• As a sommelier, there are a few red wines I like to keep on hand for the holiday season.
• Sparkling reds can add a special touch to a festive gathering or big dinner.
• Cesanese and teroldego are some of my favorite Italian reds.

When I started my career in the wine industry over 15 years ago, I drank red wines I didn't enjoy just because I thought they were high quality.

Turns out I couldn't train myself to like them. Luckily, however, I eventually found a few reds that always seem to please me and any guests I'm hosting.

Here are some of the red wines I've been buying lately as a sommelier.

• Silicon Valley tech firms are reportedly looking to unite to win more defense contracts.
• Palantir and Anduril have held talks with a dozen companies to form the group, the FT reported.
• Companies that could participate include Sam Altman's OpenAI and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Defense tech firms Palantir and Anduril are in talks with Elon Musk's SpaceX, Sam Altman's OpenAI, and others to form a new group in Silicon Valley to bid for Washington's lucrative defense contracts, according to a new report.

Palantir and Anduril, some of Silicon Valley's most notable defense companies, have held discussions with around a dozen firms to create a group that can take a larger share of the US government's roughly $850 billion defense budget, the Financial Times reported Sunday.

The group, which could announce strategic partnerships next month, would seek to bring Silicon Valley-style disruption to an industry dominated by so-called "prime" contractors, such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Musk, who is leading a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency under the direction of President-elect Donald Trump, used X last month to criticize Lockheed Martin's crewed F-35 fighter jets. He has previously advocated for autonomous drones.

"We are working together to provide a new generation of defense contractors," one person close to the group told the Financial Times. Others involved in the group include A16z–backed startup Saronic and AI data firm Scale AI, the report said. The consortium could announce agreements with some tech firms as soon as January, the report said.

The move to form a group involving rival firms would mark one of the most coordinated efforts in Silicon Valley yet to edge further into the defense sector and shake-up a system that tech leaders have criticized for being too slow to adopt new technologies.

Palantir, cofounded in 2003 by Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, has previously won several government contracts. In May, the Pentagon awarded the firm a $480 million contract to use its data analytics platform on Project Maven, an AI tool for analyzing battlefield data.

Discussing his new book in a conversation with investor Stanley Druckenmiller at JPMorgan's Asset Managers CEO Forum this month, Palantir CEO Alex Karp argued that Silicon Valley needs to work more closely with the US government.

Defense startup Anduril, founded by Palmer Luckey — the tech mogul who founded and sold virtual reality startup Oculus to Meta — has also won contracts for its autonomous and air defense systems.

Palantir, Anduril, SpaceX, Saronic, Scale AI, and OpenAI did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment outside regular working hours.

• Javier Milei, the Argentine leader who has inspired Elon Musk, says he plans to cut how many taxes there are.
• He said he was planning to "eliminate 90% of taxes — not revenue, but the number of taxes."
• Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, co-heads of DOGE, are looking to radically trim the US federal government.

Argentina's President Javier Milei says he will reform the Argentine tax system to have no more than 6 taxes.

In a clip from an interview with Forbes Argentina, published on Sunday, Milei said: "We'll advance privatization, deepen labor reforms, and eliminate 90% of taxes — not revenue, but the number of taxes — moving to a simplified system with no more than six taxes at most."

It would be the latest sweeping move by a firebrand president who has inspired members of the incoming Trump administration.

Since taking power on December 10, 2023, Milei has presided over sweeping cuts. He fired tens of thousands of public employees, shut down half the country's 18 ministries, and reduced state spending by an estimated 31% in his first 10 months alone — making good on his pledge to take a "chainsaw" to the state.

Milei's actions caught the attention of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the men now charged with a similar task under President-elect Donald Trump.

Last month, Musk said Argentina had made "impressive progress,'" while Ramaswamy said that the US needed "Milei-style cuts on steroids."

In the interview, Milei said his administration had only accomplished the "first step" of its plan, and that what was coming next was the "deep chainsaw."

"It is not only a question of deregulating and removing these obstacles, but it also implies a new reform of the state to make it even smaller," he said.

Milei added that his administration has so far only implemented a quarter of the reforms it wants to pursue.

Argentina's latest economic figures suggest the country may be turning a corner after struggling economically.

Argentina's inflation dropped from 25.5% in December 2023 to 2.4% in November 2024. However, unemployment rose to 6.9% in Q3, from 5.7% in the same period last year.

Economic activity, meanwhile, grew 3.9% in Q3, compared to Q2.

According to BBVA projections, Argentina will achieve a fiscal balance in 2024 for the first time in 15 years. It also said that it expects Argentina's GDP to rebound strongly next year, from a 3.8% deficit in 2024 to 5.5% in 2025, driven by investments and private consumption.

However, Facundo Nejamkis, director of Opina Argentina, a political consultancy firm, told Reuters this month that Milei's cuts had ignited a "major" recession, and according to Argentina's statistics agency, the country's poverty rate rose to 52.9% in the first half of 2024, the highest rate in 30 years.

Speaking at an event at Argentina's Chamber of Commerce and Services last month, Milei said the recession was "over," after the country had gone through "a difficult period of effort and pain."

And in an episode of the Lex Fridman podcast last month, Milei advised Musk and Ramaswamy to go "all the way" in cutting US federal spending.

Reacting to Milei's latest interview on X, where he talked about eliminating the taxes, Musk wrote one word: "Impressive."

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Lindy Li discussed a Wall Street Journal report that said the president's team had insulated him during his time at the White House.

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• I love the holiday season, but there are some things about it that stress me out.
• In the past, I've found myself doing too much and saying "yes" to too many things.
• This year, I'm approaching the season differently so I can enjoy it.

I love visiting with family and friends, gift-giving, and all that comes with the holiday season. Most years, though, as this time of year approaches, I'm filled with a sense of contradiction: excitement for what's ahead and an unavoidable subtle sense of dread.

As a mom for over 13 years now, I've finally pinpointed exactly the problem. I've been in the habit of saying, "Sure," "Yes," "I'll be there," or "I can help" too many times during the season, even if I didn't have the time or energy. It's left me frustrated, hurried, stressed, and downright exhausted.

I started by creating boundaries around travel

The first time I vowed to seek more rest for myself during the holidays was 13 years ago. After several hours of travel and multiple stops to visit family, all with a newborn in tow, I knew the pace could not be kept. I will never forget the trauma of trying to find a quiet place to nurse my baby amid the chaos of family members I barely knew.

Little by little, each year, I've pulled back on our Christmas Day travel. This might be the biggest and happiest change I've implemented for myself and my family. I'm saying "no" to hours of travel time this year, and we're staying home for Christmas.

Miraculously, grandparents and family members have all been understanding. In fact, many of them lamented the same issues with travel on Christmas Day and are choosing to stay home, too. The good news is my door is open, and if anyone wants to see me or my immediate family on Christmas Day, they'll know exactly where to find us.

But still, over the years — even as I've created more boundaries around travel — I've gotten in the habit of doing too much, and it's affected my ability to enjoy the holiday season.

This year, I'm doing less cooking and baking, too

Last year, and for most years in the past, my husband would volunteer to cook the turkey for my side of the family for the Thanksgiving meal. But this year, we said we couldn't. We'd already planned a road trip for my son's birthday, so the time we had to spend on a homemade dish was significantly shorter.

We simply didn't have the time to fry a large turkey and encouraged my family to have someone else cook it. My mom ordered one, and it was just as juicy as any home-cooked bird. It lightened the load, and I vowed to keep the momentum going.

Leading up to Christmas Day last year, kind neighbors dropped off homemade items on our doorstep. We adore our neighbors, and the homemade goodies were a delight each time we opened the door. But each time I discovered a homebaked treat, I felt pressure to make or bake my own gift to reciprocate the kind gesture.

In a panic, I whipped up some last-minute treats and hauled them to each neighbor's home. I love to cook, but there wasn't much joy in the process under the pressure. Looking back, I realize there was a better way, so I'm handling it differently this year. I now see that my neighbors actually don't expect a gift in return, let alone something homemade. So, to split the difference, I'm purchasing my favorite brand of store-bought shortbread cookies, plopping a bow on top, and wishing them all my merriment without baking anything.

I'm also pulling back when it comes to volunteering at my sons' schools

Volunteering at my sons' schools has always been a page from the same story. As with many parents, in years past, there's been the tug for me to attend the holiday sing-along, organize the holiday party snacks, or brainstorm and collect materials for a festive craft.

While I do love attending and being involved at my sons' schools, the issue is that with work, appointments, and my own holiday goals of reading more and sitting by a fire more often this year, I'm just not raising my hand first to head it all up. Instead, I've opted to send in supplies or choose the events I truly enjoy being at. My sons are older now, and I'm resting easy knowing they're more concerned with the football game at recess than the reindeer craft they created during the holiday party.

While my desire to do it all came from good intentions and expectations from myself and others, I didn't want the stress I had felt in the past by giving too during past holiday seasons. I realize now I do have a choice in the matter.

I'm saying "no" more than ever in an effort to protect my time and my family's time, and I'm enjoying more that makes me happy: fireside reading time, a cup of coffee with extra whipped cream, and the twinkle of the lights on my own Christmas tree this year.

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With 28 full days left in office, President Biden announced Monday he is commuting the sentences for 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life without possibility of parole.

The big picture: Biden promised to abolish federal use of the death penalty when he campaigned for the White House in 2020.

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What he's saying: "Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss," Biden said in a statement. "But guided by my conscience and my experience, ... I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level."

• In a jab at President-elect Trump, Biden added: "In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted."

Zoom in: The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities, AP reports.

Between the lines: Three federal inmates still face execution.

• Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.
• Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who helped carry out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which left three dead and scores injured.
• Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

Context: Biden in 2021 announced a moratorium on federal capital punishment to study the protocols used.

• There were 13 federal executions during Trump's first term, more than under any president in modern history.
• Biden faced recent pressure from advocacy groups urging him to act to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates.

• 28-year-old Aamanh Sehdev was named a McKinsey partner this December.
• After joining as a summer intern, he's climbed the ranks in just seven years.
• Sehdev spoke to BI about how he heard the news and what helped him progress at McKinsey.

Aamanh Sehdev had spent a week in early December trying to distract himself by seeing friends and playing padel.

He'd been an associate partner for two of his seven-year career at McKinsey and knew there was a chance he'd be promoted to partner.

But there was a low number of elections this year, so he thought it was fifty-fifty.

The news usually arrives at the end of the week. But at around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sehdev received a call at home. It was from Tunde Olanrewaju, managing partner of McKinsey's UK, Ireland, and Israel offices.

"The nerves were kicking in, but he got straight to the point," Sehdev told Business Insider.

"Hey, it's great news. Welcome to the partnership. We're really excited to have you on board," Sehdev recalled Olanrewaju telling him. "I said thanks, but in a slightly higher pitch voice than I typically have."

Sehdev is one of around 200 McKinsey employees promoted to partner this December. Amid a slowdown in demand for consulting services, this year's cohort is one of the firm's smallest in recent years.

The promotion elevates him to one of the most senior positions you can reach in a major consulting firm. Partnerships are participatory, giving individuals a say in the direction of the firm. Those promoted to equity partners receive a share of the annual profits.

On McKinsey's website, partners are described as "not only meeting McKinsey's high bar for exceptional leadership, but they are also dedicated to finding solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges."

At 28, Sehdev is one of the youngest in the cohort. He spoke to BI about what it was like to receive the news and what it takes to make partner.

'Enjoy the moment'

Although his call with Olanrewaju lasted only a few minutes, Sehdev spent the next hour and a half on the phone with sponsors and mentors.

"Obviously, there was a lot of excitement, a lot of congratulations, and a bit of a common thread of 'let it sink in, don't rush into the next thing, enjoy the moment,'" he said.

He also called his mother and brother that evening. His parents didn't go to university, so it was a major milestone for the family. "They were super proud and excited," he said. "They've obviously been pretty key in shaping my journey."

But the following morning, it was into the office to carry on as usual and keep the news a secret from his colleagues until McKinsey's formal announcement a week and a half later.

Sehdev said he was still digesting the achievement. In the new year, he's taking a 17-day trip to Australia to "carve out a little bit of time to think about it a bit more formulaically."

His first focus is to switch off and get some sun, he added.

Becoming a partner is notoriously difficult and competitive. It's the ultimate goal for many consultants starting their careers.

Not for Sehdev.

When he began studying mechanical engineering at London's Imperial College, Sehdev had never heard of McKinsey.

"It was something that people around me were talking about alongside banking," he told BI. "I turned up to a career fair, it was interesting, and I applied for the internship."

For the first half of his career, Sehdev said he was doing "a bit of a random walk" through a whole host of sectors and different functions. It helped him find the right home at the firm — he now works on a combination of private capital and McKinsey's telecommunications (TMT) practice.

Sehdev acknowledged that seven years was a fast ascent up the ranks, but said that meritocracy was one of McKinsey's benefits.

"What McKinsey has a tendency to do is when you get comfortable, they take you to the next role or level, and then you get uncomfortable again. That snowballed for me over the last seven years."

Sehdev said three reasons he was selected as a partner came through in his evaluation.

First, he always has a focused strategy for what he's doing and what he wants to do next at the firm. Second, he showed entrepreneurship and originality, particularly when it came to creating novel ways to work with the smaller software businesses he concentrates on. Lastly, he invested time with the teams and created a positive, energizing atmosphere.

There's an element of luck involved in it as well, he added, saying he was fortunate to have met managers early on who would stay late in the evenings to teach him.

No matter how good you are, working at a top consultancy can be intense. Sehdev said he carves out time to exercise, spend time with family, and protect his weekends. He doesn't expect that to change now he's a partner.

"My mindset has always been, look, I'll set a really high bar, but I'll not let the micro-events or little things take away too much energy. That's made me better at my job."

• I'm a mom of two and share custody with my ex-husband.
• I prepare gifts early and focus on self-care when they are not with me.
• As they get older, they still want to do holiday things with me, which makes me happy.

I remember the last Christmas as a family. There was the star on the tree, presents wrapped for the kids, and eggnog in the fridge, all while I was fending fights with my now ex-husband.

When I signed a lease on an apartment a couple of months later, I left behind the Christmas tree, the stockings, the nutcrackers, and every ornament.

I bought a new tree and ordered Christmas stockings, new ornaments, and some decorations as a fresh start after the divorce. That first Christmas as a single mom, I wanted to get my kids something special and playful. The snow globes I purchased are engraved with the year everything changed in our lives, four years ago.

It's hard not having them every year

As a divorced mom, I'll admit it isn't easy to accept that I won't see my kids every Christmas morning anymore. I've had my kids two Christmas mornings since our family split. I'm overjoyed this year my kids are with me again. I feel immense happiness knowing my kids will wake up at my home and dash to the tree at the crack of dawn instead of when they arrive mid-morning after being with their dad first.

There's always a little grief when I wake up on Christmas morning, and my kids aren't here. The waiting is excruciating for me. The divorce decree states that spending time with the kids for Christmas is split between even and odd years.

Navigating holidays as a divorced parent can feel stressful, and what's helped is keeping traditions going, even if it means doing it myself. The first Christmas when it was just me and the kids, the reason I didn't fall into depression was because the kids and I put up the tree early together, we went to see the holiday lights at the zoo, and watched "The Polar Express," the Elf on the shelf carried on, and holiday songs were on repeat at my home.

The festivities showed my kids that the magic of Christmas is alive at my home. I assured them that the holiday would be a joyous time, even though the family dynamic changed.

I prepare early for the years they are not with me

I've learned to prepare early for gifts. I start talking to my kids about their wish lists before Halloween, and by then, I know the weeks we have together will fly by before it's Christmas morning. I focus on the gifts my kids want most because I don't know what will be under their dad's tree.

When my kids are with their dad for Christmas morning, I've learned to focus on self-care to shield myself from sadness. I plan a morning of tenderness: dunking cookies in my fresh coffee, putting on a face mask, journaling, and making a phone call to my mom to hear her cheerful voice. I look at photos on my phone and reminisce about memories with my kids from the year before. I focus on my positive energy and the good ways that life has changed.

I remember my son adding the soccer ball ornament to the tree and my daughter adding the snowman she made in first grade. As my kids get older, to my delight, they still want to do the holiday traditions just the same. We are going to see the zoo lights again, and they are tilting the snow globes back and forth to make it snow, just like they did four years ago.

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