite widespread criticism from the media and some fans who called the show boring and out of touch.

Despite that, Meghan is proving her bet on her lifestyle career was worth taking.

Entering the lifestyle space

Both "With Love, Meghan" and As Ever were met with plenty of criticism. Outlets published dozens of negative articles about the series when it was released, lamenting its lack of relatability for the average viewer and criticizing Meghan's hosting tips as unnecessary.

However, that criticism seemed detached from the show's successful reality. "With Love, Meghan" hit Netflix's top 10 list the week it premiered and amassed over 2.6 million views, according to The New York Times. Netflix also already announced that season two of the show will premiere in the fall of 2025.

As Ever is on a similar path. When it was first announced, naysayers questioned Meghan's product line, saying items like flower petal sprinkles were gratuitous or assuming she would overcharge for her products. Others questioned whether Meghan had a clear vision for the brand since she changed its name from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever, despite the swap being largely due to a trademark issue.

Lo and behold, it seems the Duchess of Sussex — and Netflix, her business partner in the brand — did have a clear vision for As Ever. As Ever blends the type of California luxury you might associate with Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop or Martha Stewart with royal elegance, creating a glossy feel that clearly appeals to buyers.

Stacy Jones, the founder and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told Business Insider Meghan and Netflix are creating a brand that seemingly reflects the duchess herself.

"She's not an A-list actress. She's an A-list personality," Jones said.

"She's really pushed herself back into that influencer side of it versus that celebrity side of it where her brand requires content to be created around her, either by her or by someone else," she added. "That's what Netflix is doing."

A sold-out collection

As Ever's first collection featured items that cost $12 to $15 — aside from a $28 limited-edition honey — and they sold out within an hour of its launch. The honey was gone in just five minutes.

Thanks to standard shipping, it will be a few days before people get to try the products they ordered. And although it's unclear how much merchandise was available to begin with, the launch itself was a win for Meghan.

Jones said the gap between the vocal criticism of Meghan's lifestyle ventures and their real-life success isn't surprising.

"People like to be able to complain and be really, really loud about that," she said. "The haters are gonna hate, but she has a fan base."

Meghan has meticulously built up her base over the past decade. Many of them started out as fans of her blog, The Tig, which she ran from 2014 to 2017. They loved her recipes and hosting tips before she ever knew Prince Harry.

"She had a consumer base who are probably still fans of hers," Jones said. "There's not been a big step away from where she was before, back in the days of actresshood and 'Suits,' but she's bringing in a new level of branding."

Jones also said that Meghan's fan base has proved fiercely loyal, sticking with her through her royal controversies. That makes them a huge asset for the duchess, which she seems aware of. As she shared on Instagram, Meghan reconnected with her "OG Tig girls" ahead of As Ever's launch.

Meghan is finding a sweet spot in the lifestyle world because it blends her passions and the glamour of royal life. She's finding a way to share that with the world, and the proof is in the pudding (or rather, the jam).

• Trump announced a range of new tariffs on April 2, his so-called "Liberation Day."
• He signed an executive order to impose reciprocal tariffs and a 25% tariff on car imports.
• Some economists warned that uncertainty around the tariffs could strain consumers and businesses.

President Donald Trump's highly-anticipated new round of tariffs is here, and it could mean increased prices on a range of goods Americans rely on.

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order announcing reciprocal tariffs on all countries that have placed tariffs on US goods. These tariffs fall on Trump's so-called "Liberation Day," which the president has been touting for weeks as the day when his expansive trade plan would drop.

"April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again," Trump said during Wednesday remarks.

The motivation for the reciprocal tariffs: "They do it to us, and we do it to them," Trump said. "Very simple. Can't get any simpler than that." He added that all of the tariffs would have a baseline 10% tariff rate.

Trump said during his remarks that he would charge countries "approximately half" of what those countries have been charging the US. Trump said that would amount to a 32% tariff on goods from China, 20% tariff for the European Union, 32% tariff for Taiwan, and 26% tariff for India.

Trump also announced a 25% tariff on all car imports into the US. He did not mention any new tariffs on Canada or Mexico during his remarks.

In the weeks leading up to April 2, Trump signaled a range of tariffs he was planning to implement. They included a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, a 25% tariff on all car and car part imports into the US, tariffs on agricultural goods, and reciprocal tariffs on all countries that have placed tariffs on US goods. A 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports is already in effect.

The reciprocal tariffs are the broadest category, and Trump previously indicated that there would be "flexibility" in terms of the scope of the tariffs he would end up imposing on those countries.

These tariffs are likely to increase prices on impacted goods, and while some companies might choose to absorb some of the costs, consumers are set to shoulder most of the burden.

Ahead of Trump's tariff announcement, the White House wrote in a press release on Wednesday morning that tariffs will "level the playing field for American workers and businesses." However, markets and consumers have already been feeling financial strains due to the ongoing uncertainty with Trump's trade plans.

"When the president doesn't have a clear strategy or direction, it is extremely difficult for businesses in particular and consumers as well, to plan for the future, and that's why you're seeing so much uncertainty in the consumer market right now and so much uncertainty in the business community," Alex Jacquez, an advisor on the National Economic Council under former President Joe Biden, told reporters on a Tuesday press call.

The US is likely to see retaliatory tariffs from impacted countries following Trump's announcement. Canada's Justin Trudeau previously said he would place tariffs on American goods until Trump's tariffs were withdrawn.

The United Auto Workers union previously lauded the president's plan to place a 25% tariff on all cars and car parts imported into the US, saying it would bring more jobs back into the US auto industry.

"These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement.

Tesla posted first-quarter deliveries of nearly 336,700, which is well below analysts' expectations. So, is it time to worry? Business Insider's Ana Altchek breaks down the report.

• Elon Musk waded into a Wisconsin Supreme Court race — and lost.
• Now, Democrats want Musk to keep hitting the stump.
• Musk has quickly become a key foil for Democrats. The Wisconsin election vindicated that approach.

After handily winning a Wisconsin Supreme Court race on Tuesday, Democrats are sending a message to Elon Musk: Keep campaigning for the GOP.

Ben Wikler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, told reporters on a Wednesday press call that Musk should become President Donald Trump's "special envoy for midterm elections."

"At the same time, Elon Musk should be removed as quickly as possible from any position of power over the federal government," Wikler added, referring to the billionaire businessman's role as the de facto leader of DOGE.

Musk had poured millions of dollars into the race, arguing that the future of Western civilization was at stake. It was the first statewide election since Trump's 2024 victory and was seen as a barometer for the national mood. He even hit the campaign trail in person, holding a town hall event in Green Bay on Sunday night.

"Elon Musk's money might buy some ads, but it repels voters," Wikler said. Polling has broadly shown that Musk is less popular than Trump.

Ken Martin, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also mentioned Musk on the call.

"The more Elon Musk wants to get out there, I say go for it Elon," Martin said. "There are plenty of other states we would love you to campaign in."

The Wisconsin race — along with closer-than-expected special election results in two deep-red House districts in Florida — has emboldened Democrats when it comes to the House of Representatives, where Republicans currently hold an extremely narrow lead. In 2024, Musk spent more than $19 million supporting various Democratic candidates.

Katarina Flicker, a spokeswoman for House Majority PAC, said in a statement that the Democratic-aligned group "encourages one of the most unpopular men in America to campaign with Republicans across the country."

"His efforts will be crucial to Democrats taking back the House in 2026," Flicker said of Musk.

A spokesman for Musk's super PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Meta blocks ex-exec Sarah Wynn-Williams from speaking to Congress on China dealings, her lawyer says.
• The block follows an arbitration ruling enforcing a non-disparagement clause in her severance.
• A Senate Subcommittee is investigating Meta's China ties, seeking records and details based on Wynn-Williams' memoir.

Meta has blocked former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams from communicating with members of Congress who are investigating the company's dealings with the Chinese Communist Party, her lawyer said.

Ravi Naik, the legal counsel for Wynn-Williams, told Business Insider that his client is barred from speaking to lawmakers as a fallout of an emergency arbitration ruling Meta obtained last month. The ruling enforces a non-disparagement clause in Wynn-Williams' severance agreement and bars her from promoting the book. It comes just as a bipartisan Senate investigation cites her memoir, Careless People, as the catalyst for a probe into Meta's dealings in China.

"Congress has made it clear they expect to be able to communicate with Ms. Wynn-Williams, and my client wishes to do so," Naik said in a statement. "Meta has, however, silenced Ms. Wynn-Williams through an arbitration process, which means that she is prohibited from communicating with Congress. Ms. Wynn-Williams believes that people deserve to know the truth."

According to the arbitration ruling, Wynn-Williams' severance agreement with Meta doesn't bar her from speaking to lawmakers. But when she sought to remove Meta's gag order to speak to legislators, the arbitrator made it explicit that she wasn't allowed to.

"If Respondent were permitted to communicate with legislators…such actions would only create an exception that would eat the rule," the arbitrator said in an excerpt of the statement provided to BI by Wynn-Williams' spokesperson. "In such a circumstance, nothing would limit or prevent those legislators (or their aides) from parroting to the public any disparaging statements that Respondent is otherwise barred from disclosing to anyone other than a governmental investigatory body. Those legislators could also use their respective platforms as public officials to explicitly assist Respondent [to] promote her book, which she is barred from doing."

"This ruling," Wynn-Williams' spokesperson said "implies that the gag order on Ms. Wynn-Williams takes precedence over elected officials' right to know information pertaining to national security."

A Meta spokesperson told BI that the company was "not intending to stand in the way of her exercising her rights."

They added that the company did not operate its services in China. "It is no secret we were once interested in doing so as part of Facebook's effort to connect the world," they said. "This was widely reported beginning a decade ago. We ultimately opted not to go through with the ideas we'd explored, which Mark Zuckerberg announced in 2019."

The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and joined by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Republican Sen. John Hawley, opened the probe into Meta's dealings with China on April 1.

The committee's letter sent to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday outlines a sweeping request for records dating back to 2014. Lawmakers are seeking all Meta communications with Chinese government officials, including the Cyberspace Administration of China, and records on Meta's subsidiaries and partners in the country, among other details.

They also want information about whether Llama, Meta's AI model, was used by the People's Liberation Army or Chinese tech firms. The request also includes all documents related to "Project Aldrin," which Wynn-Williams' book claims, was Meta's three-year plan to break into China, as well as any internal deliberations about censoring content at the request of national governments.

Meta has dismissed Wynn-Williams' allegations as false and characterized her as a disgruntled former employee. A spokesperson previously told BI that her claims were "a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives."

Wynn-Williams, who worked at Facebook from 2011 to 2017, has filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC. Neither the arbitrator's ruling nor Meta's arguments in arbitration dispute the factual content of her memoir, her spokesperson says.

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• Patrick Schwarzenegger plays Saxon Ratliff in season three of HBO's hit show "The White Lotus."
• Producer David Bernad said the showrunners didn't want to cast him because of his famous last name.
• "He was just so good," Bernad told The Hollywood Reporter.

Despite the Hollywood insider status it implies, Patrick Schwarzenegger's instantly recognizable name almost prevented him from landing his most high-profile gig to date.

"Patrick Schwarzenegger's last name worked against him, by the way. We didn't want to cast him because of that," "The White Lotus" producer David Bernad told The Hollywood Reporter.

"He was just so good," Bernad added.

Schwarzenegger, 31, is the eldest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor of California and star of "The Terminator" franchise.

Schwarzenegger has long followed in his father's footsteps as an actor, landing roles in movies like "Midnight Sun" with Bella Thorne (2018) and shows like the HBO true-crime series "The Staircase" (2022). He's currently starring in the third season of "The White Lotus," one of HBO's buzziest hits to date, as Saxon Ratliff — who's ironically a nepo baby in his own right.

Saxon, who works at the same hedge fund as his father, Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), arrives at the luxury Thailand hotel for a family getaway. He's introduced as a spoiled and obnoxious frat bro who's obsessed with success, status, and protein smoothies — and Schwarzenegger portrays him so convincingly that his real mom, Maria Shriver, recently felt the need to clear her son's name.

"Patrick is not like Saxon," Shriver told "Today" host Savannah Guthrie. "I just want to clear that up because people say, 'Is Patrick like Saxon?' I'm like, 'Do you think I would've raised a Saxon?'"

For his part, Schwarzenegger praised "The White Lotus" creator Mike White for letting him ad-lib on set and explore Saxon's mannerisms in real time.

"There were a lot of moments where Mike would just let me play," he told THR. "Like when Saxon looks up and down at the ladyboy waitress or when he got out of the pool and kind of readjusted himself when he's looking at Chelsea. Mike came over after that and was like, 'Did you just grab yourself?' I was like, 'Is that fine? Do you think that's weird?' He was like, 'Dude, that was fucking brilliant.'"

Schwarzenegger also described Saxon as a "weird and creepy kind of guy" during an interview with Today.com in March.

He even discussed watching the season three premiere with his parents, despite the fact that he goes completely nude onscreen while his character is hanging out with his younger brother. (Schwarzenegger said he encouraged the nudity because he felt it was "very real for Saxon" to forgo pajamas as a "power play.")

"My dad thought it was hilarious," Schwarzenegger said. "My mom didn't even really understand what was happening."

Back in February, Schwarzenegger admitted he sometimes wishes he had a different last name to ward off accusations of nepotism.

"I know there are people who'll say I only got this role because of who my dad is," Schwarzenegger told The Times. "They're not seeing that I've had 10 years of acting classes, put on school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I've been on."

"Of course, it's frustrating and you can get boxed in and you think at that moment, I wish I didn't have my last name," he continued. "But that's a small moment. I would never trade my life with anyone."

• Trump's childhood home in Queens recently sold for a $1.2 million loss.
• The home last sold for $2.1 million in 2017 but has fallen in disrepair.
• The CEO of the auction house that sold it in years past said it was his most-profiled sale.

President Donald Trump is known for the art of the deal. However, his childhood home in Queens sold at a $1.2 million loss last month.

While Trump had nothing to do with the sale of the Jamaica Estates home, where he lived until he was 4 years old, it sold for just $835,000 after selling for $2.1 million in 2017.

New York City records show the 2,500-square-foot home, located 22 miles from Manhattan, was sold to a New York-based LLC named 1388 Group. The home sold in an off-market deal, and the seller "just needed the money," according to the New York Post.

Unlike the previous two sales in 2016 and 2017, this sale went under the radar — those sales were auctions with major national media attention. Misha Haghani, the CEO and founder of Paramount Realty, the auction firm that handled the first two sales, said he'd never seen anything like it.

"I don't think there has ever been an auction on the planet for a property that was more high-profile — I'm pretty sure of that," Haghani told Business Insider.

"He was running to be the 45th president of the United States," he added. "Before that, there were only 44 US presidents. How many of their childhood homes do you think still stood?"

Initially, an in-person auction was planned for the day of the final presidential debate in 2016, but there was so much attention that it had to be postponed.

Haghani believes the commotion surrounding the first sale increased the home's value — he thought it was worth about $950,000 at the time.

Haghani said the seller still received a bid and wanted to accept, so they sold the home for $1.39 million in December 2016.

In January 2017, the house was up for auction again — this time, a sealed bid auction, where hopefuls submit a bid blindly by a certain deadline. The second sale raised the value another 50% as the home sold for $2.14 million.

Haghani said he "was surprised" by the numbers.

However, the more recent sales price wasn't surprising, as the home had recently fallen into disrepair. In October, the real estate website Curbed reported that 20 to 30 feral cats commandeered the now-abandoned property.

Trump's father, a real-estate developer, built the five-bedroom home and the neighborhood itself. According to Realtor.com, the median listing price for a home in the neighborhood today is $1.5 million.

• Val Kilmer's cause of death was pneumonia, according to his daughter.
• Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer a decade ago and underwent a tracheotomy.
• The tracheotomy affected his ability to speak. The procedure can also increase the risk of pneumonia.

Val Kilmer died of pneumonia on Tuesday, but his history of throat cancer — an umbrella term for cancers of the throat, voice box, head, and neck — may have been a contributing factor.

Though the "Top Gun" star was diagnosed with the disease a decade ago, he initially kept it a secret. The actor, who was 65 at the time of his death, only began to speak publicly about his condition a few years later, and released a 2021 documentary "Val," in which he opened up about his health struggles, including losing his voice as a result of a tracheotomy. He used a voice box to speak in the film.

Kilmer's daughter, who confirmed his death, didn't clarify whether his pneumonia was related to his cancer. However, undergoing a tracheotomy can increase the risk of pneumonia long-term according to the American Thoracic Society.

Val Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014

The "Batman Forever" star received his diagnosis in 2014, but publicly disclosed it for the first time in a 2017 Reddit Ask Me Anything post. He had previously denied that he had cancer in 2016 after his "The Ghost and the Darkness" costar Michael Douglas revealed his health status during a press event. He later detailed his ongoing health struggle in a 2020 memoir called "I'm Your Huckleberry."

Kilmer confirmed he was cancer-free in a 2021 People magazine cover story promoting his documentary; in the doc, the actor said he'd been cancer-free for about four years.

Val Kilmer wasn't able to speak due to a tracheotomy

Kilmer's vocal cords were damaged after a tracheotomy, and he permanently lost his voice.

During a tracheotomy, also called a tracheostomy, a hole is made in the front of the neck and a tube is inserted into the windpipe. The procedure is performed on people with a problem that prevents air and oxygen from reaching the lungs. This can include throat injury (such as from radiation or trauma), or a physical blockage in the windpipe (such as from cancer).

The tracheotomy tube is secured to the neck with tape, and the patient breathes through it rather than through their nose and mouth.

It's common to have difficulty speaking after a tracheotomy, but not everyone loses the ability to speak permanently. However, the problem can persist in up to 25% of patients who require long-term mechanical ventilation, according to The National Tracheostomy Safety Project.

In a 2020 New York Times profile of Kilmer, the actor said his cancer treatments had included surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. He suggested that damage from the chemo and radiation had resulted in his need for a tracheotomy tube. He also said that when he tried to remove the tube, he'd experience complications like a cough, cold, or fever.

• I tried every item on Popeyes' new pickle menu, which launched on April 1.
• The lineup includes a new chicken sandwich, wings, fried pickles, and a pickle-flavored lemonade.
• The limited-time menu should be a permanent addition.

Popeyes' new pickle menu is no April Fool's joke.

Launched on April 1, the menu features pickle-flavored versions of the chain's most beloved items, from a chicken sandwich coated in a pickle glaze to a tart, pickle-flavored lemonade.

The limited-time offer menu is an opportunity for the brand to experiment with trends, and pickles have been on the rise for some time.

"We just think going all in on these flavors and having a lot of fun with it will help us resonate with that younger audience," Popeyes chief marketing officer Bart LaCount told Business Insider in a video interview.

LaCount said if the menu is popular enough, it could become a permanent addition. There's no specific end date for the menu, but it’s typical for limited-time offers to be available for weeks at a time.

"It's something we've seen from a culinary standpoint that's been trending for a bit now," LaCount said of the pickle trend.

I tried the entire pickle menu for myself to see whether it's worth a permanent spot on Popeyes' menu.

I stopped by my local Popeyes in Brooklyn, New York, to try the new menu.

I arrived at the restaurant around noon on the day of the menu's release. There were multiple customers inside, but I didn't hear anyone else ordering any of the pickle items.

The prices for the new menu were surprisingly affordable. Most chains are focusing on value as people tighten their budgets, and Popeyes is no exception, according to LaCount.

"Value is not just about price," he said. "It's about what you get for that price. Having fun offerings like the pickle menu, where a lot of people get to try new foods and experiment, gives you the opportunity to try something new at a relatively cheap price-point."

The menu features a chicken sandwich covered in a pickle-flavored glaze.

It cost $5.49, excluding tax, at the location I visited.

The glaze was like a sweet and spicy rub.

The sandwich was also topped with the chain's signature pickle slices.

The sandwich had a briny, slightly spicy flavor to it.

The dill pickle flavor really popped, and the slightly spicy glaze, which was more of an oil than a sauce, was balanced out by the moist, crispy chicken breast. The bun also toned down the heat, while the thickly cut pickles added even more briny flavor and a nice crunch.

This sandwich improved on both the original and spicy Popeyes chicken sandwich. I'd definitely order it again.

Next I tried the fried pickles, which can be ordered as a side in meal combos.

The fried pickles cost $3.49, excluding tax.

I paired the pickles with the chain's buttermilk ranch dipping sauce.

I'd never had fried pickles at a fast-food chain before, so I was eager to see if I preferred these over other Popeyes sides like the Cajun fries or mac and cheese.

The pickles were tart and evenly fried.

The pickles were crispy but still moist. There was an even layer of breading on the pickle slices, but not so much that it overpowered the tart, briny flavor of the pickles.

The pickles tasted great on their own, but I also liked them paired with the ranch.

My favorite menu item out of the lineup was the pickle-glazed wings.

The pickle-glazed wings can be ordered boneless or bone-in. I tried a six-count of the bone-in wings, which cost $6.99, excluding tax.

The wings were coated in a sticky-sweet sauce that blew me away.

The thick glaze clung to the crispy wings in an even coating. The flavor profile was surprisingly spicy, but not too hot that it was overwhelming. The meat inside was juicy, and I couldn't believe how much flavor was packed into such a small bite.

Out of all the items I tried, this is the one I'll be ordering again.

The pickle glaze also tracks with food trends that are resonating with Gen Z, such as sweet and spicy combinations.

There are two pickle-flavored drinks on the menu.

The chilled pickle lemonade and frozen pickle lemonade both cost $4.49, excluding tax.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pickle lemonade. It rounded out the menu.

It was mostly sweet, with a slight hint of briny, dill flavor thanks to the addition of pickle juice.

It paired well with the other items on the menu, but I could also see myself ordering this on its own or even as a mixer for cocktails.

Overall, I was impressed by the new menu and hope it sticks around.

The pickle items have the potential to reach scores of people who love briny flavor profiles — especially Gen Z, which is a target audience for the pickle menu, according to LaCount.

I was genuinely impressed by the menu. In fact, it's the first Popeyes release that has truly excited me since the viral relaunch of its chicken sandwich in 2019, which sparked the infamous "chicken sandwich wars."

While a "pickle war" may not be on the horizon, I can say I'd be first in line to defend these pickle-glazed wings.

• Doug Emhoff served as the first-ever second gentleman when Kamala Harris became vice president.
• He and Harris met on a blind date. Emhoff says it was "love at first sight."
• Emhoff is a partner at a law firm that pledged $100 million in pro bono work for Trump.

When Kamala Harris became first Black, South Asian, and female vice president in American history, her husband, Doug Emhoff, became the country's first-ever second gentleman.

Emhoff, who was described as the Biden-Harris campaign's "secret weapon" during the 2020 campaign, is an accomplished entertainment lawyer. In a move that defied stereotypical gender norms for political spouses, he left his law practice in order to focus on supporting Harris' political career.

As second gentleman, he championed causes such as combatting antisemitism, promoting gender equality, and touting the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration's Build Back Better agenda.

Upon returning to his legal profession as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher after Harris' loss in 2024, the firm reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to provide $100 million in pro bono legal services supporting "conservative ideals," prompting calls from activists for Emhoff to resign.

Here are 10 things to know about Emhoff.

Doug Emhoff was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in New Jersey before moving to California with his family at age 17.

Emhoff lived in Old Bridge and Matawan, New Jersey, from 1969 until 1981. He wrote on X in 2019 that New Jersey "is still very much in my veins."

He's been an entertainment lawyer for over 25 years.

Emhoff was a partner at DLA Piper in Los Angeles specializing in intellectual property and entertainment and media law. He earned his law degree at the University of Southern California.

He's litigated cases related to the intellectual property of the Taco Bell Chihuahua and the viral sensation "Pizza Rat."

A Michigan company named Wrench sued Taco Bell for breach of contract, claiming that Taco Bell had taken the chihuahua character they invented to another ad agency, TBWA, for adaptation into a television series. A federal judge ruled that Taco Bell — not TBWA, thanks to Emhoff — had to pay $42 million, The Seattle Times reported.

He also represented Jukin, a media company that owns the rights to the viral "Pizza Rat" video showing a rat dragging a New York slice down a flight of subway stairs, in copyright infringement lawsuits. As a result, GIFs of Pizza Rat were taken down across the internet, The Washington Post reported.

He met Kamala Harris on a blind date in 2013.

The two were set up on a blind date by Harris' friend Chrisette Hudlin, who met Emhoff through work. 

"The morning after our first date, @DouglasEmhoff emailed me a list of his available dates for the next couple of months," Harris wrote on Instagram on Emhoff's birthday in 2020. "He said, 'I want to see if we can make this work.' We've been making it work ever since."

Emhoff has often described meeting Harris as "love at first sight."

The couple wed in a ceremony officiated by Harris' sister Maya in August 2014.

Harris and Emhoff held their wedding at a courthouse in Santa Barbara, California.

The ceremony incorporated elements of each of their heritages — Emhoff wore a flower around his neck according to Indian tradition, and they stepped on a glass in a Jewish wedding ritual.

He has two children, Cole and Ella, from a previous marriage to Kerstin Emhoff.

Doug and Kerstin divorced after 16 years and remain good friends. Kerstin is also friends with Harris — she even volunteered for Harris' campaign.

Cole earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Colorado College in 2017, and Ella studied apparel and textiles at Parsons School of Design. Harris wrote in Elle magazine that she and Emhoff's children didn't like the term "stepmom," so they began calling her "Momala."

In an interview with The New York Times in 2021, Cole Emhoff described Emhoff and Harris as "almost vomit-inducingly cute and coupley."

He was the first Jewish spouse of a vice president.

Emhoff often spoke about his family and heritage at White House gatherings for Jewish holidays such as the White House Hanukkah party. He and Harris also affixed a mezuzah, a Jewish ritual object, to the doorpost of the vice president's official residence.

During Harris' time as vice president, Emhoff left his law practice and became a law professor at Georgetown.

Emhoff taught a class called "Entertainment Law Disputes."

"I've long wanted to teach and serve the next generation of young lawyers," he said in a statement. "I couldn't be more excited to join the Georgetown community."

He's a sports fan.

Emhoff was a member at Hillcrest Country Club, a historically Jewish country club in Los Angeles that formed when other establishments would not admit Jews, The Washington Post reported. For a time, his Twitter bio included the descriptor "wannabe golfer."

Emhoff was also photographed forming his March Madness bracket aboard Air Force Two in 2021 and has a fantasy football team named Nirvana.

After Harris' loss in the 2024 presidential election, he returned to his law career as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

In April, Trump announced that the firm reached an agreement with the White House not to engage in hiring practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to provide $100 million in pro bono work including "conservative ideals."

"Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP proactively reached out to President Trump and his Administration, offering their decisive commitment to ending the Weaponization of the Justice System and the Legal Profession," the White House said in a statement on Truth Social. "The President is delivering on his promises of eradicating Partisan Lawfare in America, and restoring Liberty and Justice FOR ALL."

The news comes amid a number of executive orders targeting the security clearances and government contracts of Big Law firms affiliated with causes and political figures opposed by Trump. Many of the executive orders have been blocked by federal judges.

Legal activists called for Emhoff to resign from the firm. Emhoff and Willkie Farr & Gallagher did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Tesla fans and investors reacted to the company's declining sales numbers.
• One prominent Tesla fan, Omar Qazi, initially called the carmaker's first-quarter sales numbers "brutal" before later softening his stance.
• Tesla bull Dan Ives called the report "a disaster on every metric."

It's not just Wall Street analysts and investors who reacted with shock at how bad Tesla's quarterly sales were.

Tesla's online fans processed the sales whiff in real time on social media on Wednesday.

Omar Qazi, better known by his online handle @WholeMarsBlog, is one of Elon Musk's most visible supporters online and frequently interacts with the billionaire on X.

"Brutal," wrote Qazi, who hosts a Tesla-focused podcast called "The Gigacast" with two other Tesla fans.

"I think these are the worst quarterly production & delivery numbers I've ever seen for Tesla," he added.

Qazi said that he "didn't see anyone projecting numbers lower than what we actually saw," and said in a later post that it "looks like Tesla sales may not" return to growth this year like the company projected in January.

Tesla reported delivery numbers of just under 336,700 EVs for the first quarter on Wednesday, coming in well below analysts' expectations of about 390,300 deliveries. The numbers marked a 13% year-over-year decrease in sales and Tesla's worst quarterly deliveries since 2022.

Qazi attributed Tesla's delivery decline to the Model Y production loss — which the company also highlighted in its report — and appeared to disagree that Tesla's numbers had been negatively impacted by brand damage or anti-Musk sentiment.

"Did brand damage cause production to decline by 97,000 units sequentially? Or was that downtime in four factories on their best selling product," Qazi wrote in response to a post from analyst Gene Munster saying brand damage had cost Tesla 80,000 deliveries.

Meanwhile, Tesla bull Dan Ives partly blamed the sales decline on Musk's impact on the brand. Ives wrote in a post on X in addition to refresh issues, Tesla is grappling with a "brand crisis."

"We knew 1Q Tesla deliveries would be soft but these numbers were bad," Ives wrote. "We are not going to look at these numbers with rose colored glasses...they were a disaster on every metric. Refresh issues but brand crisis key. The time has come for Musk...fork in the road moment for Tesla."

Longtime investor Ross Gerber, who recently changed his stance to bearish, said on X that "the brand is broken and may not be fixable," and added in a later post that "Tesla needs a real CEO."

Tesla has been mired in political backlash since Musk took on a role with DOGE. The carmaker has been the target of a boycott and protest movement calling for Tesla owners to sell their vehicles and stock. There have also been widespread vandalism incidents, some going as far as involving arson and gunfire.

While Qazi seemed to disagree that backlash over Musk has damaged Tesla's brand, he echoed the sentiment that the stakes are high for Tesla at the moment — and the company needs to find a way to return to growth in its car business.

"If Tesla can't grow sales in 2025 with their best set of products ever, that is an epic marketing failure," Qazi added in a post on X about Tesla's upcoming robotaxi service launch, which Musk has said to expect in June.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

While Tesla shares dipped about 4% following the results, the stock rebounded over 5% after Politico reported that President Donald Trump has told his inner circle that Musk would be leaving his role in DOGE in the coming weeks. (White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on the story in a post on X and said that Musk wouldn't be departing until his work is complete.)

"Epic trading for me. love this," Qazi posted alongside a screenshot of Tesla's stock increase.

Qazi, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, appeared to soften his stance on the sales report in the hours after BI reached out.

"Actually Tesla deliveries don't look that bad when you dig in a little bit," Qazi wrote on X. "Tesla appears to have sold pretty much everything they could make in Q1."

• 19 states, including Texas, New York, California, and Florida, have confirmed measles cases.
• There are 70% more cases in 2025 so far than in all of 2024.
• The majority of measles cases are in unvaccinated children. Texas has the most cases, at 422.

Measles cases in the US are growing exponentially. There are already 70% more confirmed cases in 2025 than in all of 2024.

Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 due to high measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates. In 2019, the US nearly lost its measles elimination status when outbreaks caused over 1,200 measles cases.

While the US still technically maintains its elimination status, measles cases continue to rise worldwide as childhood vaccination rates drop and more unvaccinated people travel to the US and elsewhere.

2025 has seen 483 confirmed measles cases so far across 19 states.

Texas has the biggest outbreaks

87% of all US measles cases are in Texas, which has had outbreaks in multiple counties.

Measles cases have also been confirmed in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.

Most cases are in unvaccinated children

The majority of cases are in children under 19, and almost all of them are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. Only 3% of cases have occurred in people with one or two doses of the MMR vaccine.

So far, there's been one confirmed death caused by measles and one case under investigation because the person tested positive for measles after death. 70 people have been hospitalized.

You can protect yourself by getting a booster

Doctors recommend getting an MMR booster if you were vaccinated before 1968 since earlier versions of the vaccine weren't as effective. You can get a booster if you don't know your medical history, and children under 1 can also get early doses of the vaccine.

Measles is highly contagious and can live in the air for two hours. If you're traveling, the CDC recommends being fully vaccinated two weeks beforehand, and monitoring for symptoms for three weeks after you return.

• I've been to 26 countries but none has impressed me as much as Croatia.
• The local hospitality and cuisine was unmatched — I had incredible meals in Croatia.
• Plitvice National Park is beautiful and the gorgeous beaches weren't very crowded during my visit.

At 30, I quit my job and took a year off to travel the world. In the span of 365 days, I visited 26 countries.

I went to popular spots like Florence, London, and Santorini, but my favorite destination was a place I'd almost missed: Croatia.

I decided to visit the European country on a whim after seeing posts about it on Instagram and having it recommended to me by a few friends.

I knew it was a filming location for "Game of Thrones," but other than that, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Croatia.

I found myself delighted by the local cuisine and Croatian hospitality

One of my friends recommended I stay on Hvar, an island on the Adriatic Sea that she described as a "more relaxed version of the Greek Islands."

I was worried the island life would feel too slow and not as enjoyable as a solo traveler. However, I soon ate my words and one of the best meals of my life.

During my first night in Hvar, I ate handmade spaghettini at a small restaurant on the water. As I was living in Italy at the time, I wasn't expecting to find the best pasta I ever had in Croatia — but here I was.

I devoured every bite of the delicious pasta, which was served with fresh mussels and seafood from the water before me. The waiters laughed at how much I enjoyed my food and even gave me a free limoncello to celebrate my meal.

Although Hvar is small, it felt filled with life. After two days of exploring its wine bars and local bakeries and swimming in the Adriatic Sea, I headed to the mainland.

When I arrived in Split, one of Croatia's largest cities, I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't feel crowded or swamped with visitors. After exploring tourist-infested place after place, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

I found so much to enjoy in the city, which is surrounded by blue waters and filled with historic architecture. Again, I found more delicious food.

I spent my first night in Split alone at a restaurant eating squid-ink gnocchi and olive-oil bread. As a Greek native, I have high standards when it comes to olive oil — and the bread I had was incredible.

My server was so kind and friendly that I forgot I was even dining alone. He gave me 10% off my bill as a welcome to Split.

Again, I found myself touched by the local Croatian hospitality.

The nature and beaches felt otherworldly, too

As I continued to explore Croatia, I felt overwhelmed in the best way possible.

I went on a day trip to the gorgeous Plitvice National Park with a group of strangers who ended up becoming friends. I was in awe as we hiked through the otherworldly park, filled with lush greenery and waterfalls galore.

The next day, I explored the hills of Park Suma Marjan and relaxed on local beaches.

In popular places like the Greek Islands, beautiful beaches like the ones I visited this would be crowded with tourists and drinks would cost 20 euros a pop. Here, I didn't fight anyone for a lounging spot and I paid no more than 8 euros for a cocktail.

I felt relaxed and I felt even more gratitude for Croatia.

I'm so glad I visited Croatia

Everything about this country surprised me in the best way possible.

The food was a gorgeous hybrid of Italian and Eastern European cuisines. The lush greenery and natural beauty I'd seen couldn't compare to anything else I'd seen on my travels.

Plitvice National Park felt wonderfully otherworldly, and so did the hospitality that I received from locals throughout my trip.

After just a few days, Croatia had completely won me over — and I can't believe I almost didn't visit it.

People love eggs. They're a grocery staple. But in the first few months of 2025, the average price of eggs in the United States reached $6 per dozen, double what they cost at the same point last year. The main reason behind the increase is the spread of the avian flu, which has led to the killing of about 170 million birds in the United States. Fewer hens mean fewer eggs on the market, driving prices up. And now there's a new fear: For the first time ever, bird flu's been found in cows.

• Juneau, Alaska, has implemented cruise ship and passenger caps to curb its cruise boom.
• Three local businesses told BI they support these limits despite relying on cruisers for revenue.
• The influx of Alaskan cruises has increasingly strained Juneau's residents and infrastructure.

To visitors scurrying around Juneau, Alaska, Caribou Crossings may look like any other seasonal tourist town gift shop.

To its owner, Laura McDonnell, the 28-year-old storefront means so much more.

McDonnell has worked at Caribou Crossings for 25 years, starting when she was 16. She said she "grew up in that little store," staying through high school and college before eventually purchasing the business in January 2020.

She remembers holding one of her current employees as a baby. When she went into labor, her obstetric nurse had been a previous employee, working at the gift shop to put herself through nursing school.

It's a self-described "typical Alaskan tourism love story" — and it's all thanks to Juneau's booming cruise industry, whose passengers account for 98% of the store's revenue, according to McDonnell.

Like many local businesses, cruisers are vital to Caribou Crossings' health. Yet, its owner supports the city's recent limitations on the vacation-at-sea industry — and she's not alone.

"Southeast Alaska is a challenging place to live, and those of us live here because it's beautiful and because of the lifestyle that it offers," Alexandra Pierce, Juneau's visitor industry director, told Business Insider. "People in the visitor industry, myself included, are locals first, and protecting that balance in our communities is really important to us."

Juneau is the state's busiest cruise hub. Alaska State Sen. Jesse Kiehl told BI that the city only saw 170,000 non-cruise visitors in 2024. It's a drop in the bucket — or snowflake on Denali — compared to the record 1.73 million by-ship tourists who visited last year — a 33% spike from 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study commissioned by the city.

If the growth continues at this rate, it could be a windfall for local businesses like Caribou Crossings.

According to Juneau's study, the cruise industry fed $375 million into the city's economy in 2023. Most of this came from direct passenger spending, as Serene Hutchinson, the general manager of tour operator Juneau Tours, can attest.

"These cruise lines coming to Juneau may be big corporations, but they're benefiting us local companies," she told BI, noting that 95% of her company's customers are cruise passengers.

Yet, like McDonnell, Hutchinson supports Juneau's implementation of a five-ship per-day cap in 2024 and a 16,000 cruise passenger per-day restraint (12,000 on Saturdays) in 2026. The limitations, negotiated with the cruise industry, are projected to maintain the volume of cruise visitors for this and next year.

For McDonnell, it's a worthy trade-off. "We need to manage the tourists we've got before we talk about growth," she said.

The self-imposed restrictions may seem counterintuitive to outsiders: These floating resorts and their passengers are consequential to the livelihood of Alaska's capital city. It's spurred a locally-operated visitor industry boom, a shortlist of which includes gift shops, helicopter tours, whale-watching boats, and excursions to the nearby Mendenhall Glacier.

"Without this economic bright spot, the region would be a different, more struggling place," Pierce said.

However, for residents like Holly Johnson — the 52-year-old chief marketing officer of tour operator Wings Airways and the Taku Glacier Lodge — these caps are a "sweet spot."

About 85% of her company's clients are cruise passengers. Yet, she too supports the restrictions, calling them a "really good sense of what Juneau needs and what is happening in the industry, growth-wise."

Without them, the vacation-at-sea boom could have become increasingly overwhelming for the city — fettered not by demand (which feels seemingly endless) but by the local infrastructure.

Like other cruise-plagued towns, as cruises have boomed, so has local discontent.

In the survey of 501 Juneau residents in late 2024, 20% of respondents said further limiting cruise volume should be the city's most important priority — up 5% from 2023.

On days when the 31,555-person city is slammed with upward of 17,000 cruisers, residents have complained about traffic, noise, excessive wakes from whale-watching tour boats, dropped cell reception, slower WiFi, and even bears searching for garbage visitors leave behind.

"We have to drive through these streets every day, too," Caribou Crossings' owner said. "We know what it's like to live here with cruise ship passengers."

• I took a first-class train trip on an Amtrak Acela for the first time in 2022.
• Some things surprised me about the cabin like the abundance of drink options yet limited food.
• I was also surprised that only a handful of stations offer lounges for first-class travelers.

When I traveled from New York City to Baltimore by train in 2022, I wanted a slice of luxury. That's why I booked a first-class ticket on an Amtrak Acela train.

My ticket cost $273 and included meal service and access to the Metropolitan Lounge at NYC's Penn Station.

From booking my ticket to taking the journey, several things surprised me about the two-and-a-half-hour trip.

It didn't feel as luxurious as I thought it would, and ultimately, I thought the perks weren't worth the higher price tag.

Before I tell you what surprised me, you should know that although this was my first time in first class on an Amtrak Acela, I've previously traveled on multiple Amtrak trains.

I've traveled on many Amtrak trains in coach and also spent 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains between Miami and NYC in bedroom and roomette accommodations, which cost hundreds more than my Acela ticket.

Acela is an express option for regional trips around the Northeast with 14 stops in 12 cities, according to the train line's website.

This particular ride was 20 minutes faster on Acela than it would have been on a typical Amtrak. 

During the booking process, I was surprised to learn that Amtrak Acela — an East Coast express train — only has two classes: business and first.

Every Amtrak I'd been on before had coach seating, but Amtrak Acela trains only have business and first-class seating.

My ticket cost $273 because I booked a standard ticket (which on an Acela is actually business class) for $121 and then spent an extra $152 to upgrade to first class.

The fare I booked was about $100 cheaper than the same tickets in the coming weeks, according to a quick Amtrak search.

 

I knew a first-class ticket would be more expensive than a business-class ticket, but I didn't expect it to be more than double the price.

The cost of upgrading to first class — $152 — was more expensive than the standard business-class ticket — $121.

"Much like our airline peers, Amtrak pricing strategy is influenced by several factors — demand, departure, seasonality, route, city pair, class of service, and other market conditions," a representative for Amtrak told Business Insider.

My journey started at New York's Penn Station, where I had access to an exclusive lounge with free snacks and drinks. I was shocked that this perk is available at less than half of the Amtrak Acela stations.

As a New Yorker, part of the allure of a first-class ticket was having access to Penn Station's Metropolitan Lounge, a quiet waiting area for select Amtrak customers with comfortable seats and free snacks. 

First-class passengers get in for free on the day of their trip, while business-class passengers can pay $50 to access the club.

I thought the lounge was the best perk of my first-class ticket, so I was shocked to find that it is only available at some stations on the Amtrak Acela line.

Outside New York, anyone traveling from Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Boston's South Station has access to a lounge, according to Amtrak. But there are many other stops on the Amtrak Acela that don't offer this perk.

Amtrak didn't respond to a request for comment from BI about this perk only being available at a few stations. 

Since I was traveling from NYC's Penn Station, I enjoyed the lounge, and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of snacks available.

When I approached the snack counter in the lounge, I was overwhelmed with choices. There were Kind bars, cookies, popcorn, candy, chips, and hummus.

I also spotted free beverages like coffee, iced tea, and citrus-infused water.

I ordered water, an iced coffee, and a Kind bar, and the server gave me an extra one.

Looking back on it, I wish I had asked for a few more treats to enjoy on my trip.

When reserving a ticket, I didn't realize that Amtrak automatically assigned my seat and that I could change it anytime after booking.

Amtrak Acela automatically assigned my seat when I reserved a ticket. However, I later learned that it may be changed on the website anytime before departure.

Seat maps are available on Amtrak's website. They specify which direction each seat faces, as not all seats are forward-facing.

Luckily, I ended up in a seat positioned in the direction the train was headed.

I wasn't expecting to find a row of single seats in the first-class car, so I was thrilled to find my seat in one. I thought it provided a little more space.

On most trains I've been on, each row had the same number of seats on either side of the aisle. In the Acela first-class car, however, there were two seats on one side and one seat on the other. The seats faced both directions.

I was lucky to find that my automatically assigned seat was a single one, which I thought gave me a bit more space since I was traveling alone.

The chairs looked big, so I thought they'd be comfy, but they felt stiffer than anticipated.

In my opinion, the seats in first class were not as comfortable as they initially appeared to be based on their size. 

I also didn't find them to be much more comfortable than the business-class seats I also experienced, which were slightly smaller and closer together. 

Amtrak didn't respond to a request for comment from BI about the seats.

A nice perk in first class was a complimentary drink served after boarding. The drink menu was surprisingly large for a train, with 37 options.

At the beginning of the ride, I received a complimentary drink and could select from sodas, juices, teas, coffee drinks, and alcoholic beverages, ranging from beer and wine to liquor and cocktails. It came as part of the fare.

I ordered an orange juice, but my tray table alone couldn't keep it from falling while the train was moving.

As soon as I poured my orange juice into the accompanying glass, I regretted it.

I was disappointed to see that there was no cup holder on my tray table and once we were moving, the ride was pretty bumpy.

I worried that the glass would fall off the table. Looking back on it, I should have just left the juice in the bottle. 

Since the beverage menu had so many options, I was surprised that the food menu was so limited.

I traveled during breakfast and had four options to choose from. However, for the cost of my ticket, the food choices were limited. 

Amtrak didn't respond to a request for comment from BI about the menu.

I chose the fruit plate, which included a warm croissant. I was surprised by how quickly the food came out and how fresh it tasted.

Three minutes after ordering, my meal came out, and I was surprised to find that it included a croissant, too, because it was not listed on the menu.

The fruit tasted cold and fresh. Every piece was just as juicy and flavorful as the last, which I didn't expect since I was on a train. The croissant tasted a little less fresh to me, but it was still warm and tasty.

After my meal, I went to the first-class bathroom. It was similar to bathrooms I've seen in standard Amtrak cars.

In my experience, the bathroom seemed to be quite typical of a train bathroom in other classes. I didn't notice any special, luxurious touches that would make it feel more akin to traveling in first class. 

Now that I know all of these surprising details about traveling first class on an Amtrak Acela, I've decided the perks aren't worth the price.

Overall, my ride was pleasant, but with what I thought was a limited menu and stiff seats, my first-class ticket wasn't worth $273 to me.

Next time, I'll save my money and book a standard ticket for a short ride.