• We lived in Quincy, Massachusetts, for 12 years and enjoyed being in Boston's neighboring city.
• We didn't love our housing or school options there, so we relocated to Norwell.
• Now, we're happy to have a more suburban home with access to good schools and more space.

I've had the privilege of living in and around Boston for at least 12 years.

After renting for years, my husband and I bought our first house in Quincy, a city in the greater Boston area, in 2018.

Buying in this city felt tough with just our budget, so we split a two-family home with two 800-square-foot units with a friend for $598,000.

We loved having a house on the subway line and living in a city minutes from Boston. Our front door was steps away from a pretty harborfront restaurant, a small beach, and lots of nearby activities in the historic downtown.

I figured Quincy would be an ideal long-term home base for us. Unfortunately, this feeling didn't last.

We began finding it hard to picture raising a family in this city

In 2020, we found out we were pregnant.

Although I couldn't get enough of Quincy's foodie scene, cultural events, parks, and waterfront, I began wondering if this would be an affordable and practical place for us to raise a family.

At times, the city felt a little overwhelming and crowded with its tens of thousands of residents.

Our current home seemed like it would be too small for us, our dog, and our newborn — and we weren't sure if we could afford a bigger one here on our own. Plus, we weren't thrilled with the ratings of the public schools nearby.

So, we took advantage of the seller-favored housing market at the time and sold our place for $715,000.

We moved an hour south to my parents' house in Plymouth and spent the next few months saving and looking for our next home.

Eventually, we set our sights on a different part of Massachusetts

After some research, I set my sights on Norwell, which is about 20 minutes south of Quincy. It's a small town next to a coastal enclave of beautiful New England-style communities such as Hingham and Cohasset.

It feels less trendy (and slightly more affordable) than those because it's landlocked and smaller, but it's still minutes from the beaches and harborfronts.

We searched for about a year until settling on a three-bedroom, 2,300-square-foot home with a gorgeous sunroom for $830,000. Being able to save for a year while living with family made this purchase possible.

To be honest, Norwell isn't much cheaper in Quincy. Houses generally sell for more money, although the median price per square footage of listings in Norwell is $87 less than listings in Quincy, according to data from Realtor.com.

Although this home was more expensive than our last place, we felt we were getting more space with our investment. Plus, we feel we get more value for our money here.

Our property taxes are higher, for example, but we now live near some of the best public schools in Massachusetts. We no longer wonder if we should spend thousands sending our kids to private schools.

Norwell is quieter than Quincy, but we have access to everything we need

It's felt pretty nice and peaceful to go from living in one of the biggest cities in Massachusetts to Norwell, which has about 11,000 residents.

Although our town doesn't have much happening, major shopping and dining spots are just a few minutes' drive away.

Several grocery stores and other conveniences are very close by, and we found a wonderful preschool down the road for our oldest daughter, where she gets to be out in nature most of the day.

We're also just 15 to 20 minutes from a beach and five minutes from the highway that can fairly easily get us into Boston.

Although I miss living in Quincy and the buzz of a city sprawl, we're happy in our woodsy town of Norwell and have enjoyed two great years so far as residents.

The best part is that Boston is still less than an hour away by car or ferry whenever we feel like visiting a trendy restaurant or concert.

• Many Americans seem to be tuning out of mainstream media after the election, a sign of news fatigue.
• The shift is especially evident on the left after Kamala Harris' defeat.
• Newsrooms are shifting gears to regain audiences amid declining trust in some corners.

Are people checking out of mainstream media?

After a year of Americans seemingly being transfixed by politics, early signs suggest they're exhausted and tuning out of the news.

A big question in media circles has been whether there would be another "Trump bump." The term refers to the traffic surge many media outlets saw from covering scandals under Donald Trump's first term.

They shouldn't count on it.

The early indications are that the road ahead could be hard, especially for mainstream and left-leaning media.

Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN got big ratings boosts in 2024, with Fox topping the ratings charts. But viewership of the latter two fell off after the election as liberals licked their wounds following Kamala Harris' defeat.

Many news sites showed similar postelection dropoffs. The New York Times, CNN, and Fox News each saw double-digit declines in traffic from October to December, according to data from SimilarWeb.

On social media, where many people are increasingly finding news, news publishers' engagement on Facebook and X generally dropped off sharply after the election, according to NewsWhip data. The data looked at a sample of about a dozen top news publishers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, MSNBC, and Fox News.

And the fatigue may have set in even before the election ended.

Overall, the 2024 general election drew less readership than the previous one. Chartbeat data from nearly 100 publishers showed 2024 election-day traffic among news publishers was about a third of what it was in 2020 when outlets benefited from COVID-related lockdowns.

Fatigue on the left

With Democrats facing a second Trump administration, news fatigue appears stronger on the left.

About two-thirds of American adults said they recently felt the need to limit media consumption about politics and government because of overload, according to a December survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. More Democrats (72%) than Republicans (59%) felt that way.

Howard Polskin, founder of The Righting, an outlet that reports on right-leaning sites with a critical eye, said a significant number of his newsletter readers unsubscribed after November 5. He said readers told him they just wanted to tune out Trump news.

"They also said, 'It's not just you, it's The New York Times, it's The Atlantic,'" he said.

A changing landscape for media

The dropoff comes as some mainstream and left-leaning newsrooms are in flux.

MSNBC faces an uncertain future under a new leader as it prepares to be hived off from NBCUniversal, along with other declining cable networks, into a new company. Mark Thompson's remaking of Warner Bros. Discovery's CNN is still underway. The Washington Post is facing internal discontent and big-name defections.

More broadly, newsrooms are fighting for limited subscribers and digital ad dollars, leading some to lay off staff.

Some newsrooms are making moves to capture the audiences they're missing. The Washington Post just unveiled a new mission statement underscoring a desire to reach "all of America." The Los Angeles Times' owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, recently said he wants to introduce moderate and conservative columnists in an effort to broaden its reach.

One Post staffer said that, with politics in the outlet's DNA, some think the answer is to double down on politics reporting, but others worry the audience is burned out.

"There's a real difference in opinion," said the staffer, who, like some others in the story, asked for anonymity to freely discuss company strategy. Their identity is known to BI.

Is it a blip or something larger?

One key question is whether the decline is temporary or part of a more sustained downturn. It's common for audience numbers to drop off in some fashion after the general election.

Internally, MSNBC sees some early signs of viewership recovering from the post-election dip, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Hannah Poferl, assistant managing editor and director of audience for The New York Times, said the paper takes confidence in its subscriber base that reads consistently, regardless of the news cycle. She pointed to strong readership since November for news about the Los Angeles wildfires, Jimmy Carter, and more.

"Our news audience has been largely stable, despite the studies that suggest news fatigue, and our subscribers are consuming more pieces across the total report than in the past," Poferl said in a statement. "Beyond this, we're also seeing increases in time spent engaging with us, beyond just page visits."

CNN similarly downplayed to BI its reliance on political news, pointing out that its top story of 2024 was an entertainment story on Sean "Diddy" Combs.

That said, established news outlets are also facing competition from influencers, podcasters, and others. Almost half of adults under 30 get their political fix from social media, twice as many as those ages 30 to 49, according to Pew Research. And newsrooms continue to face declining trust in some corners.

"The challenge for the business is explaining why it's different to get news on NBC versus from a creator who's also a bartender but has funny hot takes on TikTok," a news talent agent told BI.

The bill would prevent processed foods that contain any of 11 different additives from being sold in Arizona public schools.

"I filmed the video to send to a friend because I was scared of the result," the TikToker told Newsweek.

"I would move countries," wrote one viewer of the viral video, sharing the secondhand embarrassment.

Newsweek spoke to social worker and therapist Amanda Arciero about how grief can leave lasting impacts on family dynamics.

Greta Gerwig's Narnia will reportedly get the IMAX treatment on Thanksgiving Day 2026.

The U.N. estimates that more than 50 million tons of debris now covers Gaza's streets and would take over 15 years to clear.

Some of Trump's closest advisers have raised concerns over investigations into alien life, as the president-elect is poised to return to the White House.

The Reddit post saw other cat owners share how adopting a second feline instilled greater happiness in their first.

Lithuania is to increase its defense spending to between 5 percent and 6 percent of its GDP from 2026, matching Trump's target.

Trevor Story hasn't been shy about his desire for the Boston Red Sox to acquire third baseman Nolan Arenado.

The Israeli cabinet will convene on Friday to approve the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, which the smaller security cabinet has already approved.

Why it matters: Approval by the full cabinet is the final hurdle before the deal can be implemented. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said the ceasefire and the process of freeing hostages are expected to start on Sunday at 4pm local time (9am ET).

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State of play: The cabinet meeting was moved up from Saturday night at the urging of the director of Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency, Ronen Bar, according to an Israeli official.

• That timeline would have meant the deal couldn't be implemented until Monday, and Bar urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move more quickly to avoid unexpected complications.
• But moving it up meant convening after the Jewish Sabbath began. The ultra-orthodox members of Netanyahu's cabinet said they would agree to that because the deal is a matter of life and death, the official said.

Driving the news: The Israeli security cabinet convened on Friday morning local time, ahead of the full cabinet meeting, and was briefed on the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.

• Netanyahu said during the meeting that he received guarantees from both the Biden administration and the Trump administration that if negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire and hostage deal fail, and Israel's security demands are not met, Israel would be able to resume the war in Gaza with U.S. backing, an Netanyahu aide tells Axios.

Behind the scenes: Netanyahu's remarks at the security cabinet meeting came after ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he and the cabinet members from his party would vote against the deal but not leave Netanyahu's coalition.

• Sources in Smotrich's party claimed he received assurances from Netanyahu that the war would resume after the initial 42-day ceasefire and the humanitarian aid delivery system for Gaza would be changed to prevent Hamas from controlling the aid.
• Meanwhile, Netanyahu's ultranationalist minister of national security, Itamar Ben Gvir, held a press conference on Thursday and announced he would resign and his party would leave the coalition if the deal was approved. He said he would be ready to rejoin the coalition if Israel were to resume fighting in Gaza after the 42-day ceasefire in the first phase of the deal.
• Both Smotrich and Ben Gvir voted against the deal at the security cabinet meeting, but it still passed easily.

State of play: Ahead of the cabinet meeting Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz signed an order to release all Israeli settlers who were under administrative detention for allegedly committing and planning terror attacks against Palestinians.

• An Israeli security official who was alarmed by the decision said Katz made it for domestic political considerations and without consultation with the Shin Bet.
• "The decision gives backwind for terrorism and will destabilize the security situation in the West Bank," the official warned.

What's next: Under Israeli law, Palestinian prisoners can't be released from prison without a government vote and a 24-hour period for the public to appeal to the courts. That's why the deal, which involves the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, can't immediately take effect after the cabinet vote.

Go deeper: How two feuding presidents combined to get a Gaza deal

• In my early 20s, I landed a job that became more about partying than working.
• I became close friends with my coworkers, and we all spent weekends together.
• Now, I work for one of those friends, and our dynamic is difficult to manage.

When I first graduated from college, I landed a sales job in New York City. The friends I met there in the first few months were some of the closest I had ever had in my life.

Nothing brings you together like late-night work sessions and huge commission checks you spend on anything you want because you're 22 and have never heard of a high-yield savings account.

Making work friends in my early 20s gave me the college experience I never had. We often had weekday sleepovers, where we would roll into the office in the same clothes we wore the day before. The idea of professional boundaries never even crossed my mind.

That's until my close friend at that job recently became my direct manager.

I got a new job at a tech startup and learned about professionalism

When I started working at a tech startup, I spent the next seven years forming close relationships with my co-workers, direct reports, and even my boss.

I was introduced to the delicate balance you can create between a boss and a direct report that allows you to be completely yourself while also maintaining mutual respect and a sense of authority.

We could seamlessly jump between presentation prep and sharing personal anecdotes about our struggles, our goals, and everything in between. The dynamics were playful and professional, whereas my first job was all play and no work.

As it usually goes, after seven years at the tech startup, I decided to part ways with the business. Unemployed, I found myself at a wedding next to an old friend and coworker from my first play-only job. She had recently gotten recruited to take over the office and offered me the opportunity to come on board as a contractor for a few months to earn some extra cash while I was in between jobs.

A few months turned into a full-time position

After everything I learned about this delicate balance of coworker and friend, nothing could have prepared me for that reporting line shift. The last time I worked with my now boss, we were 23 years old, night swimming on Fire Island at three in the morning on a Thursday. Now, I'm filling out my end-of-year review, reflecting on how I did so that my friend can decide whether or not to give me a raise.

To put it simply, it felt pretty weird.

I have always thought of her as a wild friend first and a coworker second, but since rejoining the company, we have both had to flip that prioritization. It helps that we're almost 10 years older, but it's still been a hard transition.

We have had to put our friendship on the back burner and be more professional with one another. We use Teams to catch up instead of texting. We share weekend plans during our 1:1 instead of naturally calling each other to check-in. I find myself more hesitant to say things that I wouldn't have given a second thought to before, and I can feel her hesitation as well.

In some ways, it feels like I am mourning the loss of our pure friendship, which is now muddled by salary discussions and time off requests.

As hard as it is, there are also a lot of benefits to reporting to a friend

Maybe it's a loss of a pure friendship, but it also feels like a gain of something pretty incredible.

I have always felt that the most important thing about a work environment is who you work with. I feel safer and more comfortable knowing that I have a friend in my corner, and I think she feels the same way, too.

I never would have even known about this job opportunity without my friend encouraging me to take the role. Even more importantly, she knows me so well that she has faith in my abilities and trusts me completely. I have been given more responsibility and autonomy in a few months than most people get after years because it takes time to build that level of trust with a new manager.

Working for a friend works for me — for now

Right now, in my career, I crave autonomy and trust. I believe I have earned that faster by working for a friend.

There may come a time when I'm seeking more mentorship or diverse experience from my manager. When that time comes, I will need to shift away from reporting to a friend and start fresh.

When I consider the times I have worked with friends vs. when I have not, working with them comes out on top every time. But working for them might be something I only do a few times in my career.

• I taught preschool for two years and loved it.
• But at the same time, I couldn't support myself financially.
• I applied for an office job and was reminded of how to interact with other adults.

I taught preschool for two years. Frankly, it was delightful. It was fulfilling, meaningful work that left me feeling full-hearted at the end of every day.

The problem was I couldn't support myself and my son on that salary as a newly single mom. Instead, I dove into the corporate world head-first, but it wasn't without sacrifices.

The job search process was time-consuming

First came the job application process. I spent hours each day sending résumés to whoever might take me, desperate to step into the breadwinner role now that I was on my own.

After three months of crafting bespoke cover letters for every employer I sent an application to, I finally found it: an entry-level marketing role at an online health publisher that had my name all over it.

That's when the culture shock really set in.

As a preschool teacher and the mother of a toddler, I had hardly touched my laptop for the last two years. My son and I had a set routine of attending school together every day: his place of learning and my place of work.

I was home in time to make dinner every night, and our weekends were filled with parks and playgrounds. We were a part of a small, tight-knit community of teachers, administrators, and a few involved parents. It was cozy, comfy, and sweet as can be.

I wondered whether it was worth it

Now, I was suddenly thrust into the fast-paced, competitive environment of San Francisco's startup world — and my head was spinning.

My son was the first kid at day care and the last to come home owing to my new 3-hour roundtrip commute. Before, he got to attend the school I taught at for free. Now, half of my paycheck went to childcare.

I started to question whether it had all been worth it, whether I had given up something precious and rare just to make money — like so many others — and still barely make ends meet. But I told myself to stick it out, trusting that even if I couldn't see where my new career would take us, we'd land where we needed to be.

Once I started adjusting to my new role, there were plenty of perks to enjoy.

There were perks

For the first time in my life, I had quality benefits (full medical, vision, dental, and a 401k), and it was refreshing to be in an office with people my age. It was the first time I had meaningfully interacted with adults outside a kid-focused setting in years. I had sort of forgotten what grown-up me was like. Frankly, I probably came on really strong.

I felt like a fish out of water as a 20-something kid-at-heart hippie in a corporate setting wearing blazers and flats for the first time in my life, but it was exhilarating to try on a new and dynamic persona and see how it all played out.

At the same time, I genuinely missed my role as a teacher and all that after-school time with my son.

Sure, we had cold brew on tap and office-sponsored happy hours every Thursday. I got to lead the Celebrations Committee and organize extravagant parties for special events and birthdays on the company dime.

Still, that didn't compare to watching a whole community of children growing from babies into school-ready kids over the course of a year. It didn't compare to the showers of heartfelt gratitude we teachers received from parents for caring for their children when they were away.

And it certainly didn't compare to storytime snuggles, end-of-day hugs, and the love and trust that we earned from our students for being there for them day after day.

All that said, I wouldn't change a thing. My career had a bumpy, awkward start, but now I get to work from home, homeschool my son, cook dinner every night, and spend zero time commuting. I can contribute to my community, grow a garden, and walk my dog.

I'm even nursing a little fantasy about one day returning to preschool teaching just for the joy of it — and supporting myself with a freelance career. We'll see what unfolds, but I don't regret rolling the dice, even though I still miss all the kids.

After the Chicago Cubs shockingly gave up on their No. 18 prospect, bullpen fireballer Michael Arias, the New York Yankees moved quickly to acquire him.

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The Boston Red Sox reportedly target free agent Alex Bregman, but time is running out. Here's why history tells Red Sox fans they shouldn't worry.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 3,800 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured in Kursk in an interview in early January.

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