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10 dead in New Orleans after vehicle hit crowd celebrating New Year's Eve

Bourbon St. in Louisiana at sunset.
Bourbon Street, New Orleans.

ferrantraite/ Getty Images

  • New Orleans reported a mass casualty event on Bourbon Street.
  • Police said a vehicle may have plowed into a group of people and there are reported deaths.
  • The city's public safety body said 10 people were killed and 30 injured.

New Orleans' public safety body on Wednesday said that 10 people were killed and 30 more injured after a vehicle drove into a crowd in the heart of the city's party district.

NOLA Ready, the city's emergency preparedness campaign, said there was "a mass casualty incident involving a vehicle that drove into a large crowd on Canal and Bourbon Street."

Thirty more people were injured, it said.

It had written earlier on X that "there has been a mass casualty incident on Canal and Bourbon Street. Get yourself away from the area."

A New Orleans Police spokesperson told CBS News that "initial reports show a car may have plowed into a group of people. Injuries are unknown but there are reported fatalities."

A witness told CBS that a truck drove into the crowd at Bourbon Street at high speed and that the driver got out and started firing a weapon, with the police firing back.

The eyewitness said there were multiple people on the ground with injuries.

Bourbon Street, in the city's French Quarter, is a famous party destination known for drinking and revelry.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I'm a professional declutterer. I help people decide when to get rid of their collections, even if it's difficult.

Various colored sneakers
The author (not pictured) says getting rid of a collection is harder than a single item

Richard Newstead/Getty Images

  • As a professional declutterer I help my clients get rid of things they don't want or need anymore.
  • Some people love collecting things, but it can quickly turn into clutter.
  • It's much harder to get rid of multiple objects you've collected than just one.

Tom Hanks famously collects typewriters, Jerry Seinfeld maintains multiple garages to house all his cars, and Rosie O'Donnell has amassed over 2,500 Happy Meal toys.

Some of us are just collectors at heart. But what's the difference between a meaningful collection and a bunch of stuff you can't find space for?

As a professional declutterer, I know that getting rid of a collection is harder than getting rid of single items.

Collections are time-consuming

Several years ago, I purchased a blue ceramic owl that housed a particularly great scented candle. A few weeks later, I saw another large blue ceramic owl β€” this time fashioned into a vase. Of course, I bought it, they looked great together. Then, I ran across a green ceramic owl in a thrift store. Well, I already had two, so why not one more?

Thus was born a collection I had no intention of creating. That's the thing about collecting; you might set out to acquire a trucker hat from every state in the nation, which is a noble enterprise. But you might also end up procuring a whole pile of desert-themed hand-painted shot glasses without ever really meaning to.

If you find that owning two of something quickly turns into owning too many of that thing, slow your roll. Ask yourself: Is this something to which I really want to devote time, money, and shelf space? Or is it merely an excuse to hold on to random stuff I've acquired?

They can turn into clutter

Once I recognized that I'd accidentally started collecting ceramic owls, I realized I had no interest in housing an entire flock. This wasn't a cool collection in the making; it was undeniably clutter. This led me to a reckoning. I traversed the house, ferreting out groups of objects that threatened to turn into full-blown compilations.

I decided that I could maintain three collections. Each comprised small items, and one was even useful, sort of. Everything else went to the thrift store. This is how I avoided collecting mid-century wooden candle holders, teacups in a distinct shade of blue, or glass bottles that fit particular but hard-to-define parameters. My life is better without these things.

For those of you who are not collectors but know them, here's a little advice: it's tempting to buy your aunt yet another squirrel sculpture or your nephew another stuffie. But think about whether you'd be adding a special piece to a meaningful collection or merely loading them up with the kind of clutter that's hard to get rid of.

It's harder to get rid of collections

Collections can end up owning the collector; it's much harder to get rid of a set of something than a single object. And if half the items have been purchased by someone else, you may come to feel that you're obligated to keep the whole lot, whether you're all that interested in owning dozens of camels, as happened to my mother-in-law.

Clutter is sticky. It wants to fill your shelves and cupboards. You'll think of a thousand reasons to hold on to it even when it's no longer sparking anything but annoyance. Label that clutter "A Collection," and it may be with you until the end, like it or not. Instead, choose things that actually bring you joy.

If you do have a collection, display it with pride. Put it where you can see it every day and revel in each piece. A collection that lives in darkness may as well not exist.

Finally, think like a curator. Not every miniature French horn is an excellent miniature French horn. Choose the best and pass the others along. If you're going to bother collecting at all, make it into an art form. Be an authority on your chosen object. If you don't love it, it's not really a collection, it's just clutter.

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Trump's billionaires will have to navigate a complex web of possible conflicts of interest

Elon Musk walks with Donald Trump before a test flight of Space X's Starship rocket
Elon Musk's companies receive billions in federal contracts, but he's far from the only billionaire in President-elect Donald Trump's orbit with potential conflicts of interest.

Brandon Bell/Pool via AP

  • Donald Trump has more billionaires in his orbit than any other modern president.
  • It's not just Elon Musk who faces potential conflicts of interest with newfound power.
  • Even some of Trump's lower-level picks are uber-wealthy.

President-elect Donald Trump is stocking his administration and broader orbit with billionaires and titans of industry.

Their rΓ©sumΓ©s and portfolios also come with a bevy of potential conflicts of interest that could overshadow their actual jobs.

Elon Musk may receive the lion's share of the attention, but he's far from the only billionaire in Trump's orbit who has benefited from government contracts.

"This Trump administration is just chocked full of billionaires, millionaires, and lobbyists," Craig Holman, a lobbyist for government watchdog Public Citizen, recently told Business Insider.

Trump tapped private equity billionaire Stephen Feinberg to become his second-highest-ranking official at the Pentagon. Feinberg's firm, Cerberus Capital Management, has significant interests in military defense contractors, which, as deputy director of defense, could pose a conflict given that the Pentagon's No. 2 is typically responsible for the Defense Department's massive budget.

Stephen Feinberg is seen on Capitol Hill in 2008
Private equity CEO Steve Feinberg values his privacy, which may be tested if he's confirmed as a top Pentagon official.

AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari

Earlier this year, Cerberus acquired a controlling interest in M1 Support Services, an aircraft maintenance contractor. In fiscal year 2024 alone, M1 has been awarded over $630.7 million in federal contracts, according to USASpending.gov contract data. Cerberus also has a large stake in Navistar Defense, a specialized military vehicle manufacturer. In 2021, Navistar paid a $50 million fine to resolve a complaint that accused the company of inflating the prices of mine-resistant vehicles it sold to the US Marine Corps from 2007 to 2012, before Feinberg's firm bought a 70% stake in 2018.

Musk has an even wider portfolio of responsibilities. Unlike Feinberg, the Tesla CEO is set to remain outside the Trump administration β€” meaning the world's richest man would not be subject to the potential divestment full-time administration officials may be asked to do.

"He definitely has a vision for humanity and he views himself as a world historic figure, and he knows his wealth is necessary to fulfilling his vision," Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, a public interest group, told Business Insider earlier this month. "So I am frightened by what government by people like that looks like."

All of Trump's appointees who enter the government will have to comply with the criminal conflict of interest law. Congress did not apply that law to the president or vice president, in part due to constitutional concerns.

Congressional Democrats have raised concern about Musk's ties to China. He called for the expulsion of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, after she and other liberal lawmakers questioned whether Musk helped kill a sweeping government funding bill due to its inclusion of restrictions on certain US investments in China.

Trump told Time Magazine that he's seen Musk put the country ahead of his financial interests.

"I think he's one of the very few people that would have the credibility to do it, but he puts the country before, and I've seen it, before he puts his company," Trump said.

In response to questions about potential conflicts of interest, Brian Hughes, a Trump-Vance Transition spokesperson, said in a statement to Business Insider "All nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies and offices."

Divestment can be difficult to navigate. In 2017, Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola, a billionaire, withdrew from consideration to become Trump's first Army secretary. According to The New York Times, Viola had too much difficulty untangling his financial interests.

Others have been able to broker deals allowing them to cash out early. Former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson had to work out a special $180 million retirement package with the oil giant because some of his holdings included restricted shares that hadn't been fully vested. Goldman Sachs accelerated its payout to Gary Cohn, who left the firm to become Trump's chief economic advisor, leaving him with a roughly $285 million exit package. In order to entice talent out of the private sector, the government also allows officials to defer some tax liabilities when they are directed to sell shares or other assets. Tillerson and Cohn both used this perk. So too has current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

rex tillerson donald trump
President Donald Trump smiles at Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after he was sworn in in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.

Associated Perss/Carolyn Kaster

Government watchdogs have long expressed unease about top officials entering the government with private-sector ties.

Biden advisors' ties to BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, were the subject of significant attention during the 2020 transition. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo was once interim chief of staff to Larry Fink. Brian Deese, who was Biden's top economic aide, led BlackRock's sustainable investing before joining the Biden administration. Adeyemo agreed to recuse himself from any potential BlackRock-related business until he sold off his interests. As a political appointee, Deese's ethics agreement is not public information, though ethics-focused groups previously asked the White House to disclose it. (The White House did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment about Deese's agreement. He left the administration last year.)

It remains to be seen whether the president-elect will impose additional ethics requirements as he did shortly after taking office in 2017. Trump's first cabinet was the wealthiest in modern history. His incoming team is likely to be even richer.

The influx of billionaires extends from the cabinet down through US ambassadors. So far, Trump's tapped at least two additional billionaires to represent the US abroad, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and investment banker Warren Stephens, to be US ambassadors. And that list doesn't even include the likes of Musk, who has Trump's attention without the hassle of selling off his vast interests.

"He is going to have the ear of President Trump anyway, even though he's serving in an advisory capacity," Holman said of Musk.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I chose TikTok over my job. I still love teaching, but influencing pays my rent.

Influencer Molly Rutter
Molly Rutter films lifestyle content for TikTok.

Molly Rutter

  • Molly Rutter left her teaching job to pursue influencing in August.
  • She's faced challenges online but says it's still easier than being overworked and underpaid.
  • Now, she earns money through TikTok's creator program and customized videos for her followers.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Molly Rutter, a 32-year-old TikToker in Buffalo, NY. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

According to Glassdoor, the median pay for teachers at Rutter's former employer is $65,000. Rutter says she made significantly less than that.

If teaching paid me enough, I'd still be doing it. It's the best thing I've ever done as a career.

It's no secret that teachers make next to nothing, and no one goes into it for the money. But after five years and getting my master's in childhood education, I left teaching in August to pursue social media full time.

I started making TikTok videos as a side gig while working abroad in 2022 in the hopes of becoming a home decor influencer account. Over time, I found that people were really interested in me and my life.

I felt overworked as a teacher in the US

Once I realized the income potential, I applied to the creator program in 2023 and finally started making money from TikTok. That's when I started getting pulled in different ways for my career.

My content revolves around anything and everything about my life. I do vlogs, shopping hauls, sharing places I'm going out, sharing my travel experiences, and sharing my dating content.

@molly.rutter

Cheers to a man meeting the bare minimum and hopefully more πŸ₯Ήβ€οΈβ€πŸ”₯ #dateupdate #datinginyour30s #datingchronicles

♬ original sound - Molly Rutter

I taught at a private school in Istanbul from 2020 until January 2024, when I returned to Buffalo. Although I've always struggled financially, I lived comfortably teaching abroad.

It was, by far, the highest quality of life I've ever lived. As a teacher in Buffalo, I was working myself to the bone.

If you love teaching, you'll still do it as long as you can afford rent. If you really want to do it, you can make it work.

I had a different story.

I had to choose

I taught third grade at a prestigious private school in Buffalo, and they were uncomfortable with my public platform on social media. Normally, teachers make everything private, but I had a few viral videos.

I completely stand by my content. I didn't swear online when I was a teacher; I never showed myself drinking. Yet my school still seemed to have a problem with it.

I was going through a roller coaster of feeling like I had a negative spotlight on something that was the only reason I was surviving in the States. I couldn't afford to pay my rent for the last three months I worked as a teacher.

I thought to myself: "No way do I have over $200,000 in student loan debt to work a job where I'm overworked, underpaid, and told I can't do something on the side that brings me financial security."

My job isn't stressful anymore

TikTok's creator rewards program pays out for every 1,000 qualified views. These views must come from the "For You" feed and only count if the viewer stays on your video for over five seconds.

That's what makes me the most money, but I also film custom Cameo videos for $10 to $20 and promote items from the TikTok Shop.

My job now is easy, and I've never made less than what I was making as a teacher. It fluctuates, but I've had months where I've made more than double what I was making as a teacher.

My most viral content so far has been my dating content, but I'm just sharing facets of my life online.

TikTok still has its challenges

People try to pressure me; they want me to fit in a certain box. I'm not dating for content. No way in hell am I going to go on a date every day.

The bigger I get online, the more people's perceptions of me become detached from who I actually am. It's almost like a caricature of Molly Rutter who exists online.

I don't subscribe to the identity that people are trying to force me into because that's not truly who I am.

The value that I've gained with my time and mental health is so significant β€” on top of the fact that I'm making more than I once was.

Teaching filled my soul, but I don't regret leaving.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I went to Red Lobster and saw how much work its new CEO has to make the chain cool again

A Red Lobster restaurant in Maryland.
The entrance to the Red Lobster.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

  • Red Lobster emerged from bankruptcy in September.
  • Now, the chain has to find a new strategy to bring in customers that's not just endless shrimp.
  • I visited a Red Lobster restaurant in the Washington, DC, area to see what dining there is like.

Red Lobster has emerged from bankruptcy and has a new CEO. Now, it just needs to win customers back with something other than the promise of endless shrimp.

As recently as last year, diners could pay $20 for all of the shrimp they could eat. But while customers loved it (maybe too much), the deal led to losses for Red Lobster's former parent company.

The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May and emerged from bankruptcy in mid-September with new ownership led by Fortress Investment Group, a new CEO, and fewer locations. It just has to figure out a strategy to win customers back β€” and make money this time.

Damola Adamolekun, Red Lobster's new CEO, told CNN in October that he wants to add flashier menu items, such as food served on sizzling-hot stone plates, to attract younger customers. At the same time, Red Lobster is holding on to some current menu items, such as flounder, to appeal to older patrons.

Adamolekun isn't totally opposed to bringing back endless shrimp, though he said the chain would have to find a better approach. "I never want to say never, but certainly not the way that it was done," he told CNN.

I visited a Red Lobster outside of Washington, DC, in September to see what dining there is like and what the chain needs to change going forward. Here's what I found:

I visited a Red Lobster in Waldorf, Maryland.
A Red Lobster restaurant in Maryland.
The entrance to the Red Lobster.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

This Red Lobster is located right off of a major highway, about a 50-minute drive from the center of Washington, DC.

I arrived at the restaurant a little after 11 a.m. on a Wednesday.
The hostess stand at a Red Lobster restaurant.
The host stand at the entrance to the Red Lobster restaurant.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

The restaurant was empty, which wasn't surprising given that I showed up just after opening time on a weekday. While no one was at the host stand when I walked in, an employee appeared a few seconds afterward and showed me to my table.

Red Lobster's nautical decor was everywhere.
Nautical-themed decor at a Red Lobster restaurant
Anchors and other nautical motifs are all over Red Lobster.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

Red Lobster's restaurants have long resembled coastal communities where fishing and lobstering dominate. A 2011 remodel of the restaurant chain's stores drew inspiration from Bar Harbor, Maine, and added everything from ship lanterns to Adirondack chairs to the restaurants.

Red Lobster's dining room felt a little worn and dated.
The interior of a Red Lobster restaurant in Maryland.
The dining room at Red Lobster was dark.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

Seaside decorations aside, the dining room included a lot of dark wood. It made me feel like I was at a Midwestern supper club in the 1970s.

The edges of the tables and booths were scratched and dinged, too.

I started looking at Red Lobster's extensive menu once I was seated at my booth.
The reporter's table setting at a Red Lobster restaurant
There was the main menu and another just for drinks.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

The menu offers different specials depending on the day of the week. Monday's special is endless shrimp, which costs $25, according to the menu I saw.

I ordered the Sailor's Platter to try Red Lobster's shrimp.
A menu at Red Lobster
Red Lobster's menu includes dozens of choices, from Lobster Flatbread to shrimp.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

While I first considered a steak-and-lobster daily special, I had never tried Red Lobster's shrimp. After my server recommended the Sailor's Platter, which contains two kinds of shrimp and some flounder, I ordered that.

My server brought some Cheddar Bay biscuits to my table after I ordered.
A Cheddar Bay biscuit on a plate at Red Lobster.
A Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

The four biscuits were complimentary β€” and very warm.

The biscuits were one of the highlights of my visit.
The reporter holds half of a biscuit at Red Lobster
The Cheddar Bay biscuits didn't last long.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

Besides being warm, you could taste the cheese.

After about 15 minutes, my main course arrived.
The Sailor's Platter at Red Lobster
My Sailor's Platter came with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

My Sailor's Platter came with a side. I upgraded mine to Bacon Mac & Cheese for an upcharge.

The popcorn shrimp reminded me of food I've had at fast-food restaurants.
Fried shrimp at Red Lobster
The Popcorn shrimp were one of two fried items that I tried.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

While tasty, these reminded me of shrimp that I've had at Popeyes, Long John Silver's, and other fast-food chains.

I like the shrimp scampi better.
Shrimp at Red Lobster
The shrimp scampi came in their own dish.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

These were my favorite of the two kinds of shrimp.

The fried flounder was nothing special.
Fried flounder at Red Lobster
The fried flounder from Red Lobster.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

The flounder was better with some of the tartar sauce.

The Bacon Mac & Cheese was rich.
A side serving of Bacon Mac & Cheese at Red Lobster
The Bacon Mac & Cheese came with real bacon.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

The Mac & Cheese was creamy, though after a few bites, it was a little too rich for me.

I also ordered a Mango Iced Tea.
Mango sweet tea at Red Lobster
The tea came sweet by default.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

My server noticed I was running low on my first tea and brought me another before I even asked.

I finished my platter, and the service was so swift, my plate was gone before I could snap a photo.
The reporter's table toward the end of his visit to Red Lobster.
Just some of my Bacon Mac & Cheese remained.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

With tax and a tip, I paid about $35 for my lunch.

I was full after the platter and had trouble imagining what eating dozens of shrimp here would be like.

After paying, I took another few minutes to appreciate all the nautical decorations.
Framed black-and-white photos of lighthouses hang above booths at Red Lobster.
Photos of lighthouses hanging in Red Lobster.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

These two photographs hung over the booths next to mine.

Overall, the food was okay, but I don't feel like I have to rush back to Red Lobster.
The reporter with a skeptical face outside a Red Lobster restaurant in Maryland.
The reporter outside Red Lobster after his meal.

Alex Bitter/Business Insider

The Red Lobster that I visited felt worn, dark, and could use a renovation. And while the biscuits were great, the other food was nothing amazing.

On the bright side, the service was fast and friendly β€” something that can be tough to find even at much more expensive restaurants. (The fact that I showed up at midday on a weekday might have helped.)

Diners are looking for good deals these days thanks to the lingering effects of inflation. Some are even looking to sit-down chains instead of fast-food restaurants due to cost.

If Red Lobster can come up with a more exciting, tasty menu and give their stores a facelift, the chain could be poised to take advantage of that environment.

Do you work at a major restaurant chain and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected]

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Military vs. zombies: CONPLAN-8888 details how the US plans to defeat the undead

The US military has a war plan for defeating zombies. Here, a participant readied for a Zombie Survival contest in Spain in 2022.
The US military has a war plan for defeating zombies. Here, a participant readied for a Zombie Survival contest in Spain in 2022.

Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

  • The US military's war plan for fighting zombies began from a training scenario.
  • It focuses on identifying the enemy, designating vital infrastructure, and coordinating forces.
  • The US military has real-world experience in responding to disasters and outbreaks.

If zombies attack, the US military has a plan. Really.

Upon authorization from the president or the defense secretary, US Strategic Command will begin preparations for safeguarding the civilian population, protecting vital infrastructure, and eradicating the zombie menace.

And all without violating the rights of threatened humans and possibly the zombies themselves.

"This plan was not actually designed as a joke," explains CONPLAN 8888-11 ("Counter Zombie Dominance"), issued on April 30, 2011 by USSTRATCOM, whose normal responsibilities include overseeing America's strategic nuclear weapons, global strike capabilities and missile defense.

It originated as a scenario to train junior officers in the Department of Defense's Joint Operation Planning and Execution System (JOPES), by which the US military devises contingency plans. Instructors discovered that a zombie apocalypse scenario was a better teaching tool than using fictional scenarios about Tunisia or Nigeria as was customary at the time, which also risked being misunderstood by the public as real scenarios.

"We elected to use a completely impossible scenario that could never be mistaken as a real plan," explained the CONPLAN 8888-11 document. "Because the plan was so ridiculous, our students not only enjoyed the lessons; they actually were able to explore the basic concepts of plan and order development (fact, assumptions, specified and implied tasks, references etc.) very effectively."

With tongue in cheek β€” or shot to the head β€” the plan lays out how USSTRATCOM will handle a global uprising of the undead. When the US military goes on Zombie Condition (ZombieCon) alert, Strategic Command will begin defensive operations to protect the human population, and offensive operations to neutralize zombies by "denial, deception, disruption, degradation or destruction."

Those looking for tactical tips on killing flesh-eating monsters will be disappointed. CONPLAN 8888-11 is a staff plan that focuses on identifying the enemy, designating vital infrastructure such as food, power and medical care, and coordinating friendly forces.

Taking full advantage of abundant open-source intelligence on the undead, planners mined classic movies and popular video games, such as "World War Z," "Night of the Living Dead," and "Plants vs Zombies," to devise a typology of zombies. These include those infected by a virus or mutated by radiation, as well as those caused by magic, extraterrestrials, and human engineering ("Weaponized Zombies"). There are also vegetarian zombies, which consume grain and thus threaten the US food supply.

Like any predator, zombies will go where their prey can be found. Undead armies are expected to focus on cities, as well as water sources (humans need water, but zombies don't). While zombies don't drive vehicles, preferring walking or running with outstretched arms, roads will be crucial transportation arteries for human soldiers as well as crowds of refugees.

CONPLAN 8888-11 is a multiphase plan to put down a zombie outbreak. Preparations will begin prewar with USSTRATCOM and intelligence agencies surveillance to detect "disease vectors that could cause zombieism."

The US government will also try to deter anyone from creating zombies. "It is important to note that zombies are not cognizant life-forms," USSTRATCOM pointed out. "As such, they cannot be

deterred or reasoned with in any way. However, there are zombie-inducing forces that can be deterred from further action. These forces include but are not limited to nation states and terrorist groups with [weapons of mass destruction] programs, and unethical bio-research companies."

Once the outbreak begins, American forces will mobilize, though CONPLAN 8888-11 cautions that to avoid rattling Russia and China, there must be "confidence-building measures to ensure leaders within these nations do not construe USSTRATCOM preparations to counter zombie-dominance as preparations for war."

Within 40 days after the outbreak, the US military will on the offensive. Once the zombies have been wiped, USSTRATCOM will assess the damage and begin reestablishing civil authority. Though some other organization will have to provide the zombie-busting boots on the ground to hold off the Zombie horde far so the military can strike it with overwhelming firepower. "USSTRATCOM has no ground combat forces capable of repelling a zombie assault," CONPLAN 8888-11 notes. "USSTRATCOM can only deliver synchronized fires against a zombie threat via strategic air, space and maritime forces."

This could include nuclear weapons. USSTRATCOM must "maintain emergency plans to employ nuclear weapons within CONUS [continental United States] to eradicate zombie hordes," according to the plan.

One potential hurdle to deploying the US military is lawfare. Laws such as the Insurrection and the Posse Comitatus Acts strictly limit the deployment of the US military in domestic affairs. Though martial law would almost certainly be declared in the event of a mass zombie plague, deployment against undead who were formerly living US citizens could raise questions of Constitutional rights, as well as various international treaties and UN charters governing human rights and the conduct of war.

The question is whether zombies are still US citizens or pathogens who can be killed. "US and international law regulate military operations only insofar as human and animal life are concerned," CONPLAN 8888-11 argued. "There are almost no restrictions on hostile actions that may be taken either defensively or offensively against pathogenic life forms, organic-robotic entities, or 'traditional' zombies."

Though meant as a fun training exercise, would USSTRATCOM's plan actually work? The US military obviously lacks experience in counter-zombie operations but has been involved in infectious disease response like the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. It has also gained a lot of experience in responding to natural catastrophes and manmade disasters, as well as reestablishing civil authority in devastated places such as post-World War II Europe and the Middle East.

Fictional movies and books about zombies abound. We can only hope this is one real-life contingency plan that never gets dusted off.

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Elon Musk celebrated New Year's Eve with Donald Trump at a star-studded Mar-a-Lago party

Elon Musk smiling wearing a tuxedo with his son X on his shoulders
Elon Musk celebrated New Year's Eve with his son X at Mar-a-Lago

Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

  • Elon Musk celebrated New Year's Eve at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
  • Musk was seen dancing with his son near Trump in a video shared on X.
  • Musk has been staying in a $2,000-a-night cottage on Trump's estate, The New York Times reported.

Elon Musk rang in 2025 with a blowout party at President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.

In a video clip posted online, the world's richest man was spotted dancing with his son, X AE A-XII, perched on his shoulders near Trump.

The Tesla chief has reportedly been staying in a cottage on the property, just a few hundred feet from the main house on Trump's estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The New York Times reported that Musk moved into the property around Election Day.

The cottage has previously been rented out for at least $2,000 a night, a source told the Times.

The New Year's Eve gala was a star-studded affair, drawing celebrities, high-profile politicians, and close associates of Trump.

Ted Cruz pictured in a tuxedo
Sen. Ted Cruz at Trump's New Year's Eve bash.

Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

Among the guests pictured at the event were Musk's mother, Maye, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and Sen. Ted Cruz.

Boxing promoter Don King and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis, with whom Musk shares three children, were also in attendance.

Lara Trump, Trump's daughter-in-law, sang a cover of Tom Petty's song "I Won't Back Down" for the crowd and guests watched a fireworks display ahead of the countdown to midnight.

JD Vance wearing a tux and wife Usha Vance wearing a ballgown dress
JD Vance and wife Usha Chilukuri Vance at the party.

Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

Donald Trump Jr, also celebrating his birthday, was accompanied by his rumored girlfriend, Bettina Anderson.

Meanwhile, the former prime minister of Australia, Scott Morrisson, shared a photo on X of him and his wife at the party posing with Trump and the incoming first lady, Melania Trump.

President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump on New Years Eve
President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump on New Year's Eve, 2024.

Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

Trump spoke briefly to reporters as he entered the party, saying what he was looking forward to in 2025.

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Trump also confirmed plans to attend the funeral of Jimmy Carter, the former US president who died at the age of 100 last week.

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Working from home isn't a perk for me. It's a necessity.

Kyle Ankney
Kyle Ankney has been looking for a remote role in public relations because of complications from his cerebral palsy, for which he receives at-home care.

Courtesy Kyle Ankney

  • Kyle Ankney is looking for a remote role in PR because he has cerebral palsy.
  • Ankney's insurance covers in-home care, complicating in-office work.
  • The 34-year-old has found there are fewer remote roles in PR β€” a broader trend in the workforce.

Kyle Ankney, 34, lives near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and works in public relations, including running his own firm. He's looking for a remote role in PR because he has cerebral palsy, which limits his physical abilities, and his insurance covers in-home care. Business Insider has reviewed medical records that confirm his diagnosis. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I never really wanted to run my own PR agency. Yet a client who didn't want to lose me convinced me to start my own firm. Now, the client is going on an indefinite hiatus and isn't sure if they'll return.

So, for the past few months, I've been trying to re-enter a traditional PR agency-type role, to have a team to grow β€” to do all the things I enjoy, minus running a business. I'm looking at, I would say, mid-senior level or something around director level.

I've been doing this work for more than 10 years, quite successfully β€” not to toot my own horn.

One recruiter told me I was super qualified but said I was probably hitting bumps because when you get to my level of experience, many people are expected to manage teams. Then, the recruiter told me I might have to consider looking for a more junior role because most managing jobs would be in person.

Some of the conversation now about remote work goes beyond it just being a perk. It's almost like it's a drawback for some employers.

My condition requiring the nurse three times a day is the reason that remote has gone from a luxury for me to now being a necessity.

The way my insurance works, it only allows the nurse to come to one address. So, even if I were to find a job here in South Florida, I would still have to be remote because of that.

Getting this care took decades

It took me 20 years on a waiting list to get this level of home care by a nurse covered through Medicaid. If I leave Florida and go anywhere else, I lose those services and have to go to the back of the line.

Needing extra help from a nurse started four years ago when I was 30. It changed my world in the worst way. It now feels like the cerebral palsy and the wheelchair and all of the other BS that comes with it is nothing in comparison to needing the nurse to help me go to the bathroom. This I literally, physically, cannot handle on my own.

So, it's been a rough year trying to run a business, trying to find a job β€” it's just been a lot. I'm not trying to be completely unrealistic, but having as much resistance as I've had has been surprising just because you're taught, at least in society, that the more senior you become and the more experience you get under your belt, the easier it is to make connections and find opportunities.

As someone who's managed a team of six, I know how difficult it was to direct them remotely because there was a lot of oversight needed to make sure that mistakes weren't being made. There was a lot of back and forth, and ultimately, I was able to figure out how to do that quite well at my agency.

I try to reiterate whenever I have opportunities to meet with anyone in my field that working from home is necessary and that I've figured out how to manage a team remotely. I say, "I understand that this may be a point of hesitation for you. However, I've been able to navigate it this way for so many years."

When the recruiter told me I should consider more junior roles, my ego was like, "That's absurd." Yet now that I've been looking for four months, which feels like four years, my savings are drying up, and I'm not making ends meet. I've been lowering all the search criteria and the salary range and I'm not really finding a bunch more.

The last time I was looking for a job, I got remote positions just by chance, but I would have been able to do in-office if it was absolutely required β€” and now I cannot.

There are fewer remote roles

In 2020, because of the pandemic, I saw a lot of PR opportunities becoming fully remote. It was a game changer for me in terms of opening up opportunities. But because I've been running my own agency for several years now, I hadn't been paying attention to what was remote versus hybrid versus in-person. I was shocked by the level of swing back.

I've reached out to everyone I know in PR, which is a substantial group. They're saying things like, "I'll send people your way."

I have looked up every agency I wanted to work for, and I wrote a blunt email. It wasn't, "Hey, I need a job." It was, "Hi, I respect you. I admire you. I need advice because here's what I'm running into. I would love the opportunity just to pick your brain." That has been successful in the sense that I have had three or four conversations with people at different agencies, yet no one is quite hiring.

If there's a role that I'm particularly interested in, I'll go to RocketReach, I'll look for the best email that I can find, and I'll say, "I've already applied. Here's my situation." I continue to follow up to try to make myself stand out.

You have to try. I'm shocked by how many postings and emails I've received that say, "We're not hiring for this role, but we want to collect rΓ©sumΓ©s." Or if you apply for positions, you get "We're on pause." Or it's just complete ghosting. I've experienced all three.

I don't know if this is the best- or worst-case scenario, but I recently interviewed with an agency, and it went to six rounds. The role was listed as remote. Then they were like, "You know, we might need travel to be involved, so we have to take this a different direction."

You would think you would know that at round one. I don't just blindly apply to jobs. I read for things like whether travel is required. That particular posting said nothing about travel. So there have been a whole bunch of hurdles.

It's just a game of resilience at this point β€” just holding on and crossing your fingers and praying.

Do you have something to share about what you're seeing in your job search? Business Insider would like to hear from you. Email our workplace team from a nonwork device at [email protected] with your story, or ask for one of our reporter's Signal numbers.

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