• China criticized CK Hutchinson's sale of its Panama port stake, sending shares falling 6.7%.
• The deal is seen as US power politics, sparking national interest concerns in China.
• Analysts view the sale as strategic, reducing geopolitical risks for CK Hutchinson.

China has taken aim at another company it's not happy with, sending its share price sliding.

On Thursday, China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office reposted a commentary from state-owned Ta Kung Pao — a Hong Kong media outlet — that criticized Hong Kong's CK Hutchinson for its decision to sell a major stake in two Panama ports to a consortium led by New York-based BlackRock.

CK Hutchison's shares fell as much as 6.7% on Friday morning — the most since September 2022 — and were 6.2% lower at 2:58  p.m. local time. Its market value is about $23 billion.

The $22.8 billion deal was announced last week after US President Donald Trump hit out at Chinese influence at the Panama Canal and threatened to regain control over the key shipping waterway.

The news came after another multinational company was caught in the ongoing US-China dispute.

On Thursday, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said it had communicated with Walmart over reports that the retail giant had asked suppliers to cut wholesale prices to offset higher US tariffs. A social media account linked to state TV first reported the news and warned that Walmart would face repercussions if the company insisted on squeezing suppliers.

Companies cautioned to 'think carefully'

Ta Kung Pao said the Panama deal demonstrates that the US is using "state power" to encroach on the legitimate rights and interests of other countries and that it's "power politics packaged as 'business behavior.'"

It also criticized CK Hutchinson for being "spineless" and "profit-seeking." The deal disregards national interests and "betrays and sells out all Chinese people," according to the commentary.

It advised companies to "think carefully about what position and side they should stand on."

The company did not immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment.

Founded by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing — once Asia's richest man, CK Hutchinson said last week its decision was "purely commercial in nature and wholly unrelated to recent political news reports concerning the Panama Ports."

The development demonstrates how private companies and their business dealings are increasingly getting caught in the crosshairs of intensified US-China geopolitical tensions.

Ta Kung Pao said in its commentary that the US would use the port deal for "political purposes and promote its own political agenda."

"China's shipping and trade here will inevitably be subject to the US," it added.

Despite investor concerns over the deal following Tung Ka Pao's commentary, analysts see the deal as positive for CK Hutchinson.

"It's an astute deal selling to a buyer, ostensibly backed by the Trump administration, at the top of the market, knowing global trade could fall under a new tariff regime," wrote David Blennerhassett, an analyst at Quiddity Advisors who publishes on the Smartkarma platform, on Thursday.

He added that he doesn't expect the company to reverse its decision to sell the ports following the commentary.

Analysts at CreditSights wrote last week that not only is CK Hutchinson selling its assets at an attractive price, it's also removing geopolitical risks associated with its Panama ports.

• Match Group's CEO said apps "have felt like a numbers game" for users — and he wants to change that.
• The company plans to address user frustrations and improve safety on its platforms.
• Match Group faces user decline amid a broader shift away from online dating platforms.

Users on apps like Tinder and Hinge think that parent company Match Group is too driven by metrics, said Match's new CEO.

"Too often, our apps have felt like a numbers game rather than a place to build real connections," Spencer Rascoff wrote in a letter to employees that he posted on LinkedIn on Thursday. "That needs to change."

Rascoff said that he wants to bring the focus back to users. He's creating a channel for employees to confidentially share their "unvarnished feedback" on products and zeroing in on trust and safety.

On an earnings call last month, Rascoff said the company is working on an "ecosystem cleanup" by tackling bad actors, which he said would benefit the business.

"I've heard incredible stories of love," Rascoff wrote in Thursday's letter. "But I've also heard frustration — from users searching for real, meaningful matches and expecting more from the experience."

Rascoff, who joined Match as CEO last month, cofounded real estate platform Zillow and was the CEO for over a decade.

The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Rascoff's overhaul follows a broader sentiment shift away from online dating. Swiping fatigue and the rising costs of going on dates are leading many users to ditch apps for outlets that allow in-person connections.

Between May 2023 and the end of 2024, more than half a million users left Tinder, according to a report from the UK-based online behavior research group Ofcom.

Match had 9.5 million paying users across platforms in the quarter ending in December, a 5% drop from the same period a year ago.

Match's stock is down nearly 10% in the last year, while rival Bumble is down 55%.

• Dario Amodei, the cofounder and CEO of Anthropic, says AI could be coding most software soon.
• AI could be "writing essentially all of the code" in 12 months, Amodei said.
• Amodei said he expected AI to have a similar impact "in every industry."

Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI startup Anthropic, said on Monday that AI, and not software developers, could be writing most of the code in our software in a year.

"I think we will be there in three to six months, where AI is writing 90% of the code. And then, in 12 months, we may be in a world where AI is writing essentially all of the code," Amodei said at a Council of Foreign Relations event on March 10.

Amodei said software developers will still have a role to play in the near term. This is because humans will have to feed the AI models with design features and conditions, he said.

"But on the other hand, I think that eventually all those little islands will get picked off by AI systems. And then, we will eventually reach the point where the AIs can do everything that humans can. And I think that will happen in every industry," Amodei said.

Amodei, who used to work at OpenAI, cofounded Anthropic in 2021. The company has received billions of dollars in funding from tech giants like Google and Amazon.

This isn't the first time Amodei has spoken publicly about the seismic impact AI could have on the world.

Last month, Amodei said in an interview with The New York Times that people still aren't recognizing the effect AI could have on their lives and livelihoods.

"I think people will wake up to both the risks and the benefits to a much more extreme extent than they will before over the next two years," Amodei said in an interview on the Times' "Hard Fork" podcast, which aired on February 28.

Representatives for Amodei at Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

To be sure, Amodei isn't the only one who has recognized AI's ability to displace software developers.

Garry Tan, the president and CEO of startup incubator Y Combinator, said in an X post on March 5 that one-quarter of the founders in their 2025 winter batch were relying heavily on AI to code their software.

"For 25% of the Winter 2025 batch, 95% of lines of code are LLM generated. That's not a typo," Tan wrote.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said last year that she expected AI to impact roughly 40% of global jobs.

"Roughly half the exposed jobs may benefit from AI integration, enhancing productivity. For the other half, AI applications may execute key tasks currently performed by humans, which could lower labor demand, leading to lower wages and reduced hiring," Georgieva wrote in a blog post in January 2024.

"In the most extreme cases, some of these jobs may disappear," she added.

• A federal judge has ruled that fired workers in 18 government agencies must be reoffered jobs on Monday.
• That includes the USAID, CFPB, and Departments of Veterans Affairs and Education.
• The ruling is temporary and lasts only two weeks for now.

A federal judge ruled on Thursday that probationary employees in 18 agencies fired by the Trump administration must be reinstated for at least two weeks.

Senior US District Judge James Bredar is now the second federal judge to rule against the mass layoffs after US District Judge William Alsup made a similar decision earlier on Thursday in a separate lawsuit.

In the earlier case, Alsup had ordered from San Francisco that the Trump administration has to reoffer jobs to thousands of fired workers across six Cabinet departments.

Bredar's new temporary restraining order — from the Maryland district court — goes much wider.

His ruling targets 12 departments, including the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Transportation, State, and Homeland Security. It did not cover the Defense Department, though Alsup's ruling did.

Additionally, Bredar ordered reinstatement at six other agencies, including the US Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, both of which have been under immense pressure from the White House.

Bredar and Alsup didn't buy into the Trump administration's stated reason for firing employees without notice: that the workers' individual performance or conduct wasn't good enough.

"Here, the terminated probationary employees were plainly not terminated for cause," Bredar wrote in his memo.

"The sheer number of employees that were terminated in a matter of days belies any argument that these terminations were due to the employees' individual unsatisfactory performance or conduct," he added.

Many of these cuts were made under the recommendations of the White House's DOGE office, which has spearheaded President Donald Trump's effort to reduce the federal workforce.

Reinstating jobs will be tough, but appropriate, judge says

Bredar, an Obama appointee, wrote that the 18 departments and agencies he named must reinstate their employees by Monday, March 17, at 1 p.m. ET.

Under this ruling, the terminations are to be suspended for 14 days.

Bredar added that he knew this would likely be a mammoth effort.

"When, as is likely the case here, the Government has engaged in an illegal scheme spanning broad swaths of the federal workforce, it is inevitable that the remediation of that scheme will itself be a significant task," he wrote.

His ruling came as part of a lawsuit filed by a combined 20 Democratic state attorneys general against multiple branches of the federal government over employee terminations.

Their legal challenge argues that the Trump administration ignored protocol and bypassed federal laws requiring employers to notify state governments when conducting mass layoffs.

With their lawsuit proceeding, Bredar wrote in his memo that the court would likely soon consider a longer-term decision regarding the return of the probationary workers.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about Bredar's ruling sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

But White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Alsup's ruling on Thursday.

"A single judge is attempting to unconstitutionally seize the power of hiring and firing from the Executive Branch," she said in a statement. "The President has the authority to exercise the power of the entire executive branch — singular district court judges cannot abuse the power of the entire judiciary to thwart the President's agenda. If a federal district court judge would like executive powers, they can try and run for President themselves."

Thursday's rulings are among the first in a mounting series of high-profile legal challenges and orders seeking to regulate DOGE's sweeping moves.

The agency was recently told by multiple judges to comply with requests for information about its operations.

As DOGE leads federal employee cuts, job terminations in the US government hit 172,017 in February, the highest monthly level since the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a wave of layoffs in June 2020.

• Kate Hudson, 45, thinks that being a part of a big blended family has its own upside.
• Her three kids, who have three different dads, get to have "so much family," she said on a podcast.
• "They've got multiple grandmas, multiple grandpas, multiple dads, and moms," Hudson said.

Kate Hudson, 45, wants you to know that being in a big blended family has its perks too.

During an episode of "The Martha Stewart Podcast" released on Wednesday, the "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" actor spoke about her three kids and the dynamics of her blended family.

"There's a positive to it," Hudson told host Martha Stewart. "It's like they have so much family. They've got multiple grandmas, multiple grandpas, multiple dads, and moms."

"And then they'll pick and choose who they really really connected with and kind of forge those relationships," Stewart interjected, to which Hudson agreed.

Hudson has three children with three different fathers. Her eldest son, Ryder, whom she shares with her ex-husband Chris Robinson, was born in 2004. In 2011, she welcomed her second son, Bingham, with her ex-fiancé, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy. In 2018, she gave birth to her daughter, Rani, whom she shares with her current fiancé, Danny Fujikawa.

Together, they've built "a really strong unit," Hudson said.

"Being able to continue having such a great connection with the family — like the whole family, including my exes and their partners — it is actually great," she added.

Hudson herself comes from a blended family. Her mother is actor Goldie Hawn while her father is musician Bill Hudson. She has one biological brother, one step-brother, three half-brothers, and two half-sisters.

Kurt Russel, Hawn's partner of over 40 years, has played a big role in Hudson's life. Last Father's Day, Hudson captioned a photo of the two together on Instagram: "I love my Pa so much! What a man, lucky me."

According to a survey by the US Census Bureau published in 2022, the percentage of children living with at least one stepparent increased from 6.2% to 7% between 2007 and 2019.

In a personal essay for Business Insider, writer Sara Lyle — who is blending a family of three sons — shared some tips on how she's navigating the changes in family dynamics. She says one of the most important things is to include children in any life-changing decisions, so it can help lessen their anxiety and validate their importance within the family unit.

A representative for Hudson did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.

• LVMH is trying to keep Bernard Arnault, 76, in charge for nearly another decade.
• The company proposed changing its bylaws to raise the age limit of its chairman and CEO to 85.
• The luxury giant had already changed the limit once in 2022 when it was raised from 75 to 80.

French luxury giant LVMH is trying to keep Bernard Arnault, 76, in charge for nearly a decade more.

LVMH is trying to amend its company bylaws to raise the age limit for its chairman and CEO to 85, per its company filings.

If shareholders agree to the change during the annual general meeting on April 17, Arnault could continue to helm the company for another nine years. He has been the chairman and CEO of LVMH since 1989.

If the vote is successful, it will be the second time the luxury tycoon pushes back his retirement. In 2022, when Arnault was 73, LVMH raised the age limit from 75 to 80.

Bloomberg reported that the first time the change went through, famed investor Warren Buffett, the then-93-year-old head of Berkshire Hathaway, wrote to Arnault, telling him he had set the new age limit too low.

Arnault has made several leadership reshuffles in the brands he owns, including moving his children around.

On Wednesday, LVMH said in a statement that Arnault's second-youngest son, 30-year-old Frédéric Arnault, would be the new CEO of Loro Piana, an Italian cashmere brand under LVMH.

The company statement said he would start his new role on June 10. Before the promotion, he led LVMH's watches division.

Other leadership shake-ups included Damien Bertrand, the current CEO of Loro Piana, being promoted to deputy CEO of Louis Vuitton, and Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou being appointed deputy CEO of Dior.

According to his LinkedIn, Angeloglou is currently the managing director of LVMH's fashion group and the CEO of Fendi.

All five of Arnault's children hold leadership positions in LVMH, with four of them sitting on the board of directors.

Representatives for LVMH did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, sent outside regular business hours.

• Bluesky CEO Jay Graber recently wore a T-shirt that appeared to take a dig at Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
• The company began selling the same shirt online on Thursday afternoon.
• A Bluesky spokesperson told BI that it sold out within 30 minutes.

Bluesky is taking another shot at the Mark Zuckerbergs of the tech world.

During the week of SXSW in Austin, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber donned a black T-shirt imprinted with a Latin phrase: "Mundus sine caesaribus" or "A world without Ceasars."

The shirt appeared to reference the Meta CEO, who wore a similar boxy, black T-shirt with a Latin phrase likening himself to Roman general Julius Caesar: "Aut Zuck aut nihil" or "Either Zuck or nothing."

On Thursday afternoon, Bluesky started slinging the same shirt Graber wore at the Austin conference. The shirt sold out within 30 minutes, according to Bluesky spokesperson Emily Liu.

Liu told BI that the shirt signaled the ethos of the social media platform.

"Jay wore the shirt onstage at SXSW to emphasize Bluesky's democratic approach, where a single CEO or company doesn't control your experience online — and looks like people resonated with that vision," Liu said in an email.

Graber said in a Bluesky post that sales of the shirt launched while she was on a flight and sold out before she landed.

The company declined to share how many shirts it sold.

Since Twitter rebranded to X after Elon Musk's 2022 takeover, some users have decamped to alternative social media platforms like Bluesky. Meta, the parent company of social platforms Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, launched its X alternative, Threads, in 2023.

The migration continues a trend of online users seeking sites that conform closer to their political or cultural beliefs.

Bluesky, which was founded by Jack Dorsey in 2019, saw a surge in users after the election and registered 30 million users as of January, the company said.

• Starbucks cafés may soon have more power outlets.
• Brian Niccol, Starbucks' CEO, said the company was testing a store redesign with more seats and power outlets.
• This is the latest move in his "Back to Starbucks" plan to make the chain more warm and inviting.

You won't have to worry about your laptop running out of juice at Starbucks anymore if Brian Niccol, the company's CEO, has anything to say about it.

Niccol's latest move to get coffee drinkers to linger at the chain's cafes involves introducing more power outlets in stores.

The chain is testing a café redesign in the US, with the aim of making it a more comfortable and inviting place to hang out, the CEO said in a shareholder meeting on Wednesday.

"Imagine coffee houses that are comfortable and warm with expanded seating options, power outlets, and abundant food displays," Niccol told shareholders.

Niccol said the new design would also have clearly separated sections for those dining in-store and those picking up their to-go orders.

A Starbucks representative told BI earlier in March that it would add more seating to its cafés and start introducing shelves and risers to separate the café and mobile ordering sections.

This is the latest move in Niccol's "Back to Starbucks" plan, a game plan he developed when he joined Starbucks in September to turn the company around. Wednesday's shareholder meeting marked six months since he took the top job.

The executive has been working to solve challenges including long wait times, flaws in the customer experience, and issues with its mobile ordering system. Niccol said that mobile ordering "chipped away" at the brand's soul.

Starbucks' global comparable sales slid by 7% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period a year before. Its performance improved in the first quarter of 2025, when global comparable sales decreased by 4% year-on-year.

A key pillar of Niccol's "Back to Starbucks" is rebranding the company as a cozy local coffeehouse where people can hang out.

His changes include introducing ceramic mugs for hot drinks in store, handwritten messages for customers, and self-serve condiment bars.

• Kelly Benthall saw work culture improve over her 30-year career, but the damage had already been done.
• Last year, she decided to retire early in order to improve her mental, physical, and emotional health.
• At her first post-retirement checkup, her doctor noted improvement.

My plan had always been to retire at 65 — grind it out, climb the ladder, and finally enjoy the freedom. But plans change, especially when your body starts flashing warnings you can't ignore.

Last year, at 53, I retired early with my husband — not because we had meticulously planned every detail, but because the cost of staying in the rat race — mentally, physically, and emotionally — had become too high. Work had always been a source of pride, but it was also a source of stress and, at times, serious health consequences.

For more than 30 years, I helped companies ranging from startups to giants such as Shell and Chevron navigate strategic change. I had spent those decades taking on more responsibility than was reasonable, absorbing the pressure, and expecting little in return. Over time, I internalized stress as a normal part of success — until my body forced me to stop.

The corporate fast lane and its toll

The workplace has changed a lot since the '90s and early 2000s, particularly in male-dominated industries like oil and gas. Back then, I was a minority as a woman, and those who made it to the top endured relentless pressure. Some became champions for equality. Others expected fellow women to tough it out, believing suffering was a rite of passage.

Some female leaders respected my work, but others saw it as a threat.

During an orientation at one of my first jobs, I mentioned my experience in speechwriting to a CEO. He asked me to write his sales conference talks, but my female boss told him I wasn't interested and offered to do it herself. I later reached back out to the CEO to clarify, and we ended up partnering for years.

And then there were #MeToo moments I can't believe I tolerated. One boss thought it was appropriate to share his appreciation for Playboy centerfolds during meetings.

The culture shifted over time as companies implemented stronger policies and accountability measures. By the time I reached my final years in corporate life, the culture had improved. But the damage had already been done.

Years of working in high-alert mode left me conditioned to expect the worst, even in safer environments.

The moment my body fought back

Despite disappointments, I kept my foot on the gas. I worked harder than ever, sometimes logging 90-hour weeks, believing that if I just worked smart enough and fast enough, I could outpace the stress.

I was wrong.

One day, I collapsed at work. My blood pressure spiked to 220/180, and I ended up in an ambulance. The EMTs gave me nitroglycerin, but nothing happened. I heard one of them say, "Uh-oh," before telling the driver to move faster.

That should have been my wake-up call. Instead, I doubled down — cycling through medications in a desperate attempt to keep going.

It wasn't sustainable.

A change coach who couldn't change

I had spent my career coaching others to accept change.

The advice I'd given countless others seemed easy when it was someone else's problem. "Do as I say, not as I do," I thought. Yet, as I struggled with burnout and my health deteriorated, I realized I wasn't taking my own lessons to heart. I had built a career around helping people, but I had been afraid to make the same leap myself.

It wasn't until I spoke with a coach — a free consultation, something I almost canceled because I "didn't have time" — that I saw my life from a different perspective.

She asked me one simple question: "When was the last time you did something that scared you?"

The question caught me off guard. I had spent so many years operating in a world of controlled risks, where I calculated every move and mitigated every possible failure. But fear? The kind that comes from stepping into the unknown, from daring to disrupt the status quo? It had been a long time since I'd felt that.

That moment unlocked something in me. I remembered who I was — someone who took chances. I had once thrived on new challenges, stepping into high-stakes projects where failure wasn't an option and leading teams through uncertainty. Yet, I had spent years trapped in a cycle of stress and obligation, mistaking endurance for achievement.

"Sometimes you have to break down to break through," the voice in my head whispered. That was the moment I decided to retire.

Retirement cured me

When I finally stepped away from my career, I didn't fully grasp the toll it had taken on my body. But retirement didn't just heal me — it gave me a new way of living. My husband and I embraced slow travel, trading deadlines and commutes for long walks in new cities, quiet mornings with coffee, and the freedom to explore at our own pace.

It wasn't until my first post-retirement checkup that I saw the difference. My blood pressure had dropped, and my stress markers were lower.

My doctor looked at my stats, then back at me, and said: "Your job was trying to kill you."

Escaping the hustle trap

Retirement didn't just save my health. It felt like finally pulling off the highway, realizing I'd been speeding toward a crash. It rewired my brain. What I had once called "drive" was really just a never-ending sprint toward exhaustion.

While work environments have improved in some ways, the effects of years spent enduring stress don't just disappear overnight. People like me, who became accustomed to overwork and constant pressure, struggle to recognize what a healthy pace actually looks like.

If you feel trapped in a high-stress career, ask yourself: When was the last time you did something that scared you? What are you really working for? At what point will you have enough? How long can your body sustain this stress? And most importantly, what's stopping you from making a change?

I wish I had asked myself these questions sooner. But the good news is that not everyone has to wait until their body forces them to stop.

Do you have a story to share about retirement? Contact the editor at [email protected].

• American Airlines Flight 1006 was seen engulfed in smoke at Denver International Airport.
• The FAA said the plane's engine caught fire after landing and while taxiing to the gate.
• All 172 customers and six crew members were evacuated, the airline said.

An American Airlines plane caught fire at Denver International Airport on Thursday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement on Thursday night that American Airlines Flight 1006 landed safely in Denver after the crew "reported engine vibrations."

"After landing and while taxiing to the gate an engine caught fire and passengers evacuated the aircraft using the slides," the FAA statement read.

The Boeing 737-800 plane was en route from Colorado Springs Airport to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

The airline said in a statement to Business Insider that Flight 1006 "experienced an engine-related issue" after landing and taxiing to the gate.

"The 172 customers and six crew members deplaned and are being relocated to the terminal," the statement said.

A representative for Denver International Airport told local news outlet KDVR that Flight 1006 was emitting "visible smoke."

The airport wrote in an X post on Thursday night that "12 people were transported to local hospitals with minor injuries."

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

• The Trump administration says imposing tariffs on trade partners is a way to shrink the US trade deficit.
• Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has been a key Trump backer, but a trade war would raise costs for its cars.
• In a letter, the company urged the US government to ensure the trade war doesn't "inadvertently harm US companies."

Tesla has warned the Trump administration that it could bear the cost of the president's attempts to impose so-called retaliatory tariffs on US trade partners.

In an unsigned letter uploaded to a regulatory docket on March 11, the automaker said a trade war could increase costs to manufacture its vehicles and lead other countries to slap tariffs on Tesla vehicles made in Austin or electronic equipment it makes in states such as California and Nevada.

"Past US special tariff actions have thus increased costs to Tesla for vehicles manufactured in the United States, and increased costs for those same vehicles when exported from the United States, resulting in less competitive international marketplace for US manufacturers," the company wrote.

Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has been named a "special government employee" who has been closely associated with Donald Trump's drive to shrink and automate the federal government. The letter underscores how his political interests and his business interests could diverge.

Tesla's share price has fallen by nearly half since its December peak. Musk said earlier in the week he was having a tough time running his businesses due to his involvement with the White House DOGE office.

"Tesla supports a robust and thorough process to gather information to ensure appropriate actions are taken to address unfair trade practices and which, in the process, do not inadvertently harm US companies," said the letter, which was previously reported by the Financial Times.

The fact that the letter wasn't signed may be unusual, but isn't unprecedented for Tesla, which has previously submitted comments to the IRS without a signature at the bottom. Letters it has submitted to other agencies have included signatures.

Tesla, Musk, and the White House did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The letter was uploaded to a public comment portal for the US Trade Representative on March 11 by an in-house lawyer at Tesla. It is embedded below.

The letter was sent on the same day Trump invited Musk and a lineup of Teslas to the south lawn of the White House for a publicity event. Trump said he'd be buying a Tesla to show his support for Musk and his company after acts of dealership vandalism.

The on-and-off threats of tariffs on Canada and Mexico could deal huge blows to America's largest automakers.

Barclays analysts wrote in a March 5 note that a 25% levy on goods from Canada and Mexico could wipe out profits for Ford, GM, and Stellantis, assuming no price increase or adjustment in production plans.

"If you look at the tariffs, let's be real honest, long term, a 25% tariff across the Mexico and Canadian border would blow a hole in the US industry that we have never seen," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in February.

Tesla also would feel the effects, considering 20-25% of the components for its 2025 model-year vehicles come from Mexico, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing.

"There's a lot of uncertainty around tariffs," Tesla's Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja said in an earnings call on January 29. "Over the years, we've tried to localize our supply chain in every market, but we are still reliant on parts from across the world for all our businesses. Therefore, the imposition of tariffs, which is very likely, and any will have an impact on our business and profitability."

• "Snow White" is the latest classic animated Disney film getting the live-action remake treatment.
• However, it's been mired in controversies since production began.
• Rachel Zegler's casting caused backlash, as have changes to the characters of the seven dwarfs.

After the success of a slew of live-action remakes, a musical retelling of 1937's "Snow White" may have seemed like slam dunk for Disney.

Instead, the $300 million reboot starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot has been mired in controversies before even hitting theaters.

Like the original animated classic, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the upcoming film is loosely based on the 19th-century German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.

But to update the story for more audiences, a number of key changes have been made, including casting a mixed-ethnicity actor in the lead role, and adjusting the characters of the seven dwarfs.

Channeling her character's grace and kindness, Zegler said in a recent interview that the backlash to the film comes down to the "passion" people hold for the original film.

"What an honor to be a part of something that people feel so passionately about. We're not always going to agree with everyone who surrounds us, and all we can do is our best," she said in an interview in the March issue of Vogue Mexico via Variety.

Ahead of Disney's scaled-back premiere for the contentious new release, here's a breakdown of all the controversies surrounding Disney's "Snow White" live-action remake.

Critics of the new 'Snow White' movie say the live-action remake is too far of a departure from the original

Disney's upcoming live-action remake of "Snow White" attracted controversy as soon as details about the production emerged.

First, some people were left incensed by photos obtained by the Daily Mail that suggested Disney had "gone woke" and replaced the original fairytale's seven dwarfs with a diverse group of people of different genders, ethnicities, and heights.

For what it's worth, the trailer for the film shows that the seven dwarf characters remain true to the original story, and are being played by actors with the help of CGI.

Others questioned Zegler's casting.

Peter Dinklage said Disney should cut the Seven Dwarfs from the new movie

In 2022, "Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage criticized Disney for what he perceived as blatant hypocrisy in its attempts to update the problematic children's fairytale for modern audiences.

Referencing the casting of Zegler in the lead role, Dinklage said on the comedian Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast: "It makes no sense to me, because you're progressive in one way and then you're still making that fucking backward story of seven dwarfs living in a cave."

Following Dinklage's comments, a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that the studio was consulting "with members of the dwarfism community" during the pre-production process for the movie.

The statement added that it was "taking a different approach" to the characters of the seven dwarfs as a means to "avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film."

Rachel Zegler's casting caused controversy

After it was announced that Zegler would be taking on the lead role in the film, some pushed back against her casting, upset that an actor of mixed ethnicity would be stepping into the role of the character who is famously described as having skin "as white as snow."

Appearing on Variety's Actors on Actors series with Andrew Garfield in January 2022, Zegler, who is of Colombian and Polish descent, spoke about the reaction to her casting, and how she hoped to change perceptions of who can or can't play certain roles.

"Never in a million years did I imagine that this would be a possibility for me. You don't normally see Snow Whites that are of Latin descent. Even though Snow White is really a big deal in Spanish-speaking countries," she said. "At the end of the day, I have a job to do that I'm really excited to do. I get to be a Latina princess."

Rachel Zegler caused further controversy with her comments on the original 'Snow White'

Since her casting was announced in June 2021, Zegler has repeatedly stated that she's not a fan of the original 1937 film.

In a late 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 23-year-old actor said she'd seen the original animated film only once before and didn't enjoy it.

"I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I'm being so serious," Zegler said.

In a separate red carpet conversation with Variety, Ziegler was asked what she meant when she said she was bringing a modern edge to the character.

"I just mean that it's no longer 1937," Zegler said, adding: "She's not going to be saved by the prince, and she's not going to be dreaming about true love — she's dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true."

Elsewhere, Zegler described the prince in the original film as a stalker and emphasized that a love story wasn't central to the new film.

"There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her," Zegler told Extra TV. "Weird! Weird! So we didn't do that this time."

"We have a different approach to what I'm sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie," she added, before joking that Andrew Burnap, who plays the prince, might be cut from the film altogether.

Stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot have differing views on Israel and Palestine

Global politics also has had a part to play in the film's controversy, with the two lead actors expressing conflicting views over the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel.

Zegler has been vocal about her support of a free Palestine on social media. Meanwhile, Gadot, who is Israeli and who spent two years serving in the Israel Defense Forces, has been outspoken about her support for the country since the October 7 Hamas attack.

Gadot skipped the European premiere of "Snow White" on March 12 in Spain, which Zegler attended.

Although representatives for Zegler and Gadot did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, both stars are expected to walk the red carpet at the US premiere on March 15.

• From American whiskey to French Champagne, alcohol has become a factor in Trump's trade war.
• Both beverages could see tariffs in the coming weeks unless the US reaches a deal with the EU.
• Businesses, from wine shops to restaurants, are already reacting to the potential tariffs.

President Donald Trump might not drink, but his trade war is shaking and stirring up the market for some of the most popular boozy beverages globally.

On Wednesday, the European Union responded to US tariffs on aluminum and steel by imposing a 50% duty on various products starting on April 1, including one of the US's most well-known drinks: whiskey.

Just a day later, Trump threatened a 200% tariff on wine and alcohol from EU countries, including iconic French Champagne. It's unclear when or if that levy will take effect, but it's already prompting reactions in the US.

Some wine shops, for instance, are promoting specials for customers who want to stock up on European wine, with one in New York City sending out emails to regular customers offering "tariff buster" deals.

Alexandra Ivanac and her husband Stephen Varela, who run the Italian-Croatian restaurant Villa Berulia in Manhattan, said Trump's threats are "alarming." The restaurant carries about 75 European wines and upcharges alcohol 2.5 to 3 times, higher than many dishes.

"How does an Italian restaurant pivot away from European wine?" Varela said.

It's making them question whether to absorb the costs or pass them on to customers. Ivanac said they may instead look to South America, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand for wines if the tariffs go into effect, as well as some California wines. Varela also said they may order twice as much wine as normal and stockpile it in their basement.

"Some of these wines are going for, on the higher end, $200 to $300, so how much could we really increase prices?" Varela said, adding some customers are more cautious about spending given economic concerns.

The US accounts for about 31% of EU wine and spirit exports, according to Eurostat, the EU statistics office. The EU, meanwhile, made up about 40% of the export market for US spirits in 2023, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

For US winemakers, the latest tariff threat could be an opportunity.

Zach Pelka, cofounder and COO at New York-based Une Femme Wines, said his company developed a supply chain that sits almost entirely within the US after COVID made sourcing abroad more complicated and expensive.

Pelka said he expects more US-based alcohol brands to focus domestically if Trump's 200% tariff takes effect.

If the US's threats come true, Pelka expects that Une Femme will become a more attractive option for restaurants, retailers, hotels, and other customers who want a steady source of wine in the US.

"As of today, I think it becomes the focal point of the pitch" to buyers, he said of the potential tariff.

Tariff talk has already caused consumers in other countries to buy from local suppliers instead of importing from the US. Many Canadians are looking for "Made in Canada" alternatives in light of the levies that the Trump administration has threatened and enacted on that country's goods.

Whether any or all of the taxes materialize remains to be seen. Last week, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico — only to suspend it shortly afterward for most items until April 2.

Even if the tariffs take effect, drinkers might not see higher prices right away.

Blake Leonard, president of wine at Stew Leonard's Wine & Spirits, which operates several shops in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, told BI that some of her suppliers brought months' worth of European wine and even tequila from Mexico into the US to get ahead of potential tariffs.

That early action will help Stew Leonard's keep prices for many beverages stable, at least temporarily. "The last thing we want to do as a family business is raise prices for our customers," Leonard said. About half of all wine that the chain sells comes from European nations — primarily France and Italy, she said.

To say the situation is fluid "would be a massive understatement," said Lawson Whiting, the CEO of Brown-Forman, which makes Jack Daniel's whiskey and counts Europe as a major export market. "It seems like things are changing very, very quickly."

The April 1 effective date for the EU's tariffs on US whiskey leaves time for the US and the EU to resolve their differences, Whiting said at an industry conference on Wednesday, the day the EU announced its latest tariffs.

"That does give me some optimism that both the administration and the other counterparties over the last few weeks have been trying to resolve things," Whiting said.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at [email protected]

• US special operations forces want new drones for cave and tunnel operations.
• Drones could offer communication and situational awareness benefits over military working dogs.
• US special operators are often at the forefront of working with industry on new technologies.

Fighting inside caves and tunnels is a tough and dangerous mission, even for elite special operations forces.

Drones could help solve key problems operators face, such as communication and threat detection issues, while reducing the risk to human warfighters and military working dogs.

SOCOM, on behalf of SOCCENT, which oversees US special operations forces in the Middle East, said in a recent procurement notice first reported by The War Zone that caves present severe logistical problems for operators. The battlespaces are confined spaces characterized by unpredictable terrain and limited visibility. A narrow passageway can instantly become a kill box.

In the Middle East, both state and non-state actors have used networks of caves and tunnels, complicating military operations against them.

"To mitigate these risks and enhance operational effectiveness, we propose the acquisition and deployment of a dedicated UAS solution," SOCOM said in the request, referring to uncrewed aerial system solutions.

Drones come in a range of sizes, from pocket-size Black Hornet drones to quadcopters and octocopters to large, sophisticated combat and reconnaissance drones like the Reaper. Small UAS solutions have proven tremendously valuable in Ukraine, where some have flown into the open hatches of tanks with precision.

SOCOM is seeking a compact first-person-view drone.

The fast, real-time intelligence provided by drones would not only reduce dangers to operators and dogs but also "significantly improve the safety and efficiency of cave clearing operations, ultimately contributing to mission success and force protection," SOCOM said.

Per the procurement notice, a specific but unnamed company has been identified as the only vendor that can provide the desired platform, training, and capabilities for this drone. SOCOM noted that the model has a compact body enabling it "to operate effectively in confined spaces."

Subterranean and underground operations are daunting. Tunnel warfare has been a key focus in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts, and training for fights in these brutal environments has increased in recent years.

While it's unclear which specific drone model Special Operations Command is hoping to acquire for its forces, the notice is indicative of a larger priority to introduce more drones into operations.

At a symposium last month, special operations leadership and defense industry officials spoke candidly about the need to buy and develop more drones and autonomous systems to help their operators address difficult threats.

When it comes to adapting new technology quickly, SOCOM benefits from a comparatively flexible acquisition process, as well as close relationships with industry partners able to help it rapidly iterate and improve new capabilities.

SOCOM needs cheap solutions for future problems, as well as the problems facing operators right now. There are cheap, commercially available systems that could be updated with new software and hardware components depending on threats, countermeasures, and the needs of the operator. There are also specialized solutions that agile outfits can field quickly.

Rising US defense technology company Anduril Industries, for instance, began its work with SOCOM attempting to solve immediate drone and counter-drone problems operators were facing, Anduril Chief Strategy Officer Chris Brose said at the recent symposium.

For its caves and tunnels problem, SOCOM is seeking an already available solution that could make these missions easier and safer by incorporating emerging technology.

• Gianni Versace was heralded as a genius for his eponymous Versace fashion house.
• His siblings, Donatella and Santo, and niece, Allegra, took over the brand after his murder in 1997.
• Donatella served as Versace's creative director for decades and announced she's stepping down.

The Versaces are one of the most iconic fashion families in history.

Created by Gianni Versace in 1978, the Versace brand saw a meteoric rise to fame under his leadership, blending the world of celebrity and fashion.

When he was murdered in 1997, Gianni's siblings, Donatella and Santo, and his niece, Allegra, shepherded the company into the future, leading it through ups and downs over the next thirty years, including an acquisition by Capri Holdings in 2018.

On Thursday, Donatella announced she is stepping down as creative director, passing the torch to designer Dario Vitale.

Here's what we know about the Versace family's journey through fame, tragedy, and resilience.

Gianni Versace was born in December 1946 in Calabria, Italy.

Gianni had three siblings: Donatella, Santo, and Fortunata. Fortunata died of tetanus when she was just 12, and Donatella was born three years after her elder sister died.

"Sudden death is frequent in my family," Donatella told The New Yorker.

Donatella also told the outlet that their mother, Francesca, was an entrepreneurial seamstress who used the little money she had to start an atelier in Calabria. Gianni grew up watching her work and designed his first dress at age 10, according to WWD.

In 1972, after he graduated from high school, Gianni moved to Milan to work under various designers, one of whom was Mario Valentino.

Today, Donatella is 69, and Santo is 80.

In 1978, Gianni started his own fashion company, Gianni Versace S.p.A.

Donatella moved to Milan to be with Gianni when he founded the company, learning from him and serving as his muse.

She also began helping with clothing design.

Gianni was known for blending the world of celebrity and fashion.

As Anna Wintour told GQ, the designer pioneered the concept of filling the front row with celebrities and industry "it" people at fashion shows. His famous friends, like Elton John and Madonna, always attended his shows.

He also paid top models such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford so much that the word "supermodel" was invented just for them.

In 1994, Donatella became the head designer of Versace's Versus line.

Versus was designed to be an experimental line that challenged fashion norms at the time.

The line later saw collaborations from designers Christopher Kane and JW Anderson.

The Versace brand became synonymous with tasteful, sexy luxury wear, reaching its peak in the 1990s.

For instance, the gown Gianni designed for Elizabeth Hurley in the 1990s made her the topic of conversation, helping her acting career take off, as WWD reported.

Versace also became a lifestyle brand as it grew, selling everything from bedsheets to tableware.

Then, on July 15, 1997, Gianni was killed outside his home in Miami during the height of his success.

Gianni was 50 years old when the serial killer Andrew Cunanan shot him at his home. He left behind a massive legacy in the fashion world.

Donatella told Michael Ebert and Sven Michaelsen of Ssense that when she first heard the news that her brother had died, "the world stood still."

Although his murder was a shock, Gianni had a will prepared because he had previously been treated for a rare inner-ear cancer, according to The New Yorker.

The will left Donatella a 20% stake in the fashion company, and she became creative director of Versace.

Santo was president of the company at the time of Gianni's death and later became chairman. He received a 30% stake in the company.

Gianni left the majority of the company to Donatella's then 11-year-old daughter, Allegra Versace Beck.

Donatella told Ssense that Gianni "idolized" her daughter and called her "my little princess."

Because Allegra was so young when she inherited half the company, Donatella was in charge of her shares until she turned 18.

Gianni left Donatella's son, Daniel Beck, his art collection, which included two pieces by Picasso, according to The New Yorker.

Allegra was deeply affected by her uncle's murder.

The New York Post reported that Donatella tried to help Allegra cope with the murder by organizing counseling sessions, but Milan "fashion insiders" told the newspaper that the young girl was "never the same."

The outlet also reported that Allegra felt guilty after Gianni died, telling her mother she should have been by her uncle's side.

In 2007, while Allegra was studying at Brown University, Donatella and Paul Beck — Allegra's father — released a statement addressing their daughter's mental health. They said she had been receiving the best medical care possible for anorexia and was "responding well."

Donatella also struggled after Gianni's death.

During her early years at Versace, critics, including The New Yorker, called Donatella a mere "muse, mascot, and de-facto first lady" to Gianni while he was still alive and running the company.

Donatella said the years after Gianni's death were difficult for her, as she was constantly worried about disappointing Gianni and Versace customers.

She told Ssense that she thought she couldn't handle the pressure and turned to drugs shortly after Gianni's death, developing a cocaine addiction. She said she was in and out of a daze for the following 18 years, which made her even more self-conscious.

To protect herself, Donatella said she created an alter ego. She told Ssense that she created a version of herself that was "cold and aloof, aggressive and scary."

Donatella went to rehab for her addiction in 2004.

She told The New Yorker her children, Allegra and Daniel, along with several other close friends, including Elton John, were the reason she decided to go to rehab in 2004.

Part of Donatella's post-treatment recovery from cocaine addiction was daily morning workouts, according to the outlet.

In 2011, at 24 years old, Allegra accepted her uncle's inheritance and took her seat on Versace's board.

Before she accepted her shares, Allegra told LaRepublica in 2011 that she preferred anonymity and enjoyed living in the US, working for other designers, and attending college.

In her 2018 interview with Ssense, Donatella said her daughter was "highly intelligent and a very keen observer."

"Everyone pays rapt attention whenever she takes the floor at a board meeting — not because she owns half of the company, but because she asks the right questions," Donatella said.

Santo didn't have a passion for fashion like his siblings.

Although Santo serves as the president and co-CEO of Gianni Versace S.p.A., he told The New Yorker in 2007, "I work in fashion because Gianni was a talent."

Otherwise, he said his real passion lies in charity. He said he constantly thinks of the people who are "suffering" and in poverty.

Santo has also been an elected member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic in Calabria since 2008.

Throughout the years, people have tried to document the life of the Versace family in books and television series, but nothing succeeded until the 2018 FX series "American Crime Story."

Ryan Murphy focused on Gianni's killer in season two of his acclaimed "American Crime Story" series.

Although Donatella gave the actor Penelope Cruz her blessing to portray her, she and her whole family did not approve of the season, E! News reported.

Cruz told the outlet that she accepted the role after getting Donatella's blessing in a phone call. She revealed that Donatella said she had nothing to do with the show but that if someone was going to play her, she was glad it was Cruz.

The family stands by its denunciation of the show, saying it's an inaccurate portrayal of their brother's life and his murder. Murphy, the show's executive producer, said he thought his team was being kind to the family through the show's portrayal of them.

In 2014, the Versace family sold 20% of the company to the Blackstone Group.

Donatella told Ssense that right after Gianni was shot, companies came to her asking her to sell them Gianni Versace S.p.A., saying things like, "None of your family will ever have to work again."

But Donatella wouldn't sell. She told Ssense, "My brother would not have wanted me to sell a single office chair. To him, the company was family, and you don't sell family."

However, the family sold some of the company to Blackstone Group in 2014 to help move Gianni Versace S.p.A. forward as a business, according to The Business of Fashion. Then, in 2016, Jonathan Akeroyd stepped in as CEO to overhaul people's perception of the brand, which was not doing well.

Akeroyd proved to be a good addition to the team. Twenty years after Gianni died, Donatella managed to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in the fashion world — so much so that fashion journalists dubbed 2017 "the year of Versace."

Donatella carried on Gianni's legacy in the brand's comeback.

Donatella incorporated her brother's loudest designs, styles, and prints in the 2017 collection. She also brought out the models he featured most to close her spring 2018 line showing in Milan.

The Versace family sold its shares of the company in 2018.

While the Versace family had stayed busy by running the company from every angle — keeping it in the family — they sold all of their shares in the company to Capri Holdings, which also owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, in 2018.

John Idol, the chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings, said in a statement after the group acquired Versace that the Italian fashion house "has represented the epitome of Italian fashion luxury." He went on to call the brand timeless.

Michael Kors Holdings — the company's name before the Versace acquisition — purchased Versace for over $2.1 billion.

Donatella remained Versace's chief creative officer, and Santo remained chairman and president. After the sale, the family owned the equivalent of $176 million of Capri Holdings in group stock, per Business of Fashion.

Versace continued to be a staple of the fashion industry after its acquisition, though sales have declined in recent years.

In March 2025, Donatella announced she was stepping down as Versace's creative director.

On Thursday, Donatella took to Instagram to announce she would be stepping down as creative director for Versace and becoming chief brand ambassador instead. Dario Vitale will take over as creative director.

"Championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me," she wrote on her Instagram. "I am thrilled that Dario Vitale will be joining us, and excited to see Versace through new eyes. I want to thank my incredible design team and all the employees at Versace that I have had the privilege of working with for over three decades."

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy," Donatella said. "He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity. In my new role as Chief Brand Ambassador, I will remain Versace's most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart."

The news comes amid reports Capri Holdings is nearing a deal to sell Versace to Prada, which improved both company's stocks.

• "Golden Bachelorette" star Joan Vassos said she has more time and energy in her 60s to be active.
• She loves energizing hobbies like pickleball and also does strength exercise for longevity.
• Her healthy eating strategy is to get plenty of protein like turkey, and enjoy daily treats too.

At 62, the fun is just getting started for Joan Vassos.

The "Golden Bachelorette" star said that as the years go by, she has more time for what she loves — activities like pickleball, playing with her grandkids, and traveling — and plenty of energy to keep up.

"I feel like I'm living kind of backwards, that I am doing more things and I'm more active at this age than I was when I was younger," Vassos told Business Insider in an interview on her partnership with pain relief brand Aspercreme.

She credits her active lifestyle for helping her look and feel youthful, from lifting weights for strong bones and muscles, to eating enough protein for longevity — with treats like chocolate to look forward to.

"Age is just a number and it shouldn't define what you do and who you are," Vassos said. "When I was growing up, as you became a grandmother, you were expected to slow down and act like a grandmother. And I feel like that is so not true anymore."

Social exercise like pickleball is good for longevity

Vassos said one of the biggest benefits of getting older is that she has more time to do the activities she loves instead of hitting the gym at 5 am before getting the kids to school and heading to work.

She enjoys hiking with friends as well as improving her pickleball game. The trendy sport that can help develop balance, agility, and core strength, all of which are key factors in longevity and healthy aging.

Vassos said her best exercise advice is to make it a group activity, whether you're into pickleball or just taking a walk. In her 30s and 40s, she'd meet up with other moms to take a few laps around the nearby track while her kids were at sports practice.

"I made some of the best friends I ever had during those years and I really looked forward to going," Vassos said. "That social aspect of it is good. It fuels my soul, also the workout is good for you."

She does strength workouts at home

Vassos said resistance training like push-ups, planks, and dumbbell exercise play a major role in keeping her healthy and resilient over time.

"It's important because bone density is a big issue at this age. You need to use weights to help with bone density," she said.

Research suggests lifting weights and other strength workouts can boost longevity, reduce the risk of injuries, and improve quality of life too.

Pulling up a quick YouTube video and using some dumbbells at home can be more convenient and less intimidating than hitting the weight room, Vassos said.

"If I had to get ready every morning and go to a gym, I probably wouldn't do it. But things are easy now. You can turn on your TV, pull up YouTube and you can do any exercise you want," she said.

A high-protein diet fortifies the body

Vassos said her diet is big on protein. It typically includes a lot of lean meats like turkey or rotisserie chicken as an easy, versatile staple for healthy meals.

"I naturally gravitate to protein," she said.

Protein is a crucial nutrient for building and maintaining muscle, and repairing tissue. As people age, muscle mass can decline over time, so it's important for older people, especially women, to get enough protein for longevity.

She has a daily treat like cookies or chocolate

Along with a generally balanced diet, the key to eating well over time is a bit of indulgence, according to Vassos.

"I don't really deny myself anything. I don't drink a lot of wine, but I drink a little bit of wine and when I go to dinner, I will order dessert and share it with somebody," she said.

Her kitchen is always stocked with sweet treats like chocolate or cookies, and enjoying them helps keep her on track for the long-term.

"If I denied myself, I would probably crave a cookie. But if I have a couple cookies a day, it's not going to kill me," Vassos said. "It's about living life and being happy."

• It's performance review season at TikTok, and some staff with low scores have been given a choice.
• They can either go on a performance-improvement plan or leave with severance, employees told BI.
• The company last year asked managers to deliver more low scores during review cycles.

It's review season for US staff at TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, and some employees are getting a choice: PIP or go.

TikTok is offering some employees who received low performance scores the choice of submitting to a performance improvement plan (PIP) or agreeing to leave the company with some severance, according to two e-commerce employees who received the offers verbally and three other current staffers who had heard directly from colleagues about the arrangement. TikTok instructed managers last year to deliver more low scores in reviews.

The employees said the value of the offers, which have also been made in earlier cycles, varied. One offer included one month in which the staffer would stay on payroll without having to work — often referred to as "garden leave" — along with a separate one-month severance payout arranged as part of a mutual separation agreement. The staffers who spoke to Business Insider asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation; their identities are known to BI.

Business Insider was unable to determine how many employees had been given an offer like this as part of this review cycle. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the company was implementing PIPs but said they did not have information on severance offers. In February, The Information reported that TikTok's CEO Shou Chew had said he wanted to review the company's workforce and remove unnecessary layers.

TikTok and ByteDance are not the only tech companies to offer voluntary exit agreements to staff with low scores. In 2024, Meta began delivering lower ratings to staff as part of a workplace efficiency effort, offering some of those staff a chance to take three months' severance instead of going on a PIP. Other tech companies similarly offer PIPs, which can be tough to recover from no matter where you work. And a push to identify "low performers" has become trendy across the workforce.

Three current TikTok staffers told BI that they felt that accepting a PIP instead of severance was rare at the company because it was very challenging to survive a PIP.

"I have never met somebody who's passed a PIP," one of the staffers said.

The departure agreements arrive at a challenging moment for TikTok. The company's political future in the US is up in the air due to a divest-or-ban law that asked TikTok to find a new owner. In January, President Donald Trump instructed his attorney general not to enforce the law for 75 days, giving TikTok and ByteDance some more time to find a political resolution.

Current and former employees at TikTok told BI that burnout has become common at the company amid political uncertainty and the pressure to perform. Performance evaluations, in particular, have become a point of anxiety.

While TikTok reviews employees twice a year, it sometimes feels like "it's always performance review season," one of the current staffers said. "They'll PIP people, and then they'll hire new people, and then they'll continue this meat grinder of performance reviews."

• Sarah Wynn-Williams's memoir contains details about her experiences working at Facebook, now Meta.
• The Careless People author spoke with BI about how and why she wrote the book.
• Meta has since won a ruling barring Wynn-Williams from promoting the book.

Hours before an arbitrator ruled in Meta's favor, barring Sarah Wynn-Williams from promoting her explosive new tell-all about the company, she sat down for an interview with Business Insider. Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism, released Tuesday, is a scathing memoir detailing Wynn-Williams' time at Facebook, now Meta, where she worked in global public policy from 2011 to 2017.

The book seemed to materialize out of nowhere, announced less than a week before its release. And yet, it had all the makings of a bombshell.

Wynn-Williams describes an internal culture built on power, deference, and secrecy, where Mark Zuckerberg's employees allegedly let him win at board games, where executives reportedly bent over backward to court the Chinese government, and where she claims Meta's top policy executive, Joel Kaplan, sexually harassed her. (Meta has denied the allegations about Kaplan, saying an internal investigation found them "misleading" and "unfounded." The company cleared Kaplan in 2017. Meta also published a document stating that some of Wynn-Williams' claims in the book about Meta's China and Myanmar operations were "old news").

Earlier this month, Wynn-Williams also filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC over Meta's dealings in China, alleging the company misled investors, and went to great lengths to please the Chinese government in a failed attempt to launch Facebook in the country.

"This is all pushed by an employee terminated eight years ago for poor performance. We do not operate our services in China today," a Meta Spokesperson said.

"It is no secret we were once interested in doing so as part of Facebook's effort to connect the world. This was widely reported beginning a decade ago. We ultimately opted not to go through with the ideas we'd explored, which Mark Zuckerberg announced in 2019."

After leaving Meta, Wynn-Williams shifted her focus to AI policy, including participating in a dialogue between US and Chinese experts on AI and military risks.

Since its release, Careless People has made headlines and drawn a swift, aggressive response from Meta. Multiple current and former employees, including some featured in the book, have publicly disputed Wynn-Williams' claims, calling them exaggerated or false. The company has gone after her in an unprecedented way, arguing that she violated a nondisparagement agreement and securing an emergency arbitration ruling that restricts her ability to speak publicly about the book.

"This book is a mix of out-of-date and previously reported claims about the company and false accusations about our executives," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

"Sarah Wynn-Williams was fired for poor performance and toxic behavior, and an investigation at the time determined she made misleading and unfounded allegations of harassment. Since then, she has been paid by anti-Facebook activists, and this is simply a continuation of that work," the statement continued. "Whistleblower status protects communications to the government, not disgruntled activists trying to sell books."

When reached for comment about the arbitration ruling, a legal representative for Wynn-Williams said: "Because of an order dated 12 March sought by Meta, Ms Wynn-Williams has been prevented from providing comment."

Flatiron Books, Wynn-William's publisher, provided BI with the following statement: "The arbitration order has no impact on Macmillan. However, we are appalled by Meta's tactics to silence our author through the use of a non-disparagement clause in a severance agreement."

"To be clear", Marlena Bittner, the publisher's director of publicity told BI, "the arbitrator's order makes no reference to the claims within Careless People. The book went through a thorough editing and vetting process, and we remain committed to publishing important books such as this. We will absolutely continue to support and promote it."

Wynn-Williams avoided directly answering some of BI's questions about the company's accusations against her.

Partly driven by the buzz generated by Meta's own attempts to suppress it, Careless People ranked among the top 10 bestsellers on Amazon in the US when this article was published.

Below are excerpts from BI's interview with Wynn-Williams, edited for clarity.

A lot of people were surprised when this book was announced. Why did you keep it under wraps?

Well, if you see the reaction that's happened since, I think that explains the decision. When I decided to tell my story and speak out about all these true experiences that are in the book, I wanted to make sure that the story would be out there.

It seems crazy when we live in a world where Meta is doubling down on freedom of expression and purports to be about supporting free speech. I thought: I want this out in the world—and so that's part of the reason for doing it that way.

You left Facebook in 2017. Why did you decide to release it now, after all these years?

Because I think we're on the cusp of this new era of technology. We're stepping into this AI era, and at a high level, I don't want the mistakes that were made during the social media era to be applied to the AI era.

One of the things that I've worked on since leaving [Meta] is the US-China AI dialogue on AI in weapons. So, I really understand the existential nature of AI. I also understand these people and how decisions are made. That's why, as we go into this new era, we have to do it better. China is such a big part of the story of AI. It's this growing strategic rivalry and how technology is so central to that rivalry.

And yet, this company has been doing things in the shadows for so long with the Chinese Communist Party, and their line is, oh, you know, we tried to get our services [into China] and we told you in 2019 that didn't happen. Have a look at how much of [Meta's] revenue comes from China — it's $18 billion.

(Editor's note: According to Meta's 2024 annual report, the company made $18.35 billion from China, primarily through resellers serving Chinese advertisers targeting global users.) So it seems that everyone is operating under the false notion that Meta is not operating in China when actually, it is fundamental to its current valuation, it's fundamental to its future growth. And we don't talk openly about it at the very time that we're about to enter this new AI era.

What was your process for writing this book? How long did it take you?

The process was off and on. It was something that I felt there was a growing need and importance [for]. It's a memoir; it's my story; and it's a true story that is also underpinned by evidence, and, further to that, underpinned [by my] filing with the SEC.

[My writing process] wasn't a linear thing. There were moments when something would happen, there would be a headline about China, and I'd think, "It would be so different if people knew the truth." Or there'd be a headline about something bad happening with teens using Instagram, and I'd think "Oh God." The story they were telling was departing more and more from the truth and it seemed more and more imperative that the truth was out there.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone has said that your book wasn't fact-checked and that nobody reached out to Meta for comment. Did you get the book fact-checked?

I think Meta's problem is using this to not answer the questions themselves. What I would love is for us not to fall into the distraction. There's a real risk that we talk about things that don't matter. We've got these huge issues like China and I notice they're not providing any detail on that. There are so many smart people who've worked at this company and who are covering this company. Like, we have to do better.

A lot of current and former Meta employees have contested the claims in your book and said that they're fabricated or exaggerated. How do you respond to those statements?

Again, this is another distraction from talking about the things that Meta has done and the hypocrisy around that. It's making the conversation about them and their response, not about the true stories in this book that people need to know.

Have you personally heard from any current or former Meta employees since the book came out?

So many, and it's been so nice. I realize there are some very decent people who have worked at Meta and it's been amazing. The support has been incredible. I am very touched. I am very grateful. There are people who were in the trenches who had lived these stories with me, who were the ones raising eyebrows when stuff was feeling like "Oh, is this really happening?" It means a lot that they recognize the truth of the story and they also see themselves in it and as part of it.

Has Meta changed its ways since you've left? Do you see any difference in the way the company operates or in how senior management thinks about some of the issues that you bring up in the book?

I sit where I sit, but I see exactly the same behavior. I see a company that says it has changed all its accounts for teens, has a big push on that, and yet, hasn't grappled with [questions] like: Are you still gathering information about when teenagers are feeling worthless? What data are you giving to advertisers about 13 to 17-year-olds? Where are you surveilling teens on and off the platform? Go and ask them those specific questions and then see if it's the same company or a different company. See if you get answers that satisfy you.

I think broadly the tech press does continue to ask these questions of Meta.

Do you feel like you get straight answers?

You sometimes do.

That's part of why I wrote this. Use it to ask the questions, and you'll have the truth in your hands. You can go back on each of these things and say, like, "You know, show us the documents, show us the truth."

You worked closely with Mark Zuckerberg. I'm curious what you think about his transformation over the last year where he's trying to look cool and more accessible, wearing chains, and doing mixed martial arts.

Mark Zuckerberg has worn many different costumes and he continues to wear many different costumes. In my time at Facebook, he was cozying up with the Chinese Communist Party. Now he's cozying up with President Trump. It's one of the many costumes, and it's all in service of more power to Mark Zuckerberg — whether it's promoting President Xi and asking him to name your first-born child and learn Mandarin or now this moment [where] it's wrestling and wearing chains. Let's see it for what it is.

What do you make of Meta moving away from fact-checking on its platforms and getting rid of DEI initiatives?

Don't you think it's ironic that they're pivoting away from fact-checking and yet one of your questions to me was all about fact-checking at the behest of the Meta spokesperson? The hypocrisy is so outrageous. People need to read the book, understand the truth, and then say, "No, we know who you are — stop it."

Meta has released a statement saying that you were fired for poor performance and toxic behavior. They've called your allegations "misleading" and "unfounded". They've said that you're being paid by anti-Facebook activists.

They're trying to smear me and convince people not to read the book. People should read the book. The truth is in the book. They can make up their own minds. I stand by everything in the book. It's true, and that's what the focus should be on.

The focus should be on China. It should be on what they're doing with teens. It should be on genocide and Myanmar. These are really serious issues. That's where the discussion needs to be. I can't overstate how much more important each of those things is.

So, just for the record: you're not being paid by anti-Facebook activists, right?

I'm not being paid by anyone!

They're also gearing up to take legal action against Macmillan, your publisher.

It's a surprising choice, to the extent that they're a "freedom of expression" company.

People should be asking questions about their commitment to freedom of expression. People should be asking questions about their principles and their values and their actions, as always, are so different from their words. People need to focus on their actions. Don't get distracted. Look at what they do, not at what they say.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the year Wynn-Williams' employment with Facebook ended. Wynn-Williams told BI that she was on payroll until 2018. A Meta spokesperson said that although she received her severance in 2018, her employment ended in 2017.

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• Brad Pitt and Damson Idris star as fictional Formula 1 drivers in the upcoming movie "F1."
• The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton served as a producer.
• Pitt spent months training; that's really him driving at 180 mph on actual F1 race tracks.

Formula 1 is getting the Hollywood treatment.

The motorsport's drama on and off the track has inspired a new movie, simply titled "F1," which will hit theaters this summer. It's directed by "Top Gun: Maverick" filmmaker Joseph Kosinski and stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris as teammates on a fictional 11th team on the grid, known as APXGP.

Whether you're an F1 fan or a cinephile looking for a summer popcorn movie, Kosinski guarantees that the movie will appeal to a wide audience.

"If you don't know anything about Formula 1, I think you're going to like this movie and you might come out wanting to watch some races or maybe even go to a race," he said at a global virtual trailer launch event attended by Business Insider on Tuesday. "You don't need to know anything going in. We'll teach you everything you need to enjoy this story."

Here's everything to know about "F1," from the training the actors underwent to portray race drivers to the real-life F1 stars who may pop up in the film.

The 'F1' cast includes Brad Pitt and Damson Idris as unlikely teammates

Pitt and Idris star as Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce, respectively. The plot is set in motion by Sonny, a washed-up former driver, joining F1 alongside his rookie APXGP teammate Joshua.

Trailers released so far have teased tension between the two drivers, with Sonny being called a "prick" and a "gambling junkie who missed his shot" while Joshua's inexperience leads to frustration.

The film also stars Javier Bardem as Ruben, the owner of APXGP who pairs Sonny and Joshua together because he sees potential, and Kerry Condon as Kate, the team's technical director who appears to be romantically involved with Sonny.

Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton served as a producer

Lewis Hamilton, one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, is credited as a producer on the movie and worked alongside the cast and crew to ensure that technical aspects remained true to the motorsport.

"As someone who's dedicated his whole life to this sport, I'm so, so honored to have worked alongside this team of actors and filmmakers," Hamilton said at a global virtual trailer launch event. "This has been such a thrill for me. And I genuinely promise this film delivers on every level."

During the event, Kosinski said that he got hooked on F1 after watching Netflix's docuseries "Drive to Survive."

"I found that it's an incredibly unique sport in that your teammate is also your, in many ways, your greatest competition," he said. "And for me, that makes for a great drama."

The director said that he reached out to Hamilton so he could give real insights into F1, from a technical standpoint and narratively, since the driver has been both a rookie and a veteran in his career.

Hamilton also introduced Kosinski to Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team principal Toto Wolff, who suggested ways to capture the action.

Pitt and Idris are actually driving at high speeds on actual F1 race tracks

The two actors really are behind the wheel of those fast cars in "F1."

Kosinski said they bought real F2 cars and worked with Mercedes AMG and their engineers to build real race cars that could properly hold their camera equipment.

"Every time you see Brad or Damson driving this movie, they're driving on their own in one of these real race cars on a real F1 track," he said.

"Watching Brad drive around speeds over 180 miles an hour was really impressive to see because it's not something you can just learn overnight," Hamilton said.

Filming for "F1" took place during actual Grand Prix weekends in 2023 and 2024, and the crowds that appear in the stands during movie scenes are real fans who were in attendance. The crew had access to the tracks in Great Britain, Las Vegas, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi, which is where the film ends.

"F1" was also made in collaboration with Formula 1 and the 10 real teams and their drivers. That means that real drivers will appear in the film, though it's unclear how involved they'll be in the plot and whether they'll have speaking lines.

The trailers released so far have shown brief glimpses of F1 drivers like Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes' George Russell were also seen filming a scene on the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, where Pitt's character celebrated a victory with a champagne shower.

Kosinski described the process of filming during race weekends as a "traveling circus," trying to squeeze production into small windows of time when they were free to use the track between practice, qualifying, and races.

"We'd get these 10 or 15-minute slots where we'd have to have Brad and Damson ready in the cars, warmed up with hot tyres ready to go, and as soon as practice ended, they would pull out onto the track," he said.

"It was like a live stage play, but in front of hundreds of thousands of people shooting at 180 miles an hour," Kosinski added. "So it was an adrenaline rush every weekend, but what we captured is something you can't fake, you can't stage."

Pitt and Idris spent months training

Specific details about Pitt and Idris' training routines are unknown, but if the actors prepped like real F1 drivers, they likely did reflex and strength training, in addition to learning the ins and outs of the cars.

Kosinski said that Pitt turned out to be a "naturally gifted driver," making the process even easier.

"When you see Brad driving, that's not acting," he added. "He's really concentrating on keeping that car on the track and out of the wall during all those scenes. So that's something that you just can't fake."

The 'F1' release date is June 27

The movie will be released this summer, during the same weekend as the Austrian Grand Prix.

• Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's relationship goes back decades, when their moms introduced them as kids.
• Affleck told BI at the "The Accountant 2" premiere that he doesn't have many close friends.
• "You don't need a million friends. You need a few," Affleck said.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's decadeslong friendship is precious — just ask Affleck.

"It's a beautiful thing," Affleck told reporters at the red carpet premiere of "The Accountant 2" at the SXSW Film & TV Festival Saturday. "You know, I don't have very many — none of us really have very many friends. You don't need a million friends. You need a few. You need good ones."

"I'm really lucky to have had a friend in Matt," he added.

Affleck and Damon's friendship extends back to their childhood, when their moms introduced them as kids in the 1980s. They've come a long way since working as uncredited extras together on the 1989 Kevin Costner movie "Field of Dreams," including winning an Oscar together for writing "Good Will Hunting" in 1998.

It's not just Affleck who's gushed about their friendship. In 2023, Damon reflected on how his bond with Affleck changed after his dad died in 2017, calling his friendship with Affleck one of "the three most significant partnerships" in his life.

In addition to their busy acting careers — Damon can next be seen leading the stacked cast of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," while Affleck returns for "The Accountant 2" in April — both have thriving behind-the-scenes careers as producers.

In 2022, they founded Artists Equity together, and "The Accountant 2" is one of the films they've produced. It's a far cry from their days sharing a bank account and hoping their power wouldn't get turned off.

"It's been very rewarding to create an opportunity for other people, directors and artists, to kind of be able to take responsibility for and manage and have a more creative say in their projects," Affleck said, adding that "The Accountant 2" director Gavin O'Connor had a strong vision for the film. "We wanted to set him up to succeed, and I feel like this movie, frankly, really validates that approach."

"The Accountant 2" is in theaters April 25.