Three of President-elect Trump's most provocative Cabinet picks have reversed key positions ahead of next week's confirmation hearings, softening their edges for an establishment they've been charged with tearing down.

Why it matters: For as powerful as MAGA has become, the Senate's confirmation process remains a significant obstacle — at least nominally — to injecting fringe beliefs directly into the heart of government.

The big picture: In the initial weeks after Trump unveiled his Cabinet picks, some establishment-minded Republicans raised red flags in the records of three picks:

• Tulsi Gabbard, tapped to lead the U.S. intelligence community, was deeply suspicious of the national security apparatus and publicly opposed Section 702 foreign surveillance authorities as a member of Congress.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chosen to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, falsely claimed in 2023 that the polio vaccine caused cancer that killed "many more people than polio ever did."
• Pete Hegseth, an anti-DEI stalwart picked to be defense secretary, bluntly opposed women serving in combat roles in the military.

Flash forward: All three lightning-rod picks have spent weeks meeting with senators on Capitol Hill in an effort to secure 50 votes. The results are head-spinning:

• Gabbard told Punchbowl News on Friday that she now supports the Section 702 surveillance program thanks to updated whistleblower and civil liberty protections. Just days earlier, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) suggested reversing that one policy position could help her get confirmed.
• RFK Jr. told reporters on Capitol Hill last month: "I'm all for the polio vaccine." He also assured conservative senators that he will pursue anti-abortion policies at HHS, despite his past support for reproductive rights.
• Hegseth, after an early clash with Army veteran Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), said he supports "all women serving in our military today," including in combat roles. Hegseth also promised to stop drinking if confirmed, amid sordid allegations about his history with alcohol.

Reality check: Their maximalist impulses may have been tamed, but that doesn't mean Gabbard, Kennedy and Hegseth won't be able to radically transform their agencies in the way MAGA envisions.

• There's also been no indication yet that Trump's most controversial choice, Kash Patel for FBI director, will walk away from his incendiary promises to exact revenge on the president-elect's enemies.

Between the lines: Today's Republican coalition is diverse and unwieldy, and Trump's Cabinet reflects that reality.

• While some have been playing nice with senators to win confirmation, others have had to harmonize with Trump himself.
• Secretary of State pick Marco Rubio, for example, has long been a fierce critic of TikTok — but now appears to be deferring to Trump's interest in preserving the Chinese-owned app, according to Punchbowl.
• Treasury Secretary pick Scott Bessent — a former George Soros adviser who warned against the inflationary effects of tariffs just last year — will now be a key member of the economic team tasked with carrying out Trump's protectionist agenda.

What to watch: Senate Democrats are salivating at the chance to create fireworks and exploit divisions at the blockbuster confirmation hearings, which begin with Hegseth on Jan. 14.

Entire neighborhoods in Southern California have been destroyed by deadly wildfires, displacing communities that don't know what — if anything — they'll have to return to.

The big picture: Researchers have linked wildfires to long-lasting anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in survivors, in addition to the well-documented physical toll.

• Both the loss and uncertainty surrounding wildfires are traumatic, Jeff Katzman, a Connecticut-based psychiatrist who grew up in Pacific Palisades, California, told Axios.
• "There is the lingering, not knowing status of what happened," he said. "There's the experience of loss of an entire community that has generations of meaning."

Between the lines: Like other modern tragedies, destruction in California is being shared immediately on social media.

• "There's something potentially positive about it that people who have suffered together or are in this together can connect and can share resources and can share experiences," Katzman said.
• On another level, he added, it can be "difficult to integrate" seeing so much relatable, devastating information, leading to a sense of helplessness.

Context: Research published last year found a link between wildfires and worsened mental health by analyzing psychotropic prescription data on 7 million people over an eight-year period following 25 large fires on the West Coast.

• People exposed to California's deadliest wildfire, the 2018 Camp Fire, showed greater chronic symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression, according to research published in 2023.
• "These findings dovetail with significant psychological impacts noted after extreme climate events," researchers wrote. "Warming temperatures have been further linked to greater suicide rates."
• Another study from last year found that wildfires are associated with increased emergency room visits for anxiety disorders in the western U.S.

State of play: Sometimes pragmatism comes before grief during a disaster like the urban wildfires, Katzman said. People might first prioritize figuring out what a return to work or school will could like, before processing the loss.

• "Like when we lose our loved ones, there's stuff to do that often shields or distracts us from the underlying experience of loss," he said. "That can be a really tender experience."
• Surviving can help people rationalize their situation, too, he said. Material objects might become secondary, but memories and all existing notions of the future are still tainted.

Zoom out: Survivors in California could even grapple with feelings that they have to move out of their home state to stay protected from future extreme weather events — which could bring upon loneliness and further instability.

• "Solastalgia" has been used to describe the chronic distress of seeing negative environmental change in one's home environment.
• "With this increase in the pace of these events, which one would imagine will keep growing, anxiety and all mental health issues will increase," Katzman said. "Mental health issues following a single event are nothing compared to an exposure to multiple events."

Case in point: Los Angeles families calling into Parents Anonymous, a nonprofit helpline, have been expressing extreme overwhelm this week, said CEO Lisa Pion-Berlin, CEO of Parents Anonymous.

• For those whose houses were destroyed, "it's not just the things in the building you lost, you lost a home," she said. "And that's a safe place where you're raising a family, where you go to relax, where you go to cry, where you go to celebrate, where you have birthday parties."
• "A home is much more than a building, a home is part of your heart, and that's been totally cut out."

Go deeper:

• L.A. infernos pose added health dangers
• How to help victims of the Los Angeles fires
• Los Angeles County fires' destruction shown in before and after images

• 22-year-old Tabitha Snavely evacuated her apartment ahead of the Palisades wildfire.
• Snavely, who works multiple jobs, said many in her building were blue-collar workers or older people.
• She evacuated to her parents' house and told BI she needs to find a new place to live that is closer to work.

This as-told-to essay is based on interviews with Tabitha Snavely, a 22-year-old living in the Palisades. Her identity and employment has been verified by Business Insider. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm 22 years old, and I live alone in a rented medium-sized apartment building in the Palisades. I've lived in California my whole life so this isn't my first time dealing with a fire.

On Tuesday night, I woke up to the alert of an evacuation. I had about 45 minutes to pack and feed my dog really quickly because I didn't know when we'd be in a safe area. As I was packing up, I started smelling smoke in my unit. As soon as I started smelling the smoke, I was like, "OK, I need to leave now."

I threw some clothes in a suitcase, grabbed my dog, loaded up my car, and started driving. I grabbed everything that I had the instinct to get out in an emergency, like my phone, laptop, some clothes.

When I pulled out of the parking garage, I could see so much smoke and then hundreds of cars trying to get out. Luckily, I am closer to the Pacific Coast Highway, so I was able to get out pretty quick.

I evacuated to San Diego. My family thought it was a better idea for me to evacuate here with them than to go to a friend's in Santa Monica or Hollywood because as the fire keeps growing, more people seem to keep getting evacuated.

The aftermath

I saw on the Watch Duty app on Wednesday that my apartment building was in a bright red zone — indicating it was in the path of the fire. My unit specifically is tucked away on the inside of the building, so I was hoping that not everything in my unit was demolished.

I planned to check on it over the weekend. Now, I've seen news footage showing my street and buildings that burned, including my apartment building.

Everything I left behind may now be gone: photos, books, my college diploma. I had my great-grandmother's quilt that she made for me before she passed away. I also had a set of plates and mugs that my grandma gave to me when she died. A lot of my things are thrifted or are hand-me-downs so they're not easily replaceable.

At the same time, my parents are selling their house, so the place I could stay for evacuation, although it isn't close to my job, is very temporary. I feel like a floater with nowhere to go because I don't want to impose on my friends too long without a secure plan for where to go.

A lot of my friends live in Santa Monica, Brentwood, or Malibu, and they have been starting to get evacuated now, but some of them have been able to return to their homes.

I'm close with a lot of the older people who have lived in the Palisades for decades. I would hang out with them at the coffee shops for hours. I don't know how any of them are doing because many of them only have home phones and not cellphones.

I have a hard time feeling at home, but this apartment finally felt like home. I loved everything about it.

It's not only wealthy people living in the Palisades

I know also that a lot of people think that the Palisades is very wealthy, but I don't feel rich. I have multiple jobs. A lot of the people in my building are blue-collar workers, and there are a lot of older people in the Palisades.

I work at a coconut water company, which allowed me to work remotely for the next week before returning in person. I also am a personal assistant for someone who owns a film production company, which also gave me the week off.

Luckily, I have renter's insurance, but I don't know where I will be living. Airbnb has offered a free week to people who have lost their homes, but I filled out the form and haven't heard anything back yet.

I have friends who have offered their couches for me to sleep on while I figure out what to do next, but I still do not have a definitive plan because I've been so scatterbrained since the fire evacuation alert woke me up.

I think we need to keep more compassion alive at this time because online, I've been seeing a lot of people say that the Palisades is very rich and they can all just afford to rebuild.

No one deserves to lose their home.

Climate change — particularly whiplash between two wet winters followed by a bone-dry, unusually hot spring, summer and fall — set the stage for Los Angeles' deadly and devastating fires, scientists say.

• The firestorm was the product of what climate researchers refer to as "hydroclimate whiplash."
• Other factors include one of the worst Santa Ana wind events of the past two decades; land use patterns; and sparks set off by power lines, car engines, suspected arsonists and other potential ignition sources.

Why it matters: Whatever the source, it's clear a changing climate made the fires more ferocious, long-lasting and destructive, as has been the trend across the West in recent decades.

Threat level: Though winds are no longer as strong, the overall conditions that led to the extraordinary rates of fire spread haven't abated.

• That may only come with significant rainfall, which currently isn't in sight.

Zoom in: Hydroclimate whiplash occurs when one extreme precipitation regime is replaced by another.

• In this case, extremely wet conditions are followed almost immediately by parched weather patterns, typically accompanied by above average temperatures.
• This leads to a green up of vegetation that then dries out through evaporation, leading to ample "fuels" for a blaze to burn.
• The strong winds — which reached 99 mph in some locations — acted as an "atmospheric blow dryer" on trees and other vegetation, further drying out the landscape and ensuring any fire wouldn't stay small for long, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said in an online video briefing.

Stunning stat: In downtown Los Angeles, just 0.16 inches of rain has fallen since May 6, compared to the average of greater than 4 inches, per the National Weather Service.

• This is the city's second-driest May 6 to Dec 31 period on record, according to the National Weather Service's Los Angeles forecast office.
• No rain is in the forecast through early next week, with one Santa Ana event diminishing this morning, and another potentially strong one forecast for early in the coming week.

Zoom out: The see-saw pattern between wet and dry periods isn't new for Californians. But these swings are becoming acute — and not just in the Golden State.

• A new study published last week shows these swings are becoming more of a trigger for wildfires, floods and drought globally.
• In the study, scientists refer to an increasingly "expanding atmospheric sponge," since the atmosphere is able to evaporate, absorb and release 7% more water vapor for every 1°C (1.8°F) that the temperature increases.

In other words, the atmosphere gets more thirsty as the climate warms, drawing more moisture from plants, and leading to more days with extreme fire weather conditions.

• This analogy captures the atmosphere's ability to absorb a larger and larger amount of water vapor as temperatures increase, and wring out more and more water due to such temperature changes.
• Data shows this whiplash effect has increased by between 31% to 66% globally since the mid-20th century, and that the rate of increase is speeding up.

Between the lines: If global average temperatures increase by about 3°C (5.4°F) — which is currently likely — then the whiplash effect will more than double in its intensity.

• "Increasing hydroclimate whiplash may turn out to be one of the more universal global changes on a warming Earth," Swain said in a statement.
• Though the rare, powerful winds are fanning the blazes, it's the whiplash-driven lack of rain that has trapped Southern California in a seemingly never-ending fire season.
• In addition to the increased thirstiness of the atmosphere and see-sawing from floods to droughts and back again, studies show that climate change is increasing the odds that windy periods occurring deeper into the traditional "rainy season" will overlap with extreme dryness.
• This overlap is another crucial tie between the ongoing California fires and long-term, human-caused climate change.

The intrigue: Land management, the use of prescribed burns and expanding building in fire-prone areas have also contributed to this wildfire nightmare. But climate change is a large, and growing factor.

• "Whether we like it or not, the nature of wildfire in Southern California is changing and we must adapt accordingly," said UCLA climate scientist Alex Hall in a statement.
• "That will involve some frank conversations about the tradeoffs involved in improving our strategies to reduce ignitions, improve stewardship of our unique chaparral landscapes to reduce impacts, and protect human life and property."

The bottom line: Climate change didn't provide the spark that caused each of these catastrophic fires in LA County. But it's making such fires worse.

• China has been busy lately showcasing its military might and hybrid warfare tactics.
• The moves come ahead of Trump's return to the White House this month.
• Its activities highlight China's ambitions and intentions and the challenge it poses.

Since the 2024 US presidential election, China has been surprisingly busy with overt and covert displays of might that represent a challenge for the US, both the current and incoming administrations.

China, long identified as the Pentagon's "pacing challenge," has flexed new military capabilities, increased pressure on US allies and partners, and engaged in hybrid warfare in cyberspace.

Over the past couple of months, suspected next-generation Chinese combat aircraft have appeared, China's navy has launched new warships, the Chinese military simulated a naval blockade of Japan for the first time and carried out massive drills near Taiwan, the US has blamed Chinese hackers for major hacks of the Treasury Department and telecommunications firms, and concerns have been raised about China's involvement in damage to critical undersea infrastructure.

Some of Beijing's recent actions might be "part of a long-term strategy to shape a new (or returning) administration's approach to China and deter external support for Taiwan," Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider.

China has been flexing its military muscles in a big way

China deployed around 90 of its navy and coast guard vessels around Taiwan, as well as southern Japanese islands, for a large-scale exercise, Taiwan said in December. Beijing didn't announce anything ahead of time and hasn't acknowledged it as a military drill.

Taiwan recorded over 60 incursions into its air defense identification zone and said Chinese forces were simulating attacks on foreign ships and disrupting the navigation of others.

The exercise was China's largest since the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis. It followed Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's visit to several Pacific partners, which Beijing condemned, and came ahead of Trump's return to the White House. China routinely ramps up demonstrations of military power at symbolically important times for both international and domestic audiences.

Giselle Donnelly, a senior fellow in defense and national security policy at the American Enterprise Institute, said that the timing of these exercises "is more than coincidence," not unlike Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts over the last few months to put pressure on Ukraine before Trump takes office and US aid to Kyiv faces an uncertain future.

Chinese leadership may see exercises like this as a way to "get an early read" on the incoming Trump administration's approach to US-Chinese politics, she added.

In December, China also held military exercises resembling a naval blockade in the Miyako Strait between Japan's main island and Miyako Island, Japanese officials told The Yomiuri Shimbun, which reported the news earlier this month.

And just before ringing in 2025, China announced its air and naval forces were conducting combat readiness patrols around the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed area in the South China Sea near the Philippines that was the site of heightened and repeated confrontations between Beijing and Manila last year. Chinese vessels were accused of harassing Philippine ships, in some cases ramming them and blasting crews with water.

China has unveiled new capabilities

In November, China unveiled advanced aircraft at its Zhuhai Airshow, including the J-35A land-based stealth fighter. The Chinese developer hailed the fifth-gen jet's stealth, informationization, and networking capabilities, calling it a "point guard" for Chinese airpower — similar to how the F-35 stealth fighter has been referred to as a "quarterback" by Lockheed Martin and the US military.

The next month, however, China surprised Chinese aviation watchers with what observers suspect are prototypes of next-generation aircraft. The Pentagon said in its latest Chinese military power report that Beijing is developing new medium- and long-range stealth bombers to strike regional and global targets." It's unclear if the aircraft, which were flown in broad daylight, are part of those efforts.

China also launched the warship CNS Sichuan, China's first Type 076, and the world's largest amphibious assault vessel — an upgrade from China's Type 075 warship. The large ship features an electromagnetic catapult system for launching and retrieving fixed-wing and unmanned aircraft.

For several years now, the US Department of Defense has noted China's growing navy, already the world's largest, and shipbuilding prowess, as the industrial juggernaut churns out new vessels.

China has been called out for dangerous cyber activity

Washington has accused Chinese actors of engaging in major hacks lately.

Just before the new year, the Treasury revealed that suspected Chinese state-sponsored hackers had breached its systems and were able to "access certain unclassified documents" from department workstations. The department said it was working "fully characterize the incident and determine its overall impact."

The hack followed the discovery of a yearslong breach by China of US telecommunications companies. Top targets of the hack included Trump, his pick for vice president, J.D. Vance, and current VP Kamala Harris. Washington linked this hack to an incident involving Microsoft last summer. Lawmakers have expressed concern that encrypted calls and texts may no longer be secure.

White House Deputy national security advisor Anne Neuberger said that data belonging to millions of Americans was likely compromised by the hack and noted the US doesn't believe these hackers have been "fully removed" from targeted systems. 

Chinese actors are also believed to have accessed the Justice Department's list of wiretapped phone numbers related to potential espionage crimes. There have long been concerns about China's hybrid warfare and its potential for systems destruction warfare in a crisis situation.

China has also been accused of sabotaging undersea cables near Taiwan and been linked to an incident in the Baltic Sea. Experts and officials have assessed the efforts are in line with the larger hybrid warfare tactics employed by Beijing.

Over the past two months, China has showcased capabilities and engaged in actions that represent potential challenges for the US and its allies and partners. These are issues the incoming Trump administration will continue to face.

And it isn't China alone. US and other Western officials have increasingly expressed alarm at cooperation between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, all of which have been stepping up their efforts to confront the US-led world order.

• I get manicures every month, and I prefer structured nails when I don't do extensions.
• I spent $110 on a structured Gel-X set, which included soft builder gel, nail art, and cuticle oil.
• I liked the low maintenance of this manicure, and it lasted four weeks.

For most of 2024, I tested several different types of manicures, from Japanese and Russian to intricately painted press-ons and at-home gel. By the end of the year, I was thrilled to be going back to basics with my go-to Chicago nail tech.

For this appointment, I opted for a $110 structured Gel-X manicure with some added artistic flair.

A structured manicure is similar to a regular gel set, except there's an extra layer of soft or hard gel to build up your natural nail before applying the polish. This layer creates an apex, making for a stronger foundation that lessens the likelihood of breakage.

With nail health and manicure longevity at the top of my priorities list, here's how it went.

It was nice to return to my usual nail artists.

After months of experimental manicures, I went back to my usual licensed nail tech, Teresa "Tere" Rodriguez, a Chicago-based artist who specializes in gel extensions and structured manicures.

I get manicures once a month, which can really put a gamble on my nail health. I adore long, heavily decorated nails, but those tend to be more damaging — especially when I break one.

Whenever I'm looking for a break from extensions, I opt for structured manicures to (hopefully) better protect my nail health.

Plus, I like that they typically last three to four weeks as opposed to the standard two to three.

The manicure prep followed a pretty simple process.

Based on Rodriguez's website options, I booked a "Tier 3 Extra Intermediate" appointment for 6:30 p.m. That level included charms, textures, and nail art.

Rodriguez started the appointment by prepping my nails and conducting cuticle care like any standard manicure.

Next came the builder gel.

Once the nails were prepped, Rodriguez followed up by applying a slip layer, which is a thin layer of builder gel. They then added a thicker layer of soft builder gel, which created a solid apex.

After the builder came a base layer of black gel polish.

I opted for a flashy gold design.

I sent Rodriguez inspiration images for my manicure a week before my appointment. The main theme was gold glamor with lots of gemstones.

Since I'm only working with the size of my actual nail beds (as opposed to longer extensions), I had to be picky about the size, shape, and color I wanted the gemstones to be.

Rodriguez got to work adding 3D effects and rubbing gold chrome on top of the black gel on each nail. They then hand-placed a gemstone on nearly every open spot and secured them by curing the gel under the lamp.

Before curing each nail, the tech made sure I was happy with the design, which I really appreciated.

The set took about two hours in total.

With prep work, builder gel, curing, and designing, I knew I was in for the long haul.

Rodriguez and I usually chat to pass the time during the appointment, but they also offer silent appointment options, where clients can listen to a podcast or watch a show instead of talking.

I like to be involved in the design process of each nail, which can be time-consuming, so I wasn't surprised when my phone read 8:30 p.m. as Rodriguez applied cuticle oil to my finished nails.

After four weeks, I thought my nails still looked pretty decent.

Overall, I enjoyed how low-maintenance this set was. Although I feel more confident with long nails, I took comfort in the fact that I didn't have to worry much about breakage.

After four weeks, my manicure was still holding up — with the exception of a few wayward gemstones, which can be chalked up to my hands-on lifestyle. Because of the gold base, the missing gems didn't put much of a dent in the overall aesthetic.

Luckily, I didn't think the grow-out was too bad, which ultimately saved me money because I could skip a mid-month appointment. However, I was really interested in the health of my nails under the gel.

When I got the set removed, my nails looked a little thin but not as flimsy as I anticipated.

I wouldn't use a structured gel manicure as a way to grow out my natural nails, but I think it's great for low-maintenance upkeep.

• My daughter graduated from college and moved by herself.
• Still, as her mom, I can only think of the worst-case scenarios.
• As an empty nester, I feel a bit pushed to the side by her, and at the same time, I get it.

This past year, my now 22-year-old daughter graduated from college, moved out, and (in not so many words) told me she was fine on her own; thank you very much.

Of course, we all want our kids to fly the nest. We pray that they are strong, independent, and self-sufficient. Mine is all of the above and more; I marvel at her strength, determination, and resiliency — not to mention her ability to navigate the New York City subway system.

Still, my worry when she was a child and prone to skinned knees is nothing compared to how much I worry today.

I jump to worst-case scenarios

My mind imagines only the worst-case scenarios whenever she fails to answer a call or text. I send her cautionary news on Instagram and cringe when she and her boyfriend fly at odd hours into odd airports, seemingly to save money but also to give me a bleeding ulcer.

As she outlines their trip to Iceland, I bite my tongue and zone out somewhere between "climbing glaciers" and "exploring ice caves." For her 21st birthday, she went skydiving. I called my therapist, begging for her to prescribe me Valium. Instead, we agreed it was OK if I simply did some day drinking until I heard that she was back on solid ground. Did I mention she also recently scaled the side of a skyscraper and went axe-throwing?

I know my born-and-bred New York offspring has street smarts and can balance her own checkbook. Another bit of reassurance I have is that her boyfriend is skilled in martial arts and would hurl himself in front of a Marvel villain to protect her.

I just need to trust that she will Google what she doesn't know if she won't ask me. But resisting the urge to interfere takes nerves of steel. I freak out or offer advice a bit too emphatically: "No! You can't eat week-old salmon! No! You can't microwave tin foil! Yes! You need to wash your sheets once a week!" I weigh in when not asked for my viewpoint — it's a force of habit.

I have to let her grow

I know her better than she knows herself. I know what items she would order on a menu, what shoes would go with that dress, and what Netflix shows she would love. I want to spare her the pain of making mistakes and missing out, but I realize that will not allow her to grow.

So, instead, I resort to sending my suggestions in texts or DMs — that way, she can ignore them if she chooses. But I secretly rejoice every time she responds or "hearts" one. I feel appreciated and acknowledged as a member of her inner circle, though I am clearly on the outside looking in. To be left "unopened" is brutal, a crushing blow to my mom heart. But I know I need to get over it — or at least pretend not to be hurt.

My husband is much more hands-off, saying things like, "If she misses her flight because she leaves only an hour to get to the airport, she'll learn." But will she? Will she actually self-correct without me there to whisper in her ear? When, of course, she does, part of me wants to jump for joy, while the other part is a little sad. Does that mean I'm no longer needed?

As empty nesters, this next part of parenthood is tricky and treacherous. I feel a little bit like nearly-expired milk pushed to the back of the supermarket shelf. But I know this is how it's supposed to go. You raise them to let them go.

All of this is new and scary and fraught with emotion (and often, tears), not unlike her baby and toddler years. Sometimes, my heart aches like someone has torn a piece out of it. But I have adjusted these past 12 months, trying to give my daughter space and grace and myself the same. Like my now all-grown-up child, I will find my strength and balance — one small baby step at a time.

• Wealthy travelers are increasingly seeking luxury train trips.
• The Glacier Express' luxurious Excellence Class seats are often the first on the train to sell out.
• A ticket for the eight-hour journey through the Swiss Alps costs about $540, ten times the basic fare.

Glacier Express' Excellence Class seats could turn any miserable 8 a.m. train commuter into Francis Bourgeois.

That is if you can afford it.

A ticket for the plush eight-hour journey through the picturesque Swiss Alps costs about $540, tenfold the price of the train's basic fare. However, the sweet seats may be worth the cost.

The Glacier Express operates one of the most beautiful train trips in the world. Plus, they come with trendy bragging rights — these seats have become a hot commodity.

Frank Marini, president and CEO of Railbookers Group, told BI that his train-focused tour company saw a 68% spike in luxury bookings from 2023 to 2024.

"It keeps snowballing," Marini said. "We see passengers that have come back traveling with us on a lot of luxury rail, and they're like, 'well, where else is there luxury rail?'"

The answer? Around the world and especially in Switzerland, which has become "immensely popular" for luxe train experiences, Andrew Channell, Railbookers' senior vice president of product and operations, told BI, adding that it's one of his favorite destinations.

In the Swiss Alps, you'll find a particularly popular pick — the Glacier Express.

The iconic train brings guests on an eight-hour journey between the resort town of St. Moritz and the base of the iconic Matterhorn in Zermatt.

Along the way, travelers pass through 91 tunnels and 291 bridges, providing a picturesque peek at the snow-capped peaks, majestic gorges, and popular tourist towns.

With views like these — and a fortuitously ongoing rise in "coolcations" — it's no surprise that the train is often sold out, a company spokesperson told BI in an email.

Demand for the Glacier Express' top-tier Excellence Class seats has been particularly strong.

A red carpet rollout and Champagne welcome the train's highest-paying guests to their eight-hour journey (at a window seat, of course).

Relish the Swiss sights as you dine on a five-course meal with a wine pairing.

Expect dishes such as smoked trout with roasted beets and horseradish cream cheese.

If the included booze isn't satisfactory, you could buy a drink at the crystal chandelier-topped Glacier Bars exclusive to Excellence Class guests.

These upscale seats ring in at 490 Swiss Francs, about $537, each.

It's a steep price compared to the cheapest seats, which cost CHF 49, or about $54.

Yet, the sumptuous accommodations — which see a 94% to 96% occupancy rate throughout the year — are often the first section to be reserved, according to the spokesperson.

The company saw more than 281,300 passengers in 2023, the strongest year in its more than 90-year history.

To keep up with demand, the Glacier Express increased its winter capacity in 2024, accommodating almost 290,000 guests. (It operates 1,820 trips annually, about 70% in the summer.)

After all, Disney's Matterhorn bobsleds likely don't compare to views of the real thing.

• My first wife and I decided to move to Maui after vacationing there.
• After our difficult divorce, I left the island in a hopeless state.
• Years later, I took my new family to Maui to show them the place that saved my life.

I met my first wife working at a fast food restaurant and developed a friendship that turned into a relationship. We were married three months after we met — the day after my 18th birthday. Like me, she was from Milwaukee, and we raised three kids in Wisconsin.

With our 10th anniversary coming up, we wanted to celebrate somewhere special. After doing a bit of research, we chose Maui, Hawaii.

I expected to enjoy the island but didn't realize how special Maui would be. We instantly fell in love with Hawaiian culture, the ocean breezes, delicious food, and a slower pace of life. Every day on Maui felt like a life I had always dreamed of living.

The island became an important hub in my life — through two marriages and a lot of healing.

We decided to move to Maui, and it was paradise — until it wasn't

We debated whether we could afford to live in Maui and whether it was smart to be away from family. But we knew it was the right decision.

The kids were excited to leave Wisconsin and live on a warm, tropical island, and so were we. We sold most of our possessions, rented a home, moved to Maui, and lived a few blocks from the beach.

Life on Maui was everything we hoped it would be and more. While life was good, my relationship with my first wife wasn't.

We were far from the place and life we were comfortable with. Tiny ripples of arguments turned into daily eruptions that eventually led to the end of our marriage two years after moving to Maui.

Divorce is expensive, and paying to support my ex-wife and three children meant I wouldn't have much money left.

The divorce and decisions I made from being in a desperate and hopeless place left me with $28 in my bank account and no hope for life when I left Maui. I used my last few dollars to book a flight to the mainland.

I was homeless and stayed on a friend's couch

I left Hawaii for South Florida around Christmastime because my friend said I could stay at his home. He saw my state and let me sleep on a couch.

I still had my business and focused on earning more revenue. I sell online courses, so I offered some promotions and created a ton of content for social media; thankfully, a few sales started to trickle in.

Even though my money was low, I knew I needed help, so I used the spare few pennies I could muster on some therapy sessions.

As I healed, an inner voice told me I needed to return to Maui, a place that meant everything to my mind and spirit. I couldn't explain it, but I knew my healing and growth wouldn't be complete without returning to Hawaii.

I went back to Maui to fully heal

After paying my bills and child support each month, I was still low on cash, but I did have some travel rewards. After booking my flight to Maui with points, I booked a stay in a $20-a-night hostel for the month of January. I would be roughing it with the young folks.

Once I was on Maui again after leaving in such a broken way, my suspicions were right: I had completed my healing.

I spent mornings in the ocean, letting the sounds and breezes calm me. I worked on my business every day from cafés that overlooked the water. Being so close to the beach, I slept well every night. I reconnected with friends, exercised, ate fresh food, and spent time with my kids.

I healed through Maui's amazing energy and left the island a month later in a better mental state and with a plan.

I had an incredible year that year, and my life, mindset, relationships, and business have grown exponentially since then. That bonus month on Maui allowed me to write a new chapter in my story — a triumphant chapter.

I brought my new family to Maui, too

Three years after my healing experience, a friendship with my now-wife Cindy blossomed into a relationship that grew into a marriage proposal.

I remarried, was out of debt, and running a thriving business.

I wanted to take my second wife and stepchildren to Maui to experience a place that had profoundly changed my life. I had told them so much about the island and what it had done for me, and they wanted to experience it for themselves.

It was such an incredible family vacation to introduce my family to the awesomeness of Maui. They loved it so much and understood its impact on my life. We made a once-a-year family trip every year up until the year of the great fire in Lahaina.

Your environment can profoundly affect you as a human being, and Maui continues to be the place that impacts my life. It's the place I come back to for healing, inspiration, and growth.

• This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
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Welcome back to our Sunday edition, where we round up some of our top stories and take you inside our newsroom. The devastation from fires this week in Los Angeles worsened the state's insurance crisis. Business Insider's Dan Latu spoke to experts about how premiums will continue to rise and why securing a loan may even get harder.

On the agenda today:

• Donald Trump won. Now Mark Zuckerberg is reshaping Meta.
• A leaked AWS org chart shows the 11 executives reporting to CEO Matt Garman.
• From building wealth to suburban homes, millennials are starting to look a lot like their boomer parents.
• The tough-love advice Morgan Stanley CIO Mike Wilson gives his new hires to prepare for a career in banking.

But first: Back to the office.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.

Five years

It's been nearly five years since corporate America sent its white-collar workforce home amid the onset of the pandemic.

Five years later, RTO v. WFH, a.k.a. working in an office vs. at a kitchen table, remains hotly debated. Business Insider keeps delivering the scoops.

Dominick Reuter and Tim Paradis recently broke the story that AT&T would follow Amazon with a 5-day mandate.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan officially told employees on Friday it expects most workers back in the office five days a week starting in March. Read the full memo here.

It's one thing to set a mandate, and it's another to make it work for workers.

Ashley Stewart broke the news in December that Amazon would delay its policy in select locations due to workplace shortages. This past week, Ashley exclusively reported a list of some 40 locations where the Amazon rollout was delayed, from Santa Clara, Calif. and Austin to hubs in China and India.

Meanwhile, Dominick came back with an exclusive about bumps in AT&T's rollout for workers, such as waits for elevators and jockeying for parking spots. (I put his article on my Linkedin and got some spicy comments.)

Tim wrote about why companies can't seem to stick the landing once they make the decision to return five days.

And Aki Ito jumped in to write that despite the headlines, corporate America is far from a full return to the office.

We'll stay on this story in the weeks and months to come.

Please let me know your thoughts on our coverage, on this or any other subject!

Meta's Trump era

Content moderation has gotten Meta into plenty of hot water before. But the abrupt ending of its third-party fact-checking program was done specifically for Donald Trump, BI's Peter Kafka writes.

The new policy includes adopting "Community Notes," which would have users police one another à la Elon Musk's X. It's the latest in a series of moves Mark Zuckerberg has made to curry favor with the president-elect and his conservative allies.

Zuckerberg in Trumpland.

Also read:

• Meta employees react after the rollback of DEI programs — both for and against

Leaked AWS org chart

Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman has made a few changes to the cloud business since stepping into the role last June.

One of his biggest changes has been hiring Julia White as chief marketing officer. A leaked organization chart shows the 11 executives under Garman who are helping him lead the unit through an intense competition period of cloud computing and AI.

Meet the 11 executives.

Behold, the millennial boomers

Millennials have long had a "forever young" air to them. They're a generation marked by a sense of arrested development.

But in reality, millennials are starting to mirror their boomer parents in terms of wealth and earnings. They're buying homes and settling down in the suburbs. And in some areas, they're actually doing better than their parents.

Becoming mom and dad.

Also read:

• Millennials were celebrated for their minimalism. Turns out it was all a lie.

Mike Wilson's tough-love advice

Sometimes you have to flop before you fly. That much is true, even on Wall Street.

Morgan Stanley's Mike Wilson says the key to success is learning to accept failures. He wants newly minted Wall Streeters to know the road ahead is only going to get harder — and how to prepare themselves for it.

Words to the wise.

This week's quote:

"We have a captured industry where the middlemen get to kind of do whatever they want."

— Josh Tucker, an appraisal manager and cofounder of the Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council, on homebuying's giant hidden cost.

More of this week's top reads:

• The Getty Villa survived LA's firestorms while everything around it burned, revealing a key lesson for homeowners.
• Internal Microsoft document shows one way managers decide which employees they can't afford to lose — and it's all about AI.
• Fed up with HR, people are reporting their horrible bosses on social media.
• Exclusive: Microsoft is planning job cuts and focusing more on underperforming employees.
• Polymarket is taking bets on the Palisades fire in California.
• The wildfires have a Hollywood producer wondering: Should I even stay in LA?
• Vox Media shakes up leadership and lays off staff for the 2nd time in about a month.
• The gambling industry's sly new way to suck money from desperate Americans.
• I've interviewed dozens of self-made millionaires, early retirees, and 'super savers' and plan to use one of their top wealth-building strategies in 2025.

• Silicon Valley is licking their chops at the promise of AI 'agents.' These are the startups to watch.

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  The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.