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43 unbelievable Oscars records, from the youngest winner to the man with 59 nominations

joaquin phoenix oscars
Joaquin Phoenix tied an Oscar record when he won for playing the Joker in "Joker."

Jeff Kravitz/Film Magic/Getty Images

  • The 97th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2.
  • There are plenty of records that could be broken when the statues are handed out this year.
  • Timothée Chalamet could become the youngest best actor winner.

The nominations for the 97th Academy Awards were announced on January 23, with the ceremony itself on March 2.

This year's crop of nominated films, which were largely well-liked by critics, came from around the world — and made history. Karla Sofía Gascón became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an acting award at the Oscars for her role in "Emilia Pérez."

In fact, there are a few records that could be broken with this year's winners. Here are some Oscars records that could prove helpful at your next trivia night.

Karla Sofía Gascón made history in 2025 as the first transgender actor to be nominated in any category.
Karla Sofía Gascón attends the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 05, 2025
Karla Sofía Gascón in 2025.

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Gascón was nominated for best actress for her performance in "Emilia Pérez," making her the first trans actor to be nominated for an acting Academy Award.

Troy Kotsur's best supporting actor win for "CODA" in 2022 made him the first deaf man and the second deaf actor overall to win an Oscar.
troy kotsur and his oscarq
Troy Kotsur held his award for best actor in a supporting role for "CODA."

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

In 2022, Kotsur took home the best supporting actor award for his role in "CODA" as supportive, yet stubborn, father Frank Rossi.

In "CODA," his wife was played by Marlee Matlin, who was the first deaf actor ever to win an Oscar. She won the best actress statue for "Children of a Lesser God."

Marlee Matlin became both the first deaf person to win an Oscar and the youngest best actress winner when she won for 1986's "Children of a Lesser God."
marlee matlin 1987
Marlee Matlin held her Oscar, which she received for best actress, as she signed "I love you" at the Academy Awards.

Bettmann/Getty Images

She was 21 at the time of her win.

The youngest winner of best actor was 29-year-old Adrien Brody, who won for "The Pianist" in 2003.
adrien brody wins oscar
Adrien Brody posed with his Oscar at the 75th annual Academy Awards.

Reed Saxon/AP Images

Brody is perhaps one of the most famous victims of the "Oscars curse," though his career has been on an upswing lately — he was nominated for his second Academy Award this year for his role in "The Brutalist."

If fellow nominee Timothée Chalamet takes home the Oscar in 2025, the 29-year-old will take Brody's crown, as he just turned 29 in December, and Brody was close to 30 when he won.

Speaking of Timothée Chalamet, he's the first actor to be nominated for best actor twice before the age of 30 since James Dean.
Timothée Chalamet attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022
Timothée Chalamet attended the 94th Academy Awards.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Chalamet received his first Oscar nomination in 2018 for his role in "Call Me By Your Name" when he was 23. Seven years later, he was nominated once again for playing Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown" at age 29.

The last time an actor had two best actor nominations to his name before turning 30 was in 1957, when James Dean (posthumously) received two nominations in 1956 and 1957. He died in September 1955 at the age of 24.

In 2022, Ariana DeBose became the first openly queer person of color to win an acting Oscar. She won for "West Side Story."
ariana debose best supporting actress oscars 2022
Ariana DeBose posed with her Oscar for best supporting actress for "West Side Story."

David Livingston/Getty Images

DeBose also became the first Afro-Latina woman to win.

In her acceptance speech, she called herself an "openly queer woman of color, an Afro-Latina who found her strength in life through art. And that's what I believe we're here to celebrate. Anybody who's ever questioned your identity ever or find yourself living in the gray spaces? I promise you this: There is indeed a place for us."

Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro were the only men to win Oscars for playing the same role — Vito Corleone, in "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II" — until Joaquin Phoenix took home the Oscar for "Joker."
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"The Dark Knight" and "Joker."

Warner Bros. Pictures.

Brando portrayed Vito Corleone as an old man with adult children and grandkids, while De Niro played him as a young man who had just emigrated from Italy. 

When Joaquin Phoenix won for "Joker," it marked the second time this happened, as Heath Ledger posthumously won for his performance as the Joker in 2008's "The Dark Knight."

Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno were the first women to win Oscars for playing the same role. They each won for playing Anita in "West Side Story."
rita moreno and ariana debose
Rita Moreno and Ariana DeBose attended the 94th Academy Awards.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Moreno won for playing Anita in the 1961 film "West Side Story" at the 1962 Oscars. Sixty years later, DeBose took home the Oscar for the same role in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake.

Legendary composer John Williams has the most Oscar nominations of any living person, with 54 nods.
john williams
John Wiliams will turn 93 in February 2025.

Reuters

Williams has won five times, for his work on "Fiddler on the Roof," "Jaws," "Star Wars," "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial," and "Schindler's List."

He was nominated for the 54th time in 2024 for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

He is also the only person to ever be nominated for an Oscar in seven different decades.
john williams 1982
John Williams, the winner of the 1982 Academy Award for best original score for "E.T.," stood backstage during the Academy Awards.

Bettmann/Getty Images

He's been nominated at least once a decade since his first nomination for 1968's "Valley of the Dolls."

His 2023 nomination made the then-90-year-old the oldest nominee ever — he broke his own record one year later.

However, with 22 wins from 59 nominations, Walt Disney is the most decorated Oscar winner in history.
walt disney oscars
Movie producer Walt Disney with the four Oscar awards he won in a single night.

George Silk/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

In one night, in 1954, Disney took home the Oscars for best documentary feature for "The Living Desert," best documentary short subject for "The Alaskan Eskimo," best short subject (cartoon) for "Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom," and best short subject (two-reel) for "Bear Country."

Bong Joon-ho is tied with Walt Disney for most Oscars in a single night. "Parasite" earned him four statues in 2020.
bong joon ho parasite oscars
The director won 4 Oscars in 2020.

Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

He wrote, directed, and produced "Parasite," which won awards for best original screenplay, best director, best international feature film, and the most prestigious honor of the night, best picture.

"Parasite" also became the 12th film in history to win best picture without receiving a single acting nod.
Parasite movie screenshot 2
This was the first time a South Korean film had won any kind of Oscar at all.

CJ Entertainment

The last time this happened was in 2009, with "Slumdog Millionaire." Here are the other 10 movies this has happened to.

There are two best picture nominees this year that would join this list if they won: "Dune: Part Two" and "Nickel Boys."

"Parasite" was also the first foreign language film to win best picture. This year, the French film "Emilia Pérez" or the Brazilian film "I'm Still Here" could become the second.

Meryl Streep is the most-nominated actress in Oscar history, with a staggering 21 nominations under her belt. She's won three times.
meryl streep oscars 2012
Meryl Streep attended the 2012 Academy Awards.

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Streep has won best actress twice, for "Sophie's Choice" and "The Iron Lady." She won best supporting actress for "Kramer vs. Kramer."

The country that's taken home best international film the most is Italy, which has produced 14 winners from 33 nominations.
paolo sorrentino oscars
Paolo Sorrentino posed in the press room at the 86th annual Academy Awards.

Jason LaVeris/WireImage/Getty Images

Most recently, Italy won for "The Great Beauty," or "La grande bellezza" in 2014, directed by Paolo Sorrentino. He was nominated again in 2022 for "The Hand of God," but lost to Japan's entry, "Drive My Car."

According to Guinness World Records, Martin Scorsese is the most nominated living director, after receiving his 10th nomination for "Killers of the Flower Moon."
Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese.

Gotham / Contributor / Getty Images

Overall, he's been nominated 10 times for "Raging Bull," "The Last Temptation of Christ," "Goodfellas," "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator," "The Departed," "Hugo," "The Wolf of Wall Street," "The Irishman," and "Killers of the Flower Moon."

He's only won once, for "The Departed."

In 2022, Steven Spielberg became the first person nominated for the best director award in six different decades.
Steven Spielberg with his Oscars for "Schindler's List."
Steven Spielberg with his Oscars for "Schindler's List."

Steve Starr/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Spielberg's "West Side Story" earned a best director nod. In total, the movie secured eight nominations, winning one. He was nominated again in 2023 for "The Fabelmans."

His previous best director nominations were for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1978), "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982), "Schindler's List" (1993), "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "Munich" (2005), and "Lincoln" (2012). He won for "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan."

Before "West Side Story," he and Scorsese shared the record for a director nominated in five decades.

In 2021, Anthony Hopkins took the mantle of oldest winner in an acting category from Christopher Plummer — the then-83-year-old won best actor for "The Father."
hopkins and his first oscar
Anthony Hopkins and his first Oscar in 1992.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Hopkins' win was one of the most shocking moments of the night — almost everyone had considered Chadwick Boseman in his final performance a shoo-in.

Hopkins took the record from Plummer, who was 82 when he won for "Beginners" in 2012.

Plummer is still the oldest nominee in an acting category, though. He was 88 when he was nominated for best actor in "All the Money in the World" in 2018.
christopher plummer oscars
Christopher Plummer with his award for best supporting actor at the 2012 Oscars.

Rick Rowell/ABC via Getty images

He was also nominated in 2010 for "The Last Station."

Plummer died in February 2021 at the age of 91.

But the oldest winner in any category is James Ivory, who was 89 when he took home the Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 2018.
james ivory oscars
James Ivory, winner of the best adapted screenplay award for 'Call Me By Your Name," posed in the press room during the 90th Annual Academy Awards.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Ivory won for the "Call Me By Your Name" screenplay, based on the novel of the same name by André Aciman.

The youngest person to ever be nominated for an Oscar was 8-year-old Justin Henry for "Kramer vs. Kramer" in 1979.
Justin Henry as Billy in Kramer vs. Kramer movie
"Kramer vs. Kramer."

Columbia Pictures

Henry is now 53 and acts sporadically.

The youngest winner was 10-year-old Tatum O'Neal, who won best supporting actress for "Paper Moon" in 1974.
tatum o'neal 1973
Tatum O'Neal held her Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in director Peter Bogdanovich's film, "Paper Moon," at the 46th Academy Awards.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

O'Neal co-starred in "Paper Moon" with her father, Ryan O'Neal.

She continues to act today.

But the true youngest winner is Shirley Temple, who was 6 when she won the Academy Juvenile Award in 1935. This category no longer exists.
shirley temple
Shirley Temple.

Bettmann/Getty Images

Other notable winners in this category included Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Bobby Driscoll, and Margaret O'Brien.

2022 was the first time two couples had been nominated for awards in the same year — their nominations covered the four acting categories.
penelope cruz javier bardem jesse plemons kirsten dunst
Cruz and Bardem, left, and Plemons and Dunst, right.

P. Lehman/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who married in 2010, were both nominated: Cruz for best actress in "Parallel Mothers," and Bardem for best actor for "Being the Ricardos."

A second couple, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, both secured best supporting acting nominations for their roles in "The Power of the Dog."

Cruz and Bardem lost to Jessica Chastain and Will Smith, while Dunst and Plemons lost to Ariana DeBose and Troy Kotsur.

Three movies are tied for the most wins. "Ben-Hur" (1959), "Titanic" (1997), and "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" (2003) all won 11 awards.
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"Titanic."

Paramount Pictures

"Oppenheimer" was nominated 13 times in 2024, but "only" won seven.

Three movies are also tied for the most nominations with 14 Oscar nods: "All About Eve" (1950), "Titanic" (1997), and "La La Land" (2016).
La La Land Lionsgate
"La La Land."

Lionsgate

As previously stated, "Titanic" went on to win 11 awards. "All About Eve" and "La La Land" each took home six statues.

This year's biggest nominee is "Emilia Pérez," which earned 13 nominations. However, it can only win 12, since it has two original songs competing against each other.

The longest winner of best picture in Oscars history is 1939's "Gone With the Wind," which clocks in at 3 hours, 58 minutes.
Gone with the Wind
"Gone with the Wind."

Loews Cineplex Entertainment

That's even longer than the notoriously long "The Brualist," "The Irishman" or "Killers of the Flower Moon."

The most prestigious award of the night is best picture, but it doesn't always go to the best movie. The worst-reviewed winner, according to Rotten Tomatoes, is 1929 winner "The Broadway Melody." It has a 33%.
The Broadway Melody 1929 movie Best Picture winner
"The Broadway Melody."

MGM

"'The Broadway Melody' is interesting as an example of an early Hollywood musical, but otherwise, it's essentially bereft of appeal for modern audiences," wrote Rotten Tomatoes.

Last year's winner, "Oppenheimer," has a 93% critics score, and a 91% audience score.

The first woman to win the best director award was Kathryn Bigelow in 2009 for "The Hurt Locker."
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Director Kathryn Bigelow accepted the best director award for "The Hurt Locker" onstage during the 82nd Academy Awards.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Prior to Bigelow, just three women had been nominated for directing: Lina Wertmüller for 1975's "Seven Beauties," Jane Campion for 1993's "The Piano," and Sofia Coppola for 2003's "Lost in Translation."

This year, Coralie Fargeat is the lone woman nominated for best director. She directed "The Substance."

In 2021, two women were recognized for directing, and winner Chloé Zhao became the first Asian woman — and second woman overall — to take home the award.
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Chloé Zhao holding her first Oscar.

ABC via Getty Images

She won for "Nomadland."

In 2021, Jane Campion won the Oscar for best director. She's the only woman in Oscar history to have been nominated in the category twice.
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Jane Campion, winner of the directing award for "The Power of the Dog," posed in the press room at the 94th Academy Awards.

David Livingston/Getty Images

Her first nomination was for "The Piano" in 1994.

Campion's 2022 win marks the first year women have won the best director Oscar back-to-back after Chloé Zhao's win in 2021 for "Nomadland."

Also in 2021, Steven Yeun became the first Asian American to be nominated for best actor.
steven yeun oscars
Steven Yeun attended the 93rd Academy Awards.

Matt Petit/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images

While Yeun lost the award to Anthony Hopkins, his nomination for "Minari" was still a record-breaking moment.

Only one movie to win best picture has been rated X: "Midnight Cowboy" (1969).
Midnight Cowboy 1969 best picture Dustin Hoffman
"Midnight Cowboy."

United Artists

It was mainly rated X simply because it wasn't suitable for kids — the "X" rating was almost brand new in 1969 and didn't have the same connotations as it does today. However, MTV does point out the film has "a fair amount of nudity and some brief scenes of sexual activity."

When it was later re-rated, it earned an R rating.

Only two sequels have won best picture: "The Godfather Part II" (1974) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003).
Godfather II Al Pacino
"The Godfather Part II."

Paramount Pictures/IMDb

In total, 10 sequels have been nominated for Best Picture — "Dune: Part Two," "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," "Toy Story 3," "Mad Max: Fury Road," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "The Godfather Part III," and "The Bells of St. Mary's," plus the two winners.

You may be wondering, what about "The Silence of the Lambs"? The Anthony Hopkins/Jodie Foster joint could be considered a sequel to "Manhunter," but it's really more of a reboot.

When Cate Blanchett earned an Oscar for playing Katharine Hepburn in 2004's "The Aviator," she became the first person to win an Oscar for playing an Oscar winner.
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Cate Blanchett as Hepburn in "The Aviator" and the real Hepburn.

Warner Bros.; Bettmann/Getty Images

She's not the only actor to win an Oscar for portraying an icon, but she was the first to win an Oscar for portraying an Oscar winner.

Renée Zellweger became the second when she won for playing Judy Garland in "Judy" in 2020.

Chalamet could become the third this year, for playing Bob Dylan.

Hepburn herself holds the record for most Oscars for acting — she won four times.
katharine hepburn
Katharine Hepburn.

Reuters Pictures

Hepburn won in 1933, 1967, 1968, and 1981 for "Morning Glory," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "The Lion in Winter," and "On Golden Pond," respectively.

Though, famously, she never attended an awards show to collect her statues in person, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The first Black actor to win an Oscar was Hattie McDaniel in 1939.
hattie mcdaniel
Hattie McDaniel is shown with the statuette she received for her portrayal in "Gone With The Wind."

Bettmann/Getty Images

McDaniel won the best supporting actress award for "Gone with the Wind," in which she played Mammy, a role that has since been mired in controversy, per the Jim Crow Museum.

Sidney Poitier became the first Black man to win when he was awarded best actor for "Lilies of the Field" (1963).
sidney poitier oscars
Sidney Poitier admired the Oscar he received in 1964.

Bettmann/Getty Images

Poitier had previously been nominated for his role in 1958's "The Defiant Ones."

He died in January 2022 at 94.

With four nominations, Viola Davis is the most Oscar-nominated Black actress in history.
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Viola Davis with her Academy Award.

ABC/Tyler Golden

Davis, an EGOT winner, has been nominated four times: twice for best supporting actress for "Doubt" and "Fences" (which she won), and twice for best actress for "The Help" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." 

"For me, it's a reflection of the lack of opportunities and access to opportunities people of color have had in this business. If me, going back to the Oscars four times in 2021, makes me the most nominated Black actress in history, that's a testament to the sheer lack of material there has been out there for artists of color," said Davis in a February 2021 interview with Variety.

Octavia Spencer is right behind her with three nominations ("The Help," "Hidden Figures," and "The Shape of Water"). Whoopi Goldberg, with two, is the only other Black actress with more than one competitive Oscar ("Ghost" and "The Color Purple").

Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor of all time. With "The Tragedy of Macbeth," he secured his 10th nomination.
Denzel Washington Oscar
Denzel Washington with his Academy Award in 2002.

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

He has been nominated 10 times between 1988 and 2022, earning nods for best supporting actor ("Cry Freedom," "Glory"), best actor ("Malcolm X," "The Hurricane," "Training Day," "Flight," "Fences," "Roman J. Israel, Esq." and "The Tragedy of Macbeth"), and best picture ("Fences").

He has won twice: He won best supporting actor for "Glory" in 1990 and best actor for "Training Day" in 2002.

In 2025, songwriter Diane Warren earned her 16th nomination — she's the most-nominated woman in Oscars history to have never taken home a competitive statue.
Diane Warren at the 2021 Oscars.
Diane Warren at the 2021 Oscars.

Matt Sayles/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images

Warren was nominated in the best original song category for "The Journey" from the movie "Triple Six Eight" this year.

In 2024, she lost out on a statue following her 15th nomination.

She won an honorary Oscar in 2022, but she still hasn't taken home a competitive statue.

Only two people have won Oscars posthumously: Heath Ledger for "The Dark Knight" and Peter Finch for "Network."
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Ledger and Finch.

BILLY FARRELL/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images; Photoshot/Getty Images

Joaquin Phoenix thanked Ledger in his SAG Awards acceptance speech, calling Ledger his "favorite actor" in 2020.

In 2021, Jamika Wilson and Mia Neal became the first Black winners of the best makeup and hairstyling award for their work on "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson, and Sergio Lopez-Rivera
Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson, and Sergio Lopez-Rivera, the winners of makeup and hairstyling for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," posed in the press room.

Chris Pizzello-Pool/Getty Images

They shared the award with Sergio Lopez-Rivera, as well.

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When, where, and how to see 6 planets align in a rare night-sky parade in January and February

blue sky with bright stars planets
Planets Mars and Jupiter in conjunction in the sky.

Lorenzo Di Cola/NurPhoto via Getty Images

  • A special planetary alignment is occurring in January and February.
  • Four planets are visible to the naked eye, with two more faintly showing.
  • Here's how, where, and when to see the planets line up — including a bonus appearance from Mercury.

The planets are lining up, forming a rare and special parade across the night sky in January and February.

Four planets — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars — are bright enough to see with the naked eye this month. Uranus and Neptune are visible with a telescope.

They'll be "strewn across" the sky and look like extra bright stars, the astrophotographer Dan Bartlett told Business Insider.

"Mars is brighter than any of the stars right now," he added. "Jupiter is bright. Venus is spectacular."

In late February, as Saturn and Neptune descend into the glare of the sun, Mercury will rise above the nighttime horizon. So you can see every planet in our solar system over the next month.

Here's what you need to know to spot each planet.

What is the planetary alignment?

Though they appear in an arc across the sky, the planets aren't actually arranged in a straight line in space.

In fact, according to the stargazing website EarthSky, a perfect straight-line alignment of all the planets will probably never happen.

illustration of planets lined up behind the sun across starry space
The planets may never line up like this.

Steve Allen/Getty Images

Rather, since the planets all orbit along or near the plane of our solar system, called the ecliptic, they appear in a line across the sky. It's the same reason the sun always follows the same path across the sky. That's nothing special.

However, it's uncommon for so many planets to be on the same side of the sun, visible in the night sky, at once.

Where and when to see the planet parade

Since all the planets will be following the same general path across the sky, they're easier to spot than a random comet or supernova. You can see them all in the first few hours after sunset.

Find a safe and comfortable spot with a clear, wide view of the sky, far from city lights. The top of a hill might be a good option. If you have binoculars or a telescope, bring them with you. You'll catch a lot more detail that way.

Even from the city with a pair of binoculars, Jupiter is "fantastic," Bartlett said, adding that you can often see its four biggest moons appearing as "little stars around it."

How to find the planets after sunset

Start by looking to the west. Venus is the brightest "star" in the sky, with Saturn just below it. Draw a line between the two planets, then follow that line upwards to find Jupiter high overhead.

the night sky with planets and stars labeled showing mars jupiter saturn and venus in a line overhead
Sky chart showing the planets visible to the naked eye after dark in January.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Keep following the line, and you'll see Mars glowing red to the east. It's extra bright in January because it's directly opposite the sun from our position. As a result, we're mostly seeing Mars' day side, with the sun reflecting brightly off its surface.

For guidance to spot each planet, consult an app like SkySafari ($4.99 in the Apple App Store) or Stellarium (free).

Bartlett recommends finding out when the International Space Station will pass overhead at your location. If it coincides with planet-viewing hours, you can go at that time and grab a view of the planets while you're out. The ISS is "as bright as Venus, sometimes many times brighter," he said.

Check spotthestation.nasa.gov to find sighting opportunities near you.

A telescope will show much more

With a telescope and some practice, you can spot two more planets: Neptune glowing blue just above and south of Venus, then Uranus just to the west of Jupiter.

A telescope also reveals more detail on the other planets. Bartlett said he can often see canals on Mars, clouds circling Jupiter, and the faint sheen of Saturn's rings.

Mercury's appearance

Mercury can be tough to spot because it's closest to the sun. On February 28, though, it will start to peek above the horizon just after sunset, then rise to meet Venus in early March.

By then, Saturn will have sunk out of view into the sunset, with Neptune following a few days later.

Watch the planetary parade online

For an at-home peek at the planetary parade, the Virtual Telescope Project plans to broadcast a live feed from its telescopes in Tuscany.

The livestream, below, is set for Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Even so, if you're out after sunset in the next month, take a moment to look up. The four naked-eye planets should be clear to anybody — even in the city if you have binoculars. "You'll see these bright stars, and most of them are planets," Bartlett said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Government websites suddenly went down this week. Here's what the White House has said about it.

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, after his inauguration.
President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the White House after his inauguration.

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

  • Some federal websites and webpages went dark after President Donald Trump took office.
  • Among them were La Casa Blanca, the Spanish-language White House site, and some federal DEI sites.
  • The government website for reproductive rights also returned error messages.

Several federal government webpages and entire websites went down this week after President Donald Trump took office.

Some of the sites were related to political flashpoints, including reproductive rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI.

The White House has addressed some of the changes and said that several pages were temporarily down as part of the transition to the new administration's website, but would be restored.

Here are the sites that went dark this week and what the White House has said about them. Press representatives from the White House did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

La Casa Blanca

The Spanish-language White House website, La Casa Blanca, was returning a 404 page after Trump took office. The 404 page initially included a button that said "Go Home," but it was updated to read "Go To Home Page."

A White House spokesperson told The Associated Press the administration was "committed to bringing back online the Spanish translation section of the website."

NBC reported that the Spanish-language version of the White House website took months to relaunch at the start of President Barack Obama's term and Trump's first term.

Reproductiverights.gov

Reproductiverights.gov was returning an error message as of Friday. The public awareness website was launched in 2022 by the Department of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration.

A version of the website still visible on internet archives showed it included information on birth control, abortion, and preventative health services, like breast and cervical cancer screenings.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on why the site was down.

Federal agencies' DEI webpages

The DEI pages on several federal agencies' websites disappeared this week. Trump on Tuesday ordered all federal DEI employees to be placed on leave as the agencies work on dismantling their DEI efforts.

Trump's memo also instructed agencies to remove any public-facing webpages on DEI to be removed by Wednesday evening. Some agencies removed their DEI pages even before the memo was issued.

During a speech delivered Thursday to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said, "My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity and inclusion nonsense. And these are policies that were absolute nonsense throughout the government and the private sector."

White House pages on the Constitution and Presidential biographies

Several former pages on the White House website were returning 404 messages, including pages on the Constitution and on presidential biographies. In a statement to USA Today, a White House spokesperson said the removals were not intentional and were temporary.

"It's day two. We are in the process of developing, editing and tweaking the White House website. As part of this ongoing work, some of the archived content on the website went dormant. We are committed to reloading that content in a short timeline," Harrison Fields, principal White House deputy press secretary, told the outlet.

Page for White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention

The page for the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention was also returning a 404 message this week, the gun-violence prevention organization Brady said, raising questions about whether the office was being shut entirely.

Some members of Congress expressed concern over the webpage being shuttered, including New York Rep. Tim Kennedy and Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost. The NRA posted on X in favor of the move and called the office "misleading" in an X post.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from BI about the site.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Can you spot the difference? Government websites quietly make changes as Trump moves to end federal DEI and remote work programs

Donald Trump signing exec order
Government agencies are responding to Donald Trump's executive orders, removing mentions of DEI and remote work on their websites.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

  • Government agencies have been scrambling to comply with President Donald Trump's executive orders.
  • Since he took office, some agencies have updated websites to remove language on DEI and remote work.
  • Here are some changes already rolled out across federal agencies and departments.

In the days since Donald Trump took office, federal agencies have scrambled to make changes to DEI and remote work-related language on their websites. In some cases, entire web pages have been removed.

As part of his flurry of executive orders, Trump has taken aim at both DEI initiatives and remote work in the government.

On Monday, he signed an order to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government, giving agencies and departments 60 days to end DEI-related practices and mere days to put federal DEI staff on paid leave.

He eliminated Executive Order 11246, a Lyndon B. Johnson-era policy that mandated anti-discriminatory policies for federal contractors, and, during his inaugural address, said it was official US policy that "there are only two genders: male and female."

Any agency that doesn't comply with Trump's new DEI policies could face "adverse consequences," according to a memo issued by the US Office of Personnel Management.

Also on Monday, Trump ordered all federal employees to return to the office full time.

Now, agencies are clambering to respond to Trump's edicts by changing their internal policies and websites, scrubbing DEI titles, mentions of inclusivity, and explanations of remote work policies.

Take the biography page of the United States Postal Service's Deputy Inspector General, for example. Comparing the current version with an archived one shows that her "chief diversity officer" title has been removed.

Screenshot of USPS Deputy Inspector General bio
Earlier this month, Lisa Martin's bio mentioned her position as chief diversity officer.

Screenshot of USPS website

Screenshot of USPS Deputy Inspector General bio
Any mention of her former position as chief diversity officer has now been scrubbed.

Screenshot of USPS website

The General Service Administration's Technology Transformation Services handbook changed its Conduct and Norms page to remove mentions of an "open and inclusive community" that were present in an archived version before the inauguration. The new page also eliminated references to remote work and guidelines instructing employees to "treat everyone as a remote worker."

Screenshot of TTS Handbook
An archived version of the TTS Handbook lays out its remote work policies.

Screenshot of TTS Handbook

Screenshot of TTS Handbook
The current version removes all mention of remote work.

Screenshot of TTS Handbook

In other cases, full web pages have vanished. The US Department of Agriculture, for example, used to have an entire page dedicated to its diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts. That page is no longer active.

Screenshot of USDA's DEIA webpage.
An archived version of the USDA website laid out its policies around DEIA.

Screenshot of USDA's DEIA webpage

Screenshot of USDA's DEIA webpage.
The same DEIA webpage now gives an error code.

Screenshot of USDA's DEIA webpage

An FAQ webpage from the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs — which enforced antidiscrimination policies — is no longer live. An archived version of the page answered questions about discrimination and Executive Order 11246, which Trump ended.

Screenshot of U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance
An FAQ page used to answer questions about sexual orientation and gender discrimination.

Screenshot of U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance website

Screenshot of U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance website.
The entire webpage has been taken down.

Screenshot of U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance website

The Social Security Administration's LGBTQI+ webpage, which used to offer "self-attestation" of a person's sex, now seems to reflect Trump's policy that "there are only two genders: male and female."

Screenshot of Social Security Administration's website.
An archived version of the SSA's website discussed gender identity.

Screenshot of Social Security Administration's website

Screenshot of Social Security Administration's webpage.
Mentions of gender identity have been scrubbed.

Screenshot of Social Security Administration's webpage

None of the agencies or departments mentioned in this story responded to requests for comments about the changes from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

My teens are 2 years apart, and I always thought they'd be best friends. They couldn't be more different.

Teens on a tree
The author's teens are less than two years apart but are not best friends.

Courtesy of the author

  • I had my kids pretty close in age, and people would often tell me they'd be best friends.
  • They are polar opposites, and I wish they were closer.
  • But maybe all the bickering is simply how siblings interact with each other.

When I had two babies under 2, people assured me they would be best friends.

It was a comforting thought during that blur of time when I was buying two different sizes of diapers, wrestling two car seats into the back of my car, and spending hours each night singing endless rounds of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "You Are My Sunshine."

But the developmental milestones come so fast in those early childhood years that they were never quite able to be the best friends. The most I could hope for was that they would get along long enough for me to throw dinner on the table. There were days when even that was wishful thinking.

They were brothers through and through, alternating between playing together and scream-fighting with each other, often within the same day — or hour.

They are so different

Now, at 13 and 15, my boys are vastly different from each other. One is an introverted gamer who thrives on routine, and the other is an extroverted adventurer who craves novelty. One gave me a three-page Christmas list, while the other told me three things he wanted before saying, "But I don't really need anything." They are in the same drama class at school, but while one of my boys happily tackled the role of Colonel Mustard in the fall production, the other relished the challenge of set-building and manning the lighting system behind the scenes.

Their differences are a laundry list of polar opposite preferences.

But I've noticed a subtle shift recently. They're both in their school's Dungeons & Dragons club but in different campaign groups. Last week, my younger son told me his brother's group had invited him to join them during club time and after school.

I wanted them to be best friends

I was surprised to find myself hoping they might finally be working toward the friendship that would make them the best friends everyone told me they would be.

I have never known the sibling bond that I hope my children will treasure into adulthood. It's a lonely feeling, not having anyone with whom I can reminisce about my childhood or being close to anyone who knows what I was like as a little girl. I know I have romanticized that connection — of inside jokes, secret codes, and shared mischief, of someone to always share the load and have your back — but I can't help but hope my sons will find their way to such a relationship with each other.

Even now, I see flickers of what could be. Last night, I overheard one of them offer to help the other tweak his D&D character sheet. I could hear them talking — collaborating, even — as they shared ideas and laughed at each other's absurd suggestions. For a moment, they sounded like friends, and I dared to imagine that this simple gesture might mark the beginning of a deeper, more meaningful relationship.

It's too much to hope that playing D&D together once a week will foster a newfound appreciation for each other's interests. And I know their not-quite-two-year age gap probably feels like a vast chasm to them, with each of them standing on the opposite side. With their whole lives in front of them, it must feel like the relationship they share with each other is a given, a sure thing, a constant that requires neither thought nor effort. And maybe it is.

Maybe one day, they will be

It's possible that it will take years, separated by life choices that take them to different colleges or other pursuits that allow them to establish their sense of self and independence before they find their way back to the path that leads to their childhood home and the first companion they ever had. Maybe then they'll appreciate the bond of birth and shared memories that make their relationship special.

As I hear them in the next room, arguing over the computer for the third time today, I can't help but wonder if I'm overthinking it all. Maybe this — the bickering and taking each other for granted and not being able to stand the sight of each other but still asking where the other one is when they're not in the same room — maybe this really is what sibling best-friendship looks like.

Knowing that no matter how much they might argue, they can still turn to each other when they need something and count on their brother to be there, regardless of their differences.

Read the original article on Business Insider

What Trump revoking the Equal Employment Opportunity executive order means for businesses and workers

Donald Trump
Federal employees are no longer protected from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics like race, sex, and religion after President Trump revoked the Equal Employment Opportunity executive order.

Melina Mara/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

  • President Trump on Tuesday rolled back a 60-year-old antidiscrimination executive order.
  • The move, one of several anti-DEI changes he's made so far, has consequences for the private sector.
  • Here's what Trump's Equal Employment Opportunity decision means and how it affects businesses and workers.

President Trump this week revoked a civil rights-era Equal Employment Opportunity executive order, one of several sweeping changes he's made since taking office to hamper DEI and reshape the federal workforce.

The move guts federal contract workers' protections from discrimination on the basis of characteristics like race, religion, and sex.

Here's what his decision means for businesses and workers:

What is Equal Employment Opportunity?

Executive Order 11246, issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, prohibited federal contractors from discriminating in employment and required them to take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity.

The 60-year-old act has been amended and strengthened over the years to protect federal contract workers from discrimination on the basis of characteristics like race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and national origin.

The Department of Labor's website calls it "a key landmark in a series of federal actions aimed at ending racial, religious and ethnic discrimination" and notes that workers employed by federal contractors represent roughly 20% of the US workforce.

What does Trump's executive order change?

Trump's decision requires the Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to stop promoting diversity and to stop holding federal contractors and subcontractors responsible for taking affirmative action.

It also directs the office to stop "allowing or encouraging Federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in workforce balancing based on race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin."

Employees of federal contractors and subcontractors still have some protections under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and may have additional protections under state or local laws, Stefanie Camfield, associate general counsel of Engage PEO, told Business Insider.

Why did Trump make this decision?

Conservatives have increasingly taken aim at efforts related to DEI and social and environmental issues, and Trump has made no secret of his disdain for them.

On his first day in office, he signed an executive order to terminate DEI mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities — which he called "radical and wasteful" — in the federal government. Federal agencies were told to put employees in DEI roles on paid leave in the meantime.

How are people responding?

While many anti-DEI conservatives are celebrating Trump's decision, labor advocates and leaders of marginalized people's groups have been critical of the executive order reversal.

Judy Conti, government affairs director of the National Employment Law Project, said in a statement that Trump had "gutted key tools to prevent discrimination and root it out at its core."

"This is not a return to so-called 'meritocracy,'" she said. "Rather, it's an attempted return to the days when people of color, women, and other marginalized people lacked the tools to ensure that they were evaluated on their merits."

NAACP President Derrick Johnson in a statement called Trump's decision "outrageous."

"His appalling executive order will only worsen America's racial hierarchy and benefit the oligarch class," Johnson said.

What does this mean for businesses and workers?

Federal contractors can continue following Executive Order 11246 for 90 days from Tuesday of this week, Trump's order states.

His decision is likely to have spillover effects even into private sector businesses that aren't directly implicated.

"I would consider this order a shot over the bow for private businesses that President Trump will be using his executive power to end DEI programs in the private sector as well," said Camfield.

Trump's order directs the Attorney General to submit a report within 120 days "containing recommendations for enforcing Federal civil-rights laws and taking other appropriate measures to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI."

Businesses should examine their DEI policies and programs to make sure they're compliant with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and "consider working with a knowledgeable employment attorney to either amend or even end the program to ensure that they're compliant" with Trump's revocation, Camfield says.

Workers should be aware of their rights under that act and any additional protections they may have under state and local laws.

What's next?

Trump's decision may spark an increase in "reverse racism" cases being filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Camfield notes.

Andrea R. Lucas, acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said, "I intend to dispel the notion that only the 'right sort of' charging party is welcome through our doors and to reinforce instead the fundamental belief enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and our civil rights laws—that all people are 'created equal.'"

Some companies had already begun pulling back on their DEI programs and initiatives before Trump's executive order, including Walmart, McDonald's, and Meta.

Others are standing their ground on DEI.

On Thursday, Costco shareholders overwhelmingly voted against a proposal from a conservative think tank to report on potential risks of the company's DEI efforts.

On CNBC this week, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said the bank is "going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community, the veterans community."

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said in another CNBC interview that the bank is listening to clients, who are thinking "about their businesses, how they find talent, the diversity of the talent they find all over the world."

"We continue to stay focused on talking to our clients and doing the things we've always done," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Target is rolling back several DEI initiatives. Read the memo.

Customer walks past Pride display inside Target store
A customer walks by a Pride Month merchandise display at a Target store in 2022.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

  • Target said Friday that it is ending multiple diversity-related programs.
  • A memo said the moves help the company remain "in step with the evolving external landscape."
  • The reversal follows moves by several major retailers, including Walmart and Tractor Supply Co.

Target is the latest major retailer to reverse course on its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

In a Friday memo to staff, Target's chief community impact and equity officer, Kiera Fernandez, said the company is ending multiple diversity-related programs, including the planned conclusion of a racial equity initiative and the end of all external diversity surveys.

Fernandez said the strategy was based on "many years of data, insights, listening and learning" to help the company remain "in step with the evolving external landscape."

In addition, the memo said Target is renaming its "Supplier Diversity" team as "Supplier Engagement" and will evaluate its corporate partnerships.

The reversal follows moves by several major retailers in recent months, including Walmart and Tractor Supply Co., as well as this week's sweeping new rules from President Donald Trump ordering the end of DEI programs at federal agencies.

Not all companies are bowing to the mounting anti-DEI pressure. On Thursday, Costco shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal from a conservative think tank to evaluate the potential legal and financial risks of the wholesale club's DEI-related policies after the company recommended investors vote against it.

In finance, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon affirmed his company's commitment to DEI and dismissed a conservative shareholder group's criticisms. "Bring them on," he said.

Target has faced pressure from conservative groups over the years in response to issues ranging from what shelves toys are sold on to the company's offering of LGBTQ+ merchandise during Pride month.

CEO Brian Cornell previously defended DEI as "good business decisions, and it's the right thing for society, and it's the great thing for our brand."

Read the memo sent to Target employees:

From: Kiera Fernandez
Subject line: Belonging at the Bullseye


Hi team,

As we close the fiscal year and welcome 2025, I want to share how my team and I have been planning for the year ahead and beyond, ensuring even closer connections to our enterprise roadmap for growth.

For more than 20 years, Target has fueled our business by building teams with diverse perspectives and experiences, creating inclusive work and guest environments that welcome all, and developing strategies that represent the U.S. consumers we serve.

We've also deepened our understanding of how building a sense of belonging for every member of our team, guests and communities can help drive our business and strengthen our culture. So, as
we kick off the new year, we will further our commitment to growth and opportunity for all through our strategy, Belonging at the Bullseye.

Many years of data, insights, listening and learning have been shaping this next chapter in our strategy. And as a retailer that serves millions of consumers every day, we understand the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape, now and in the future — all in service of driving Target's growth and winning together.

You can find more here, including details on the actions we're taking, with the goal of driving growth. In the coming weeks and months, you'll see me and my team continue to guide and partner across the enterprise to bring this strategy to life.

In my 23 years as a team member, there are so many things I have loved about Target and our culture. At the top of the list is our conviction to always move forward — listening, learning, growing and setting standards of excellence. I am excited about this next chapter, and confident that our business and culture will continue to be strengthened through the power of belonging.

Onward,
Kiera

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

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Finnish people have some unique traditions. Here are 7 surprising facts about the world's happiest country.

sauna
Finland is known for its saunas.

Shutterstock/Billion Photos

  • Finland has been ranked the world's happiest country for the last seven years.
  • The country benefits from high levels of social trust and a strong connection with nature.
  • Finnish culture also has several unusual traditions and social norms.

Finland is known for being the happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report, but there's a lot more to the Nordic nation than its residents' satisfaction.

The sparsely populated country is around the size of New Mexico but only a little over 5.5 million people live there — around 3 million less than New York City.

Finns endure harsh winters, drink a lot of coffee, and can be a bit pessimistic. Finland is also packed with saunas and has a strong welfare state. Several unusual traditions and social norms contribute to the country's culture.

Here are seven surprising facts about the country.

1. Speeding tickets are based on your income.
A blue road sign reading Suomi - Finland and speed limits of 50 and 80 in cities and non-cities
A speed limit sign in Finland.

Alexander Farnsworth/Getty Images

In Finland, a resident's wealth plays a factor in how much they'll pay for driving too fast.

The country's "day fine" system is based on the offender's daily disposable income and how far over the speed limit they were going.

The system has led to some eye-popping fines. In 2023, a Finnish multimillionaire received a fine of €121,000, or $129,400, for speeding.

2. There's around half a sauna per person.
Finnish actor Jasper Paakkonen throws water on the hot stones inside a sauna
You'll find saunas all over Finland.

credit should read SAM KINGSLEY/AFP via Getty Images

There are an estimated 3 million saunas in Finland, per National Geographic — or the equivalent of just over half a sauna per Finn.

Sauna culture is an important part of Finnish daily life and the country's heritage. There are ancient versions dating back to the Stone Age.

Today, you can find saunas in apartment blocks, homes, restaurants, and even government buildings.

3. The Finnish government gives all new families a "baby box."
A teddy bear with a ladybug on its stomach rests on clothing, blankets, and other necessities in a Finnish baby box
A Finnish baby box packed with essentials for a newborn.

VESA MOILANEN/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

Finland's government sends a maternity package — known as äitiyspakkaus, or a "baby box," — to the parents of newborn children.

The box contains essential items such as clothing, bibs, diapers, and bathing products, among other things. The box is fitted with a small mattress and a sheet, though some health experts have warned it may not be a safe place for babies to sleep.

The concept has become popular in other countries. In 2023, the US Department of Health and Human Services started a pilot program to send kits to new parents in a handful of states.

4. The country is home to a sport called "wife-carrying."
A man carries a woman backwards over his shoulders so her head faces his back
A team competes during the 2019 Wife Carrying World Championships in Sonkajarvi, Finland.

Lehtikuva / Timo Hartikainen via Reuters

Wife-carrying is now an international sport, but the world championships are still held in Sonkajärvi, Finland.

In the 1990s, when the event debuted, a male partner would traditionally carry his wife while navigating an obstacle course. The rules have evolved slightly over the years, and competitors don't have to carry their real spouses. They just need a teammate who fits the age and weight requirements

The course is about 830 feet long and involves fences and a pond that the teams have to splash through. Past winners have claimed victory by completing the race in about a minute.

5. Finns have a word for staying in and drinking in your underwear.
A man passes a shelf of beers on sale in a supermarket in Helsinki, Finland
A man looks at beer in a Helsinki supermarket, perhaps contemplating spending an evening devoted to Kalsarikänni.

Lehtikuva/Heikki Saukkomaa/via Reuters

"Kalsarikänni" translates to drinking at home in your underwear, or, "pantsdrunk," if you prefer, The New York Times reported in 2020.

Other Finnish words include "vahingonilo," which means to enjoy someone else's misfortune, and "sisu," which is a kind of stoic determination or resilience.

6. Heavy metal fans are spoiled for choice.
Samy Elbanna of  pLost Society, who has blue hair and full arm sleeve of tattoos, holds a guitar and sings into a red microphone
Lost Society is one of Finland's many metal bands.

Miikka Skaffari/Redferns via Getty Images

According to some estimates, Finland has over 50 heavy metal bands per 100,000 people, the largest number per capita of any country in the world.

In 2016, former president Barack Obama gave the Finns' musical preferences a shout-out during a Nordic summit, saying he was unsure if there was a correlation between the number of heavy metal bands and the country's reputation for good governance.

While many people assume the long, cold winters fuel Finland's appetite for the aggressive yet often technically proficient style, Antti "Hyrde" Hyyrynen, singer and guitarist of the Finnish band Stam1na, told Market Place in 2018 that was a cliché. Instead, he said that all students study music in school, creating a vast talent pool.

7. A popular candy is really, really salty.
A basket of bags of salmiakki, Finnish black licorice, for sale
Salmiakki is bitter and salty, not sweet.

Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Lots of people in Nordic countries enjoy salty licorice, but many consider salmiakki, the Finnish variety, to have the most extreme flavor.

It's a mix of black licorice and ammonium chloride that pharmacies originally sold as a cough medicine. When a Vice reporter bought a package from a Stockholm shop, the owner warned that it wasn't just strong but "Finnish strong." The taste was "horrible, painful, and completely unpleasant," but she finished the whole bag.

Finland loves candy in general — it ranked fifth in consumption per capita in a 2017 study — and salmiakki is "sort of the national candy," Jukka Annala, the founder and president of the Finnish Salty Licorice Association, told The New York Times Magazine in 2018.

People have described the tongue-tingling taste as bitter, briny, and intense. Sisu, that emphasis on resiliency, might be the reason so many Finns like it, Annala told Eater in 2021.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Shopify's quiet layoffs continue among customer support workers

Shopify
Shopify continues to conduct quiet layoffs, the latest targeting its customer support workers.

Denis Poroy/AP

  • Shopify has laid off employees in its customer support organization, BI has learned.
  • This division of the company has undergone multiple rounds of smaller, quiet layoffs since 2022.
  • The e-commerce platform company continues to hire third-party customer support staff.

Shopify quietly laid off employees in its support division this week, five people familiar with the matter told Business Insider. It was not immediately clear how many employees lost their jobs, but one person estimated that it was at least a dozen.

Shopify's support teams troubleshoot issues for the millions of merchants who use the platform to sell products.

Employees who were affected by the job cuts lost access to company systems during or immediately after a brief meeting with HR, making it difficult for them to ascertain how many of their coworkers had also lost their jobs.

Shopify representatives did not immediately return a request for comment on the layoffs.

Shopify's support division has undergone many changes in recent years.

In early 2023, the company began "Code Yellow," a project aimed at improving customer service levels that leaders said had "deteriorated beyond acceptable ranges." As part of that project, it embraced using generative AI to handle some tasks that support employees had previously done, saying the technology had helped to "minimize toil, help us be more efficient and improve merchant experience." In 2024, company leaders told employees a reorganization of the division would be necessary to fix its ratio of managers to "crafters," which is Shopify's term for individual contributors.

Shopify has also continued to hire third-party vendors — some in other countries including the Philippines and some in Canada — to assist with customer-service tickets, which employees said has contributed to a decline in overall quality in response.

The support division has also seen a lot of turnover in its management ranks, with former leaders Glen Worthington, Clovis Cuqui, and Jen Bebb all departing Shopify in 2024.

Shopify conducted two rounds of mass layoffs in the years after a pandemic-era boom. In July 2022, it laid off 10% of its workforce, or roughly 1,000 employees, and in May 2023, it cut an additional 20% of staff while also selling off its logistics business.

Three people told BI that the company has quietly laid off workers several times since then, in a manner similar to this week's layoffs.

Got a tip? Contact this reporter at mstone@businessinsider.com, mlstone@protonmail.com, or on the secure messaging app Signal at @mlstone.04 using a non-work phone.

Contact the reporter Jyoti Mann via email at jmann@businessinsider.com or via Signal at jyotimann.11. Reach out via a nonwork device.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The House's DOGE committee is likely to be a brawl

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Melanie Stansbury
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is the chairwoman of the new DOGE subcommittee, while Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico is the ranking member.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images; Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project

  • The House is going to have it's own DOGE subcommittee chaired by Marjorie Taylor Greene.
  • The Democrats on this committee aren't DOGE-curious. They're gearing up for a fight.
  • The top Democrat says Republicans want to turn the government into a "piggy bank" for Elon Musk.

As the Department of Government Efficiency has taken shape, you may have heard about a handful of Democratic politicians who are interested in working with Elon Musk.

You won't find any of these "DOGE-curious" Democrats, however, on the House's new "Delivering on Government Efficiency" subcommittee.

"We believe that they're going to use the DOGE subcommittee to eviscerate the federal workforce," Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the panel, said on CNN on Friday.

The subcommittee, housed beneath the House Oversight Committee, will be chaired by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — the controversial Georgia congresswoman who was barred from serving on committees altogether during her first two years in office.

Other Republicans on the panel include some of the party's biggest spending hawks and members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, including:

  • Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas
  • Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina
  • Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas
  • Rep. Brian Jack of Georgia
  • Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee
  • Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri
  • Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas

The Democrats, meanwhile, include several lawmakers who've cut their teeth doing battle with Republicans on the Oversight committee over the last two years, including:

  • Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington, DC
  • Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts
  • Rep. Robert Garcia of California
  • Rep. Greg Casar of Texas
  • Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas

These Democrats have generally been critical of DOGE. Stansbury said on CNN that Republicans want to make the federal government "essentially a personal piggy bank for Elon Musk," pointing to the billionaire businessman's reliance on federal contracts. Casar, meanwhile, previously told BI that he expects Musk and DOGE to pursue "really awful, stupid, self-serving stuff."

"We're ready to fight back on day one, call out attempts to slash our social safety, and make sure we take care of working families and the middle class," Garcia said in a statement announcing his placement on the subcommittee.

While the subcommittee is focusing on the same government-efficiency goals as Musk's DOGE in the executive branch, it remains unclear how the two entities will interact.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are pursuing DOGE-aligned initiatives through other avenues, including via DOGE caucuses in both the House and the Senate.

Read the original article on Business Insider

European naval forces destroyed nearly two dozen missiles and drones in their Red Sea battle

An S-70B helicopter flies away from the Greek frigate HS Psara.
An S-70B helicopter flies away from the Greek frigate HS Psara.

Operation Aspides

  • European forces destroyed nearly two dozen Houthi missiles and drones over the past year.
  • The Houthis spent more than a year attacking shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
  • American and European forces have deployed to the region to defend against the attacks.

European naval forces destroyed nearly two dozen missiles and drones launched by the Houthis in almost a year of combat operations in the Red Sea.

The European Union launched Operation Aspides in mid-February of last year in response to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, joining American and British forces in their efforts to protect shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from the Yemeni rebels.

So far, the European forces deployed to the mission have intercepted four missiles, shot down 17 aerial drones, and destroyed two naval drones on the surface of the water, a spokesperson for Operation Aspides told Business Insider on Friday.

Their mission is set to expire in a month as the Houthis signal that they will reduce their attacks, which succeeded in driving up the cost of shipping and compelled some carriers to avoid the Suez Canal and the Red Sea entirely.

European forces — including Germany, France, Italy, and Greece — have taken down the Houthi weapons by opening fire from warships and their embarked helicopters. The surface combatants have used surface-to-air missiles and 3-inch deck-mounted guns to intercept the threats.

A missile is launched from a French warship in the Red Sea.
A French warship operating in the Red Sea launches a surface-to-air missile.

Operation Aspides

The Operation Aspides spokesperson said European forces have also supported nearly 600 vessels, including providing close protection for more than 350 of them, and carried out three Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) operations to save the lives of nearly 50 sailors.

It's unclear whether the operation's one-year mandate, which began on February 19, 2024, and is set to expire in just a few weeks, will be extended. The mission's budget is 8 million Euros ($8.3 million USD).

The tempo of operations under Aspides is a stark difference from the US Navy's counter-Houthi mission, which has engaged hundreds of Houthi missiles and drones since the fall of 2023. Officers and experts have described the conflict as the most intense combat that American naval forces have faced since World War II.

US warships have also shot down Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles. The rebels became the first force to ever fire this type of missile in combat, in late 2023, and have since fired dozens of them at military and civilian vessels.

A hostile drone boat comes under fire from a French warship in the Red Sea.
A French warship operating in the Red Sea opens fire on a Houthi naval drone in August..

French military photo

Beyond intercepting Houthi missiles and drones, the US has carried out airstrikes against the rebels in Yemen, targeting their facilities and weapons. British and Israeli fighter jets have done the same.

The Houthis have said that their unrelenting attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Shortly after a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was announced earlier this month, the rebels claimed they would limit their Red Sea attacks to Israeli-affiliated vessels.

The return of the Trump administration could dramatically shake-up the US military's approach to the ongoing Houthi conflict. The White House announced earlier this week that it was re-designating the rebels as a foreign terrorist organization, reversing former President Joe Biden's decision to remove them from that list in 2021.

The White House said that under Trump, "it is now the policy" of the US to cooperate with regional partners to end the Houthi attacks on American personnel and civilians, Washington's partners, and Red Sea shipping.

Read the original article on Business Insider

'The Night Agent' season 2 finale was action-packed. The cast and showrunner break down its biggest moments.

Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in season two, episode two of "The Night Agent."
Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in season two, episode two of "The Night Agent."

Christopher Saunders/Netflix

  • Season two of "The Night Agent" is now streaming on Netflix.
  • The 10-episode season ends with a tease about what Peter Sutherland will be up to in season three.
  • Peter and Rose Larkin also make a difficult decision about their relationship.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two of Netflix's "The Night Agent."

Newly appointed night agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) faces even more danger while unraveling another terrorist plot in season two of "The Night Agent."

Netflix's popular political thriller series returned for season two on Thursday. The 10-episode season follows Peter and Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), the former CEO of a tech startup and his love interest, as they uncover a sinister plan involving an intelligence broker and a war criminal.

Season two ends with Peter and Rose breaking up and going their separate ways — at least for the time being — and Peter accepting a top-secret mission that will put his life in peril (again).

Here's a breakdown of the season two finale, and how it sets up the already-confirmed season three of "The Night Agent."

Peter makes a dicey deal to stop the release of a deadly chemical weapon

Peter Sutherland holds a cellphone in his left hand in season two, episode three of "The Night Agent."
Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in season two, episode three of "The Night Agent."

Christopher Saunders/Netflix

Season two of "The Night Agent" centers on convicted war criminal Viktor Bala's (Dikran Tulaine) attempt to carry out a revenge plot against Americans by killing thousands using a chemical gas compound called KX. Because he's incarcerated, Bala has his son Tomás (Rob Heaps) and his nephew Markus (Michael Malarkey) execute his plan.

The origin of Bala's plan dates back 20 years, when the American government began Foxglove, an operation intended to get ahead of chemical warfare by conceiving new synthetic weapons and creating the antidotes in advance. To make the antidotes, they had to first develop the poisons. However, KX was one of the chemical compounds that the Foxglove team couldn't create an antidote for.

Bala was convicted in the Hague of using the compound KX on his own people to suppress protestors. He was deposed and claimed American sources sold it to him, but there was no evidence and US involvement was dissolved.

In the present day, Bala's team steals a military-grade mobile lab containing the chemical agents and holds chemistry professor Dr. Wilfred Cole (Jay Karnes), who was part of Foxglove, and Rose hostage until they create batches of KX.

To save Rose and find out the location of the mobile lab, Peter makes a deal with intelligence broker Jacob Monroe (Louis Herthum). In exchange for the information, Peter agrees to sneak into the United Nations building and steal a case file belonging to the secretary-general.

Peter and Rose successfully halt the terrorist attack

Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin, and Amanda Warren as Catherine in season two, episode seven of "The Night Agent."
Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin, and Amanda Warren as Catherine in "The Night Agent."

Christopher Saunders/Netflix

After rescuing Rose and Dr. Cole, Peter and Rose track down 14 of the 15 total canisters of KX at the UN.

Because Bala blames the UN for covering up America's involvement in selling KX to him, he wanted the canisters to release at the building around the time the Security Council was set to gather and vote on how to split Bala's dominion into three separate countries.

Rose finds the remaining canister of KX in the HVAC of a hotel and uses the scientific knowledge she learned from Dr. Cole to mix chemicals together and start a fire large enough to close the vents and contain the weapon.

The plan works with less than a minute to spare, saving everyone in the hotel from exposure.

Peter and Rose break up and agree to go their separate ways

Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin and Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in season two, episode 10 of "The Night Agent."
Buchanan and Basso in season two, episode 10 of "The Night Agent."

Netflix

After thwarting the chemical weapon plan in the finale, they reach a breaking point. Peter knows that as long as he's a night agent, people like Monroe will use Rose against him because her safety means everything to him. Plus, Rose is tired of running and wants a normal life.

They end things with Peter asking Rose to promise not to wait for his calls or come looking for him.

Showrunner Shawn Ryan told BI that he and the writers spent a lot of time talking about how realistic a relationship is under these circumstances. Ultimately, they decided that Peter and Rose breaking up "was another sacrifice that they would have to make, that their lives are just too different."

"We love to see the two of them together, but the truthful thing to us at the end of the season felt like they needed to make a commitment, at least for the time being, to be apart," Ryan said.

Basso and Buchanan agreed that it was the right decision for their characters.

"It's a responsible thing to put her safety above what he selfishly wants," Basso said.

"I actually felt like it was a realistic kind of way to end things," Buchanan said. "I think halfway through the season she's kind of made her mind up, 'This is not what I signed up for.'"

Noor Taheri and her mom become US citizens and get fresh starts

Arienne Mandi as Noor in season two, episode seven of "The Night Agent."
Arienne Mandi as Noor in season two, episode seven of "The Night Agent."

Christopher Saunders/Netflix

Noor Taheri (Arienne Mandi) is an assistant to the Iranian ambassador to the UN who secretly provides useful intel to the CIA in exchange for asylum for her mom Azita (Marjan Neshat) and her brother Farhad (Kiarash Amani).

Although Farhad gets killed during the extraction, Noor's mom safely arrives in America and she and Noor become permanent residents of the US.

When Noor later catches up with Rose weeks after the attempted terrorist attack, she explains that she's been applying for new jobs. Meanwhile, Rose has returned to California and is buried in work following her promotion at AdVerse. Rose, who has post-traumatic stress from the events of seasons one and two, also says that she's been doing therapy twice a week and feels like she can finally start her life again. She also doesn't know Peter's whereabouts but thinks it's better that way.

Ryan said that Noor and Rose are "beloved characters," but played coy about their potential returns.

"One of the things that we've tried to do with the show is to tell a new story each season, and I never want to say that anyone is in or out for the rest of its run," he said.

"We'll see what happens with them and where the show goes," the showrunner added.

Peter turns himself in for going rogue and learns he aided and abetted swinging the presidential election

Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in season two, episode 10 of "The Night Agent."
Basso as Peter Sutherland in season two, episode 10 of "The Night Agent."

Netflix

Peter admits to releasing Solomon Vega (Berto Colon), a suspect in a Night Action investigation, from custody; stealing sensitive information from the UN; and transferring that intel to Monroe, Solomon's associate.

It's then revealed that Monroe gave the stolen UN intel to US presidential candidate Richard Hagan (Ward Horton) to help him edge out the competition in the presidential election.

The intel connected Hagan's opposition, Patrick Knox (Geoffrey Owens), to Foxglove. Knox oversaw Foxglove and the sale of the weapon KX to Viktor Bala.

After Knox's involvement is exposed, he drops out of the general election, which is set to take place in two weeks. With no other candidate opposing Hagan, his win is basically guaranteed due to the valuable intel Peter stole.

Ryan told BI that he decided that Monroe and Hagan would be major players in season three later in the process of developing season two.

"They were an integral part of season two and the story we were trying to tell there," Ryan said. "And then we just decided that there was more story to tell with Jacob Monroe and that this cliffhanger that we could end on that felt like it was an appropriate end to the season two events, but gave us some runway for our mission in season three with Peter."

Peter accepts a dangerous off-the-books mission

Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in season two, episode 10 of "The Night Agent."
Basso in season two, episode 10 of "The Night Agent."

Netflix

Catherine Weaver (Amanda Warren), Peter's boss at Night Action, believes Monroe is going to turn Hagan into a puppet and use the politician's new position of power to access classified intelligence and sell it to the highest bidders.

Considering that Monroe wiped all traces of Peter's break-in at the UN, Catherine thinks that the broker must want Peter around to do more favors for him.

Because Monroe will likely call on Peter again, Catherine wants him to do what's asked, earn Monroe's trust, determine the exact nature of his relationship with Hagan, and expose them. In return, Peter's slate will be wiped clean.

The finale concludes with Peter agreeing to the mission.

This cliffhanger sets Peter up for a tricky journey ahead. Unlike his past assignments, this one is top secret — even from Night Action — making it more difficult and dangerous.

"I think he's already screwed," Basso told BI of Peter's future. "He's already compromised. To his bosses, they know he's able to be compromised, and to this new person, they know that he wants to do the right thing. And you can't have someone who wants to do the right thing when you're asking him to do a bad thing."

"I think everybody knows they can't really control him," he continued. "And now it's, 'Where does he fit in? How long can we use him before we get rid of him?'"

Season two of "The Night Agent" is now streaming on Netflix.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Uber CEO addresses the elephant in the room: What happens to human Uber drivers once robotaxis arrive?

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi talking about AI at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said AVs will be integrated alongside its fleet of human drivers for the foreseeable future.

World Economic Forum / Sandra Blaser

  • CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he expects AVs to run parallel to human Uber drivers for the next decade.
  • He said that after 10 years of such a hybrid rideshare system, "things may be different."
  • Uber has partnered with various autonomous vehicle companies, including Waymo, to offer self-driving rides.

What happens to the millions of Uber drivers when autonomous vehicles, or robotaxis, become the norm?

Uber's CEO said its human drivers won't be replaced anytime soon.

"You know, I don't think you are going to feel anything as it relates in the next five years," said chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi during a recent appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box" from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"So, for example, in San Francisco, our business continues to grow and Waymo is growing — just the overall envelope of the business is growing faster," he said, referencing the self-driving car division of Google's parent company, Alphabet. Uber partnered with Waymo in 2023 and provides access to self-driving rides in some cities through its app.

Though Uber plans to increase the number of AVs in its ride-hailing fleet, Khosrowshahi said that the integration will proceed slowly, at least for the coming decade.

"I think we will operate in a hybrid network," the Uber CEO said. "A combination, you know. By far predominantly human drivers, and then some AVs feathering in over the next 10 years."

After that, though, things are more murky, he suggested.

"Ten years from now, things may be different," Khosrowshahi said. "But between now and 10 years from now, the humans are going to have plenty of work, and AVs are going to work their way into the system."

Uber sold its self-driving car unit to Aurora amid financial struggles during the pandemic as it pushed for its overall business to turn a profit. The sale came more than a year after one of Uber's self-driving vehicles was involved in a fatal pedestrian crash, for which the safety driver who was in the car was ruled responsible.

Today, Uber relies on partnerships with autonomous vehicle makers, including Waymo, in a handful of US cities such as Atlanta and Austin. The company also invested in the British firm Wayve, as an extension to its $1 billion Series C funding round.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego arrives in a Waymo self-driving vehicle on Dec. 16, 2022, at the Sky Harbor International Airport Sky Train facility in Phoenix
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego arrives in a Waymo self-driving vehicle on Dec. 16, 2022, at the Sky Harbor International Airport Sky Train facility in Phoenix.

Matt York/AP

He has also said the company would "love" to partner with Tesla on its upcoming Cybercab robotaxi to make it available through the Uber app, though neither Tesla nor Musk has given any public indication that it's looking to do so.

Khosrowshahi said the broader development of autonomous vehicles is moving along at incredible speeds in the industry, and he expects the technology itself to be ready for what he calls "primetime" between "now and two years from now." But the commercialization of AVs, he said, is another matter entirely.

"The commercialization of AVs is going to take much longer," Khosrowshahi said. "The building materials, the cost of the sensors, the cars, et cetera, is too high right now."

Uber's partnerships with auto developers will help grease the wheels on AV integration, Khosrowshahi said.

"And we think that our partnering with AV developers will speed up that commercialization because we can bring them a lot more business much faster, we have fleet operations in cities in which we operate," the Uber CEO said.

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

When the technology truly becomes more ubiquitous, Khosrowshahi believes it'll transform transportation for the better.

"This is a technology that's going to hit primetime, and it's going to make for safer streets for passengers," the Uber CEO said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

'Too much pessimism' — Fink, Trump and Schwarzman take aim at risk-averse Europe in Davos

Christine Lagarde speaking on stage
European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Valeriano Di Domenico/World Economic Forum

  • Attendees at the World Economic Forum have given Europe's economy a serious bashing this week.
  • They've blasted the red tape and bemoaned the cultural aversion to taking risks and praising loudly.
  • Here's what Donald Trump, Larry Fink, Steve Schwarzman, Christine Lagarde, and others said.

The US economy is the toast of Davos, while Europe has been thrown to the wolves at the elite gathering in the Swiss Alps this week.

World leaders, business titans, and policy gurus have hailed America's resilient growth, can-do culture, free-flowing capital, and bright prospects if President Trump succeeds in bolstering investment and cutting regulations.

In contrast, they called out widespread pessimism, siloed markets, suffocating regulations, and an aversion to taking risks and shouting out successes in Europe.

Here are some of the best comments from Davos about Europe:

1. Donald Trump, US President

"They're very frustrated because of the time everything seems to take to get approved," Trump said about his European friends and acquaintances.

"I love Europe, I love the countries of Europe, but the process is a very cumbersome one, and they do treat the United States of America very, very unfairly with the VAT taxes and all of the other taxes they impose."

2. Larry Fink, BlackRock CEO

"There's too much pessimism in Europe," Fink said, based on his conversations with Davos attendees. "I've never felt the pessimism being larger and more profound."

"Europe is a myth," he said, calling out its fragmented capital and banking markets, and its lack of dynamism and entrepreneurship relative to countries like the US and China.

"I don't see Europe moving forward enough; I see Europe still focusing on backward looking too much."

3. Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank president

Lagarde said corporate bosses are "not very upbeat" about Europe as they're worried about issues including energy prices and excessive red tape.

Their concerns should be a "wake-up call that we Europeans, those in policymaking places, have to really take to heart and respond fast to," she said.

"So if the European leaders can actually get their act together, respond to this wake up call and existential threat that can be identified, then I think that there is a huge potential for Europe to respond to the call."

4. Kristalina Georgieva, International Monetary Fund managing director

Georgieva described the IMF's economic forecast for Europe over the next couple of years as "sort of meh, not great."

"United States has a culture of confidence; Europe has a culture of modesty," Georgieva said. She joked the highest praise she ever received from her parents was "not too bad" while in the US, "you just move your legs and you're fantastic, you blink and you're great."

"So my advice to my fellow Europeans is more confidence, believe in yourself, and most importantly tell others that you do."

Kristalina Georgieva speaking onstage in Davos,
 January 2025
Kristalina Georgieva, International Monetary Fund managing director, at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Thibaut Bouvier/World Economic Forum

5. Christian Ulbrich, JLL CEO

Ulbrich, whose company works in real estate and investment management, told Business Insider at Davos that European officials seemed prouder to announce regulations on artificial intelligence than to reveal big investments in the tech.

He said that "demonstrates very nicely the difference in culture: The Americans are looking first to the opportunity, and the Europeans tend to look first toward the risk."

6. Steve Schwarzman, Blackstone CEO

"A lot of the European businesspeople have expressed enormous frustration with the regulatory regime in the EU," Schwarzman said, adding that they especially blame bureaucracy for slower growth rates in Europe.

7. Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo and president of the European Chemical Industry Council

Kadri said that since she moved to Europe in 2019, there've been "19,000 pages of regulation published just for the chemical industry," and she's been "hiring more people in the legal and compliance departments than in my innovation department."

The executive said that small and midsize businesses can't deal with the "soup of alphabet of reporting" requirements, and the bureaucratic burden is "destroying the fabric of the industry."

Kadri called for a major simplification of the rules and removal of red tape to improve transparency and predictability, which she said would improve efficiency and drive investment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

LA small businesses decimated by the Palisades and Eaton Fires say they're trying to claw their way back — but it's hard

Man walks along burned-out street in Los Angeles County
A man walks past a fire-ravaged business after the Eaton Fire swept through.

AP Photo/Ethan Swope

  • The LA fires destroyed thousands of structures, and times are tough for the businesses that remain.
  • In Malibu, Pasadena, and other areas of LA County, the wealthy were not the only ones affected.
  • Small business owners report slowing sales and lower foot traffic.

Small businesses are struggling to get up off the mat after the LA fires walloped them — and some owners are asking people to remember that not everyone affected was a wealthy Hollywood star.

While many businesses in the path of the fires were destroyed, the ones that remain standing face their own set of challenges.

In the Pacific Palisades and Malibu alone, which were devastated by the Palisades Fire, there was a 64.7% decrease and a 67.7% decrease, respectively, in businesses open the week the fires started relative to the same week in January of last year. That's according to data collected by Homebase, a small business operations platform.

Similarly, Homebase reported that Altadena and Pasadena, which were hit by the Eaton Fire, saw a 32.5% decrease and a 19.4% decrease in businesses open for the same week relative to January 2024.

Meanwhile, according to Homebase, small businesses across the Los Angeles metropolitan area saw a 5.3% to 8.9% decrease in employee hours worked from January 9 through January 13.

Christopher Tompkins, the owner of Broad Street Oyster Company, opened his first restaurant in Malibu in 2019 and has since expanded to add a coffee and ice cream shop next door and three other locations in Southern California and one in San Francisco.

Just a few weeks ago, he was still reeling from the Franklin Fire, which burned through over 4,000 acres of Malibu in December and forced him to close his doors for the first time in five years, he said.

image of Tompkins smiling in front of seafood
Christopher Tompkins owns Broad Street Oyster Co., which has five locations in California as well as a coffee and ice cream shop.

Liam Brown

"That felt devastating and also terrifying because everything was so close," Tompkins told Business Insider. "The fire was on our road. The fire was around the restaurant. Personally, I thought we were done for, I thought everything was gone."

Then, when the Palisades Fire broke out two weeks ago, he said he "couldn't believe it."

The Palisades Fire, which started on January 7, burned through 23,000 acres and destroyed over 6,000 structures as simultaneous fires raged across other parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

image of fire damaged homes alongside beach
The Palisades Fire torched entire neighborhoods.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images

The Palisades Fire forced Tompkins to again close his Malibu location, which is normally open 365 days a year, for over two weeks.

Tompkins said he finally got full utilities, like gas and internet, back over this past weekend, and now, he's doing everything he can to reopen this week under limited hours and with a "skeleton crew."

Though his building was not hit by the fire, being closed for so long has already taken a toll, he said.

image of customers standing outside oyster restaurant
Broad Street Oyster Co. in Malibu, California.

Ira Edelman

Tompkins estimates the loss of income from the Malibu location to be around $600,000 to $750,000, not to mention the staff who have been out of work.

He said that out of 55 crew members there, he's only been able to find work for fewer than 10 elsewhere.

"Malibu is a huge generator of revenue for our company. It's our busiest location. It's our first location. It's the one I hold most dear to my heart," he told BI.

And as he's trying to get back up and running, Tompkins wants people to know it's not just the wealthy who've been affected by the devastating fires.

image of father and son looking out window at smoke
Christopher Tompkins, with his son, looking out at the Palisades Fire from his Malibu restaurant.

Christopher Tompkins

"I don't want that to be the narrative for the rest of Malibu and for the rest of the Pacific Palisades because I personally know some customers of mine who have supported me from day one that live in Pacific Palisades. They are not these rich people on the beach," Tompkins said.

They're not all celebrities who lost their multimillion-dollar homes in the fires, Tompkins said. They're regular people, too — "and they don't know what they're going to do next," he said. "They don't have another property to go to."

People's lives depend on the many small businesses that line the Pacific Coast Highway, he said, and the small businesses still need customers to stay afloat.

That sentiment was echoed by Amara Barroeta, who owns a Venezuelan café, called Amara's Café, in Pasadena.

image of smiling woman in cafe holding coffee
Amara Barroeta at her café in Pasadena.

Amara Barroeta

After the Eaton Fire devastated parts of Pasadena and neighboring Altadena, Barroeta said her business has been struggling.

Since reopening after three days of closure due to the fires, Barroeta said her café has had only about 20% of its usual business, and as a result, she's had to reduce her staff members' hours down to 60% or 70% of their typical schedule.

And Barroeta said she worries about people in the restaurant industry who might not have the same access to government help and other resources — especially if they're newer to the country or living off the traditional grid.

The Migration Policy Institute conducted a study in 2019 estimating that in Los Angeles County, the population of unauthorized, employed workers was around 600,000 — and about 15% of those work in the food services, accommodation, arts, entertainment, and recreation sectors.

It's not just businesses near the fire-affected areas that are suffering in the aftermath of what has become one of the costliest natural disasters in US history. Businesses across the city, even those farther away from evacuation zones, have reported things slowing down.

Jack Biebel, who owns Ggiata Delicatessen, told Business Insider that foot traffic at his deli's five locations — in Melrose Hill, West Hollywood, Venice, Highland Park, and Studio City — has been down since the fires started.

Biebel said that having to close his five locations for a total of seven working days the week the fires started had a substantial impact on his business.

His Highland Park location was closed for a few days because of power outages. And for the first few days he reopened it, he closed off the dining room, which normally seats 30 or 40 customers, to turn it into a donation collection center for people affected by the fires.

image of donations collected in dining room
Jack Biebel turned the dining room at Ggiata's Highland Park location into a donation collection center.

Jack Biebel

More than a dozen owners and managers at restaurants throughout the city told Eater they saw reduced business in the week following the fires. For example, Mark Nechols, the general manager of N/Soto in Mid-City, told the outlet he saw about half as many diners as usual, while Bret Thompson, the chef and partner at Pez Coastal Kitchen in Pasadena, said his restaurant lost 85% of its business in one week following the fires.

With thousands of homes and businesses destroyed or damaged, the losses from the LA fires are mounting. AccuWeather estimates the total damages could be up to $275 billion, and Goldman Sachs predicts the fires will remove between 15,000 and 25,000 jobs from the Labor Department's January employment report.

Businesses along Lake Avenue destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on January 9, 2025
Businesses along Lake Avenue were destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on January 9, 2025

Zoë Meyers/AFP/Getty Images

But there may be some help for those struggling to get back on their feet. For example, the US Small Business Administration has approved $52 million in disaster loans, LA Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday. And LA County has launched both a small business relief fund and a worker relief fund providing grants to eligible applicants.

Aside from the official channels for support, many businesses — including Ggiata's, Broad Street Oyster Company, Amara's Café, and countless others — have also taken it upon themselves to offer grassroots support for their communities, including collecting donations, hosting fundraisers, donating food to first responders, and helping neighbors navigate the bureaucracy of relief.

Read the original article on Business Insider

12 things a seasoned interior designer would never have in her own space

A living room with a small couch, table, and chair.
Some home-decor trends don't impress interior designers.

KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty Images

  • Brooke Lang, an interior designer, told Business Insider what she'd never have in her home.
  • She says open kitchen shelving is impractical and a major dust collector. 
  • The designer also suggested staying away from paper window shades and harsh lighting.

Home design can be tough when you don't have the knowledge and skills of a professional designer.

To help, Business Insider asked Brooke Lang, the principal designer at Brooke Lang Design, to get her take on the things she would never have in her own home.

Don’t go overboard with precious antiques.
red x and arrow pointing at antique furniture in a highly decorated living room
Vintage touches can make a space stand out, but a little goes a long way.

Ground Picture/Shutterstock

Vintage decor can add personality to your home — and typically features better craftsmanship. However, Lang says too many antiques can make a space feel dated and unlivable.

"I like to integrate vintage items sparingly while mixing and matching with modern decor," she told BI. "It's a great way to keep your favorite one-of-a-kind pieces without dating your space."

Open shelving in the kitchen is impractical.
red x and arrowing pointing at oven shelving in a modern kitchen with black accents
Open shelving usually attracts dust.

Followtheflow/Shutterstock

Open kitchen shelving is a trend that's slowly dying out.

"Unless you have uniform plates, glassware, and bowls that are perfectly positioned, open shelving isn't realistic or practical," she said. "It's also an easy way for your kitchen items to collect dust."

If you want to refresh your kitchen, the designer recommends painting or updating the hardware on your existing cabinetry.

Lang says acrylic furniture should stay in the '60s.
acrylic side table and chair on a wooden deck
Clear, acrylic furniture can easily break.

FotoHelin/Shutterstock

"I would never put acrylic furniture in my home," Lang said. "On top of being a trend that should stay in the 1960s, acrylic isn't as durable as other materials, and small cracks or scratches can't be easily repaired."

Whether you're looking for a vintage coffee table or a new set of dining chairs, the designer recommends opting for wood or marble for a more timeless touch.

Harsh lighting can make your home feel unwelcoming.
red x on the ceiling of a white kitchen with bright florescent lighting
Softer lighting options can be more inviting.

alexrusso_snaps/Shutterstock

Lang says warm lighting is essential for making your space feel cozy and truly like home.

"Harsh lighting can make your space feel sterile," she said. "So I recommend replacing fluorescent bulbs with soft white or incandescent bulbs, which emit a warm, golden light."

Wall hangings with inspirational quotes don't do much for your space.
red x and arrow pointing at home decor signs that read "welcome home" and "happy place"
Ditch quote wall art for more unique decor.

Albina Gavrilovic/Shutterstock

"Wall hangings and decor featuring inspirational quotes — or really any words at all — is a trend synonymous with the modern-farmhouse look we should collectively leave behind," Lang told BI.

The designer recommends looking for something more original, such as prints of landscapes, vintage oil paintings, or even colorful abstract artwork to create contrast in a room.

Overly distressed furniture has seen its heyday.
red x over a white, distressed night stand with a unique lamp on top
Distressed nightstands and dressers were popular for a while.

photostocklight/Shutterstock

Lang says another modern-farmhouse trend she avoids is distressed furniture.

Some rustic touches are OK, but large pieces of furniture with faux wear and tear can overwhelm a space.

For a more modern take, the designer recommends choosing pieces with raw finishes and natural textures, such as jute, bouclé, and linen.

Toss out your paper window shades.
close up shot of a paper window shade partially rolled up in front of a window
Paper shades aren't the only affordable window treatment.

Maridav/Shutterstock

Although paper shades are helpful when you're moving into a new home, Lang says, there are plenty of affordable window treatments you can invest in to elevate your space.

"A trick I like to tell my clients is to invest in high-quality curtain rods and rings to make your curtains look higher-end," she told BI.

Small living-room rugs can make the space feel messy.
red x and arrow pointing at a small textured area rug in a modern living room
It's better to splurge on a rug that will actually fit your space.

New Africa/Shutterstock

Lang says rugs that are too small can make a room feel unbalanced.

"I like to think of a rug as the anchor of a living room," she said. "It's meant to ground the seating area and be the focal point that draws people in."

Her general rule of thumb is that it should either be big enough to fit two legs of each piece of furniture or at least 6 inches wider than the length of the sofa on each side.

Matching furniture sets lack character.
red x and arrows pointing at matching dark wood furniture in a bedroom with wood floors and natural lighting
Don't be afraid to mix and match bedroom furniture.

Artazum/Shutterstock

The matchy-matchy design trend can lack character and come off as boring.

"Mismatched, eclectic decor allows for your personal style to really come through in your home's design," the designer said.

It can also save you money in the long run by providing you with more flexibility on where to shop.

The designer says tufted sofas are too bulky.
red x and arrow pointing at a peach colored tufted sofa in a modern living room
Tufted designs are visually and physically bulky.

myboys.me/Shutterstock

Lang says a tufted sofa — typically featuring buttons sewn into diamond or square patterns — is too bulky and can make a space feel crowded.

"Instead, I recommend going for something that is lighter and provides more flow to your living room, such as a sculptural or curved sofa," she told BI.

The designer says a properly proportioned couch can make the space feel more inviting and pleasing to the eye.

Lang also avoids shiplap in her space.
red x and arrow pointing at a shiplap wall in an all white bathroom with black design touches
Shiplap is wood paneling on interior walls.

Joseph Hendrickson/Shutterstock

The rustic trend, which features wood paneling on interior walls, has some style benefits. However, the designer says it's overdone and dated.

"It's also impractical — if a piece of shiplap gets damaged, it can be difficult and expensive to fix depending on the extent of the damage," she told BI.

If you want to lean into a more rustic home design, Lang recommends limewash paint, which has a streaky effect.

"Limewash gives you the opportunity to add dimension with different brushstroke patterns that give your walls an old-world, vintage feel," she said.

The designer avoids laminate floors in her home.
red x and arrow pointing at laminate flooring in a modern kitchen with minimal furniture
Laminate will never be as timeless as hardwood.

Serghei Starus/Shutterstock

"If you're lucky enough to purchase a home that has original flooring, absolutely do not replace it with laminate flooring," Lang said.

If your flooring needs a little love, the designer says, refinishing hardwood is a very manageable DIY project that will pay off in the long run.

It can also add value to your home if you ever want to resell.

This story was originally published in January 2024 and most recently updated on January 24, 2025.

Click to keep reading other things interior designers say they would (or would never) have in their own space.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I started shopping at Aldi when I took a pay cut, and now it's my go-to store. Here are 9 of my favorite items right now.

cart full of food at aldi
I took a pay cut at work, and now I love shopping for affordable groceries at Aldi.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

  • Ever since I took a pay cut in my career, I've loved shopping at Aldi.
  • The store is fully stocked with cold-weather comforts, from teas to cable-knit blankets.
  • I like that I can get a good deal on groceries without compromising on variety or quality.

When I started teaching two years ago, I took a significant pay cut. Now, my daily take-home pay is about what I used to make in just one hour as a consultant.

Ever since the switch, Aldi has been my go-to spot for affordable groceries that work with my family's new weekly budget.

Here are some of my favorite things at the store right now.

I get my coffee pods at Aldi.
coffee aisle at aldi
I like the Barissimo fair-trade French-roast coffee cups at Aldi.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

Barissimo's French-roast, 100% arabica coffee does not disappoint.

The rich, dark roast tastes like something I'd buy at my favorite local coffee shop. Better yet, a box comes with 12 pods for $3.45, or only $0.29 a cup.

When I'm looking for less caffeine, I turn to chai.
mug with a chai tea bag hanging out of it
Benner Tea Co.'s chai is affordable and tasty.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

As far as flavor goes, Aldi's private-label brand Benner Tea Co. makes a top-quality chai.

I like that the ingredients are simple — black tea, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, clove, and star anise.

A box of 20 tea bags costs $1.70 (less than $0.12 each), so I like to stock up.

I splurge a little on Specially Selected's manuka honey.
jars and bottles of honey at aldi
Specially Selected manuka honey is a great product.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

Years ago, on a work trip to New Zealand, I tried manuka honey for the first time and was hooked.

It can get pricey, but the 8.8-ounce jar from Aldi's Specially Selected brand only costs $8.69.

Sure, it's more expensive than regular honey — there are options around $2 at the store — but it's a lot cheaper here than I've seen anywhere else.

You can't beat the price of Aldi's maple syrup.
bottle of maple syrup from aldi
The Specially Selected maple syrup is my favorite at Aldi.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

Weekends usually entail at least one sleepover in our home. Those cold days and extra mouths call for hot pancakes or waffles with good syrup.

Aldi's Specially Selected maple syrup has a dark-amber hue with a rich, not too sweet, flavor.

There's only one ingredient (100% pure maple syrup from Canada), and the 12.5-ounce bottle goes for $5.30, which I think is a steal.

A nice can of pea soup is an easy meal on a cold night.
can of pea soup from aldi
I'm a fan of Deutsche Küche's hearty pea soup.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

Deutsche Küche makes a restaurant-worthy German pea soup for $2.25 a can.

From the moment I opened the 28-ounce can, the salty richness wafted out.

The "thick and creamy" soup is truly hearty enough to be a stand-alone meal, but I also like to add some kale for extra oomph.

Fremont Fish Market's seafood boil makes for a hearty meal.
bag of frozen seafood boil from aldi
My family likes Fremont Fish Market's seafood boil, and I like that it's easy to make.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

Fremont Fish Market's $10 frozen seafood boil was a hit with my family — and it was ready in under 10 minutes.

It tasted fresh and made for a very comforting meal.

The Specially Selected snow-crab clusters are also good.
box of wild caught snow crab legs from aldi
Specially Selected's snow-crab clusters are tasty.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

Topped with a dash of leftover seasoning from the seafood boil, melted butter, and fresh lemon, Specially Selected's snow-crab clusters are the perfect appetizer.

If we're having it as a full family meal, I just buy two boxes.

I think $17 for 24 ounces of crab is a great deal. Plus, I have a large pot with a steamer basket, so I find them super easy to make.

Baby lotion is my secret weapon in the winter.
bottles of baby lotion from aldi
I like the Little Journey baby lotions at Aldi.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

I don't have any babies at home — my daughters are 12 and 14 — but we all have dry, winter skin.

Little Journey's baby eczema therapy cream and baby lotion are my favorite solutions for making our skin feel smooth and velvety.

Each 8-ounce bottle is only $2.95 a pop, so I purchase both.

Aldi has some great-quality throw blankets for a decent price, too.
throw blankets on the shelves at aldi
I love buying throw blankets at Aldi.

Katrina Kernodle Walsh

I'm not sure that I necessarily need another throw blanket, but when I saw Huntington Home's large (50-by-60 inches) cable-knit throw was only $15, I grabbed it.

The cozy blanket comes in four colors, and it's become a staple in my living room this season.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Steve Cohen's top fundraiser is leaving his $37 billion hedge fund Point72

Steve Cohen
Steve Cohen runs Point72 Asset Management, a $37 billion hedge fund.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

  • Laura Sterner, Steve Cohen's top fundraiser, is leaving Point72.
  • Sterner has worked for Cohen since 2015 and was critical to raising billions for the firm's relaunch.
  • A person close to the $37 billion manager said Sterner's deputy will assume her responsibilities.

Steve Cohen's $37 billion hedge fund is losing what the firm describes as its "primary point of contact with external investors," three people with knowledge told Business Insider.

Laura Sterner, the global head of capital development and investor relations at Point72 Asset Management, is departing the manager after working for Cohen for nearly a decade. A person close to the firm said Sterner is taking on a senior role at a healthcare venture.

Sterner has worked with Cohen since 2015, when the firm was managing Cohen's personal capital, and was an "integral part" of the firm's nearly $4 billion fundraise in 2018 when the firm reopened to external capital, according to her bio on the firm's website.

Cohen, the owner of Major League Baseball's New York Mets, was barred from managing outside cash for two years following a settlement with federal regulators, which investigated Point72's predecessor, SAC Capital, for insider trading. The former firm pleaded guilty — and paid a $1.8 billion fine — but Cohen was not personally charged and did not admit or deny liability for the actions of a few of his employees as a part of the settlement.

Sterner has been in her current leadership role since Point72 started taking outside capital, according to her LinkedIn, a period of time when the firm's assets skyrocketed. Since 2020, the firm's assets have more than doubled, and The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the manager plans to return up to $5 billion in capital this year to investors following a strong performance in 2024.

Point72 made 19% last year, trailing only Schonfeld among its peer set, and beating out larger rivals Citadel and Millennium, BI previously reported.

A person close to the manager told BI that Elena Bukowski, the firm's deputy head of capital development and investor relations, will take on Sterner's responsibilities. Bukowski has been with the firm since 2018 and previously worked in marketing and investor relations for Tourbillon Capital, the now-shuttered hedge fund run by Jason Karp, a one-time portfolio manager at SAC Capital.

Sterner started her career at Lehman Brothers, according to her LinkedIn, and worked at UBS as the firm's head of liquid alternative research before working as a consultant for several years.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I want to lose body fat and gain muscle. A trainer told me these 3 workouts can change my body composition.

A woman using a gym machine to do pull-ups
Using a pull-up machine to work on my upper-body strength.

Julia Pugachevsky

  • Body recomposition is the process of losing fat while gaining muscle at the same time.
  • After a body composition analysis, I worked with a trainer to find exercises to reach my goals.
  • I should focus on adding weight and doing shorter, more challenging cardio.

To ring in the new year, I booked a body composition analysis at the athletic club Life Time.

After I got a scan of my muscle mass and body fat, a personal trainer walked me through the results: for optimal health, I needed to lose body fat and gain more muscle.

My main takeaway is that changing my diet is key. I'll get the best results if I maintain a calorie deficit, prioritize whole foods and lots of protein, and drink more water.

The trainer also said that I could update my current workout routine (a mix of cardio and strength training) to be more challenging. He walked me through a personal training session and showed me the exercises I needed to recompose my body.

Focus on strength training

A woman using a row machine
I used a seated row machine to work out my upper body.

Julia Pugachevsky

Strength training is the best way to build muscle and burn fat. Because my body composition analysis showed that my legs are generally stronger than my arms, I asked if we could focus more on upper-body exercises.

To strengthen my upper body, I learned how to use machines for pull-ups, rows, and rope pulls.

I also worked on improving my chest press form. My trainer had me hold the barbell in position before I started doing reps so that I could make sure the correct muscles were activated. Otherwise, I won't see much progress and could hurt myself.

A woman bench pressing with a barbell
Bench presses can help me gradually build up upper-body strength.

Julia Pugachevsky

His main takeaway was that I should keep track of how much I lift and make sure I'm increasing weight.

He recommended starting with a lighter weight (and higher rep count), slowly increasing my weight, and decreasing my reps as needed per exercise.

That way, I can ensure that I'm progressively overloading and building up muscles rather than plateauing. In addition to the classes I take, I plan to work on upper- and lower-body workouts on my own as well.

Improving my core strength

Pretty much every weightlifting exercise I do involves "activating my core" so that I can stay balanced and secure throughout. My trainer said I should also include core exercises to help support my strength training goals: whether I'm doing a deadlift or a chest press, a strong core is necessary to do them right. Otherwise, I won't see many gains.

One I learned was lying on a box with my head and legs elevated while my back was flat. Holding positions like this for 30 seconds or a minute will gradually increase my core strength.

Try shorter cardio sessions

A woman running in the New York City Marathon
Nearing the finish line at the NYC Marathon.

Julia Pugachevsky

While I regularly run throughout the week, my trainer said that if I'm not challenging myself and keeping my heart rate up, I'm not actually burning much fat.

Rather than focusing on longer-distance runs where I go at a leisurely pace, he recommended doing shorter, 30-minute cardio sessions at the fastest pace I can tolerate.

Bulking and cutting at the same time is notoriously hard. There's a reason athletes typically focus on either gaining muscle or losing fat at one time. While I'm more focused on cutting, I'm hoping an emphasis on strength training and quicker cardio can help me hit my goals.

Read the original article on Business Insider

My family spends $180 a year on Costco and Sam's Club memberships. We have a clear favorite, but we swear by keeping both.

A composite image of the exterior of a Costco and the exterior of a Sam's Club.
For over a year now, my family has been paying for Costco and Sam's Club memberships.

Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock; JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

  • My family spends $180 a year on Costco and Sam's Club memberships.
  • We like comparing the prices at both stores to find the best deals.
  • By grocery shopping at both warehouses, we have access to more brand and flavor options.

I've happily been a Costco member for eight years. In fact, my family loves the store so much that a few years ago, we decided to upgrade to the $130-a-year executive membership.

However, after finding a deal for a $20 Sam's Club membership in late 2023, I decided to give the wholesale retailer's competitor a try.

After a year of shopping at both warehouses, we'd choose Costco over Sam's Club any day — but decided to renew our membership to the latter for $50 a year.

Here's why we pay $180 for memberships at both Costco and Sam's Club.

We get to compare prices at both stores to find the best deals.
Cases of Gatorade Zero stacked on top of each other, with a price tag above that reads $13.58.
I've found good deals on Gatorade at Sam's Club.

Anne James

One of the main reasons we decided to keep both our Sam's Club and Costco memberships is that each store offers deals on different products.

For example, bottled and canned drinks, especially Gatorade, are typically more heavily discounted during sales at Sam's Club. For example, I saw a 28-pack of Gatorade Zero at Sam's Club for $13.60 and the same version at Costco for $15.80.

Likewise, we often find items on sale at Costco that are priced a little higher at Sam's Club. Although the price differences aren't usually huge, shopping at both warehouses helps us to stretch our budget a bit further.

Our local Sam's Club is closer to our house than Costco.
The exterior of a Sam's Club warehouse.
We love stopping at Sam's Club for a quick grocery or gas-station run.

Anne James

Although we typically prefer shopping at Costco over Sam's Club, I enjoy having a membership to the latter because it's closer to our house. This is a great bonus if we're making a warehouse run solely for the purpose of cheaper gas.

However, our local Sam's Club and Costco stores are only about 5.5 miles apart from each other — so we can stop at both if we want to.

By shopping at both warehouses, we have access to way more snack options.
Boxes of Amara yogurt smoothie melts stacked on top of each other.
My kids love the Amara smoothie melts from Costco.

Anne James

As a mom, I like visiting both stores to find a variety of snacks for my kids.

I've found that Sam's Club's snack selection typically has more variety in terms of brand offerings and flavors.

However, we've found several more nutritious options at Costco that we haven't seen at Sam's Club, like Amara organic smoothie melts, Bear fruit rolls, and That's It mini fruit bars.

Plus, we've been able to find more flavor varieties of our favorite products.
A hand holding a variety pack of Pillsbury cookie dough.
We've found that each store carries different flavors of Pillsbury cookie dough.

Anne James

One of the best parts about having memberships at both warehouses is being able to choose from different flavors of our favorite items.

For example, at each store, we've seen different varieties of Chobani Flip yogurt, Pillsbury cookie dough, and Nature's Garden probiotic Yoggies (which my daughter once called "candies" — a major parenting win).

Having access to both stores has helped us cover our bases when buying toys and gifts.
A selection of small and large toys on two shelves.
We love shopping for toys at both Sam's Club and Costco.

Anne James

Both Costco and Sam's Club have pretty sizable toy departments. However, after shopping at both stores, we've noticed that Sam's Club typically has a better variety of gifts.

We love going to Costco for larger play sets, but if we need a small, inexpensive gift, we typically turn to Sam's Club.

Sam's Club has a solid selection of books year-round, which we may soon be unable to find at Costco.
Five shelves of books in a Sam's Club warehouse.
Sam's Club has a great selection of books.

Anne James

This year, Costco plans to phase out its book department in most warehouses due to staffing demands.

Although books are expected to be brought back in the fall for holiday shopping, most members likely won't be able to find them year-round.

When this change is implemented, I'll be especially glad to have access to the book department at Sam's Club.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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