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Trump's order says he won't enforce the TikTok ban. Will that be enough for Apple and Google?

TikTok CEO Shou Chew attended Trump's second presidential inauguration.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew attended Trump's second presidential inauguration.

Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images

  • President Trump signed an executive order on Monday giving TikTok 75 more days to operate in the US.
  • The move came after TikTok briefly shut down to comply with a divest-or-ban law.
  • Legal analysts say Trump's order may not be enough to bring TikTok back to US app stores.

TikTok is back online for existing US users after briefly going dark over the weekend to comply with a divest-or-ban law.

But it's still gone from US app stores. The app may face an uphill battle to get back there despite President Trump's executive order on Monday granting TikTok and its partners 75 more days to operate without drawing the ire of the Justice Department.

Trump's executive order directed the attorney general to send a letter to TikTok's service providers telling them they would not face liability related to the law, which required TikTok's owner, ByteDance, to separate from its US assets by January 19. ByteDance did not follow through on that requirement.

Even with Trump's assurance of non-enforcement, the general counsels at Apple or Google's parent company Alphabet may be too risk-averse to add TikTok back to their stores, legal analysts told Business Insider.

The divest-or-ban law, if enforced, could impose hundreds of billions of dollars in fines on service providers that don't cut ties with TikTok and other ByteDance apps, a terrifying prospect for any company lawyer. A letter from the attorney general promising they won't act on the law may not cut it.

"If I were the GC of Alphabet or Apple, I don't think a letter would assuage my fears," said G.S. Hans, a clinical professor of law at Cornell Law School who last year joined an amicus brief opposing the divest-or-ban law.

However, he added: "The heads of those companies may differ with their legal counsel and potentially even override them."

The executive order contains language that might raise red flags for in-house lawyers, too, said Matthew Schettenhelm, a litigation and policy analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

In section three of the executive order, for example, the document states that nothing in the order shall "impair or otherwise affect" the "authority granted by law to an executive department or agency," which seems to undercut the idea that the attorney general would never take action under any circumstance, Schettenhelm said.

"The whole thing is a recipe for a legal mess," Schettenhelm said. "It, therefore, shouldn't make service providers feel comfortable about violating a law tied to such massive liability exposure."

While legal teams at Apple and Google may not be rushing to bring TikTok back to their stores, the stakes for TikTok are different. The company needs to be in app stores to sign up new users and send technical updates to its existing ones. Without those updates, the quality of its app would likely degrade over time.

Apple and Google may still decide to play ball

Other legal analysts were more bullish about the possibility that TikTok could return to app stores following Trump's order.

Aram Gavoor, associate dean for academic affairs at the George Washington University Law School, thought the order would offer an effective "safe harbor" to TikTok's partners, including the app stores. He was not concerned about the apparent contradiction in the third section of the order, describing that language as a "boilerplate."

"Once that attorney general letter is transmitted and received, you have a safe harbor to continue hosting that app on your store," Gavoor said. "It's almost like the IRS issuing a no-action letter for a taxpayer within a given tax year. This conduct is not unlawful, and therefore, that's a basis upon which you can engage in continued lawful conduct."

Apple and Google have not indicated yet whether they will add TikTok back to their app stores after Trump's order. Neither company responded to a request for comment; Google earlier declined to comment.

This weekend, as it removed TikTok and other ByteDance apps from its store, Apple wrote in a statement that it was "obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates," which included complying with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.

The White House and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Big Tech's TikTok choice: Trump? Or the law?

People holding up phones with tiktok logos

twomeows/Getty, Tyler Le/BI

  • On Sunday, TikTok and some US tech companies ignored a TikTok ban law at the urging of Donald Trump.
  • Trump wasn't president at the time. Once he became president, he signed an order that's supposed to put the law on hold.
  • Does Trump have that power? It's unclear. That's a problem for tech companies.

Here's a 2025 conundrum for Big Tech companies: Do they follow the president's orders? Or do they follow the law?

That's what the likes of Apple, Google, and Oracle are grappling with following a chaotic weekend that saw TikTok voluntarily shut itself down in the US, then re-start less than a day later, claiming that "President Trump" said it was OK to do so.

A couple problems with that argument: Donald Trump wasn't president of the United States this weekend — Joe Biden was still in the White House. And yes: Trump immediately signed an executive order after he once again became president on Monday, telling TikTok and other tech companies to ignore a law that says TikTok can't operate in the US while it's owned by a Chinese company. But it's far from clear how much weight Trump's order holds.

So in the very near term, attorneys and executives at tech companies need to decide if they're willing to take Trump's word, or if they need additional assurances.

At the moment, it looks like Oracle, controlled by Trump backer Larry Ellison, is going with Trump's assurances, and is providing cloud services that are keeping TikTok running in the US. Apple and Google, which used to distribute TikTok via their app stores, don't seem convinced: TikTok disappeared from their stores on Sunday and has yet to return. That means US users can have all the TikTok they want, but it prevents TikTok from updating the app for maintenance and repairs — something that could eventually cause problems over time. (I've asked Oracle for comment; Google declined to comment and Apple didn't respond to requests for comment.)

One possible out for Google and Apple: Trump has ordered his attorney general, who seems likely to be Pam Bondi, to send letters to Apple, Google, and other providers giving them the all clear to ignore the law. But Bondi isn't attorney general yet, and even when Apple et al get that letter, it's not clear if it will be enough to satisfy them.

I'm not going to get into the weeds about the nature of executive orders vs. laws — or whether Trump's claim that he can at least temporarily override a law because of national security concerns would hold up in court. Suffice it to say that there isn't any clarity about any of this: Even Trump allies like Sen. Tom Cotton and Speaker Mike Johnson have put out statements that seem to conflict with Trump's statements.

The point is that no one can say, with a straight face, that they have 100% confidence about whether a law, passed overwhelmingly by Congress last year and upheld by a unanimous Supreme Court decision last week, is binding. That's an astonishing place for us to be.

It's also not one that we can pin completely on Trump. In his last days in office, Biden also said he wouldn't enforce the law he signed last year — though he did it via anonymous officials speaking to reporters, and eventually his press secretary, and not via an official order. At the same time, some Democrats who voted for the bill last spring, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, spent the past few days arguing that the sell-or-ban law they approved should be delayed.

But Trump is taking the uncertainty and super-charging it: In social media statements and a press conference he held Monday, he seemed to suggest that the US government itself might end up owning TikTok. Or that maybe it would be American companies that own half the operation. He also argued that TikTok's Chinese ownership really doesn't matter, since the US already uses lots of other stuff made in China, like "telephones." And that even if China is snooping on US users, that probably also doesn't matter because TikTok is mostly used by kids, and, "If China's going to get information about young kids … I dunno. To be honest, I think we have bigger problems than them."

It's worth watching all three minutes of this White House press conference clip, just to get a sense of how off-the-cuff Trump seems to be treating the whole thing. Imagine running a trillion-dollar company and being forced to decipher this:

@dailymail

President Donald Trump shared his views on TikTok as he signed executive orders in the Oval Office on inauguration day. #news #tiktokban #trump #donaldtrump

♬ original sound - Daily Mail

We have been here before, of course. America and the rest of the world spent much of the first Trump administration trying to figure out if Trump really meant what he was saying, or if he could actually act on what he was saying, and whether he'd change his mind a little while later.

One big difference this time around: Tech executives, along with many other US leaders, are scrambling to tell Trump how supportive they are of his presidency this time. But it's one thing to praise Trump, or cut him a check, or to be conspicuously on-camera during his inauguration. Trusting that his say-so is good enough to get you out of trouble for violating a law — if that's what actually happens — is brand-new ground.

Read the original article on Business Insider

See the parties where Silicon Valley's elite and DC insiders celebrated Trump's inauguration

Elon Musk, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos
Musk and Bezos appeared to be on the world's richest double date.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

  • Tech CEOs, GOP megadonors, and media personalities celebrated Donald Trump's inauguration.
  • Parties thrown by the likes of billionaire Peter Thiel and X attracted big Silicon Valley names.
  • The weekend demonstrated a realignment of the richest's Trump support as he starts a second term.

Tech CEOs and billionaires were front and center, quite literally, at Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday — as well as at the parties celebrating his ascendence to president for the second time.

The photos of the Silicon Valley elite taken this past weekend in Washington, D.C., seem to leave little doubt of a broader realignment of Trump's relationship with some of the wealthiest individuals in the country as he heads into his second term. It's a marked change from 2016 and Trump's first term, which often saw the same tech CEOs at odds with the president.

Throughout the weekend, a similar cast of very rich characters was spotted at various events dedicated to the new president.

The Crypto Ball on Friday night kicked things off. One of the evening's stars was David Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and Trump's incoming AI and crypto tzar. The event drew a number of billionaire guests from the industry, like crypto investors Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.

On Saturday, billionaire venture capitalist and GOP megadonor Peter Thiel threw an exclusive party at his D.C. mansion, attended by Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Uber founder Travis Kalanick, The New York Times reported.

On Sunday night, at a party thrown by X, Uber, and Bari Weiss's The Free Press, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi posed with UFC fighter Conor McGregor, while X CEO Linda Yaccarino smiled with podcaster Lex Fridman. The same evening, at a dinner at the National Building Museum, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, chatted with Ivanka Trump.

Monday night's official events — the Commander-in-Chief Ball, the Liberty Ball, and the Starlight Ball — included performances from the likes of the Rascal Flatts, Gavin DeGraw, and Nelly, while Meta CEO Zuckerberg, who'd also had a prime place in the Capitol Rotunda, cohosted a party with billionaire GOP donor Miriam Adelson, Todd Ricketts, and billionaire Tilman Fertitta.

Throughout the weekend, many of Trump's billionaire donors who have been supporters since his first term were also out celebrating, as were members of the media, like podcaster Theo Von and YouTuber Jake Paul.

Here's a look at how the rich and famous celebrated Trump's inauguration:

Crypto Ball

One of the first events of the weekend, Friday's Crypto Ball in the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, brought together many of the biggest — and richest — names in cryptocurrency.

The four hosts of the "All-In" podcast — venture capitalists Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg — were in attendance. Sacks will serve as the White House's artificial intelligence and crypto czar.

The team is together. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7QjSmbfA5j

— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) January 18, 2025

The billionaire Winklevoss twins, who donated to Trump's campaign, also showed up.

Orange-pilled George Washington at the #CryptoBall 🇺🇸🚀 pic.twitter.com/5zBOnIkKUx

— Cameron Winklevoss (@cameron) January 18, 2025

Uber, X, and The Free Press party

On Sunday, The Free Press, Uber, and X (formerly known as Twitter) jointly hosted a party for Trump at D.C.'s Cafe Riggs. Notable guests included Peter Thiel, Lex Fridman, and Jason Calacanis.

The Free Press, which was founded by Bari Weiss (left), cohosted a party whose guest list included Peter Thiel (center) and Matt Danzeisen (right).
The Free Press, which was founded by Bari Weiss (left), cohosted a party whose guest list included Peter Thiel (center) and Matt Danzeisen (right).

Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press

Silicon Valley podcasters Jason Calacanis and Lex Friedman posed with Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X.
Silicon Valley podcasters Jason Calacanis and Lex Fridman posed with Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X.

Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Bari Weiss, The Free Press Founder, posed with UFC fighter Conor McGregor (center) at the party their companies cohosted.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Bari Weiss, The Free Press Founder, posed with UFC fighter Conor McGregor (center) at the party their companies cohosted.

Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Uber, X and The Free Press

Candlelit dinner

The same evening, Bezos, Sánchez, Musk, and Shivon Zillis, a Neuralink executive with whom Musk shares three children, were seen at a candlelit dinner celebrating Donald Trump at the National Building Museum on Sunday.

Elon Musk chatted with Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Jeff Bezos, and Shivon Zillis
Elon Musk chatted with Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Jeff Bezos, and Shivon Zillis at a dinner attended by Donald Trump.

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Elon Musk, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos
Musk and Bezos appeared to be on the world's richest double date.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Starlight Ball

Monday night's festivities included three official balls, as well as other celebrations — like the one cohosted by Zuckerberg.

The Starlight Ball, held at D.C.'s Union Station, seemed to draw the largest collection of big names.

Sánchez posted photos of her ensemble for the Starlight Ball, featuring a Dolce & Gabbana dress and jewelry from Lorraine Schwartz.

X CEO Yaccarino and two other executives from X, which Elon Musk owns, attended the Starlight Ball.

With the fabulous women of X at the Starlight Ball at Union Station! pic.twitter.com/eeXiULQ4oK

— Angela Zepeda (@angelamzepeda) January 21, 2025

Google cofounder Sergey Brin made an appearance as well.

How I Met Google Founder Sergey Brin and Saw Him Wearing a Hostage Necklace

Last night, I attended the Starlight Ball, hosted by President Trump following his inauguration. While speaking with a friend shortly before President Trump entered the room, I spotted someone who looked… pic.twitter.com/5rVIUkPKCm

— Yossi Farro (@FarroYossi) January 21, 2025

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson were also out celebrating — and seemed to be getting along fine after their Netflix boxing match.

Read the original article on Business Insider

McKinsey senior executive departing firm to lead an 'under-the-radar' AI company

Matthew Fitzpatrick
Matthew Fitzpatrick is moving on from QuantumBlack Labs role to head Invisible Technologies.

FINN Partners

  • McKinsey executive Matthew Fitzpatrick is leaving the firm to become CEO of Invisible Technologies.
  • Fitzpatrick led QuantumBlack Labs, developing AI software and tools for companies.
  • Invisible Technologies, a company focused on AI training, is valued at $500M, the company said.

One of McKinsey & Company's top executives is leaving the firm for Silicon Valley's new promised land: the AI industry.

After 12 years at McKinsey, Matthew Fitzpatrick, senior partner and global head of QuantumBlack Labs — the software and research and development arm of the firm's AI division QuantumBlack— is stepping down.

During his tenure, Fitzpatrick led teams that helped companies scale AI projects and oversaw the development of tools like Kedro, an open-source analytics and machine learning library that McKinsey said has been downloaded more than 17 million times since its launch in 2019.

In his next role, he will serve as the CEO of Invisible Technologies, a key company in the AI industry that has kept a relatively low profile.

Invisible Technologies specializes in data pre-training, the initial phase of training for large language model developers, and post-training, which helps refine models for companies adopting the technology. Invisible Technologies was valued at $500 million in 2024, according to a press release from the company.

Fitzpatrick said he believes Invisible can help businesses tackle one of the biggest challenges of the moment — effectively integrating AI into their operations.

"Despite the hype around AI, we're at a point where fewer than 10% of AI models reach usage and production because enterprises don't have the experience to evaluate, train, and operationalize them," Fitzpatrick said in the company's press release. "That's where Invisible shines. I'm bullish we can help customers cross the chasm and realize the massive potential of AI."

Fitzpatrick told BI the move came about through conversations with Invisible's founder, Francis Pedraza, whom he met through a networking organization.

"It's the most under-the-radar critical AI company in the US that I've ever seen, and it's been involved in all of the model training for the last five years but has done very little publicity of any kind around that," he said.

He said he sees companies having a strong demand for Invisible's services. The challenge, however, is "not growing too fast that we in any way sacrifice quality," he said.

Somesh Khanna, a former colleague of Fitzpatrick's, told BI Fitzpatrick built a reputation for changing McKinsey's talent pool, bringing more engineers and employees with quantitative skills into the fold. McKinsey told BI that it now employs 7,000 people as technologists, designers, and product managers. Fitzpatrick was responsible for overseeing 1,000 of them, a rep for Fitzpatrick told BI.

"The biggest thing is that in the McKinsey model of the past it was very hard for atypical profiles such as PhDs or data engineers or scientists to integrate into the culture of the firm. McKinsey's philosophy centered around acquiring amazing talent and teaching these individuals the McKinsey approach to problem-solving and client service," Khanna, a senior partner who retired from the firm in May after almost three decades, told BI.

"These guys, the new team that Matt was hiring and developing, were even more different — people who basically were hands-on keyboards guys, not power pointers."

Khanna said Fitzpatrick was critical in integrating this new breed of talent with deep technical skills into the firm.

Fitzpatrick will be succeeded at QuantumBlack Labs by McKinsey senior partner Tomás Lajous.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Photos show how the White House's decor has changed over the years

President Joe Biden meets in the Oval Office
Joe Biden in the Oval Office.

Al Drago/The New York Times-Pool/Getty Images

  • The Oval Office has been expanded, renovated, and redecorated several times throughout US history.
  • Donald Trump redecorated the Oval Office with many of the same artifacts from his first term.
  • Truman renovated the State Dining Room in the '50s, and Jacqueline Kennedy restored it in the '60s.

The White House has 132 rooms, and each new US president gets $100,000 to redecorate them.

With every new president comes new design choices, often reflecting their values and political views.

We traced the histories of three significant White House rooms — the Oval Office, the Blue Room, and the State Dining Room — to see how their designs have changed over the years.

The Oval Office is the president's formal work space.
President Joe Biden signs an executive order in the Oval Office
Joe Biden in the Oval Office.

Evan Vucci

The office's oval shape was inspired by the shape of the Blue Room on the first floor, according to the White House Historical Association.

It was completed in 1909 under President William Taft.
President Taft sits in the Oval Office.
William Taft in the Oval Office.

B.M. Clinedinst/Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

The Oval Office was designed by architect Nathan C. Wyeth.

A fire destroyed much of the West Wing in 1929, so President Herbert Hoover restored and expanded it in 1930.
Construction on the new Oval Office, 1930.
The new Oval Office under construction.

Harris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress

Among Hoover's upgrades was the Oval Office's first telephone.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt redesigned and moved the Oval Office in 1934.
The Oval Office in 1934.
The Oval Office in 1934.

Harris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress

Roosevelt expanded the West Wing to accommodate more staff. The Oval Office was moved to the southeast corner of the White House, which had initially been a laundry-drying yard.

He also added details like a ceiling medallion.
The ceiling medallion inside the Oval Office.
The ceiling of the Oval Office.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

The ceiling depicts the Presidential Seal.

First lady Jacqueline Kennedy had the Resolute Desk restored in 1963.
The Oval Office, with a restored Resolute Desk, in 1963.
John F. Kennedy's Oval Office.

Harold Sellers/JFK Library

The Resolute Desk was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.

President Gerald Ford added his own touch with a burgundy color scheme and striped couches in 1975.
The Oval Office in 1975 during Gerald Ford's presidency.
Gerald Ford's Oval Office.

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum

Striped sofas were a popular furniture trend in the '70s.

President George H.W. Bush's Oval Office redecoration included a new rug with a gold Presidential Seal, new drapes, a coffee table, and two tall armchairs.
The Oval Office in 1990. It has a blue rug and blue curtains
George H.W. Bush's Oval Office.

Susan Biddle/White House/File/AP

The armchairs on either side of the Resolute Desk, dating back to Hoover's time in the White House, were reupholstered in blue.

First lady Nancy Reagan designed a new Oval Office rug for her husband, President Ronald Reagan.
Oval Office Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office.

Doug Mills/AP Images

The rug featured olive branches along the border and sunbeam designs around the presidential seal in the center.

President Bill Clinton had a new blue rug and gold curtains installed.
The Oval Office in 1993 featuring a blue rug and yellow curtains
The Oval Office under Bill Clinton.

J.Scott Applewhite/File/AP

The rug was made by The Scott Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

President George W. Bush preferred neutral tones for his Oval Office rug.
The Oval Office in 2001 decorated in neutral tones
The Oval Office under George W. Bush.

Mark Wilson/Newsmakers/Getty Images

The new gold rug featured a sunbeam design.

President Barack Obama added red curtains, striped wallpaper, and a new rug also made by The Scott Group.
President Barack Obama sits in the Oval Office, which has red curtains and striped wallpaper
Barack Obama in the Oval Office.

Pete Souza/Getty Images

The rug featured the Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.'' 

During his first term, President Donald Trump reinstalled Clinton's gold curtains, lay down Ronald Reagan's rug, and added a portrait of President Andrew Jackson.
Donald Trump gestures to cameras in the Oval Office in 2017
Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jackson's treatment of Native Americans, including the signing of the Indian Removal Act, has made him a controversial figure.

President Joe Biden removed Trump's portrait of Andrew Jackson and hung one of FDR, a progressive who guided the country out of troubled times.
President Joe Biden meets in the Oval Office
Joe Biden in the Oval Office.

Al Drago/The New York Times-Pool/Getty Images

In addition to Roosevelt, the wall featured portraits of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton hung together to symbolize the benefits of different opinions.

Biden's Oval Office also included busts of fellow progressives and activists showcased throughout the room: Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.

When Trump returned to the White House for his second term in 2025, he brought back the portrait of Jackson and the Reagan rug.
Donald Trump in the Oval Office in 2025.
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office during his second term.

JIM WATSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Trump also reinstated a red button on the Resolute Desk that summons a Diet Coke, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Blue Room is where presidents receive guests.
President Donald Trump in the Blue Room in 2017.
Donald Trump in the Blue Room.

Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images

The oval shape dates back to President George Washington's practice of holding levees, formal greeting receptions inspired by English court, according to the White House Historical Association.

FDR used the Blue Room as his temporary office while the Oval Office was being remodeled in 1934.
A black and white photo of the Blue Room of the White House in 1934
The Blue Room during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency.

AP

By 1940, Roosevelt cleared out and returned to the Oval Office.

During Kennedy's presidency, the Blue Room displayed various antiques and paintings.
The Blue Room in the White House in 1963.
The Blue Room in 1963.

AP

It also featured striped wallpaper.

Heavy blue curtains covered the windows in the 1970s.
The Blue Room in the White House in the 1970s.
The Blue Room.

Harvey Meston/Getty Images

The striped wallpaper was replaced with dark blue.

When Hillary Rodham Clinton served as first lady, she unveiled a renovated Blue Room in 1995.
Hillary Clinton in the Blue Room in the White House in 1995
Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Blue Room.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The room was remodeled after the Committee for the Preservation of the White House recommended that it be refurbished.

Most notably, the blue wallpaper was replaced with yellow wallpaper during the renovations.
The Blue Room in the White House in 2001.
George W. Bush and Tony Blair in the Blue Room.

Eric Draper/White House/Getty Images

The Blue Room isn't just for ceremonial greetings. In 2001, President George W. Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair there before addressing the nation in the wake of September 11.

The Blue Room is particularly festive during the holidays.
A Christmas tree in the Blue Room in 2009
The Blue Room at Christmas during Barack Obama's presidency.

J. Scott Applewhite/File/AP

For the Obamas' first Christmas in the White House in 2009, the Blue Room was adorned with an 18-foot high Douglas fir illuminated with LED lights.

The Blue Room houses the official White House Christmas tree.
The Blue Room in the White House decorated for Christmas in 2021.
The official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room during Joe Biden's presidency.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

In 2021, first lady Jill Biden decorated the tree with doves carrying a banner with the names of every US state and territory.

The State Dining Room is where the White House hosts state and holiday dinners, as well as the occasional meeting.
People sit in the State Dining Room in the White House in 2017.
The State Dining Room during Donald Trump's first presidency.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The menu is usually chosen by the first lady.

The State Dining Room was green during President Theodore Roosevelt's presidency in 1904.
The State Dining Room, with green carpet and green furnishings, in 1904.
The State Dining Room during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency.

Library of Congress

Roosevelt expanded the State Dining Room during the 1902 White House renovation and added a moose head to the walls.

The design stayed largely the same until President Harry Truman renovated the entire White House in 1952.
The White House State Dining Room, circa 1948, with wood paneling and carpet
The State Dining Room, circa 1948.

Library of Congress

The renovation cost $5.7 million, according to the Truman Library Institute.

Jacqueline Kennedy restored much of the White House, including the State Dining Room, in the early 1960s.
Jacqueline Kennedy shows off the State Dining Room in 1962.
Jacqueline Kennedy in the State Dining Room.

AP

She conducted a tour of the newly restored White House that was watched by more than 80 million Americans on television in 1962, according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

During the Reagan presidency, the State Dining Room was decorated with yellow drapes and red tablecloths.
Bill Clinton in the State Dining Room in 1987.
Bill Clinton, then governor of Arkansas, in the State Dining Room.

Ron Edmonds/AP

Back when Clinton was the governor of Arkansas, he spoke at the White House in the State Dining Room in 1987.

The State Dining Room was filled with pink flowers to welcome Australian Prime Minister John Howard in 2006.
The State Dining Room set for a state dinner in 2006.
The State Dining Room.

Shealah Craighead/White House via Getty Images

It featured a cream-colored carpet and matching curtains.

A funky purple tablecloth with green chair cushions brightened up the State Dining Room in 2012 during Obama's presidency.
The State Dining Room set for a state dinner with purple and green colors in 2012.
The State Dining Room.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

The tables were set in honor of British Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to the White House.

The Stat Dining Room can transform into a performance space with mood lighting.
The State Dining Room in purple lighting in 2015.
The State Dining Room as a performance space.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

The State Dining Room was dramatically lit in purple in 2015 for a post-state dinner reception for the prime minister of Japan.

Trump was the first president since the 1920s to not host a state dinner during his first year in office.
The State Dining Room at the White House set for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit in 2018
The State Dining Room set for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit in 2018.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

He did host two state dinners during his presidency: President Emmanual Macron of France in 2018 and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia in 2019.

Biden used the room for meetings and formal events, but he didn't host a state dinner until almost two years into his time in office.
President Joe Biden holds a meeting in the State Dining Room of the White House
Joe Biden in a meeting with private sector CEOs in the State Dining Room.

Andrew Harnik/AP

During Biden's presidency, the State Dining Room featured the same curtains and rug from the Trump administration.

For his first state dinner in 2022, Biden hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in a glass pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House.
Biden's state dinner with Emmanuel Macron held in a glass pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House
Biden's state dinner for French president Emmanuel Macron on the South Lawn of the White House.

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

The event featured a performance by Jon Batiste and a menu including Maine lobster and crème fraîche ice cream.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Trailblazing US Coast Guard leader becomes first top military officer fired after Trump takes office

Adm. Linda Fagan arrives for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on Capitol Hill in June 2024.
Adm. Linda Fagan arrives for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on Capitol Hill in June 2024.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

  • The commandant of the US Coast Guard has been removed from her position.
  • Adm. Linda Fagan was the first uniformed woman to lead a branch of the US military.
  • A senior DHS official said she was sacked over DEI initiatives, border concerns, and other issues.

The commandant of the US Coast Guard has been removed from her position over DEI initiatives, border security concerns, and other issues, a senior Department of Homeland Security official confirmed to Business Insider on Tuesday, just one day after the new Trump administration took over.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman said in a memo to the Coast Guard workforce on Tuesday morning that he had relieved Adm. Linda Fagan from her role. He did not provide any reason for the dismissal, which came just hours after President Donald Trump's inauguration.

"She served a long and illustrious career, and I thank her for her
service to our nation," Huffman, who was appointed to the acting role earlier in the day, wrote in the memo.

Fagan was the first uniformed woman to lead a branch of the US armed forces and had been serving in the top Coast Guard role since 2022. With her dismissal, she's now become the first top military officer to be removed under the new Trump administration. The president and members of his team had previously suggested that it would purge leaders across the armed forces.

A senior DHS official told BI that Fagan was fired "because of her leadership deficiencies, operational failures, and inability to advance the strategic objectives" of the Coast Guard.

President Joe Biden listens with Adm. Linda Fagan as District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at the DC Emergency Operations Center in July 2024.
President Joe Biden listens with Adm. Linda Fagan as District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at the DC Emergency Operations Center in July 2024.

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

The official listed several reasons for her removal, including an alleged failure to address key border security threats, delays and cost overruns in acquiring things like ships and helicopters, and the mishandling of investigations into sexual assault.

The official said that Fagan is to blame for shortfalls in recruiting personnel, although the Coast Guard met its recruitment goals for the first time in several years last October. They also criticized the insufficient interdiction of illicit substances despite numerous counter-narcotics operations that led to the interdiction of $2.5 billion in illegal drugs.

Fagan is also accused of putting "excessive focus" on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which the official said diverted resources and attention from "operational imperatives."

Trump has previously criticized the military and other federal agencies over DEI initiatives and has already taken some actions to combat these policies at a federal level.

The Coast Guard did not comment on Fagan's dismissal. The DHS official and Huffman identified Adm. Kevin Lunday as the new acting commandant of the service. Fox News first reported earlier on Tuesday about the leadership shake-up, which has since been condemned by some lawmakers.

"Firing a Commandant at will by a new President also sets a bad precedent," Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell wrote on social media. "The complexity of the Coast Guard's diverse missions require continuity to protect lives and American interests."

Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney called the dismissal an abuse of power, saying the decision signals Trump's "enduring interest to put politics over the best interest of our servicemembers and national security."

Fagan graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1985 and has been in the service for decades. Her predecessor, Adm. Karl Schultz, previously described her as "a top performer and a trailblazer" with a "distinguished career."

The Coast Guard is a branch of the military, although it falls under DHS rather than the Pentagon. It has more than 50,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel.

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Lawsuits are pouring in to try to stop Trump's executive orders

Donald Trump
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order he has just signed.

Jim WATSON / AFP

  • Donald Trump's day one executive orders are facing court challenges.
  • Several lawsuits target his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
  • Other lawsuits challenge his orders on birthright citizenship and firing federal workers.

President Donald Trump's executive orders — launched in a day one signing flurry — are being challenged by a similarly speedy blitz of lawsuits.

The lawsuits started to roll in on Monday within minutes of Trump being sworn into office for a second term. The Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.

Here are the Trump initiatives that have been targeted so far:

Elon Musk
Elon Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency.

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency

The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency came under swift legal attack shortly after Trump signed an executive order formally creating the group that aims to slash wasteful federal spending.

Advocacy organizations and public interest groups quickly filed a handful of lawsuits in the US District Court for the District of Columbia against DOGE.

Three of four lawsuits filed argue that DOGE violates the transparency requirements of the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee Act. DOGE, the lawsuits say, is not a federal department and should be considered a federal advisory committee subject to the FACA law.

The law, which was designed to boost public accountability, covers advisory committees that are either formed or utilized by the president.

"Operating without complying with FACA, DOGE has already begun developing recommendations and influencing decision-making in the new administration, even though its membership lacks the fair balance required by FACA and its meetings and records are not open to public inspection in real time," one of the lawsuits, filed by the groups Public Citizen, State Democracy Defenders Fund, and the American Federation of Government Employees, reads.

The January 20 executive order establishing DOGE, however, does so in a way that reorganizes and renames an existing government agency, the United States Digital Service.

As a government department — and not an outside advisory group — it's also subject to public records laws.

Another lawsuit, filed by several groups including the American Public Health Association and the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, contends that DOGE is a "shadow operation led by unelected billionaires who stand to reap huge financial rewards from this influence and access."

"Despite these conflicts of interest, DOGE is slated to dictate federal policy in ways that will affect millions of Americans, including those communities that Plaintiffs represent," the lawsuit says. "It is doing so under a shroud of secrecy with none of the transparency, oversight, or opportunity for public participation the law requires."

A fourth lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity against the Office of Management and Budget, seeks to compel the government agency to hand over records related to DOGE under the Freedom of Information Act.

"These records are important for the public to understand the threats to numerous environmental protections embodied in rules and orders and how, when, and under what circumstances the new administration intends to act on these threats," the lawsuit says.

On Tuesday, Musk, who was tapped by Trump to lead DOGE, made light of the lawsuits that have already been filed.

"Can someone start a lawsuit counter? How long until we hit triple digits?" Musk posted on his social-media platform X along with crying-while-laughing emoji.

Donald Trump sits in front of an American flag
Trump signed an executive order attempting to revoke birthright citizenship.

Getty Images

A ban on birthright citizenship

One of Trump's executive orders targets the constitutional right to birthright citizenship. The order bars federal agencies from issuing documents recognizing the citizenship of babies born in the United States to parents who are in the country illegally.

Under the order, citizenship would also be denied to children of mothers who are visa holders or otherwise in the country temporarily and to those whose fathers are not citizens or lawful permanent residents of the US.

The order is set to take effect 30 days after its signing.

Hours after the signing ceremony, advocacy groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit challenging the order.

The lawsuit says the order conflicts with the 14th Amendment's provision that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside."

"This principle has enabled generations of children to pursue their dreams and build a stronger America," the lawsuit says.

The ACLU filed the suit in federal court in New Hampshire on behalf of New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and Make the Road New York — groups with members whose children would be denied citizenship under the order.

The lawsuit names Trump and the departments of state, homeland security, and agriculture as defendants, along with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The heads of these agencies are also sued, though by title, not by name.

Another lawsuit was filed later on Monday in Boston on behalf of an unnamed expectant mother with temporary protective status whose child would be denied citizenship. Two Massachusetts support agencies, the Brazilian Worker Center and La Colaborativa, are fellow plaintiffs.

On Tuesday, 18 state attorneys general and the top law enforcement officers of Washington, DC, and San Francisco joined in suing Trump, the State Department, DHS, and the Social Security Administration to block the law from taking effect.

"The principle of birthright citizenship has been enshrined in the Constitution for more than 150 years," the lawsuit says.

Weakening job protections for federal workers

Another of Trump's executive orders would weaken job protections for some of the more than 2 million federal employees who are career civil servants and who — unlike political appointees — can only be fired for cause.

The order carves out an exemption to this protection, shifting some 50,000 of these career civil servants into a new category called "Schedule F" that allows them to be fired at will. It's similar to an order Trump signed late in his first administration, which was quickly challenged in a lawsuit before being withdrawn by the Biden administration.

A lawsuit filed late on Inauguration Day by the National Treasury Employees Union — the same group that sued in 2020 — seeks to block the order.

"When establishing hiring principles, Congress determined that most federal government jobs be in the merit-based, competitive service," the lawsuit says. "And it established that most federal employees have due process rights if their agency employer wants to remove them from employment."

Trump is named the lead defendant in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, DC. The other named defendants include the heads of six government agencies: the Office of Personnel Management, US Customs and Border Protection, the IRS, the Treasury Department, Health and Human Services, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Meta will pay some TikTok creators to post on Instagram and Facebook. Here are the details.

Instagram app logo in front of a green background and dollar signs

Instagram, Tyler Le/Instagram

  • Meta will pay TikTok creators who post on Instagram and Facebook with a new program.
  • The "Breakthrough Bonus" will pay eligible creators up to $5,000 within a 90-day period.
  • Meta will also ink "content deals" with TikTok creators, a spokesperson told Business Insider.

TikTok is back for now, but Meta is looking to get its creators to post on Instagram and Facebook.

Meta is paying "eligible TikTok creators to help jumpstart their growth on our apps," a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider. The program began testing earlier this month.

Meta has dubbed the program the "Breakthrough Bonus." It allows creators to earn up to $5,000 within 90 days for posting reels to Facebook or Instagram. Eligible creators will also be given access to Facebook's content monetization program, which lets users earn money from posting videos, photos, and text posts.

According to Meta, to be eligible, creators must be adults based in the US, have an "existing presence on a third party social app" — like TikTok — and link to it in the application, have a professional Instagram or Facebook account, and not be participating in any of Facebook's other monetization programs.

Creators will then have to post at least 20 reels on Facebook and 10 reels on Instagram each month during the first 90 days in the program, as well as share content at least 10 days each month.

Bonuses have been Instagram's primary creator monetization option for reels and initially launched in 2021. The bonuses have undergone several changes. For example, the program was paused in 2023 and returned in the form of seasonal bonuses in 2024.

Meta will also soon ink "content deals" with some TikTok creators "to help grow their communities on Instagram and Facebook," the spokesperson said. This isn't the first time Instagram has done this. In 2021, Instagram paid select TikTok creators, including the "Sway Boys," for video content across features like Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger.

Meta is also taking aim at another app owned by TikTok parent ByteDance that is subject to the same divest-or-ban law. This weekend, Meta announced it would launch a stand-alone video editing app for creators called Edits that could compete with ByteDance's CapCut.

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Photos show malls in their '90s glory days

1980s teenagers mall
Four girls shopping at a mall in the 1990s.

Don Smetzer/Getty Images

  • Shopping malls have had a challenging few years, which some have dubbed a "retail apocalypse."
  • But it wasn't always this way. The '90s were a great time for malls and mall-goers alike.
  • These vintage photos show how much malls have changed since their '90s glory days.

Ah, the '90s. Everything seemed much simpler then, including shopping. Now that we have the entire internet at our disposal, it can be overwhelming to find exactly what we're looking for — we have too many choices. And without smartphones and streaming, hanging out at the mall was also the best way to kill time with friends.

Brick-and-mortar stores are also feeling the effects of online shopping. More than 2,000 stores closed down across the US in 2024, including mall staples such as Foot Locker, Express, Macy's, and Buybuy Baby. Business Insider dubbed December alone a "mini-retail apocalypse."

But maybe Gen Z — who are "big-time mallrats" — will lead the resurgence of the mall, especially luxurious ones. For now, take a stroll down memory lane to see how fun malls used to be in the '90s.

Malls started opening in the 1950s, and by the time the '90s rolled around, they were a full-blown phenomenon.
shopping mall
Shoppers browsed the many stores available to them in St. Louis.

David Butow/Corbis via Getty Images

The US' first full enclosed indoor mall opened in Minnesota in 1956. By the mid-'80s there were 25,000 shopping malls across the country.

Before the internet, malls were the only place where you could get gadgets from Sharper Image, clothing from Limited Too, accessories from Claire's, and a sticky, delicious Cinnabon all in one place.

People would go to malls and spend their entire day there.
1980s teenagers mall
'90s fashion.

Don Smetzer/Getty Images

The hottest spot in middle school and high school was the mall.

Food courts became local hotspots.
shopping mall 90s
Southgate Shopping Mall in Sarasota, Florida.

Independent Picture Service/UIG via Getty Images

The first mall food court opened at the Paramus Park Mall in New Jersey in 1974, and the concept soon spread. Food-court staples like Sbarro, Auntie Anne's, and Panda Express never tasted better than under the glow of fluorescent lights.

Teens around the country became "mallrats."
mall of america 90s
The Mall of America in Minnesota on August 12, 1992.

Bill Pugliano/Liaison/Getty Images

Walkway T-shirt stalls were a mall staple.

Walking the aisles of a video store and browsing a seemingly endless selection of VHS tapes was the perfect way to spend an hour or two.
shopping mall 90s
A video store.

Teesside Archive/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

Video stores are now all but extinct due to the rise of streaming. FYE, one of the most famous video stores, has been steadily closing locations across the country — CT Insider reported in December that FYE is closing three more of its stores in Connecticut, for example — and Blockbuster only has one location left in Oregon.

Malls were a great spot to keep up-to-date on the latest in tech.
Mall shopping Windows 98 tech 90s
Windows '98.

KAZUHIRO NOGI / Getty

There are some things you'll only remember if you were born before the internet.

Even '90s icons would stop by the local mall to do signings and meet fans.
saved by the bell mall 90s
The cast of "Saved by the Bell" at a mall signing.

Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

This remained the case for decades, with teen sensations like Justin Bieber and One Direction holding fan events throughout the 2000s.

Throughout the decade, malls became more over-the-top.
shopping mall 90s
A replica of Columbus' ship, the Santa Maria, in the West Edmonton Mall.

Galen Rowell/Getty Images

Today, malls are trying to stand out with creative dining experiences, live events, and a mix of accessible and luxury brands.

Squiggly patterns and primary colors? It doesn't get much more '90s than that.
80s shopping mall
A mall in the '90s.

Paul Popper/Popperfoto/Getty Images

Primary colors were a popular color scheme in the '80s and '90s, per Better Homes & Gardens.

Themed restaurants like Planet Hollywood were all the rage.
shopping mall of america 90s
Tourists lined up and waited outside of Planet Hollywood in the Mall of America to make reservations.

Carolyn Schaefer/Liaison/Getty Images

There are now only four classic Planet Hollywood locations, four resorts, and a store-only location in Orlando that are open to visit.

The company has filed for bankruptcy multiple times and has been forced to close dozens of stores.

Sears was popular — you could find anything there.
vintage sears mall
Shoppers walking into Sears store in a mall.

Lee Balterman/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

Sears has seen better days. The former retail giant has been inching closer to total liquidation since 2018 and has just 15 stores left across the country.

JCPenney was also huge, but now the department store is struggling.
jc penney mall 1980s
A JCPenney in 1997.

Glen Martin/The Denver Post via Getty Images

JCPenney sales have dropped, reflecting a broader trend of declines for mall-based department stores.

In January 2025, JCPenney merged with Sparc Group, which owns other former mall favorites like Forever 21, Aéropostale, and Brooks Brothers, CNN reported.

One mall that survived the "retail apocalypse" of the last decade has been the Mall of America.
mall of america 90s
The Mall of America in 1992.

Antonio RIBEIRO/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

According to the Mall of America, it has around 32 million visitors every year.

It's tough to say what the fate of malls will be, but it's safe to say it was never better to visit a mall than in the 1990s.
mall of america directory
A mall directory in 1992.

Bill Pugliano/Liaison/Getty Images

We'll always miss those days.

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Trump said new tariffs on Canada and Mexico could arrive within days. Here's what Americans should know about his trade plans.

Donald Trump
President Donald Trump detailed his trade plans on his first day in office.

Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

  • Trump did not impose any new tariffs on his first day in office.
  • He did suggest that a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada could come as soon as February 1.
  • Trump also suggested that a universal tariff on imports from all foreign countries is not off the table.

President Donald Trump's second term has officially begun, and he has already signaled his plans to roll out new tariffs.

While none of Trump's first-day executive orders imposed tariffs, he told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday night that he's considering new import duties on Canada and Mexico in the next few days.

"We're thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada because they're allowing vast numbers of people to come in, and fentanyl to come in," Trump said. When asked when he plans to implement those tariffs, Trump replied, "I think February 1."

The tariffs are the president's most immediate trade proposals, and echo his announcement in November when he said he would place a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico if they failed to crack down on drug and border policy.

Trump also said on Monday that a universal tariff on imports from all foreign countries is not off the table. "I may, but we're not ready for that yet," he said.

Details on how exactly Trump will impose tariffs — including which legal authority he will use — are unclear. Some trade policy experts previously told Business Insider that Trump's tariff policies could increase prices for Americans on a range of impacted goods from targeted countries, including electronics and apparel.

From Mexico and Canada specifically, the US imports oil, car parts, electronics, and medicinal products. Trump has denied that his trade plans will negatively impact consumers.

"Tariffs are going to make us rich as hell," Trump said during a Monday speech. "It's going to bring our country's businesses back."

Trump's press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI on details surrounding tariff plans.

What to know about Trump's trade plans so far

Trump published a memo sent to a range of federal agencies on Monday requesting that each review America's trade policies and how they impact American businesses and workers. This includes directing the Commerce and Treasury Departments to review and identify any unfair trade practices and their national security implications.

The memo also called for the establishment of a new External Revenue Service. Trump first announced his intention to create this new agency on January 14, which he said at the time would collect tariffs and revenue from foreign countries. It's unclear how this differs from US Customs and Border Protection's existing tariff collection programs, and creating a new agency requires approval from Congress.

On the campaign trail, Trump proposed a 60% tariff on China, along with a 100% tariff on BRICS nations unless they commit to not creating a new currency that competes with the US dollar. Trump did not say on Monday when, or if, those tariffs will come. Trump did suggest, however, that he could impose additional tariffs on China if the country does not agree to allow TikTok's owner to sell the app to a US company.

The timing and magnitude of the tariffs' impact on prices will partly depend on the authority Trump uses to impose his trade plans, as certain provisions within the law require different procedures the president would have to undergo to carry out changes to trade policy.

Alan Wolff, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, told BI that with a Republican-controlled Congress, it's unlikely lawmakers will challenge the authority Trump chooses to use.

Still, Wolff said he thinks it's unlikely Trump will move forward with a universal tariff and will instead use it as leverage to achieve policy goals.

"I just don't think that he has the authority, under any of the statutes that have been delegated authority to him, to put on a blanket tariff, which was the original proposal," Wolff said, adding that more targeted tariffs are possible. "I don't think the everyone tariff, every country, every product, is something he could do."

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Stripe accidentally sent an image of a duck when notifying some employees they were getting laid off

Stripe logo displayed on a phone
Stripe laid off 300 employees on Jan 20, 2025.

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto

  • Stripe accidentally sent an image of a cartoon duck to some staff in a layoff email, BI has learned.
  • The company also sent some laid off staff an incorrect termination date.
  • Stripe laid off 300 people on Monday, impacting mostly product, engineering, and operations.

Payments software company Stripe accidentally emailed an image of a cartoon duck to some employees when notifying them that they had been laid off, Business Insider has learned.

The company laid off 300 staff on Monday, equivalent to about 3.5% of its workforce. Those roles were primarily in product, engineering, and operations, according to a leaked memo obtained by BI.

The image, which was attached as a PDF, showed a yellow duck with brown feathers on its wing and accompanying text that says, "US-Non-California Duck."

The company also sent impacted staff an incorrect date for the date of termination in an email.

An image of a yellow cartoon duck with brown feathers on its wing
A screenshot of the duck image was shared on Stripe's internal group on Blind.

Blind/Business Insider

A Stripe spokesperson confirmed the duck image and incorrect dates were sent in error and pointed BI to a follow-up email from McIntosh.

McIntosh wrote, "I also want to note that some impacted Stripes received a notification error to their personal email accounts Monday evening PT."

He added, "I apologize for the error and any confusion it caused. Corrected and full notifications have since been sent to all impacted Stripes."

In a separate email to staff confirming the layoffs, McIntosh said Stripe still planned on growing its head count to about 10,000 employees by the end of the year.

One employee asked if others had received the duck image in an internal Stripe group on the app Blind, seen by BI.

One person responded that they had and that it was another "indication the comms to those laid off were flubbed completely."

Another employee, seemingly joking, wrote, "Wonder if there's a california duck," while a different employee wrote, "Quick, make a slack emoji out of the duck."

Stripe, which provides payment software to millions of businesses, has made previous rounds of layoffs in recent years.

A publicly shared letter from Stripe CEO Patrick Collison explaining more than 1,000 job cuts in 2022 won praise from some corners for its candidness.

Are you a Stripe employee with insight to share? Contact the reporter Jyoti Mann via email at jmann@businessinsider.comor via Signal at jyotimann.11. Reach out via a nonwork device.

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Lauren Sánchez recycled a daring outfit from her closet for Donald Trump's inauguration

Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sánchez,  Jeff Bezos, and Sundar Pichai attend Donald Trump's inauguration.
Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos, and Sundar Pichai attend Donald Trump's inauguration.

Kenny Holston/Getty Images

  • Lauren Sánchez wore a white Alexander McQueen suit and lace bra to Trump's inauguration.
  • She previously wore the ensemble to a book event in December and at a Forbes event in September.
  • This time, she paired it with a Schiaparelli coat that retails for over $9,000.

Lauren Sánchez seems to have a favorite outfit.

For at least the third time since September, the journalist has worn a white Alexander McQueen suit with a lace bra peeking out of its blazer for a public event.

The latest outing was Donald Trump's inauguration, which she attended on Monday alongside her fiancé, Jeff Bezos.

She wore the designer outfit beneath a brushed wool and mohair coat from the Italian fashion house Schiaparelli.

The statement design costs 8,700 euros, or about $9,073, and features gold-brass buttons designed to look like nipples.

Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos attend Donald Trump's inauguration.
Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos attend Donald Trump's inauguration.

Brendan Smialowski/Kenny Holston/Getty Images

Some loved Sánchez's feminine look, while others criticized the set — specifically its visible bra, which was cut low and had small cutouts. They described it as risqué on platforms like X.

Sánchez, however, isn't one to shy away from being bold at political events. She previously wore a red, satin, and lace gown with a sheer corseted bodice at a 2024 state dinner hosted by Joe Biden in honor of Japan's prime minister at the time, Fumio Kishida.

Stylist Kelly Johnson put together the most recent ensemble, which Sánchez has worn on numerous occasions. Johnson and representatives for Sánchez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The children's book author previously wore the outfit (minus the coat) to The New York Times DealBook event in New York City on December 5 and once earlier at the Forbes Power Women's Summit in September 2024.

At the latter event, Sánchez spoke onstage about being Bezos' fiancée, how she sees the role as a responsibility, and their work together on Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion effort to fight the climate crisis.

"I'm in this room with all these influential and powerful women," she said at the time. "I'm looking around and going, 'Whoa,' and it doesn't escape me that most of you know me as Lauren Sánchez, comma, Jeff Bezos' fiancée."

"I get it, but I can choose to do something, or I can choose to do nothing," Sánchez said. "And I'm choosing to do something."

Lauren Sanchez attends the 2024 Forbes Power Women's Summit.
Lauren Sánchez attends the 2024 Forbes Power Women's Summit.

Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images

Historically, women who wear white at presidential inaugurations have been recognized as making political statements.

When Hillary Clinton wore the color at Trump's first inauguration in 2017, for example, many saw her outfit as a symbol of women's suffrage.

It's unclear if Sánchez's outfit had a hidden meaning or if she just really likes her McQueen suit.

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Not sure what to do with your life? This CEO says you should ask the 'genie question'

A man on a couch smiles
Graham Weaver, CEO of Alpine Investors, said he often works to point students at a class he teaches toward fulfilling careers.

Alpine Investors

  • Alpine Investors CEO Graham Weaver teaches at Stanford, where he helps students determine a career path.
  • He uses something he calls the "genie framework" to guide them.
  • Weaver said in a recent podcast interview that interest and persistence are the keys to success.

Alpine Investors founder and CEO Graham Weaver often finds himself teaching the students of his Stanford class about more than just strategies for growing a business.

The private equity CEO said that students frequently come to him not with questions about business but about life — specifically, what to do with theirs.

Weaver said on a recent episode of "Lenny's Podcast" that he often prescribes a series of exercises that previously helped give him clarity on his own goals. Chief among them is asking yourself the "genie question."

Weaver said a typical meeting on the topic consists of a student laying out possible career paths and talking through the pros and cons of each.

Weaver said he often watches as students consider option A, which they see as more practical, and try to talk themselves out of option B, something that they have their hearts set on.

"First, I try to let them realize that their real energy is for B. Just let them feel that, and understand that," Weaver said. "And then secondly, I try to figure out — what are the limiting beliefs they have? What are the fears? What are the obstacles?"

His students are often held back by external pressures, whether that be a desire for stability, or simply a fear of failure, he said. They then end up pursuing what they think they should, rather than what they want to.

Getting locked into a career for which you have no enthusiasm leads to a life lived on autopilot, the CEO said. Rushing through a familiar daily routine, with no time to consider what you're doing or whether you even want to be doing it, can lead to an increased degree of anxiety and friction, he added.

"But then once I kind of got into the path of the thing that I was excited about, that's when I really felt my energy change dramatically," Weaver said. "And I developed almost like a superpower in that thing, because, you know, I had more energy. I was willing to work longer, I was willing to do it."

He instructs participants to imagine a genie grants them a boon — guaranteed success in whatever career they dedicate themselves to.

"If that were true, and you had that genie blessing you with that wish, what would you wish for?" Weaver said. "And then the students come up with an answer that's really close to their heart. And it's the thing they would do, absent the fear of failure. And then the second part of the exercise is — that's what you should do."

Weaver said he understands that there can be limitations, often manifesting in financial needs. To help demystify them, he recommends writing problems down instead of actively ruminating on any limitations, thereby reducing hurdles to a series of manageable steps.

"When you get it down on paper, it will almost immediately strip that limiting belief of a lot of its power, and a lot of its scariness," Weaver said. "Because now it's just something like, for example, 'How would I fund this?' So, the second thing is that a lot of that scariness becomes just a to-do item."

But Weaver says success isn't just about overcoming fear. The main variable in Weaver's "formula" is time. He's found that people's expectations are often skewed in favor of an unrealistic immediacy.

"You have to go in at the beginning with that mindset and the structural ability to stay at it for a long period of time," Weaver said. "So the missing ingredient in most of the people that fail is time."

Without patience and grit, he said, his own success would instead be a museum of failures. Weaver's philosophy is that pursuing improvement is always uncomfortable.

"The first move is negative to getting in shape, the first move is negative to get out of a bad relationship, to get into a career you want to be in," Weaver said.

We only get one life, Weaver said. He thinks it's best to start making the most of it as soon as possible — before "not now" becomes "not ever."

"Take the time to really figure out and answer the question, 'What does a wonderful, amazing, incredible life look like?'" Weaver said. "And just get as clear as you possibly can on that."

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I lived in New York City for a decade, but I just decided to move away. Here's why New York isn't worth the price anymore.

a crowded new york city subway car
The author (not pictured) thinks New York City is no longer worth the price.

Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

  • I've lived in New York City for a decade and spent $2,000 on rent every month.
  • That high price tag isn't worth the traffic, crowded events, and insular people.
  • I decided to move to Philadelphia instead and finally left the city earlier this month.

I'm a born and bred New Yorker who grew up on Long Island — in the shadow of New York City.

As a kid, I remember fantasizing about my life adult life in the city. I imagined living in the heart of Manhattan and having a busy, beautifully chaotic social life. Honestly, I pictured myself as Carrie Bradshaw — as clichéd as that sounds.

I was lucky enough to make some of that a reality; I moved to New York City right out of college in 2015. I couldn't afford to live in Manhattan, but I set up in Brooklyn. While my social life wasn't anything like Carrie's, I still had fun and met some of my closest friends.

Of course, I understood that the city was expensive, but for me, it was worth it. New York City had everything I could ever want.

Ten years later, I'm now in my 30s, and the city lost its charm. Spending $2,000 on rent every month no longer felt worth it.

In January, I did what I thought I'd never do: I left New York City and moved to Philadelphia. Here's why.

The affordable apartments aren't livable

I've always said that in New York City, you either have a great apartment in a not-so-great neighborhood or a not-so-great apartment in a great area. You simply cannot have both if you make under $100,000 a year — which I always did.

I moved every two years, so that's five apartments in the city. I had plywood for flooring, four-story walk-ups, duct tape holding up walls, and mold that never went away.

I also had beautiful apartments in neighborhoods where I didn't feel the safest.

Now that I'm in my 30s, I want my home to be comfortable, to be in a neighborhood I love, and to have everyday amenities like a backyard and washer/dryer — both basically unheard of in New York.

Being single and independent is expensive in New York

After many years of living in close quarters with roommates — both total strangers and best friends — I just wanted to live alone and work on my independence.

But in New York, that's difficult, especially if you're a single person. Most people move into one-bedroom apartments with their significant other to cut costs.

In my last year in New York, I finally landed my first one-bedroom apartment, which marked an important step in adulthood. I learned to be OK with being alone. I learned to handle finances, and I learned how much I love my alone time. I couldn't do any of that while living with roomies.

But it came at a cost. For $2,000 a month, I spent most of my salary on rent.

In Philadelphia, I scored a two-bedroom apartment in a great neighborhood with a backyard and washer/dryer for less than my New York rent. And I get to live alone.

Cultural events are becoming increasingly crowded

It's often said that New York City's high prices are worth it because of everything it has to offer. It's true that the city does have a wealth of events, concerts, and theaters.

But in the past few years, I've noticed how difficult it is to get tickets to these events. Most times, they are sold out, too expensive, or too crowded.

The Bell House in Brooklyn was my favorite venue to see comedy. But you had to get there at least an hour before the doors opened just to secure a seat. In New York City, you are in constant competition with millions of people wanting to do the exact same thing you want to do.

Plus, it was becoming more difficult to see a Broadway show for less than $100.

In Philadelphia, on the other hand, I've easily been able to book tickets to events at cheaper prices.

New Yorkers seem to be set with their friend groups

The most famous generalization about New Yorkers is that they're mean. I never found that to be true. I've witnessed hundreds of acts of kindness between New Yorkers throughout my years in the city.

I think it's more accurate to say New Yorkers are insular. I found it difficult to make friends because most people seem set with their current friend groups. They aren't interested in welcoming people into their lives or even having a conversation with a stranger.

Most New Yorkers are too focused on their current friends, their jobs, and their hustle to reach out to a stranger and try to connect.

I'm at a phase in my life where I want to branch out and meet new people. Thankfully, the people I've met in Philadelphia are all eager to welcome me into their lives and show me around the city.

Traveling in and out of New York City has become unbearable

It's no secret that traffic in New York is terrible, but it's most apparent while traveling in and out of the city.

For years, the Hudson Valley has been my favorite escape, but ever since the pandemic, those small towns have become increasingly crowded, making a quick trip up there nearly impossible without hours of traffic.

Also, to get to and from any of the three airports in the city is a nightmare. With traffic, it could take you over an hour, and the Uber prices are near $100. It got to the point that I didn't want to travel anymore because it was too much of a hassle to get in and out of New York City.

No city is perfect, but New York isn't for me right now

New York has been my home for years, and I understand why people still love it. I will always love it.

But for me, right now, I am looking for something different. And New York just doesn't fit anymore — especially at its current price tag.

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Check out the 2-page pitch deck Pinterest is using to woo advertisers as chaos swirls around TikTok

App icons displayed on an iPhone including Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook, Telegram, and Streamlabs.

Rasit Aydogan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

  • Pinterest is moving to take advantage of the chaos around TikTok in the US.
  • In recent days, it began circulating a pitch deck, touting its Gen-Z audience and brand safety.
  • TikTok is back now for US users and some advertisers have returned, while others are more cautious.

TikTok only went "dark" in the US for a few hours this weekend, but that hasn't stopped rivals swooping in to court its advertisers as uncertainty lingers about the app's long-term future.

As advertisers prepared for a possible TikTok ban in the US, Pinterest circulated a pitch deck promoting the company as an alternative.

The deck linked to a hub on Pinterest's website with an offer of a limited-time incentive of bonus media — free ad space, in other words.

Pinterest also touted its creative support to help advertisers repurpose their ads for the platform and measurement services to assess campaign success.

"As major shifts take place across social platforms, many brands are developing new plans to deliver their goals," the deck said. (Business Insider obtained a copy, which can be viewed below.)

The deck cited data from the measurement firm Comscore, which said that half of TikTok's US Gen-Z audience was already on Pinterest.

Pinterest clearly has e-commerce advertisers in its sights. The deck referenced a survey conducted by the research company Reach3 that Pinterest commissioned last September. The survey found Pinterest's weekly users were "86% more likely" than weekly users of Facebook, Instagram, X, Snapchat, and TikTok to say they were ready to shop when they opened the app.

Pinterest also listed one of the benefits of advertising on its platform as being able to "reflect your company values in your media choices." That certainly feels like a shot at TikTok.

TikTok has said it has around 170 million US users. By comparison, Pinterest was estimated by the research company EMARKETER to have 85.4 million US users last year. EMARKETER pegged TikTok's 2024 ad revenues at $12.34 billion, while it estimated Pinterest pulled in around $2.69 billion.

TikTok didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. On Sunday, the company said in a statement that it would work with President Donald Trump on a solution to keep TikTok in the US.

US advertisers are already returning to TikTok, but some are cautious

Last week, the US Supreme Court upheld a law forcing ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell its US operations by January 19 in order to address national security concerns.

TikTok went dark for a few hours starting late Saturday ET, before returning Sunday after Trump expressed his support for the app and said he would work to limit liability for companies that helped it keep running. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order seeking to pause the ban on TikTok for 75 days.

President Donald Trump speaking to journalists as he signs executive orders in the the White House.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that TikTok could be worth $1 trillion.

Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

As of Tuesday, TikTok wasn't yet back in Apple or Google's US app stores. However, users with the app already downloaded on their phones can access the platform, and some advertisers have restarted campaigns.

Jon Molina, senior director at the digital ad agency Brainlabs, told BI on Tuesday that Brainlabs had recommended that its teams resume their TikTok activity.

"As it stands, the stay on the ban that was signed yesterday is sufficient evidence that there is still opportunity on the platform from a marketing perspective," Molina said, though he added that "anything can change within the blink of an eye."

Some other agencies are taking a more cautious approach. Assembly's EVP of brand experience, Toni Box, said the agency was in the process of pulling social media and behavioral trend data to gauge whether there were any lingering issues that might hamper users' trust and readoption of TikTok. Santini added that Assembly's TikTok rep had also warned them that the TikTok ads manager could take some time to stabilize fully.

Meta and Google are most likely to reap the benefits of any long-term damage to TikTok

Analysts had previously said that Meta and Google would likely be the biggest beneficiaries of a TikTok ban, with an estimated $10 billion of TikTok's US ad revenue up for the taking.

In a research note published January 15, Morgan Stanley analysts said platforms like Snap, Pinterest, and Roblox would also likely gain near-term benefits. The analysts added that those platforms would need to improve their performance and scalability and deliver a healthy relative return on ad spend for any TikTok disruption to pay off for them in the long run.

See the 2-pager Pinterest sent to advertisers in recent days below:

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Tulsi Gabbard went MAGA. Now she's raking in cash.

Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard disclosed more than $1.2 million in income from a book advance, paid speeches, and media contributor fees.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

  • When Tulsi Gabbard left her job as a Democratic congresswoman in 2021, she wasn't that rich.
  • Now a MAGA celebrity, Gabbard has raked in more than $1.2 million in the last year.
  • That includes a $297,000 book advance, $170,130 in speaking fees, and $199,500 from Fox News.

When Tulsi Gabbard departed Congress four years ago, she was not particularly wealthy.

Still a member of the Democratic Party and just over a year after the end of her bid for that party's presidential nomination, Gabbard filed a financial disclosure in May 2021 that listed a modest checking account, a handful of investments, and a home mortgage of at least $500,000. Her annual salary over the course of her eight-year tenure, as with all other rank-and-file House members, was $174,000.

Four years and a political transformation later, Gabbard's personal finances look quite different.

At the beginning of January, Gabbard — now President Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence — filed a disclosure revealing that she made more than $1.2 million last year.

That income came primarily from her position as a MAGA media celebrity, including: a combined $170,130 from 13 paid speeches, most of which were delivered to conservative audiences; $199,500 for being a Fox News media contributor; and $119,500 for being a media contributor to the American Center for Law and Justice, a conservative advocacy group.

She also earned a $297,500 advance for her 2024 book, "For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind."

Her financial disclosure indicated that she owns up to $500,00 in shares of Rumble, the conservative video platform, along with up to $250,000 in Tesla and up to $50,000 in Bitcoin.

Spokespeople for Trump did not respond to a request for comment for this article. A Trump-Vance transition spokesperson previously told BI that "all nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies."

It's not uncommon for members of Congress to get rich after they leave office. In fact, it's quite common, with lawmakers in both parties typically cashing in on their service via lobbying and consulting gigs.

Gabbard's case is relatively unique, illustrating the financial rewards that have come with the ex-congresswoman's pivot from progressive to MAGA.

That pivot began in the year after she left Congress, culminating in her departure from the Democratic Party in 2022 as she campaigned with several GOP candidates in that year's midterm elections.

She now faces a difficult confirmation fight to be the nation's top intelligence official under Trump, with senators questioning her 2017 trip to Syria to meet Bashar Al-Assad and positions on the Ukraine war.

Read the original article on Business Insider

As Trump takes office, one of Russia's wary neighbors says a Ukraine peace deal should come this year

Finland's Foreign Minister
Elina Valtonen, Finland's foreign minister, pictured in Kyiv, Ukraine, in January 2025.

NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

  • A peace deal will likely be brokered in Ukraine this year, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said.
  • President Donald Trump has pledged to negotiate a Ukraine deal.
  • Although his timescale has slipped, both Ukraine and Russia have indicated willing.

Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said she believes there'll be a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine this year.

"I'm pretty sure there will be a peace agreement this year," said Valtonen, speaking at an event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday.

"I was in Kyiv just a week before, before last, and I must say that nobody wants and deserves peace more than Ukraine, and of course, the Ukrainian children," she said.

Valtonen went on to blame Russia for the conflict, which will be three years old in February.

President Donald Trump, who was sworn in for his second term Monday, has pledged to rapidly negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.

On the campaign trail, he pledged to end the war on his first day in office, though his aides later said it would take longer.

It's unclear, too, what form a peace deal might take. Trump's proposed Ukraine envoy, retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, suggested that it could involve Ukraine handing over land to Russia and pledging to remain neutral.

Ukraine has previously said it would only accept a peace deal that involved Russia withdrawing its forces but has recently said it's open to negotiations.

Russia has also signalled willingness to negotiate, but continues to push for sweeping concessions from Kyiv.

Valtonen said that in the past, a neutrality pledge had not protected Ukraine or other countries in Russia's orbit.

"And there, I think we have a global obligation to defend people," she said.

Like Ukraine, Finland shares a land border with Russia. It had long pursued a policy of neutrality but pivoted after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and joined the NATO defensive alliance.

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Leaked memo: Stripe lays off 300 employees, mostly in product, engineering, and operations

Stripe payments app
Stripe provides payment services to businesses.

Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images

  • Stripe has laid off 300 employees, according to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider.
  • The cuts mostly affected staffers in product, engineering, and operations roles, per the memo.
  • Its chief people officer said in the memo the company still planned to grow its head count.

The payments platform Stripe has laid off 300 employees, equivalent to about 3.5% of its workforce, Business Insider has learned.

The company's chief people officer, Rob McIntosh, informed staff of the cuts in an email on Monday, obtained by BI.

McIntosh said that 300 employees — primarily in product, engineering, and operations — would be affected by the cuts but that Stripe still planned on growing its head count to about 10,000 employees by the end of the year.

Stripe confirmed the layoffs to BI.

The Irish American multinational, which has dual headquarters in San Francisco and Dublin, laid off more than 1,000 employees in 2022 — equivalent to about 14% of its workforce at the time.

In mid-2023, Stripe cut a few dozen roles, mostly from its recruiting department, The Information reported at the time.

BI understands that Stripe had 8,500 employees before the latest rounds of layoffs.

Founded in 2010 by the brothers John and Patrick Collison, Stripe provides software tools for online and in-person payment processing to millions of businesses.

Read the full memo below:

Hi all,
As we've been working through our plans for 2025, leaders took a close look at their organizations and team structures. It became clear that there were several team-level changes needed to make sure we have the right people in the right roles and locations to execute against our plans.
It's not easy to make all these changes at once, but it's even harder to have them roll out gradually throughout the year, and so we asked leaders to do all they could to pull these decisions forward. As a result, about 300 Stripes, largely in product, engineering, and operations roles, are departing today.[0] All those who are impacted have already been informed, and everyone will receive a severance package, including their earned annual bonus.
I want to be clear that we're not slowing down hiring — we expect to grow headcount across all our locations and to land at about 10,000 Stripes by the end of the year (a 17% Y/Y increase). Our business performance continues to be strong.
Our confidence that this is the right business decision doesn't make it easier for those who are leaving or those losing valued teammates. I appreciate everyone's resilience and want to thank those departing for their contributions and for building with us.
Rob
[0] There are local processes commencing for some Stripes outside the US, in accordance with country-specific employment practices.

Are you a Stripe employee with insight to share? Contact the reporter Jyoti Mann via email at jmann@businessinsider.com or via Signal at jyotimann.11. Reach out via a nonwork device.

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Whole Foods founder John Mackey said his Apple Watch helped him quit drinking

Whole Foods founder John Mackey
Whole Foods founder John Mackey told Business Insider he stopped drinking because of his Apple Watch.

Courtesy of The School of Greatness

  • Whole Foods founder John Mackey told Business Insider he quit drinking in January 2022.
  • Mackey realized through his Apple Watch that alcohol was impacting his quality of sleep.
  • "I wish I'd stopped drinking 30 years ago," Mackey said.

Dry January continues amid the US surgeon general's new warning of the link between alcohol and cancer. Still, it's just another month for Whole Foods founder John Mackey, who stopped drinking in January 2022. The 71-year-old told Business Insider he's never felt better.

"I wish I'd stopped drinking 30 years ago," Mackey said. "That's 30 years of feeling good that I let go past."

Mackey said his Apple Watch contributed to his decision to cut alcohol out of his life for good.

"I was tracking my sleep, and some days I didn't sleep well, and some days I did sleep well," he recalled. "So, I started to ask the question, 'Well, what did I do differently when I didn't sleep well?'"

Whole Foods founder John Mackey
Mackey quit drinking alcohol in January 2022.

Courtesy of John Mackey

Mackey discovered that three factors had an impact on his sleep.

"One was how much exercise I did — more exercise led to better sleep," he said. "Second was if I ate a big meal late, I didn't sleep very well. And third was if I drank any alcohol at all, my deep sleep went to zero. I didn't get any deep sleep."

Mackey said he typically enjoyed a glass of wine or beer a few times a week, and his "total sleep would drop, on average, about an hour" when he drank.

"I like drinking alcohol, so I did not want to give it up," Mackey said. "But I did the experiment over and over and over again, and I got the same results."

When Mackey stopped drinking, he said he started to "sleep better all the time."

"When you drink, you would have what I call a 'throwaway day.' You can get through the day, you can do your work, but you kind of don't feel good, and you're just waiting to get home where you can relax and go to bed early," he explained. "It's a throwaway day. I don't have those anymore."

Multiple studies have linked alcohol to sleep issues. It blocks REM sleep (the stage that helps the brain with learning and memory), disrupts our circadian rhythm, and can exacerbate breathing problems while sleeping.

Whole Foods founder John Mackey
Mackey told BI he wishes he had quit drinking 30 years ago.

Courtesy of John Mackey

Along with his sleep, Mackey has been tracking his steps, pulse rate, and blood pressure for years, which he says taught him that "consciousness does change things."

"Once you know that you're off track, you can begin to make changes and then you can monitor with wearables and additional testing so you can see how your progress is going," he said. "Almost all my health habits have gotten better because I've become more conscious of them."

After encouraging Americans to become more conscious of their food, Mackey — who sold Whole Foods to Amazon in 2017 for $13.7 billion — hopes to help them with their health.

Over the summer, he opened the flagship location of his new holistic health and wellness club in Los Angeles. Dubbed Love.Life, the 45,000-square-foot space offers a range of services to its members, from diagnostic testing and physician appointments to a fully equipped gym and spa, plus acupuncture and pickleball. Memberships start at $790 a month.

Mackey told BI he hopes to expand Love.Life and "change the paradigm" of the American healthcare system.

"The diseases that kill us today are not really infectious diseases; they're chronic diseases — heart disease, cancer, obesity, stroke, type 2 diabetes, a lot of autoimmune diseases," Mackey said. "These are all chronic diseases that take years to develop. But doctors are just prescribing pharmaceutical drugs not to cure the disease but to manage the symptoms."

"We now have the technology where we can do tests, we can find out what your baseline is, then we can treat that and we can track that," he added. "We can create plans for people and monitor them to help people be the healthiest versions of themselves."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Stylists share 6 sneaker trends that are in right now and 4 that are out

New Balance sneakers
Stylists helped us narrow down which sneaker trends will be popular and out this year.

andersphoto/Shutterstock

  • Business Insider spoke to three professional stylists about sneakers that will be in and out in 2025
  • Adidas sambas may be a little basic, but the silhouette still offers a great look.
  • You can take a break from your Converse this year — they're not as popular right now.

Sneakers seem to be more versatile than ever, bridging the gap between 9-to-5 and 5-to-9 ensembles.

However, with brands dropping styles for every occasion, finding the right look in a sea of options can feel overwhelming.

Business Insider spoke with three professional stylists to figure out which trends to look out for in 2025 — and what silhouettes to leave in your closet.

Step into some gum soles.
close up of someone wearing a pair of white gum sole sneakers
A lot of different styles of sneakers can have gum soles.

Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

Personal and celebrity stylist Kim Appelt sees gum-bottom sneakers — which feature grippy, neutral-colored soles — as a "monstrous trend" at the moment.

The pop of tan can be found on Adidas gazelles and Hogan beige-suede sneakers, to name a few.

Appelt said adding this touch of neutral goes along with the general fashion trends toward browns and natural colors.

Adidas sambas are here to stay.
close up of someone wearing black and white adidas sambas sneakers
Sambas have been popular for a few years now.

Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Adidas sambas have been a popular choice across aesthetics for years, and that doesn't seem to be slowing down in 2025.

Ceila "CQ" Quarles, the designer of CQ Studios who's styled multiple musicians and rappers, said the sneakers have a timeless look and a "killer silhouette."

"It's a throw-on shoe you can put on whenever, wherever," she told BI. "It's a little basic, but you can't go wrong with it."

Runners aren't just for jogging.
close up of someone wearing new balance sneakers with trousers
Running shoes have made their way into the fashion world.

andersphoto/Shutterstock

Celebrity stylist Sandra Okerulu said running shoes aren't just for the sporty crowd.

The trend really grew around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and offered people a comfortable, more supportive footwear choice.

"You need flexibility," she told BI. "That's why this switch happened; because we're thinking longevity."

With athletic footwear becoming mainstream, fashion brands like Betsey Johnson and Steve Madden are even making fun options that can be worn with both street clothes and gym attire.

On is somewhat of a new kid on the block.
pair of white on sneakers in a shoe box
On sneakers are getting big.

2p2play/Shutterstock

With comfort taking the front seat this year, CQ suggests looking into On's Cloudtilt sneakers.

With endorsements from and collaborations with celebrities like Zendaya, the shoe has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. The stylist thinks it has the power to keep trending through 2025, especially because the shoes are designed to be comfortable.

"Comfortable shoes are typically timeless," CQ told BI.

Consider grabbing a pair from Onitsuka Tiger.
close up of two people wearing Onitsuka Tigers sneakers
The artistic, multicolor sneakers have risen in popularity.

Mila Gruber/Getty Images

Appelt said Onitsuka Tiger's classic sneakers will likely trickle into the top trends this coming year.

The Japanese brand has several styles to choose from, all featuring its signature abstract checkerboard-like stripes in fun colors.

The professional stylist recently bought multiple pairs herself on a trip to Tokyo and sees the chic shoe making its way to the US in droves in 2025.

Asics are a comfortable choice.
close up of a man wearing mint green asics sneakers
Asics have become standard office wear for some.

andersphoto/Shutterstock

With dad-style shoes coming back in fashion, Asics continues to be in the spotlight.

It's been producing comfortable shoes for decades, but beyond brand loyalty, its modern lines have made it more of a fashion staple.

"People are obsessed with being cozy all the time," CQ said, noting the more fashion-forward Asics Sportstyle collection may be especially popular throughout 2025.

On the other hand, it's time to take a breather from wild prints.
close up of someone wearing cheetah-print adidas sneakers
Cheetah print may be in style, but you don't need it on your shoes.

andersphoto/Shutterstock

In recent years, it wasn't uncommon to spot cowhide, snakeskin, or zebra stripes on shoes, but Okerulu said that fad is dwindling.

Although animal print cycles in and out of fashion all the time, it's less practical on shoes, which should ideally be versatile enough to work with outfits across your wardrobe.

Step away from the chunky Converse.
close up of someone wearing chunky converse platforms
Classic Converse will likely come back in fashion soon, but some niche styles are done.

Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images

Both Appelt and CQ said they're seeing the Converse craze start to die after the brand's resurgence in 2020. This is especially true for its ultra-trendy Run Star Motion platforms.

Appelt clarified that the brand itself, which has been around since the early 1900s, has longevity and will eventually circle back into style.

"It's the platform we can leave behind," she told BI.

Wedge sneakers belong in the past.
close up of someone wearing silver wedge nike sneakers
The style has become a bit dated.

Simon McGill/Moment Editorial/Getty Images

Many have a love-hate relationship with sneaker wedges, and Okerulu still doesn't think the shoe has enough buzz to really come back in style.

"People try to inch back on it, and I don't think that's going to work," she said. "Consumers are looking for something that's more realistic."

The style kind of defeats the purpose of a good, sturdy sneaker. You certainly can't take it from the gym to the office.

Nike Dunks perhaps aren't as popular as they once were.
nike dunks on the shelves of a shoe store
Nike Dunks had their moment.

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto

CQ said people seem to be switching out their Nike Dunks for more elevated shoes — especially after the brand made the shoe less of a collector's item by producing droves in a myriad of colors.

"They're just not hitting like they used to," she said. "It used to be people lining up around the block for them. That is not the case anymore."

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