• I'm more bothered than my children that they haven't won Student of the Month yet.
• I want them to win because it would validate that I'm raising exemplary students.
• Their best attributes aren't the ones on display in public but in the safety of our home.

I sat in the back of the school assembly, watching an old acquaintance slip into the center aisle, camera-ready as her son's name was called for the Student of the Month award. I was happy for her — I really was.

But when my daughter's teacher stood to offer her class their monthly awards, I saw my daughter sitting crisscross applesauce with her first-grade classmates, and my stomach knotted. I knew her name wouldn't be called. Clearly, the parents were notified ahead of time. Sure enough, her teacher announced another student's name. My daughter clapped and cheered, seemingly unbothered.

This year, neither my daughter nor her older brother have won Student of the Month. And neither has expressed disappointment. So, why do I care so much?

I started to question why I wanted them to win the award so much

Maybe it's because my husband is a teacher and school administrator, and most of his colleagues' children have already won the award this year. On his behalf, I feel the tiniest hint of professional pressure, as if their children's success reflects on them.

Or maybe it's because, with their class sizes —18 kids in my daughter's class and 22 in my son's — nearly half of the school will receive the award by the end of the school year, making it feel almost as if those who don't are being singled out in some way. Or maybe it's my own history; I won it every year as a child, and perhaps I've unknowingly placed that expectation on my children. Yet, in the end, what does it matter? I don't have my own awards framed in my office or the accomplishments on my résumé.

Are these awards public validations that we must be doing good jobs as parents and that our children are exemplary students? Or, do I simply covet that bumper sticker that signals, "This car is full of winners" because humans are competitive by nature?

As the mother of award-less children, I wonder if the Student of the Month award simply creates unnecessary competition. How much of a child's — or parent's — self-worth hinges on praise?

I just want to raise good children — and I am

My children aren't troublemakers, but they are introverted and sometimes standoffish to those outside their inner circles. Neither are natural leaders, rule followers, or people-pleasers. Still, I hoped they'd be noticed for their better qualities.

I wonder if their best attributes aren't the ones they put on display in public, but rather, most often viewed in the safety of our home. This weekend, they spent two hours assembling a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe car for their toddler brother and couldn't wait to show it to him in the morning. My daughter did all of the dinner dishes to surprise me, and my son grabbed groceries from my hands with a, "Here, Mom, let me get those for you."

These moments give me hope for the adults they'll become.

Still, I'll admit as the school year comes to a close, it's hard not to feel a twinge of disappointment when I realize my children are among the students who won't stand up at the school assembly to receive their Student of the Month award.

I have this lingering question of whether their teachers ever get to see their best sides, but maybe that's the point here — that it doesn't matter. They don't need to stand out among dozens of kids or be awarded on a stage because I recognize them every day in the small moments. I recognize how fortunate I am that my children don't need a piece of paper to feel validated — now it's my turn to do the same.

• I always judged stay-at-home moms and never wanted to be one.
• I got pregnant around the time my career was taking an unexpected turn.
• I feel lost when it comes to a career, but I have a newfound passion: my son.

It wasn't intentional, but it's been two years since I've worked a full-time job.

When asked what I do, I stumble over my words. I write articles occasionally as a freelance journalist, but I can't sugarcoat it: I'm a stay-at-home mom. Even typing it, I cringe a little.

Before becoming a stay-at-home, I saw my friends who were well-off and stay-at-home moms. Their days seemed to be all about lunches and playing tennis.

I was judgmental, for sure. I used to think, "Must be nice."

Now I know — yes, it is nice, but it's also a very challenging job.

My life took an unexpected turn after getting pregnant

When I was 25, I moved to Los Angeles with big dreams of working in Hollywood as a sitcom writer. That didn't pan out, but I did meet my husband.

When COVID-19 hit, it was even harder to find a steady job in television so I took a position in podcasting. I was there a little over a year but left when things went south — the company declared bankruptcy a few months later. I was also newly pregnant.

I didn't look for a new full-time job while pregnant. Becoming a sitcom writer had been an uphill battle and one I was ready to give up. I took a few short-term contract positions, and after giving birth to my son, I wasn't working at all.

When I finally started to consider working again, there'd been a shift in the podcasting openings I found — many producer roles also required editing experience, which wasn't a skill I had or was interested in.

Since becoming a mother, I can't seem to find a career path that excites me

I'm a self-admitted lost soul when it comes to a career. I still look for jobs and often apply.

However, when I really think about what it would mean to take any of the jobs I apply for, sadness washes over me at the thought of being away from my son.

Maybe it's time to accept what I do feel passionate about: my son.

Also, if I returned to work I would need to find childcare since a day job would likely go to 5 p.m. and my son is out of preschool by 3 p.m. Plus, my son only goes to preschool three days a week.

Whether it's day care or a nanny, the amount of money it would cost makes taking any job less appealing. It's just not worth it.

If I had a clear career trajectory, it might be a different story.

I was surprised that I enjoy being a stay-at-home mom

I was with my son every single day until he started preschool at 1 ½ years old. I was there for all the milestones: first word, steps, giggles.

I was amazed at how this helpless being transformed into a chatty toddler, full of personality, right before my eyes. Though cliché, it was true: The days are long but the years are short.

Of course, some days are just hard. His naps offer me a much-needed break but then sometimes they don't happen. Food gets thrown on the just-washed floor. If he doesn't have a cold, then he has a stomach bug. It feels like a week without an illness is a rarity.

Even now that's he in school part time, my hours alone fly by, and I never accomplish all the to-dos I hope to. At 3 p.m. I switch back to mom duty and I must entertain him, keep him away from the remote (although sometimes you just have to put on the TV), and manage his multistep bedtime routine.

Even with all the trying moments, I've realized I'm the happiest I've ever been. My son makes me laugh constantly, and I can't tell him enough how much I love him.

I am privileged that my family can afford to live on my husband's salary alone. An additional salary would certainly be helpful, but the opportunity cost of me finding work — and not spending my days with my son — is too high.

My name may not be in the credits of your favorite comedy show, but I know people whose names are and I wouldn't trade places with any of them.

Although my days may not be glamorous and are often monotonous, I love my life as a stay-at-home mom.

Across gender and racial lines, there is a clear economic power in diversity.

The Chicago Cubs were recently linked to a blockbuster trade with the Cincinnati Reds to steal starting pitcher Nick Martinez from their division rival.

Polls reveal a slight decline in his approval rating among Republicans amid general dissatisfaction with his economic policies.

Military planes transport U.S. Patriot air defense battalion from the Pacific to the Middle East in over 70 flights, says commander.

The recently declassified materials into the FBI's 2016 election probe have been obtained by conservative media outlets.

"People who are truly secure, and confident in themselves, don't act proudly," an etiquette expert told Newsweek.

The host of "The Joe Rogan Experience," which began in 2009, was criticized over the guests he has had on his podcast.

Podling's rescuer was originally planning on leaving town but couldn't stop thinking about her special friend at the shelter.

"We have it way harder than any generation until us," the frustrated and anonymous millennial told Newsweek.

China increased its tariff on U.S. goods to 125% on Friday, matching President Trump's levy, but said it won't go higher.

Why it matters: The tit-for-tat move extends a trade war impacting hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of goods — though the intention to cap the tariff may be a small opening to moderate tensions.

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Catch up quick: The new Chinese levy goes into effect April 12 on about $144 billion of U.S. exports, primarily agricultural products like soybeans.

• It mostly matches U.S. tariffs, which the Chinese government dismissed as a "joke."
• The U.S. now charges 145% on Chinese goods — the 125% reciprocal rate plus an earlier 20% tariff in a dispute over the flow of fentanyl.

What they're saying: "Given that American goods are no longer marketable in China under the current tariff rates, if the U.S. further raises tariffs on Chinese exports, China will disregard such measures," the Chinese Ministry of Finance said in a statement, per Bloomberg.

• CNBC reported the same sentiment, though with a different translation.

By the numbers: The latest Chinese move weighed on financial markets.

• European stocks were up in early trade but turned negative after the Chinese announcement.
• U.S. stock futures were slightly lower as well in thin early morning trade.
• Yields on U.S. Treasury bonds, under enough pressure of late to force the White House's hand, were about 1.5 basis points higher at 4.407%, well off their highs overnight.

Go deeper... Xi's counterpunch: How China will ensure the trade war hurts the U.S.

• Coffee shops are starting to raise their prices in response to President Donald Trump's 10% tariffs.
• The US has limited coffee production, so beans have to be imported.
• Some coffee entrepreneurs told BI they need to cushion their business against tariff uncertainty.

Don't be surprised if your next cup of coffee costs more.

Coffee shops in the US have begun to pass along tariff costs straight to customers' wallets.

Though President Donald Trump put a 90-pause on most of his reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday, his 10% blanket levies remain in effect. Some coffee importers and cafés are now raising their prices in response.

"That erases our entire profit margin if we absorb it," Chris Kornman, the director of education at the importer Royal Coffee, told Business Insider. He called the situation "an unprecedented crisis" for the coffee industry.

The Crown, a specialty coffee shop that Royal owns in Oakland, California, announced across-the-board price increases on Thursday. All of its drinks will cost an additional 50 cents from now on, Kornman said, with the exception of its $2 dark roast, which is an entry-level drink for customers who aren't used to a natural-processed pour-over or washed Rwandan espresso.

"Unless we get a resolution in Washington soon, this appears to be the new normal, unfortunately," Max Nicholas-Fulmer, the CEO of Royal Coffee, said in a statement shared with BI.

Other coffee shops have also announced price hikes. The Wakery, an Illinois-based late-night coffeehouse, posted a statement to Facebook on Wednesday informing customers that it would be increasing the price of all of its coffee drinks due to the tariffs.

"Our coffee supplier needed to raise their wholesale price, and in order to make our ends meet, we need to respond by raising our coffee prices," it said.

Local reports also indicate that cafés in Austin, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and New Jersey are raising their prices or considering doing so.

Just the beginning

TJ Semanchin, co-owner of Wonderstate Coffee, told BI a 10% increase for a cup of coffee is only "the starting point."

The US is the second largest coffee importer in the world, with Brazil, Colombia, and Vietnam making up around 60% of its coffee supply, according to a 2024 United States Department of Agriculture report. Before he announced pauses to some of the country-specific increases on Wednesday, Trump's sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs varied by country, with a 46% rate for Vietnam and 10% for both Brazil and Colombia. The blanket 10% tariffs remain for all three countries.

"The coffee market is getting zigzagged in every direction because there's so much uncertainty and volatility in everything," Semanchin said.

Uncertainty summer

Shop owners say tariff whiplash doesn't help. When Trump initially announced 25% tariffs on Mexico, Kornman said staff at Royal Coffee scrambled to scale back its Mexican coffee purchases and notify customers that it might charge more for those beans. Now, Mexico's agricultural products aren't affected. Royal has stopped buying coffee from India in case its tariffs go up to 27%, as Trump initially proposed.

"To quote our logistics coordinator, we're digging holes in all the wrong places," Kornman said.

Pierre and Jackie Marquez, who own Tasa Coffee Roasters in Chicago, say they already bumped up their prices in February because of overall rising costs. If Trump's reciprocal tariffs go into effect at the end of his 90-day pause, the Marquez's say they'll have to increase prices again.

"It's almost a guarantee," Pierre Marquez said.

Domestic coffee production is largely limited to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and small parts of California. Those farms can't replace coffee imports, Kornman said.

The cost of coffee beans was already creeping upward before Trump's tariffs, due in part to shipping costs and extra-warm weather in Brazil, he added.

"There's also the threat of a global recession on the table at the moment, and that makes it pretty unsavory to talk about raising prices when people may not be able to afford a cup of coffee," Kornman said.

"I don't expect to raise prices again in an ideal world," he added. Still, "it's really hard to predict."

• Le Labo, a luxury fragrance brand founded in New York, is known for its attention-getting scents.
• I tried six of the brand's most popular perfumes and ranked them from worst to best.
• Santal 33 is overrated, in my opinion, while Lavande 31 deserves more hype.

It doesn't matter if you're a celebrity, a successful businessman, or an everyday fragrance fanatic. It seems like everyone loves Le Labo.

The New York City brand was founded by friends Fabrice Penot and Edouard Roschi in 2006 and grew so popular that it was purchased by Estée Lauder Companies in 2014.

It's known for creating memorable, luxurious scents that smell unlike anything else. Bottles retail between $107 and $1,095.

I first tried the brand at the end of last year, testing Santal 33 against a Target dupe. Though I wasn't a fan of that fragrance, I was intrigued. I'd never smelled anything like it before.

So, I bought a few more samples (.05 fluid-ounce bottles for $7 each) of Le Labo's most popular scents and wore a different one each day over the course of two weeks.

I took notes on what I liked and disliked, asked friends and family for their thoughts, and watched the clock to see which scents lasted on my skin all day and which evaporated into thin air.

Here's how I'd rank them from worst to best.

• Conductor AI has raised a $15 million Series A led by Lux Capital.
• The startup helps government agencies streamline compliance and approval processes using AI.
• Conductor AI plans to expand its team and scale operations with new funding.

Conductor AI, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to help those in large organizations — like the US government — fill out paperwork and effectively resolve compliance issues, has raised around $15 million for its Series A round led by Lux Capital.

Former Palantir employees Zachary Long, Eric Schwartz, and Ben Fichter, who previously worked at a defense cybersecurity company, cofounded the Biddeford, Maine-based company in June 2023. Additional investors in the funding round include Jack Altman's Alt Capital, Haystack Ventures, led by Semil Shah, and Abstract Ventures.

The 15-person company develops an AI platform that can navigate complex government approval workflows in classified environments. Using AI, Conductor's software ingests thousands of pages of complex policy and compliance rules, atomizes them into individual line items, and then determines what is allowable for a given document review or approval process based on the new information in its system.

"What we are trying to do is make it clear to the user what they're answering … and make it much clearer to the reviewer who has never heard of you, or seen you, what you were trying to say," Long said.

This process speeds up governmental review and approval processes. Early customers have seen their time spent combing dense policy documents drop by 50%, according to the company.

Building software tailor-made for the government was an intentional choice from day one. Just as Conductor's platform helps agencies ensure compliance, the startup itself had to meet strict standards for building new tech since government software has to operate entirely within secure environments, Long said.

The US government is burdened by an overwhelming amount of rules, paperwork, and policies, according to Long: "If you've worked with the government for a while, you've had this experience and this pain of needing to do something," he added. "But there's this totally legitimate but very complicated process of getting to yes."

Conductor's founding team is well-versed in the intricacies of working on tech and selling it to the government. Long started his career as a quantitative analyst at the proprietary trading firm DC Energy. He then spent seven years at defense tech giant Palantir, where he led a data science project for the US Army and collaborated with Schwartz, Conductor cofounder and COO, on DOJ initiatives. Schwartz also spent seven years at Palantir. Before that, he worked in data analysis at Bloomberg. Fichter previously worked as a software engineer at PreVeil, which makes encryption software for email and file collaboration.

So far, the software's biggest use case has been automating security classification, but it's also being applied to a host of other government processes, including export licensure, International Traffic in Arms Regulations compliance, document review, declassification, and the release of information from one agency to another.

Conductor has already clinched contracts with the US Air Force, Space Force, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Long added. Conductor AI intends to use its Series A funding to scale quickly and hire engineers.

"The end goal is that any industry that's heavily regulated by the government, including finance, healthcare — any industry that goes through government review workflows would be applicable," Lan Jiang, an associate at Lux Capital, said. "This idea about expediting efficiency and cutting through red tape really appealed to us."

For far too long, elites have led America to disaster when it comes to trade with China.

The Crumbl Cookie collaboration correlates with the Season 6 finale of The Kardashians, which premiered April 9 on Hulu.

Americans not prepared for the changes coming May 7 should arrive at airports three hours early in case of security issues.

The U.S.-China confrontation is about a global struggle for power and not only about trade.

• When Shruti Mangawa tried applying for jobs after taking a career break, she was often ghosted.
• She felt guilt about being unemployed, particularly when people said she was "just a housewife."
• Returning to work after her break taught Mangawa how to view success differently.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 35-year-old Shruti Mangawa from New Mexico. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up and studied in India. In 2018, I joined Hindustan Unilever, a subsidiary of Unilever, where I became an area sales and customer manager.

In 2021, I took a sabbatical due to a spinal injury. I came to the USA, where my husband worked, to spend some time with him and recover.

But after a few months in America, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so I couldn't go back to work. My company extended my sabbatical, but my health got worse.

I knew I couldn't go back to India or my job. I spent most of the following two to three years in treatment and recovery.

When I started looking for work again in the US in 2024, I had a hunch that the huge gap in my résumé was preventing me from finding a job.

I've struggled with guilt about being unemployed because I tied my identity to my job. It's taken me a while to embrace my career break and adopt a different view of success.

I struggled to find employment in the US after my recovery

My role at Unilever was my dream job. I was in a leadership role managing a team.

I was used to being financially independent and I tied my identity to my job. I saw the shine of pride in my parents' eyes about what I had achieved. In our family circle, people younger than me looked up to me as an inspiration.

Then it all went away.

My diagnosis turned my entire world upside down. The cancer was pretty aggressive and had a big toll on my body. Thankfully, I had financial support from my husband and family.

I was more worried about my professional life than my recovery. I was conscious that any time spent in recovery was increasing the gap in my work experience.

When my doctor said I was cancer-free, I thought I'd be able to pick up my career from where I left off. It didn't happen that way. My energy levels weren't the same, and I didn't feel as motivated as I was in my 20s.

I felt guilty and like I was worthless because I wasn't working

When I was cancer-free but still dealing with long-term side effects, people would ask me what I did for a living, and it made me feel empty inside. Some acquaintances said: "Oh, so you're just a housewife, then?" I don't know if their intentions were bad, but I felt guilty. My parents spent so much on my education, but now I was sitting at home.

Being a housewife isn't a bad thing. My mom was a homemaker. But in my generation, everyone's used to working. I felt like if I wasn't, I was worthless.

When I tried to re-enter the workforce in 2024, people advised me to figure out a way to cover my gap by doing some freelancing or not putting it on my LinkedIn. We may preach that it's OK to take a break and not attach our image to job titles, but people do.

I applied for marketing roles and any jobs where I thought I had transferable skills, but I'd get ghosted or rejected even before the interview stage. I felt like I didn't even get a chance to explain my story.

Once, a recruiter told me that because I had a big career gap and all my prior work experience was based in India, I might need to lower my expectations for the roles I was going for.

I'm focusing on building a personal brand and have changed the way I think about success

Since I was so drained physically and mentally, I forgot what I used to be able to handle professionally. I started to feel that nobody would hire me, and this was my future.

Thankfully, my husband snapped me out of my negative thought patterns.

Around October 2024, I decided that instead of waiting for opportunities, I'd create my own. I thought by developing a personal brand, I'd stand a better chance in the job market. With such a big career gap in a rough market, I needed to find a way to stand out.

I stopped applying for jobs and focused on my writing — posting essays on Medium and producing a newsletter. Getting positive feedback from readers gave me more confidence.

I've decided to focus on brand-building for at least a year and a half while I figure out how I want to transition my career.

Though people have advised me to hide my career gap, I've decided to be more open about it, disclosing it on my LinkedIn.

Embrace detours in working life

In life, you'll have to take detours. I know people who've been laid off or who've had their life disrupted for other reasons. I'm in my 30s and have had to restart my career. Things aren't always linear.

I no longer think success is just about your career and money but also about other parts of life. If my husband says, "I'm lucky to have a wife like you" — even that is success to me now.

Now, when challenges come, I don't just panic. I ask: "What is this here to teach me?" That mindset shift is what I consider my biggest success.

Do you have a story to share about your career break or sabbatical? Contact this reporter at [email protected]