• Federal job offers accepted before January 20 with start dates after February 8 'are revoked,' a government memo says.
• The Office of Personnel Management said agency heads can still seek "written approval" to renew a job offer.
• Agencies must also report monthly on job offers, new hires, departures, and head count, the memo said.

Newly hired federal workers expecting to start their new jobs next month could soon see their offers yanked by the federal government.

A memo providing further guidance on Trump's executive order mandating federal hiring freezes instructed federal agencies that "offers made and accepted prior to January 20" with an unconfirmed start date or later than February 8 "are revoked."

The memo, written by the US Office of Management and Budget and US Office of Personnel Management and sent to the heads of executive departments and federal agencies on January 8, states that if individuals were hired before noon on January 20 and have a start date earlier than February 8, their offers can remain in place.

"Those individuals should report to work according to their respective designated start date," the memo said.

Even if a job offer is rescinded, it might not be a done deal for the candidate. The memo said that the head of an agency can seek "written approval" from the OPM to renew the employee's offer after considering "essential mission priorities, current agency resources, and funding levels."

The memo also calls for reports from agencies included in the hiring freeze on the last day of each month. The reports call for information about candidates who were extended or accepted offers, new employees who started that month, and employees who departed that month. The report also calls for the total staff head count and any positions listed online, the memo said.

In a separate memo sent the same day, Charles Ezell, the acting director of the OPM, asked leaders of all federal agencies to evaluate their workforces and consider firing employees who have been there less than two years.

The memo requested that agencies identify all employees on probationary periods and "promptly determine whether those employees should be retained at the agency," by January 24.

Trump's federal hiring freeze went into effect on his inauguration day, preventing any vacant positions that existed before 11:59 a.m. on January 20 from being filled, and restricting the creation of new positions. There are some exceptions to the freeze, including roles tied to "immigration enforcement, national security, or public safety" and positions requiring "Presidential appointment or Senate confirmation."

The OPM move is in line with broader Trump administration efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

The Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led commission, is also working to recommend ways that the Trump administration could cut the size of the federal workforce, reduce regulations and federal budgets, and improve efficiency.

OPM declined to comment. The Trump administration and OMB did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

• As a frequent solo traveler, I prefer booking Airbnb stays over hotels. 
• When I book an Airbnb for a solo trip, I say it's for two guests so hosts don't know I'm alone. 
• Sometimes booking for two costs extra, but I'm willing to pay more because it makes me feel safer. 

Cozy cabins, luxury apartments, unique tiny homes including a converted wine barrel in Switzerland and a repurposed lifeguard tower in Miami — I've booked them all through Airbnb. 

As a travel reporter, I've stayed in accommodations throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. I often opt for Airbnbs over hotels because they tend to offer more unique experiences, such as sleeping in a treehouse in Ontario's wine country.

Usually, I travel solo. I've taken overnight trains in the US and Europe, spent seven nights on one of the world's largest cruise ships sailing the Caribbean Sea, and traveled by rail to Niagara Falls, Montréal, and Quebec City. On these trips, I explored new cities and unique accommodations — all by myself.

Now that I'm a seasoned solo traveler, I have many practices to ensure I feel as safe as possible when traveling alone — especially in other countries.

When it comes to staying in Airbnbs solo, my best tip is to book for two people

When I make an Airbnb reservation, I simply change the number of guests from one to two. Then, in my message to the host, I always say that I may have a friend joining me for my trip.

This way, my host doesn't think I'm traveling alone. Creating the illusion that I have someone else with me makes me feel more comfortable falling asleep at night in a stranger's place.

Booking for two sometimes comes with an additional fee, depending on the Airbnb.

For example, when I traveled to Rome and booked two nights in a livable art sculpture Airbnb, the price was $102 a night for one person and $145 a night for two people. In this case, a companion did end up joining me for the stay. But even if they hadn't, I would have been fine paying the additional fee to feel more secure about staying there alone. 

Solo travel can be daunting, especially when you're booking accommodation with an individual rather than directly through a company like you would at a hotel.

But after all my unique Airbnb experiences, I think it's worth booking them even when I'm alone. And booking for two makes me feel a little safer.  

• The economy will probably head into a recession in a few years, Kenneth Rogoff says.
• The Harvard economist thinks a slowdown is coming in the second half of Trump's term.
• The downturn will be influenced by factors like a slowing business cycle and tariffs, he suggested.

President Donald Trump's plan to engineer America's next economic boom will probably come up short in the coming years, according to Harvard University economist Kenneth Rogoff.

The Harvard professor and former International Monetary Fund chief economist said he believed the US economy would likely slow and enter a downturn in the second half of Trump's term as president. That outcome will be influenced by a number of policies Trump suggested he would implement, Rogoff said, speaking to Yahoo! Finance on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Tuesday.

"I think the most likely scenario, with what I think are the most likely policies being passed, are strong, and then a slowdown into recession the second half of his term," Rogoff said. "It's just tough within the cycle not to do that."

Rogoff highlighted some of Trump's policies that could weigh on the economy. The president has promised to loosen regulation in the financial sector, a move that could potentially lead to "trouble down the road," Rogoff said.

"And also, when you goose up the economy with these policies, most of which are not structural, they're really demand policies, you're going to get that effect," he added of the potential for an economic slowdown.

Rogoff pointed to Trump's tariff plan, with the president promising to levy tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico as soon as February 1.

Economists have said the tariffs could lead to higher inflation and higher interest rates, an idea Trump has pushed back on. Trump levied tariffs during his first term as president without a significant inflation increase. However, his proposals for tariff policy in his second term are more expansive, explaining the difference in inflation forecasts.

Rogoff said the inflationary impact of the tariffs could be minor, though he believed the tariffs themselves would make markets nervous and could harm growth.

"The inflationary impact is not a big deal, quantitatively," Rogoff said. "More worrisome is that it's chaotic, it hurts these animal spirits that he's benefiting from. It actually leads to slower growth."

Trump has promised to "reignite explosive economic growth" over his four years in office, adding in his inauguration speech that tariffs could lead to "massive amounts of money" pouring into the US.

Wall Street is bullish that Trump's push to loosen regulation for businesses could boost growth. But any pro-growth policies from Trump will likely still be outweighed by "counterproductive" policies, Rogoff said, speaking in a separate interview with Bloomberg at the event.

Interest rates are also much higher than they were when Trump first took office in 2017, which is a wrinkle in any plans to juice the economy beyond already fairly robust levels of growth.

"Every campaign promise practically is something counterproductive — I mean, you can go to the tariffs, social security being not taxed, and on and on and on," Rogoff said. "He has a lot of constraints that he didn't face the first time. So I don't think you can expect quite the boom we got the last time," he later added.

Other forecasters have also issued downbeat outlooks for what could happen during Trump's presidency. Steve Hanke, another top economist, said the US could slip into a recession as soon as Trump's first year in office.

• Jamie Dimon and Elon Musk are continuing to make amends.
• The JPMorgan Chase CEO told CNBC they've "hugged it out."
• Dimon wished Musk the best with DOGE and said he'd "love to be helpful" with the government efficiency effort.

Jamie Dimon and Elon Musk are patching up their relationship after a yearslong feud.

Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" in an interview that aired Wednesday that the two of them have "hugged it out."

"He came to one of our conferences, he and I had a nice long chat, we've settled some of our differences," he said in the interview.

Musk attended a JPMorgan tech summit in March, where he and Dimon spoke for an hour onstage, and Musk also visited Dimon's suite at the resort, The Wall Street Journal reported in June, citing people familiar with the matter.

In his CNBC interview, Dimon went on to call Musk "our Einstein."

He also expressed support for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that Musk is leading. President Trump signed an executive order Monday to create DOGE and make it officially part of the White House. Its stated mandate now is to update the federal government's software and IT systems, a marked change from Musk's desire to use DOGE to slash regulations and federal spending.

"We deserve good government," Dimon said. "I don't think anyone thinks that sending another trillion dollars to Washington, D.C., will lend to good government so government needs to be more accountable. It needs to be more efficient, it should be outcomes-based."

Dimon said DOGE would have its work cut out for it, but he supports Musk's efforts.

"I wish him the best. It's going to be complicated, the federal government's complicated, you've read about all the people in it," Dimon said. "If we can be helpful to them, I'd love to be helpful to them."

Musk had floated the idea for DOGE in August during a live-streamed conversation with Donald Trump on X, formerly Twitter. Musk said he'd "be happy to help out" on a government efficiency commission — which Trump said he'd "love" — if Trump won the election. Musk spent upwards of $200 million in efforts to get Trump and other Republicans elected.

Dimon said last year that he does "actually like" the idea of "having an efficiency commission."

"I think governments have to become more efficient, more competent," Dimon said in an interview with CNBC in September. "And look at, when they take money, what do they get for it. I actually think it's a very good idea."

It now looks like Musk will lead DOGE alone after Ramaswamy dropped out earlier this week ahead of a possible gubernatorial bid in Ohio.

Dimon and Musk started reconciling last year after several spats and lawsuits over the years.

Their feud dates back at least to 2016, when JPMorgan walked away from underwriting leases for Tesla vehicles.

In 2021, JPMorgan sued Tesla and Musk for $162 million, saying Musk's carmaker "flagrantly" breached a 2014 contract pertaining to warrants sold to the bank. JPMorgan adjusted the value of warrants after Musk tweeted in 2018 about taking Tesla private, which he walked back shortly after. Tesla countersued, saying the bank was angry at being left out of Musk's business and that senior JPMorgan executives had "animus" toward Musk.

The SEC later charged Musk with securities fraud, and Tesla and Musk each agreed to pay $20 million to settle the suit.

The companies dropped their suits against each other in November and agreed for the case to be voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, meaning the claims can't be refiled.

The Detroit Lions have lost another coach, as defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is set to become the new head coach of the New York Jets.

The National Weather Service urges small craft operators to avoid heading out to sea, as high waves and gale-force gusts could overturn boats.

A panelist from the University of Tokyo at a Newsweek event in Davos said business leaders need a "coordinated road map" to solve pressing climate challenges.

José Raúl Mulino, Panama's president, has directly told President Donald Trump its canal belongs to Panama.

The Toronto Blue Jays landed a big free agent target this week in outfielder Anthony Santander, and are reportedly looking to add to their pitching staff.

Taylor Swift's lawyers presented a new defense in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against the singer's production company.

Attorney Joe Tacopina, who withdrew from representing Donald Trump in two cases, is now representing rapper A$AP Rocky in his assault trial.

Borrowers have options when applying for student loan forgiveness. The most common is Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

On Tuesday, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that five wild-born zoo elephants at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo do not have a right to liberty.

Shiite lawmakers have pass amendments that may lower the legal marriageable age from 18.

ESPN's Mel Kiper has the Titans making a surprise selection with the No. 1 overall pick.

This marks Trump's first formal interview since returning to the White House,.

• Video podcasts have taken off in recent years, and Spotify has taken note.
• The audio titan has been investing in video creators, including launching new tools and incentives.
• Here's how Spotify is taking on rival YouTube in video podcasting.

Spotify is betting on video to take its podcasting business to the next level.

The Swedish audio giant has been investing in video creators over the last year with new tools and incentives. Earlier this month, Spotify launched a program to pay creators a cut of the subscription and ad revenue from their video podcasts if they meet certain requirements. Earlier, the company rebranded its podcast platform as Spotify for Creators, nodding at the approach to blend in with the creator space.

Spotify's listeners are embracing video, too. About 250 million of its 640 million users had viewed a video podcast, the company said in November. One-third of its active US-based users watch videos on the app each month.

The podcasting platform is second to video giant YouTube in the US. In an April survey conducted by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights, 31% of weekly podcast consumers said they used YouTube the most for podcast listening, while 21% said Spotify and 12% selected Apple Podcasts.

Still, Spotify is embracing its rival to help its podcasts expand their reach and find the right audiences, Jordan Newman, Spotify's head of content partnerships, told Business Insider.

"This is not a zero-sum game," Newman said. "There are incremental audiences on all platforms, and even some of the same audiences are consuming in different ways. And so I think if all you're doing is focused on one platform as a creator, you are not doing it right."

Here's how Spotify's podcasting platform compares to YouTube's, from the user experience to content to the content to discovery.

The podcast service

For podcast listeners, Spotify and YouTube's streaming services are looking more similar by the day, though they still have some key differences.

Both have free and paid tiers: Spotify Premium costs $12 per month versus $14 for YouTube Premium. Each gives users access to ad-free music and downloads for offline playback. Spotify's paid service also includes 15 hours of audiobooks a month, while YouTube's counterpart lets customers play videos with their phone screen off.

From a podcaster's standpoint, Spotify and YouTube also have much in common. Both platforms give creators access to dashboards with data on who's consuming their content and for how long. Both leave ads out of video podcasts for premium subscribers, although creators can insert their own host-read ads to generate extra revenue.

One key difference is how ad revenue is distributed: YouTube dishes out 55% of revenue generated from their videos to creators, while Spotify gives podcasters a slightly smaller cut in a 50-50 split.

The content

Spotify is best known for music and podcasts, much of which are also on YouTube. The video giant, of course, also has clips for everything from gaming streams to sports highlights to tutorials on tying ties.

But when it comes to podcasts, there's increasing overlap between the two platforms.

Spotify, which in 2019 said it would pour $500 million into the podcast marketplace, has been shifting away from exclusivity to reach.

For example, the chart-topping podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience," once a Spotify exclusive, is now available across all major platforms. Many podcasters at Spotify-owned studios, including The Ringer, are also creating bonus content exclusively for YouTube or going live on the platform following the demise of Spotify's live-audio features, Spotify Greenroom and Spotify Live.

"Most sophisticated creators are multi-platform, and they're optimizing their content for the platform in which it appears," Spotify's Newman said. "You'll find our shows are not just found on Spotify; they can be found on a number of platforms."

By putting podcasts across platforms, Spotify can also maximize advertising revenue, which was roughly 472 million euros, or about $491 million, last quarter — up a modest 5.6% from the year before, according to the company's earnings report.

Content discovery and listener loyalty

YouTube and other video platforms like TikTok and Instagram may have Spotify beat when it comes to content discovery. Those platforms' algorithms are adept at showing users what they didn't even know they wanted to see.

With skill and a lot of luck, anyone could theoretically go viral on platforms like TikTok or even YouTube. It's harder for a budding podcaster who's only on Spotify to break onto the top charts since the platform's users primarily find content by searching for it directly or through playlists that feature creators who are already trending.

That's why Spotify is focusing on listener loyalty to set itself apart. The platform is positioning itself as the place to be for creators to build a sustainable following.

The company said time spent on the app has risen from 30 hours a month in 2020 to 40 hours as of late 2024.

"We are so great at retention and loyalty," Newman said.

On other platforms, Newman said, users "may really engage for a minute with their content," but after that, there's a risk for the creator that "they'll never see them again."

He said that when users watch a creator on Spotify, "it's a strong bet that they'll come back week after week after week."

• Trump's administration asked federal agencies to compile lists of workers they could easily fire.
• It reflects Trump's goals to reduce government spending and reduce the federal workforce.
• Millions of Americans are employed by the US government. Here's how the agencies break down and what workers make.

President Donald Trump's administration is targeting federal workers' jobs.

On Trump's first day in the White House, his Office of Personnel Management asked agencies to compile lists of federal workers they could easily fire. Trump also signed an executive order on Monday establishing a hiring freeze on new workers to federal agencies.

It reflects the early priorities of the Department of Government Efficiency, which Tesla CEO Elon Musk is leading to cut government waste. Trump signed an executive order on Monday establishing DOGE as part of the White House with a mission of updating the government's technology systems.

While DOGE's stated goals in the executive order are narrower than originally proposed, Musk and Trump have previously voiced support for firing federal workers and eliminating federal agencies.

More than 2 million Americans collect their paychecks from the federal government, so Business Insider looked into which agencies employ the most people and what they pay on average.

The Trump press team and OPM did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

The US government is the largest employer in the country

The US Office of Personnel Management showed eight cabinet-level agencies, which are at the center of the executive branch and have heads that report directly to the president, had more than 100,000 civilian employees as of March.

Almost half a million people were employed in the Department of Veterans Affairs, while the Department of Education had just over 4,000. The Treasury Department had more than 100,000 employees as of March. The overwhelming majority of those — about 94,000 — were employed in the Internal Revenue Service.

Most departments had six-figure average salaries, with the Department of Education and the Department of Energy having the highest averages.

It's still unclear if DOGE or the Trump administration will focus on cuts at specific agencies. In the past, however, Trump has targeted the Department of Education, saying in 2023: "One other thing I'll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, DC, and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states."

Musk said during October remarks that while the commission's goal was to cut spending by reducing head count, he'd consider giving impacted workers "very long severances" that could amount to two years' pay.

"The point is not to be cruel or to have people not be able to pay their mortgage or anything," Musk said during his October remarks, adding, "We just have too many people in the government sector, and they could be more productive elsewhere."

The US Office of Personnel Management says on its website that "severance pay is authorized for full-time and part-time employees who are involuntarily separated from Federal service and who meet other conditions of eligibility." A spokesperson for the office told BI that the severance policy was up to date and that it "cannot comment on the actions of future administrations."

DOGE's goals could also still change, and it's unclear which spending cuts Congress would approve. BI previously reported that the US spent $6.75 trillion in fiscal year 2024. With Social Security, health programs, and Medicare topping the spending list, they could be on the commission's chopping block. But Medicare and Social Security are forms of mandatory spending that would require legislation to change.

Are you employed by the federal government and have a story to share? Reach out to these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].

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