Data suggests that many of the cuts made by the newly created department may be symbolic rather than financially beneficial.

Rearranging Social Security Administration operations has been a priority of the new acting commissioner, Lee Dudek.

Following Moscow's strikes on west Ukraine, Warsaw scrambled aircraft, but later determined there were no violations of its airspace.

Marlon arrived at Wags and Walks in May 2023, and despite being a staff favorite, it took almost two years for him to finally find his forever family.

Chilli was found wandering the streets and his foster carer has a theory as to why she behaves the way she does in her home.

• Tesla's European sales plunged in January, falling 45% compared with the same month in 2024.
• The decline came despite a rise in EV sales in Europe, with Tesla falling behind China's SAIC Motor.
• Elon Musk has waded into European politics in recent months, backing far right-wing German party AfD.

Tesla sales in Europe plunged in January, falling 45% compared with the same month last year, while overall sales of electric vehicles increased.

Elon Musk's automaker sold 9,945 vehicles last month in the European Union and UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, figures from European Automotive Manufacturers' Association showed. There were 18,161 sales in January 2024.

In December Tesla sold 44,697 vehicles across the same markets.

Tesla had a 1% market share in January, down from 1.8% in the same month last year.

That decline put it behind China's SAIC Motor, whose sales grew 37% to nearly 17,000 vehicles in January under brands including MG. The company had a 2.3% market share, up from 1.7%. It sells petrol and hybrid cars as well as EVs.

Chinese EV giant BYD also outsold Tesla in the UK for the first time in January, according to separate industry data, as China's EV makers continue to put Musk's company under pressure.

Tesla, which recorded its first annual fall in sales last year, is changing over assembly lines at its factory near Berlin as it prepares to start building the revamped Model Y this year.

Overall sales of battery electric vehicles jumped 34% to 124,341 in Europe last month, giving the category a 15% market share, up from 10.9% in January 2024.

Tesla's declines follow Musk's decision to wade into European politics in recent months, and he endorsed Germany's far-right AfD party ahead of last Sunday's elections.

The AfD won the second-highest share in the election, but seems unlikely to form part of the next government.

The billionaire spoke virtually at campaign events for the anti-immigrant and anti-European Union party. AfD leader Alice Weidel said Musk called to congratulate her after the party's historic election performance.

Musk's involvement in European politics has sparked public backlash, protests, and isolated acts of vandalism.

Last month, activists projected an image of a controversial gesture the Tesla CEO made at an event marking President Donald Trump's inauguration, which some interpreted as a fascist salute, onto the company's Berlin factory. A Tesla showroom in the Netherlands was also vandalized with spray-painted swastikas, Politico reported.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Moon mining could become a multibillion-dollar industry.
• The moon holds resources like rare earth elements, water ice, and helium-3.
• But astronomists say large-scale lunar mining could be bad news for scientific research.

Mining the moon for water, helium-3, and rare earth elements could become a multibillion-dollar industry in the near future, but astronomers warn it risks coming at the expense of scientific discovery.

The NASA-sponsored Jet Propulsion Laboratory estimates that the moon holds untapped resources worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

These include water ice, which could support lunar habitation or be converted into rocket fuel, and rare earth elements, which are a key component in modern electronics.

Perhaps the most lucrative lunar prospect is helium-3, a non-radioactive isotope that holds the potential to be used for nuclear fission.

Helium-3 traded for about $2,500 per liter in 2024, according to the Edelgas Group.

"That's a huge market, in principle, and something is coming along very fast," Martin Elvis, a senior astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, told Business Insider.

He also said that lunar law is "very much" like the Wild West, where a "bad incentive" now exists that encourages those who reach mining sites first to "exploit" them quickly before anyone can catch up.

Resource-rich, scientifically valuable

NASA, China, and several private companies aim to mine the moon within the next decade. However, astronomers warn that large-scale operations there could make studying the universe more challenging.

The moon has scientifically significant sites that could also be rich in lunar resources, creating a potential clash between money-making ventures and scientific research.

These areas include the far side of the moon, a radio-quiet environment ideal for studying the cosmic Dark Ages, the time before there were stars and galaxies.

Elvis said the moon's permanently shadowed regions near its poles are also "special places for astronomy." But they're believed to be rich in water ice — crucial for future space exploration — once again making them highly valuable for resource extraction.

Ongoing human activities, such as water extraction or deploying rovers for mineral mining, could introduce vibrations that disrupt delicate lunar studies, Elvis said.

"Mining for water is probably the worst," he added.

A loose legal framework

While legal frameworks exist — such as the Artemis Accords, a non-binding set of principles established in 2020 and signed by over 50 countries — Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, told BI these agreements come with their own challenges.

One of the details of the Artemis Accords was actually explicitly permitting space mining, provided it complies with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and is done in a "safe and sustainable" way, he said, "effectively allowing people to set up camps in different places on the moon to extract resources."

According to Elvis, there is a relatively brief window of time to "inject the need for science" into the lunar mining debate. One suggestion he had was introducing protected planetary parks on the moon's surface.

Massey, meanwhile, stressed that any future regulations should emphasize astronomy's value and better protect scientific research, rather than focusing solely on the financial prospects.

"There should be more stakeholders than just the wealthy and companies that want to do this," he said, adding: "The stakeholders ought to include all of us — just as all of us have a stake in terrestrial environments."

• Some Gen Z workers are finding it hard to get into the workforce due to the demands of "entry-level" jobs.
• Leaders should value Gen Z's creativity and entrepreneurialism, not base decisions on "young-ism."
• Zoomers can push back against stereotypes by going into the office and listening to older colleagues.

Plenty of entry-level jobs are no longer entry-level.

Mona Mourshed, the CEO of the employment nonprofit Generation, said many employers are now looking for two to three years of work experience for such roles.

"Job vacancies are down for entry-level roles, and that's true across the world," she told Business Insider. "Then, on top of it, to get those job vacancies, hiring requirements have gone up."

Labor market commentators previously told BI there's a surplus of available workers, and this is only getting more true as highly skilled employees are being laid off from the likes of Meta, Google — and the federal government.

The "unbossing" of the workplace is also likely a factor, with millennial middle managers being squeezed out in the "Great Flattening" and wading into the hiring pool. Without these people in companies and mentoring junior employees, more experience is necessary for new hires to thrive.

The group most likely to be affected is Gen Z — the youngest cohort of workers, which is also set to make up 30% of the workforce by 2030.

Making it harder for young workers to find jobs could be short-sighted. "They tend to be entrepreneurial in spirit, they collaborate with their peers, and they embrace diversity," said Stephanie Chung, JetSuit's former president and the author of "Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You."

"The older generations need to come to grips that there are many ways to achieve the goal and that their way of working is one way," she told BI. "It's not the only way. "

Mourshed said most entry-level roles are not what they used to be: "When you went through a training, or you have a degree or a certificate, and you're seeking to get your first work experience — that's gone."

'Young-ism' on the rise

There are many influences at play, including negative stereotypes about Gen Z's work ethic and the balance tipping in favor of employers, making room for experienced talent over "underperformers."

Jennifer Moss, a workplace culture strategist and author of "WHY ARE WE HERE?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants," told BI that "young-ism" is on the rise.

Gen Zers are sometimes labeled difficult, demanding, and even weird in interviews. Many are fed up with work and don't want to climb the corporate ladder, thinking the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

Some attribute this to the pandemic and being stuck at home in some of their most formative years. Moss thinks Gen Zers actually became more ambitious after lockdowns and now seek lives with purpose.

"This can be a great driver of engagement and lots of really positive business outcomes," she said.

Chung said employees hiring for entry-level roles should consider Gen Z's positives, such as their ability to think outside the box, courage to take calculated risks, and that they are "super collaborators."

"These folks collaborate on everything from school projects, to slaying dragons while immersed in a fictitious game," she said. "Gen Z sees collaborating as a way of life — they don't know anything different."

Leaders create a company's culture, so they need to address workplace disengagement, said Leena Rinne, a VP at online learning platform Skillsoft.

"Feeling that Gen Z doesn't have a work ethic, that they're entitled, that they lack motivation — those can be addressed through leadership," she told BI. "If we believe those are learnable skills, then as an organization, as leaders, we should be investing in Gen Z to actually be able to do it."

Forging connections

Gen Zers can fight back against negative stereotypes, by realizing that technology cannot replace experience, Chung said.

Older generations have significant knowledge "that doesn't always get captured by computers," she said.

Going to the office more often is another good idea, in Chung's view, given the opportunities for forging connections and ad-hoc learning.

"Sometimes simply being present can lead to impromptu conversations that may enhance your thinking or change the trajectory of your career," she said.

Chung thinks workers should ask what they can gain from interacting with those outside their cohort. "Everyone can learn something from anyone if they're willing to try. All generations add value to a company — how do we both win?"

• A Delta flight made an emergency landing just 10 minutes after takeoff.
• In air traffic control audio, one of the flight's pilots can be heard saying there is smoke in the cabin.
• Footage and images shared on social media showed passengers evacuating onto the tarmac.

A Delta Air Lines flight was evacuated after the pilot reported smoke in the cabin on Monday morning.

The Boeing 717 was set to fly from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to Columbia, South Carolina, operating as Flight 876.

But data from Flightradar24 shows it started to turn back around five minutes after taking off from the world's busiest airport. In total, it was in the air for just over 10 minutes.

In communications published by LiveATC.net, one of the pilots can be heard declaring an emergency after ascending to 3,000 feet.

"Got smoke in the cabin and need to plan a return back," he says. "Have the fire trucks roll for us, please."

He added that there were 99 people on board.

Images shared on social media appear to show passengers evacuating after landing safely, with people standing on the wings and a slide deployed from the 717's tail.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane returned safely "after the crew reported possible smoke in the flight deck."

It added that the FAA will investigate the incident.

"The flight crew followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure," Delta said in a statement shared with a number of media outlets.

"Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience," the airline said.

Delta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

During an unguarded moment after a TV interview, the politician said of the broadcaster: "If I ever meet him, I'll f***ing kill him. I'm not joking."

Three crew members were recovered from the helicopter and taken to hospital for evaluation, but no fatalities have been reported.

Team Europe knows who will lead them into battle as they announced Anna Nordqvist as their new captain for the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands.

A new study from WalletHub noted that the "average U.S. worker puts in 1,799 hours per year."

More than 100,000 customers lost power following powerful winds felt across the northwest.

The entrepreneur is entering a competitive GOP primary to replace Republican Governor Mike DeWine, a seasoned center-right leader who is term-limited.

Republicans have proposed legislation that would bar undocumented immigrants from filing most lawsuits in state courts.

DISA Global Solutions admits the data of more than 3 million people was exposed in a data hack.

Bates' ruling was called "so utterly lacking in intellectual honesty and basic integrity that he is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors."

• Verizon is seemingly looking to capitalize on rival AT&T's full-time RTO mandate.
• In a recruiting email, Verizon mentions remote and hybrid openings amid "changing RTO policies across the industry."
• AT&T told BI that its workers "always have a choice" about what company to work for.

The rivalry between two of telecom's biggest players has taken a decidedly modern twist.

Verizon is seemingly looking to capitalize on rival AT&T's full-time RTO mandate by reaching out to AT&T employees who may not be keen on working five days a week in the office.

In an email sent to multiple AT&T employees obtained by Business Insider, Verizon's talent team encouraged recipients to explore the company's hybrid and remote job opportunities.

"Following the news of changing RTO policies across the industry, we're reaching out to share helpful resources and potential hybrid/remote job opportunities across Verizon," the email said.

"If you have been personally affected by organizational policy changes or know anyone who has, we're looking to add top talent to the V Team," the email continued. Verizon declined to comment.

While it's common for companies to recruit from their competitors, Verizon's outreach highlights how 5-day office mandates have become a sticking point for some workers in recent months.

AT&T told BI that its workers "always have a choice to pick the type of company and work environment they wish to be part of."

"We desire individuals who wish to work in a dynamic and challenging team environment with strong relationships and collaboration fostered by in-office constructs," AT&T added.

The recruiting message comes as AT&T has had to navigate a rocky return to office this year, with some employees describing to BI a lack of desk space, parking shortages, and shifting guidance about the policy.

As of Monday afternoon, Verizon's job listings website showed openings for more than 1,200 roles across the US, of which 10 were remote. Listings for several full-time positions require eight days in the office per month, as determined by a manager.

The Verizon email also references the company's support of DEI at a time when other large employers are backing away from the phrase.

"If you're looking for a culture of learning that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion with room to grow, our V Team may be the place for you," the email said.

Verizon job perks include up to $8,000 of annual tuition assistance, up to 5 weeks of paid time off, paid parental leave, as well as medical, dental, and vision coverage, the email said.

While AT&T traces its origins to 1885, Verizon was formed in 2000 when one of the so-called Baby Bells — spun off from AT&T in the 1980s — merged with GTE.

More recently, the two have been in a race to build out the nation's fiber optic network and extend 5G and satellite coverage.

And although AT&T is now based in Dallas, its former New Jersey headquarters is now a major corporate campus for Verizon — not to be confused with Bell Labs in Holmdel, which features in Apple TV's "Severance."

If you are an AT&T worker who wants to share your perspective, please contact Dominick via email or text/call/Signal at 646.768.4750. Responses will be kept confidential, and Business Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when reaching out

• For my first overnight Amtrak ride in 2021, I booked a roomette on a Viewliner train.
• Then, in 2025, I booked a roomette on a newly upgraded Superliner train.
• The rooms had similar layouts, but modern upgrades made the second ride much cozier.

I'll never forget my first overnight train trip in October 2021.

I took an Amtrak Viewliner train from my home in New York City to Miami and spent the 30-hour ride in a roomette — a 20-square-foot private cabin — for $500.

After spending the next three years sampling sleeper trains in Europe, I took another long-haul Amtrak journey from Denver to Salt Lake City in January. This ride was on a Superliner train, and it was only 15 hours.

I booked the same accommodation — a roomette for $400 — which had the same basic layout with a couple of differences.

Overall, the second roomette had modern updates, making my train ride more comfortable.

Amtrak sleeper trains from east to west

Amtrak's Viewliner fleet takes overnight riders through the eastern and southern US, and the train line's Superliner fleet carries passengers west of Chicago and New Orleans.

The main difference between the two fleets is size. The Viewliner is a one-story train, while the Superliner is two stories and includes an additional communal car on the top floor for sightseeing.

Amtrak is updating the roughly 30-to-50-year-old Superliner cars, and about 76% of the fleet has already been refreshed, including the train I took, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told Business Insider.

The Viewliners are a bit newer than the Superliner cars — the first Viewliner train was delivered in the late '90s, according to Magliari. Still, he said many of the one-story trains would also get an interior update in 2026.

Viewliner vs. Superliner roomettes

Before we get into the upgrades, there is a notable difference between the roomettes on these two trains.

Both roomettes sleep up to two people, with two chairs forming a lower bunk and another pulling down from the ceiling. They both also have mirrors, small closets, and pullout tables.

Some Viewliner roomettes also squeeze in a toilet, and they all include a sink, so travelers don't have to use the shared bathrooms in the car.

The Superliner roomettes don't have plumbing, so guests must use the shared bathrooms.

Fresh seat cushions

The most important upgrade to me was the seats.

When I stepped inside the Superliner roomette, I immediately noticed the seats looked like they'd never been used.

I'm sure that's not true, but I didn't find one sign of wear or crust of dirt on either seat. Sitting in one for the first time felt like sampling a recliner at a furniture store.

Magliari told BI that the old blue cloth seats had been replaced with soft vinyl.

"The seats have the same frame, but the cushions are new. And there's more lumbar support in this current seat cushion design than the old seat cushion design," he said. "If you see gray, vinyl seating, then you know that you are in a fresh room."

A comfy seat makes a cozy bed

My upper bunk on the Viewliner felt like a cot, and my lower bunk on the Superliner felt more like a mattress.

I selected the upper bunk in the Viewliner roomette because I'd never been on an overnight train before, and sleeping up top felt more adventurous.

It kind of was — but not in a good way. The suspended bunk shook throughout the night from the turbulence of the train. I couldn't find a comfortable position on the stiff mattress and tossed and turned through the night.

I haven't slept on a train's top bunk since, but being on the ground wasn't the only thing that made the Superliner bunk feel more like a bed. The reclined seat cushions had a bit more give to them, and the soft vinyl felt smoother on my skin.

Seeing the difference in comfort after four years got me stoked about the future of overnight Amtrak travel.

In the future, you'll catch me on an upgraded Viewliner.