• Snacking can be an easy way to eat more fiber and boost gut health.
• Fiber helps fuel the "good" microbes in the gut, which influence overall health.
• Emily Leeming, a gut health scientist and chef, snacks on dark chocolate and fruit.

Snacking can be a great way to eat more fiber and look after your gut health, Emily Leeming, a dietitian and gut microbiome researcher at King's College London, told Business Insider.

The gut microbiome is the name given to the trillions of microbes that live in the colon lining, which studies have linked to our overall health — from the immune system to the brain.

Fiber, found in foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, fuels the "good" microbes in the gut. And studies suggest that it helps create a more diverse microbiome, an indicator of a healthy gut. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults eat 22 to 34 grams of fiber each day.

Snacks make up around 20% of the average person's energy intake, Leeming said, so choosing more nutritious foods can be a "great strategy to making big inroads for our health."

"When you're feeling hungry, you can think, 'Okay, can I get at least five grams of fiber in a snack?'" Leeming, a trained chef and the author of "Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for your Second Brain," said.

Leeming shared her four go-to snacks that boost her gut health.

Fresh or dried fruit

Fresh or dried fruit is a delicious snack, a great source of fiber, and easy to eat on the go, Leeming said: "I love fruit, I eat a lot of it."

Berries, in particular, are high in fiber, and can be sprinkled on top of a sweet breakfast such as oatmeal or Greek yogurt in seconds, she said.

Dried apricots, which contain seven grams of fiber per 100 grams, are another of her favorites.

Nuts

As well as containing heart-healthy fats and plant protein, nuts are high in fiber.

They contain around seven to nine grams of fiber per 100 grams and typically require no prep, making them the perfect quick, gut-friendly snack.

Leeming keeps a jar of mixed nuts by the kettle in her kitchen, so she can eat them while she waits for it to boil.

"The things that I want to eat more of, I keep in my line of sight. That just visually prompts you to go for them as a first step," she said.

Crudités and dip

Leeming likes to keep plant-based dips such as hummus or guacamole, and some chopped-up veggies in the fridge so she can grab them when she's feeling peckish.

"Just having some snacks that are more healthy and easily available really helps," she said."I really focus on things that are easy and simple that you just don't have to do lots of mental logistics to kind of make happen."

Vegetables contain fiber, as well as the chickpeas in hummus, and the avocado in guacamole.

Dark chocolate

85% strength dark chocolate is surprisingly high in fiber, Leeming said: "It's about 11 grams of fiber per 100 grams."

She loves to have two squares paired with some fruit as a snack. "That's making a significant contribution toward that 30 grams of fiber a day that we need," she said.

Dark chocolate, which contains antioxidants, also has other health benefits. A recent study based on around 110,000 nurses, published in the BMJ, found that those who consumed at least five servings of dark chocolate a week had a 21% lower risk of type two diabetes from the baseline than those who had none or rarely ate chocolate.

The authors said this could be because dark chocolate is high in epicatechin, a polyphenol that research suggests could help prevent metabolic disease.

• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has had a longstanding feud with Apple.
• He once again took shots at Apple in a recent interview with Joe Rogan.
• The CEO said Apple hasn't innovated in a while and criticized the ecosystem the iPhonemaker built.

Mark Zuckerberg is taking more shots at Apple.

In an interview on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast that was published Friday, the Meta CEO shared several issues he has with Apple, continuing his decadelong feud with the Cupertino company.

Zuckerberg said on the podcast that Apple has been slow to innovate since the iPhone. He added that the few ways the company has been able to profit since then is by imposing developers' fees and creating an ecosystem that's difficult for other companies to penetrate.

The Facebook creator credited Apple for making one of the most popular smartphones in the world, but he said Apple hasn't "really invented anything great in a while" since the iPhone.

"It's like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now they're just kind of sitting on it 20 years later," he told Rogan.

To make up for declining sales in iPhones, Zuckerberg said Apple has been "squeezing people" by imposing what he called a "30% tax" on developers and creating an enclosed ecosystem around Apple's popular products.

"They build stuff like Airpods, which are cool, but they've just thoroughly hamstrung the ability for anyone else to build something that can connect to the iPhone in the same way," he said.

Zuckerberg said Meta experienced this when it was developing the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

The CEO said Apple declined to let Meta use the same "protocol" Apple uses for Airpods in order to allow the Meta glasses to connect seamlessly to iPhones. Zuckerberg said he believed Apple was using privacy and security concerns as an excuse to keep a wall around the Apple ecosystem.

Meta's chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth echoed a similar sentiment in an October interview with "Stratechery."

"The thing I worry about with Apple specifically is that they have their phones and devices so locked down that they can self-preference a ton," he said, pointing to Airpods as one example.

Spokespeople for Meta and Apple did not respond to a request for comment sent during the weekend.

Zuckerberg has been undergoing his own brand transformation as he preps for a second Trump administration, walking back on content moderation and rolling back DEI initiatives at his company. But his feud with Apple goes back to at least 2014.

Previously, Zuckerberg has criticized Apple's prices, its app store and privacy policies, and, more recently, the company's Vision Pro VR headsets.

Still, Zuckerberg said on the podcast that he remains optimistic.

"I mean, the good news about the tech industry is that it's just super dynamic and things are constantly getting invented," he said. "And I think companies — if you just don't do a good job for like 10 years, eventually you're just going to get beat by someone."

• Skype is a free video-calling platform that Microsoft acquired for $8.5 billion over a decade ago.
• Skype was once the go-to video-calling app and telecommunications industry disruptor.
• But now, Skype has faded out of popular usage in favor of platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Skype, a telecommunications platform currently owned by Microsoft, became ubiquitous in the early 2000s, at one point accounting for up to 40% of all international calls.

While Skype has since lost some of its audience to Microsoft Teams — particularly in the business context — and a significant portion of its market share to Zoom, it still maintained an average of 40 million daily users as of 2020.

Founded in 2003 by Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennström and Danish entrepreneur Janus Friis, Skype held its first public trial in August of that year. By 2005, the company was acquired by eBay for $2.5 billion. In 2009, a portion of Skype was resold to Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board for $1.9 billion, giving the company a market valuation of $2.75 billion.

Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, making it a division of Microsoft with its former CEO Tony Bates reporting to then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Following the acquisition, Microsoft integrated Skype into its product lineup, discontinuing Windows Messenger in favor of the Skype client, which became the default messaging service in Windows 8.1. By 2013, Skype was available across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry.

Skype was once a telecommunications industry disruptor

By offering free voice and video calls between Skype users globally, it effectively undercut traditional telecommunications providers that charged hefty fees for international calls. This disruptive technology approach that Skype took paid dividends in terms of the platform's immense popularity, especially in regions where long-distance calling was prohibitively expensive.

Instead of paying telecommunications companies long-distance rates, the only fee you'd incur would be the internet data that Skype used for your audio or video call. Skype also offered low rates for calls to landlines and cellphones.

Through its North American subscription plan, you could get 2,000 minutes of calling for $5.94/month – or the equivalent of about 0.297 cents per minute; if you go over 2,000 minutes, the rate goes to $0.35/minute. For US only calls, a 2,000 minute plan costs just $2.54 with extra time costing only $0.15/minute.

Skype's advantages and disadvantages

Despite no longer being the industry leader in terms of market share, Skype is still a capable free solution for video and audio calls.

Unlike the free version of Zoom, Skype doesn't have a 30 minute time limit. Additionally, in 2023 Microsoft integrated Bing AI with Skype, allowing users to converse with it in a private chat or mention it in group chats and ask it questions; you can even ask it to help plan vacation destinations or generate jokes.

However, Microsoft has clearly prioritized other tech like Microsoft Teams at the expense of Skype over the years.

In 2015, Skype for Business replaced Lync as Microsoft's business communication solution. In 2017, Microsoft announced plans to replace Skype for Business with Microsoft Teams, with its official retirement occurring in July 2021.

Where Zoom and Teams pull away from Skype is less in the one-on-one context and more in business centric contexts where you might have more than 50 people – the maximum size Skype supports – on a single call. Skype also does not have breakout room functionality like what you see with Zoom.

How to use Skype

Once you've downloaded Skype to your computer or mobile device, you can make a new Skype call through desktop or mobile by opening the Skype app and clicking New call or Start a call.

You can add contacts to Skype or invite people to join Skype by navigating to the Contacts tab and clicking New Contact and searching for the person via their Skype name, phone number, email, or full name.

How to delete your Skype account

If you, too, are gravitating towards platforms like Zoom or Teams rather than Skype, you might be wondering how to delete your Skype account.

Since your Skype account is tied into your Microsoft account, it is not possible to close your Skype account without closing your entire Microsoft account. If you want to proceed, you can close your Microsoft account by visiting the Microsoft account closure page, signing in, and selecting either 30 or 60 days from the dropdown, clicking Next, and following Microsoft's prompts.

How to change your Skype name

Your Skype name itself cannot be changed, however, you change your account's display name.

Start by clicking on your Skype profile picture, then select Skype profile and click the pencil icon to edit the display name and make your changes.

• My family would drive from Canada to Florida every March to spend time with my grandparents.
• I have some of the best memories of spending time at their condo.
• It was a privilege to be able to spend so much time with my family.

For most 8-year-olds, waking up at four in the morning would be an unwelcome experience. But for me, waking up on a frigid March morning in 1998, I was ready to go. It was our first family road trip, and we were headed down to my grandparents' Condo in Marco Island, Florida. And, in what was probably a bid to keep me quiet, my parents had bought me a brand new Gameboy with Pokémon — I was raring to go.

I didn't know it yet, but this was the first step in what would become one of the most significant annual events of my entire life.

We would drive from Canada to Florida

Each year, March Break became defined by heading from our home in Ottawa, Canada, down to "The Condo" (it achieved proper noun status in my family long ago) — the year-round balmy Florida weather a welcome and almost magical contrast to the iced-over roads and gray skies of Ottawa in March.

My grandparents bought the condo after they retired in the early 90s, and my childhood winters became punctuated by two weeks of glorious heat each year.

Our first day often ended in Roanoke, Virginia, an infamous place in our family lore. This was mostly because we were all motion sick from our first day spent in a car, inevitably throwing up on our only night in town. Day two usually ended in Orlando or Tampa Bay, staying over so we kids could exhaust ourselves at Disney World, Universal Studios, or, eventually, the Kennedy Space Center.

Over the years, the story remained the same, even if the details changed: early start, sick in Virginia, hours lost on a Gameboy, and spending a couple of days at theme parks before heading to the Condo.

It felt like the place just belonged to us

For me, Marco Island was a place that felt as personal as someone else's secret family recipe. It was a place only for us: nobody outside our family had ever even heard of it. A small retirement community on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, today there are still fewer than 20,000 residents.

In the years since our first trip, Marco Island has been at the center of dozens of core memories: few were more iconic than splashing around in the pool as thickly-accented Bostonian snowbirds scowled their way through calisthenics sessions at us. Inevitably, we were the only kids in the complex aside from a couple of others who were visiting their grandparents too — we'd quickly make and forget our new friends each year, united in our days' long-shared experience of being under five feet tall.

Countless embarrassing photos have been taken (and hopefully lost), including my spot-on imitation of a pelican loitering around our favorite restaurant, the aptly-named Pelican Bend. The first time I was ever allowed to stay up until midnight was at the Condo on Y2K, watching the Nickelodeon coverage of the big event. Teaching my younger sister how to play mini-golf, taking my first flight without my parents when I visited in my 20s. I even introduced my future wife on a video call to my grandparents while I was staying over at the condo ("She's a 10!" my grandmother exclaimed).

It was a privilege to have that time with my family

I didn't know it then, but each early morning wake-up and afternoon spent on the beach was a privilege — to be able to form such a strong connection to my family, my grandparents, and, eventually, my love of travel.

A couple of months ago, my parents told me that Hurricane Milton was headed straight toward Marco Island, and we held our collective breath for its landfall. While the hurricane left more knocked-over lawn chairs than serious damage, we were all relieved — something so central to us couldn't simply get washed away, could it?

Today, I live in the humidity of South Africa, having moved here a few years ago, with scents on the breeze reminding me of Marco Island. Travel, especially road trips, became a central feature in my adult life. And for years, I really couldn't explain the powerful, almost irresistible urge to download the most recent version of Pokémon whenever I had a trip lined up.

I think I've figured it out now.

• Mark Zuckerberg explained why Meta is replacing fact-checkers on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
• He said the change aims to address ideological censorship concerns and enhance user voice.
• Critics argue the move is a setback for accuracy.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained his rationale for changing the company's content moderation policies during Friday's episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Zuckerberg posted a video message to Meta's blog announcing that he would replace fact-checkers with community notes, a system similar to what Elon Musk uses on X.

The announcement was criticized by dozens of third-party fact-checking groups, which signed an open letter to Zuckerberg denouncing the changes as a "step backward" for accuracy.

Zuckerberg told Rogan his reason for the changes was "censorship."

"You only start one of these companies if you believe in giving people a voice," he said. "It goes back to our original mission, it's just give people the power to share and make people more open and connected."

Zuckerberg said that over the past 10 years, there's been a greater push for "idealogical-based censorship" on the platform, fueled especially by the 2016 election, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "We just faced this massive, massive institutional pressure to start censoring content on ideological grounds," he said.

Zuckerberg initially gave into the pressure, believing it stemmed from genuine concerns about misinformation. After the 2016 election, he implemented a system of third-party fact-checkers tasked with correcting statements like "the earth is flat." However, the system quickly veered into gray areas, leading to accusations that the company's moderators were biased.

Pressure on Meta's content moderation policies continued, reaching a fever pitch during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Biden administration rolled out its vaccine program. "While they're trying to push that program, they also tried to censor anyone who is basically arguing against it," Zuckerberg said. "They pushed us super hard to take down things that were, honestly, were true."

That means he has been considering changing Meta's content moderation policies for a while now.

"I think that this is going to be pretty durable because, at this point, we've just been pressure tested on this stuff for the last 8 to 10 years with like these huge institutions just pressuring us," he said. "I feel like this is kind of the right place to be going forward."

• Gov. Newsom has expressed concern that Trump would withhold disaster aid.
• "He's tried to do it in the past," Newsom said during a recent taping of "Pod Save America."
• Los Angeles is fighting multiple devastating wildfires.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said President-elect Donald Trump may seek to withhold federal disaster aid to California as multiple wildfires rage in and around Los Angeles.

"He's been pretty straightforward about that," Newsom said on the "Pod Save America" podcast, which was posted Saturday morning. "He's tried to do it in the past. He's not just done it here in California."

"He's done it in states all across the country," Newsom continued. "In 2018, even before I was governor of California, he tried to withhold money down in Orange County until apparently a staff member —and this has been well reported — said there were a lot of Trump supporters. And, then, he decided to change his mind."

Former Trump White House official Mark Harvey told Politico last year that Trump initially declined to authorize disaster aid for California because it leans Democrat but reversed his position after learning that the affected area was in Orange County, which for generations had been a GOP stronghold.

"We went as far as looking up how many votes he got in those impacted areas … to show him these are people who voted for you," Harvey told the outlet ahead of the November 2024 election.

JPMorgan analysts said the blazes tearing through the Los Angeles region could lead to over $20 billion in insured losses — and about $50 billion in total economic losses. That would make these conflagrations "significantly more severe" than the Camp Fires that struck the state in 2018 and racked up $10 billion in insured losses, the current record.

During the podcast on Saturday, Newsom also called out Trump for spreading what he called "indelible misinformation." Trump has blamed the governor's water policies for the devastating fires.

"What the president-elect was saying about State Water Project and the Delta smelt somehow being culpable of somehow leading to some of the challenges that we face down here…it's delusional," he said.

Emergency workers fighting the LA fires have reported fire hydrants running dry after unprecedented demand on the water system. Newsom on Friday ordered a probe into the source of the water supply issues.

"I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir," he wrote in a post on X. "We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to fight these catastrophic fires."

More than 150,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes and over 38,000 acres have so far burned in the fires. The death toll has risen to 11 as of Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that the federal government would cover 100% of the cost of disaster aid for 180 days.

Trump, meanwhile, has been relentless in his criticism of both Newsom and Biden.

"The fires in Los Angeles may go down, in dollar amount, as the worst in the History of our Country," he said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. "Let this serve, and be emblematic, of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo."

In a statement to Business Insider, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said Newsom "should be doing his fucking job and actually help people who continue to suffer under his terrible leadership."

• A Los Angeles County official criticized GoFundMe, citing a large fee for a donation she made.
• The official, however, was likely mistaken about the size of the fee.
• The moment illustrated the heightened emotions among those fighting the fires in Los Angeles County.

A Los Angeles County official publicly criticized GoFundMe on Saturday for charging people high transaction fees for fire-related fundraisers.

The official, however, was likely mistaken about the size of the fee.

It was an emotionally charged moment that brought home the stress — and financial pressure — facing many residents of Los Angeles County as the fires raged for the fifth consecutive day.

Thousands have lost their homes, and hundreds of thousands have been ordered to evacuate or warned they may need to at any moment.

During a press conference updating the public on the scale of the disaster and what emergency crews and officials were doing to help, Kathryn Barger, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, singled out the crowdfunding platform.

"Let me go off-script for a minute," Barger said. Barger said she intended to donate $500 through GoFundMe to a friend who had "lost everything" in the fires.

"I was shocked to find out that to give $500, they were going to charge me $95," she said. "So, I'm going to be reaching out to the CEO of GoFundMe to find out if, at the very least, they can cut the cost in order to ensure that the money goes directly to the family."

Barger said she understood that GoFundMe is a company and "they deserve to be able to pay for their overhead, but at the same time, we are in a crisis."

"These families are suffering," she said.

Barger did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment, but she was likely mistaken about the size of the fee.

GoFundMe charges 2.9% plus $0.30 for each transaction, which "helps us pay our payment processors and safely deliver funds," the company said in a statement to Business Insider. There is also an option "tip" that users can leave that goes to the platform.

According to the above numbers, a $500 donation would incur less than $15 in required fees.

"The comments made at the press conference were inaccurate," the spokesperson said. "GoFundMe is primarily powered by voluntary tips and relies on these completely optional contributions from donors to maintain our quality customer service, trust and safety protections, and world-class fundraising technology."

GoFundMe has become the default fundraising platform for those suffering from disasters in the United States, as well as elsewhere in the world. When fires tore through Maui in 2023, users donated some $30 million to relief efforts, GoFundMe told Fox Business at the time.

Many of the residents who have lost their homes will be forced to scramble to find new ways to pay for housing and rebuild after insurance companies, since 2022, stopped writing new policies for fire coverage, pulled back coverage, or dropped residents altogether.

In March, State Farm, the state's largest home insurance provider, dropped 72,000 property policies in the state, including 69% of policies in Pacific Palisades. The recent fires hit Pacific Palisades hard, burning thousands of homes, including those of many celebrities.

• Mark Zuckerberg said Meta will start automating the work of midlevel software engineers this year.
• Meta may eventually outsource all coding on its apps to AI.
• Meta also plans to replace fact-checkers with community notes and reduce DEI initiatives.

This year coding might go from one of the most sought-after skills on the job market to one that can be fully automated.

Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta and some of the biggest companies in the tech industry are already working toward this on an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience on Friday.

"Probably in 2025, we at Meta, as well as the other companies that are basically working on this, are going to have an AI that can effectively be a sort of midlevel engineer that you have at your company that can write code."

It may initially be an expensive endeavor, but Zuckerberg said Meta will reach the point where all of the code in its apps and the AI it generates will also be done by AI. According to a salary tracking site, midlevel software engineers at the company now earn close to mid-six figures in total compensation.

Zuckerberg's interview with Rogan came after a big week of changes for the company.

On Tuesday, Zuckerberg announced that Meta plans to replace third-party fact-checkers with community notes, similar to Elon Musk's X, and bring back more political content. The announcement has elicited alarm from dozens of fact-checking groups, who signed an open letter to Zuckerberg saying the changes would be "a step backward" for the company.

Meta is also planning to roll back several of its DEI initiatives. In a memo sent to staff on Meta's internal communications platform, Workplace, its vice president of human resources, Janelle Gale, wrote, "We will no longer have a team focused on DEI."

• Brooke Shields said a doctor once gave her a "bonus" vaginal rejuvenation without her consent.
• She wrote about the experience in her new book, "Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old."
• "This man surgically altered my body without my consent," she wrote.

Brooke Shields has said that a surgeon once performed a vaginal rejuvenation procedure on her without her consent.

In an excerpt published by People from her forthcoming autobiography, "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old," the model and actor said that she elected to undergo a labia reduction surgery eight years after the birth of her youngest daughter.

But she said that following the procedure, the male doctor who had performed the surgery told her he had thrown in a "bonus" rejuvenation, also known as vaginal tightening.

"I was horrified, but also at a loss," Shields wrote. "I didn't want to sue this man — or maybe I did want to, but I didn't feel I could — because I didn't particularly want talk of my lady parts, once again, on the front page of every paper."

Shields, 59, said that it was on the advice of her female gynecologist that she had decided to have the surgery, as she had been experiencing discomfort and pain since high school.

But Shields said that when she woke up from the operation, the surgeon told her that he had gone further: "I was in there for four hours, and you know what I did? I tightened you up a little bit! Gave you a little rejuvenation!"

"He acted as if he'd done me a favor," she wrote. "But I had never asked to be 'tightened' or 'rejuvenated' (translation: given a younger vagina). I felt numb."

"This man surgically altered my body without my consent," she continued. "The sheer gall of it enraged me. The fact that the most intimate parts of my body had been a public focal point for so long ... it was enough already."

Shields has spoken candidly in recent years about her experience of being sexualized and objectified from a young age following her breakout performance playing a child prostitute in the film "Pretty Baby" at age 11. Her 2023 documentary of the same name explored the media's treatment of her throughout her career.

Shields said that while she was outraged by her treatment during the procedure, she "never took action against this doctor" or spoke to him about it, as she questioned herself and wondered "if he was right" that she should feel lucky.

Shields also said that it took her a while to discuss what had happened with her husband, Chris Henchy, adding that "he was nearly as angry as I was."

"Had I been happy with the results of the procedure, I still would have been angry that he did it without my consent. But as it turns out, I wasn't happy with the results, and haven't been since," she went on.

Shields added that while she was "embarrassed" to share her story, she felt it was important to "bring up the uncomfortable but very real issues" if people were to change the way they approach the topic of women's health.

"Shame is no longer an option," she wrote.

• Maria Shriver opened up about a parenting trick she learned from her mother.
• She said she taught her children to stand up whenever she entered a room, something they still do to this day.
• Shriver said the women in her family were "big on manners," something she wanted to pass down.

Maria Shriver has opened up about a parenting trick she learned from her late mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and why she believes it instilled good manners in her children.

Appearing on a recent episode of the TODAY podcast "Making Space with Hoda Kotb," Shriver, 69, said that she taught her children to stand up "out of respect" whenever she entered a room — something she said they still do to this day.

"I make them stand up," Shriver said. "I used to make them. Now they just do stand up."

Shriver, who is the niece of former President John F. Kennedy, shares daughters Katherine, 35, and Christina, 33, and sons Patrick, 31, and Christopher, 27, with ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Shriver said the rule didn't just apply when she entered a room.

"I wanted my kids to, when I walked in the room, or their dad walked in the room, or you would walk in the room, that they stand up out of respect," she said.

Shriver also encouraged her children's friends to do the same when they visited their home: "When their friends would come over, I'd be like, ahem."

She continued: "I didn't want to walk in the room, and they'd be sitting looking at a phone or watching the game. I'd be like, 'I'm here. Here we are, and here I am. And look me in the eye, say hello, thank me for coming, write me a thank you note if I take you somewhere.'"

"Even though my kids moaned and groaned about it, they now say it was a good thing," she added.

Shriver said the rule is something her mother — who died in 2009 — also enforced when she was growing up.

She added that both her mother and her grandmother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, were "big on manners."

Another etiquette rule she learned from her elders was bringing interesting topics of conversation to the dinner table, she went on.

"When we went to the dinner table, everybody had to have something to bring to the table to talk about, to converse about. My mother would be like, 'What's your opinion of the gospel? What's your opinion of what the president said today?'" she said.

"You could be 10, 11, 19, 20, but you had to step up."

Shriver said that at the heart of her parenting style was the idea that her children were "four distinct individuals" who knew they were valued and "a priority in a public family."

She added that she wanted to "guard their privacy" and to "make sure they were not part of political pamphlets" or "used as props."

Shriver's approach to parenting and her emphasis on teaching her children manners aligns with the authoritative parenting style, which is typified by setting rules and high standards.

As Business Insider previously reported, experts say authoritative parenting can help children develop responsibility and emotional regulation.

"This style encourages children to take responsibility for their own actions and make decisions that are appropriate for their age and development," Kalley Hartman, a marriage and family therapist and clinical director of Ocean Recovery, told BI in 2023.

The United States military offers an expedited path to US citizenship for lawful residents who commit to service. In 2024, while filming the US Marine Corps boot camp in Camp Pendleton, California, chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan followed one recruit taking advantage of this opportunity.

Twenty-four-year-old Ralph Dahilig immigrated to the US from the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although he holds a bachelor's degree in information systems, Dahilig struggled to find a job in the tech industry, which led him to pursue a career in the Marine Corps.

At 5 feet 4 inches tall, Dahilig is not what many might picture as the prototypical US Marine. He had to learn to think outside the box to make it to The Crucible, the 54-hour culminating event of the 13-week boot camp. All recruits must endure it before they receive the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor pendant, symbolizing their official transformation from recruit to US Marine.

• 23andMe faced major hurdles in 2024, including a $30 million settlement related to compromised data.
• 23andMe is now restructuring its business operations to reduce costs and streamline operations.
• A 23andMe spokesperson said the company is "consistently focused on maintaining the privacy of our customers."

23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki sounded optimistic about the company's future during an earnings call in February last year.

She said the biotech company, which offers direct-to-consumer genetic testing, made strides with its new preventive care membership service, signed a $20 million research agreement with biopharma company GSK, and saw "repeated engagement" by its customers, among other triumphs.

Then the rest of the year happened.

Here's a breakdown of what went wrong for 23andMe.

CEO Anne Wojcicki proposed making 23andMe a private company but faced pushback

Despite operating for nearly two decades without profit, 23andMe went public in 2021 and reached a $6 billion valuation. The company's stocks were priced at $11.13 a share, but they've fallen significantly since then. The stock price has dropped 98% over the past several years. It stood at $3.84 on January 10.

Wojcicki proposed that 23andMe revert to a private company in a July 2024 SEC filing, saying she believed the company would "be best equipped to execute against this mission as a private entity, allowing us to remove certain public company costs and distractions."

However, a special committee formed by 23andMe's board of directors rejected the proposal five days later.

"We are disappointed with the proposal for multiple reasons, including because it provides no premium to the closing price per share on Wednesday, July 31st, it lacks committed financing, and it is conditional in nature," the special committee's letter to Wojcicki said. "Accordingly, we view your proposal as insufficient and not in the best interest of the non-affiliated shareholders."

The special committee said it would review a revised proposal, but a September letter indicated that members had not received a "fully financed, fully diligence, actionable proposal."

A 23andMe spokesperson told Business Insider that Wojcicki still intends to take the company private.

23andMe agreed to a $30 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit

Privacy concerns have dogged 23andMe for years, but in 2023, worry became a reality for users when their data was compromised. That October, hackers said they accessed certain users' names, birth details, ethnicities, and photos.

23andMe confirmed in December that data for almost 7 million users was accessed. A data breach notification filed in January 2024 said it took the company five months to realize hackers had accessed the data.

Affected users filed a class-action lawsuit against 23andMe this March, which led to the company agreeing to pay the $30 million settlement in September 2024.

The entirety of 23andMe's independent board of directors resigned in a letter

One week after the company agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit, all seven independent directors on 23andMe's board resigned in a letter addressed to Wojcicki.

"While we continue to wholeheartedly support the Company's mission and believe deeply in the value of the personalized health and wellness offering that you have articulated, it is also clear that we differ on the strategic direction for the Company going forward," the letter said.

The letter also referenced Wojcicki's revised proposal to take the 23andMe private, saying members of the special committee and board had "not seen any notable progress over the last 5 months."

"The Special Committee is therefore unwilling to consider further extensions, and the Board agrees with the Special Committee's determination," the letter said.

The sudden resignation spurred headlines in the media about 23andMe's unsteady footing. The company sought to address this imbalance by appointing three new independent directors to its board in October 2024.

"The new independent directors look forward to working closely with Anne Wojcicki and the Company's management team to best position 23andMe for the future," Jensen said in a press release.

23andMe's reputation with consumers stalled in late 2024 over 'third-party takeover proposals'

Some consumers grew concerned in September 2024 when an SEC filing said Wojcicki "would be open to considering third-party takeover proposals for the Company."

The remarks prompted consumers to reckon with the potential consequences, which The Atlantic reported could include the sale of their personal genetic data.

Wojcicki walked back her remark in a separate filing.

"Accordingly, in order to update my prior statement and avoid any confusion in the market, I am no longer open to considering third-party takeover proposals for the Issuer," she said in the filing.

A 23andMe spokesperson told BI that Wojcicki "has publicly shared she intends to take the company private, and is not open to considering third-party takeover proposals."

The statement added: "Anne has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the company's mission and values, and to its customers, pledging to maintain 23andMe's strong security and privacy policies, including following the intended completion of the acquisition she is pursuing."

23andMe lays off 40% of its workforce and discontinues its therapeutics programs

23andMe made a decisive pivot in November 2024 as it continued to chase stable footing. The company reduced its staff by over 200 employees.

"The business restructuring is expected to substantially reduce operating expenses and result in annualized cost savings of more than $35 million," the company said in a press release.

23andMe also said it will discontinue its therapeutics programs and "wind down" ongoing clinical trials.

"In parallel with the discontinuation of its therapeutics division, the Company is actively exploring all strategic options for a limited time to maximize the value of its therapeutics programs, including licensing agreements, asset sales, or other transactions," the company said.

23andMe published its most recent second-quarter financial results in November. The company said it earned $44 million in total revenue, a 12% decrease from the $50 million recorded in the same period the previous year. Operating expenses reached $84 million, a 17% decrease from the $101 million recorded for the same period in 2023.

23andMe said it had 'substantial doubt' the company could survive without more funding

In a November 2024 SEC filing, 23andMe expressed concern over its longevity. The company said it would need additional liquidity to fund its financial commitments and expenditures.

"The Company has determined that, as of the filing date of this report, there is substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern," 23andMe said.

The filing also said that as of September 2024, the company "had an accumulated deficit of $2.3 billion and cash and cash equivalents of $126.6 million."

A 23andMe spokesperson said the company is committed to its consumers and enforcing ethical business practices

A spokesperson for 23andMe told Business Insider that it has privacy protections for its customers, and doesn't share data with third parties without consent. Customers can opt into its Research program, but it requires them to consent before joining.

"Roughly 80% of 23andMe customers consent to participate in our research program, which has generated more than 270 peer-reviewed publications uncovering hundreds of new genetic insights into disease," a statement said.

The spokesperson said 23andMe is subject to state and federal consumer privacy and genetic privacy laws similar to HIPAA. However, the company's protocols "offer a more appropriate framework to protect our data than privacy and security program requirements in HIPAA."

"We are committed to protecting customer data and are consistently focused on maintaining the privacy of our customers. That will not change," the statement said.

• I adopted my sons from Ethiopia in 2012 and immediately started saving for their college tuition.
• I wanted them to graduate with no student loans and have every opportunity for success.
• To save, we gave up traveling and other big expenses, but we don't regret it.

When my husband and I adopted our sons from Ethiopia in 2012, we were already behind when it came to college expenses — especially when compared to friends who basically started saving as soon as they saw the second line on the pregnancy test.

Our sons were 7 and 8 years old when they joined our family. We lost years of creating family memories — first words, first day of kindergarten, first wiggly tooth — and years of adding to a 529 savings account.

After becoming the parents to Black boys in America, we learned the realities of our country's income and wealth gaps.

According to data from 2023 census reports, the median income of white households exceeds that of Black households by more than $30,000.

The research on college degrees is murkier. The census data shows that just over 20% of Black people hold a college degree.

We want our sons to help change those stats and narratives, so my husband and I have saved rigorously and sacrificed for our son's college tuition.

We've given up a lot to ensure our sons can go to college

While we've taken some epic family trips — to several national parks, to both coasts, to our sons' homeland of Ethiopia — we've also taken many equally memorable low-budget vacations to family members' cabins just a few hours from our house.

Our living room sectional — an uncomfortable monstrosity — should have been donated years ago, and nights dining out together look more like McDonald's than Michelin stars. Instead of expensive hobbies requiring lots of equipment, we opt for running (we just need sneakers!).

Looking back, some financial choices carry a tinge of regret. Skipping travel sports teams saved money, and we didn't push enrichment camps or invest in tutoring. However, it's hard not to wonder if those missed opportunities could have opened doors to scholarships or other benefits. While we know we did our best with our resources, those lingering "what-ifs" are a pervasive part of parenting for me.

Still, we press on in the present, striving to balance providing for our sons' futures with appreciating the life we have now.

We don't regret these sacrifices

In many ways, our choices don't feel like sacrifices. We live in a lovely home in an established city neighborhood we love. We own vehicles and have money in retirement accounts. Our parents' generosity added more money to college savings accounts than we could've accumulated on our own. As much as possible, we try to recognize our privilege.

We hope that by receiving degrees without the predatory student loans we've heard horror stories about, our sons won't feel forced to start on undesirable career paths.

If they want to pursue an advanced degree, buy a home, or travel, those enormous loans won't deter life choices that bring them joy. Just as my husband and I owe our financial freedom as young adults to our parents' decisions, our choices today can have a generational impact on our future grandchildren.

Our savings are finally coming into play today

Our sons have taken two different paths so far. One explored the trades in high school and started with classes at a community college while living at home. The other is a freshman at a large public university, trying out life in a dorm.

They both know we are doing everything we can to help them avoid college debt, but we try to share this without making them feel unduly burdened.

Of course, we want them to have a sense of responsibility, too. Through the years, they've built up their savings accounts thanks to part-time jobs and birthday and graduation gifts. That money will contribute to their college education and living expenses, motivating them to receive good grades, apply for scholarships, and keep working.

Today, as I work on the family budget, I think about the dollar amounts. But more than anything, I think about the opportunity to rewrite the narratives surrounding inequality we became aware of the moment we became parents to Black boys in America. If one day my sons use their education to create opportunities for themselves and others, these challenges will have been well worth it.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers.
• Zelenskyy said the two soldiers were wounded and had been taken to Kyiv.
• He added that he had instructed Ukraine's security service to allow journalists access to the captured soldiers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine has captured two wounded North Korean soldiers.

In a statement posted on X, Zelenskyy said the soldiers had been captured in Russia's Kursk region and had been taken to Kyiv, where they were now "communicating with the Security Service of Ukraine." He added that they were receiving the "necessary medical assistance."

Zelenskyy also shared images of two injured men, but he did not provide evidence that they were North Korean.

"This was not an easy task: Russian forces and other North Korean military personnel usually execute their wounded to erase any evidence of North Korea's involvement in the war against Ukraine," Zelenskyy said, adding that he had instructed Ukraine's security service to allow journalists access to the captured soldiers.

Pyongyang reportedly began sending troops to Russia in October.

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said last month that Russia was using North Korean troops to carry out "human wave" assaults on Ukrainian positions, resulting in heavy casualties.

"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," Kirby said. "These North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile."

Zelenskyy said last month that preliminary estimates suggested that more than 3,000 of Pyongyang's soldiers had been killed or wounded in Kursk.

He previously said that Russian forces had been trying "to literally burn the faces of North Korean soldiers killed in battle" in an effort to "conceal" their losses.

In December, a North Korean soldier believed to be the first to be captured by Ukrainian forces died from his injuries, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said, per Yonhap news agency.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%

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

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

9. "Gone in 60 Seconds" (2000)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 26%

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%

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

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

7. "Taking Lives" (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 22%

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

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

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

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

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

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

4. "Playing God" (1997)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%

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

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

3. "Alexander" (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 15%

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

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

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

2. "Beyond Borders" (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%

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

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

1. "Original Sin" (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 12%

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

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

Now for the best work of Jolie's career.

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%

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

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

8 (tie). "Wanted" (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

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

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

8 (tie). "Beowulf" (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

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

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

6. "Maria" (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%

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

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

5. "A Mighty Heart" (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

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

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

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

4. "Kung Fu Panda 2" (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

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

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

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

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

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

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

1. "Gia" (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have fun with your rings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Play around with minimalism this year.

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

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

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

Don't shy away from mixing metals.

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

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

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

Pearls are still in style.

Appelt said pearls will still be hot in 2025.

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

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

A good pair of hoops goes a long way.

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

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

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

It's time to buy a watch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The shift matches the general trend toward luxurious minimalism.

Layering is out, and simplicity is in.

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

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

Designer labels have almost become a faux pas.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Neither choice felt right.

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

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

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

Parenting feels like the famous 'Barbie' monologue

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

I think parenting is like that, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I arrived early and familiarized myself with the property.

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

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

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

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

The igloos are really just made of snow.

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

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

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

It was beautiful inside.

Once I selected my igloo, I got settled in.

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

Getting ready for bed took a little extra prep work.

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

Then, I started layering up.

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

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

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

It was chilly, but I was surprisingly comfortable.

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

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

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

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

I woke up feeling refreshed and rested.

The nearby activities were worth getting up for.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Insurance

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

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

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

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

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

2. Taxes

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

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

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

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

3. Renovation costs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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