• A jet operated by American Airlines collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, DC.
• Investigators on Thursday said they recovered the black boxes from the passenger jet.
• Black boxes can provide key data from moments before the impact.

Investigators recovered the recording devices, or black boxes, from one of the aircraft involved in Wednesday night's midair crash near the Reagan Washington National Airport.

A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, which is overseeing the probe into the crash, told Business Insider in an email that the "cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder" from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated by American Airlines was recovered.

"The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation," the spokesperson said.

Blackboxes provide key pieces of data that can help investigators determine what happened before the moment of impact.

The cockpit voice recorder "records radio transmissions and sounds in the cockpit, such as the pilot's voices and engine noises," according to the NTSB. "The other, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), monitors parameters such as altitude, airspeed and heading."

The collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter occurred in one of the most congested airspaces in the US, BI reported.

Sixty-seven people — including four crew members and 60 passengers aboard the CRJ700 and three Black Hawk crew members — were presumed dead.

For years, aviation experts have warned of the risks of midair collisions amid air traffic controller staffing shortages and an increasingly congested airspace.

This is a developing story, check back for more information.

• I moved closer to my daughter, anticipating the arrival of my grandson.
• When he was 4 months old, I received a call that my daughter had unexpectedly died.
• I put my life on hold to help take care of my grandson.

Anticipating retirement as a single mother, I made a major move to be closer to family. Two kids out of college, both married, with the prospect of grandchildren and the ocean close — a side benefit — I could now indulge in personal pursuits, writing fiction.

After two gut-wrenching days of labor, my daughter Kendra gave us Ewan. Beautiful and healthy, his eyes sparkled with knowing wisdom that defied explanation. Savoring the joy after years of uncertainty, I was ecstatic to learn that my son Erik and my daughter-in-law Laura were expecting their first child six months later.

Then, my daughter died

Living minutes away, Kendra and I were in frequent contact as she adjusted to motherhood with the end of her maternity leave in sight. Surprising me one day with a visit, she held this plump-cheeked, 4-month-old delight, and I noted his flirting.

"I've never seen him do that," she replied.

"Here, I'll hold him so that you can see." Her glow was immediate as he delivered that coy smile, his head slightly tilted, with his thick lashes and watery blue eyes.

The next day, I received a call at work. Driving the highway at 95 miles an hour, screaming, "Hold on, I'll be there," I was too late — by hours. My daughter had died suddenly. The rest is too painful to recount.

I took care of my grandson

Temporarily suspending my job, I focused on Ewan — as I shared the air with my son-in-law Steve, my family, his from Ireland, and their friends, young parents themselves.

Watching my 40-year-old daughter's world being eviscerated, I inhaled the insensitivity. At times an invisible entity, and in shock, I recalled her heartfelt anguish the day before — that I was the only one she trusted to care for Ewan.

Having firsthand knowledge of Ewan's world, I temporarily moved in with Steve to share in his 24x7 care. Shutting out the heartless advice to leave this neophyte young father alone, to get over my grief and move on, I would not abandon my daughter's child.

As a veteran, I also understood the visceral impact of trauma and what Kendra wanted for her child.

Like all sleep-deprived new mothers, I managed the daily routine so that Steve could return to work. Following sprints to day care, diaper bag in tow, I'd head to my job with spit-up on my shoulder, then rejoin the commuting tangle to make the 4:30 p.m. pickup. Our evenings were spent together until Ewan fell asleep, and I would return home alone to a space now outfitted with the requisite baby paraphernalia.

A bright spark ignited our landscape when my granddaughter Matilda and her brother William were born, uplifting our spirits with their precocious charm. From this growing family, new traditions emerged with the weekly Burger Night as we guided Steve back to living.

As reluctant partners, taking our cues from the parents' poorly crafted playbook, we, over time, adjusted to Ewan's growing demands, from newborn challenges to toddler exploration. The criticism is still in play, with retirement a necessity.

I went back to writing

Following my son's suggestion, I returned to my writing. Lost in my characters' despair and the elation of hard-won victory over injustice, I embedded the life I had wished for myself in their narrative.

With Steve's remarriage and two energetic babies, my care of Ewan gradually shifted to weekends and daily day care runs. While balancing grandkid sleepovers, picky eaters, cooking lessons, new holiday traditions, and special Grammy days with Matilda and William. Despite the imbalance, with time and maturity, they understood that my relationship with Ewan would need to be different.

After a recent local move, I am pleased that Ewan, now a thriving 13-year-old, still comes every weekend by choice. His future is secure, and his cousins are his best pals. He has blossomed with the loving support of family.

As I sit on the cusp of new dreams — postponed for 13 years — I know that life's trajectory is not ours to control, despite all we crave, as impermanent as icicles.

While nothing can erase the pain of a child's passing, my future now includes the warm touch of unconditional love and a new definition of retirement — come what may.

• My daughter is entering high school, and I got her a "dumb phone" with no access to social media.
• I can't ignore the studies that say social media is harmful to teens.
• She can try to change my mind, but I doubt I'll budge.

I spent over a decade working in education. After the pandemic, I saw a distinct change in the screentime habits of my middle school students, and that's when I knew I needed to make a different decision for my daughter.

My daughter is finishing up middle school and about to enter high school this year.

I decided my teenager would have a "dumb phone" that's limited to calling, texting, and photo-taking capabilities. The phone will never have social media, internet browsing, email, news, or ads. The goal is to have my teenager go through most of high school with a dumb phone.

Of course, my daughter isn't happy about it, but I am certain I'm making the right decision.

I can't ignore the studies that show social media is harmful to teens

To say my teenager is less than thrilled to be getting a dumb phone for high school would be the understatement of the century. It's not just my teenager; other parents are typically taken aback as well.

However, I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all plan for technology that works for teens and social media.

I can't simply ignore the facts. According to a 2024 Pew Research study, 95% of teenagers at least have access to a smartphone, putting our decision to give our teenager a dumb phone into a much smaller subset — and making us wildly unpopular parents. The study also found that these teens are on social media apps "almost constantly."

Smartphones bombard teenagers with constant notifications, curated images, and overwhelming amounts of information — all of which can contribute to increased anxiety, depression, and isolation.

The social and physical comparisons on social media are unrelenting and incredibly harmful, especially for teenage girls. Teenagers are especially susceptible to visual comparison and perfectionism, and social media platforms give much more life to these ideas than I could ever counter as a parent. I cannot compete with that, so I am not going to spend my energy trying to do so.

I am worried my daughter will feel left out

Our daughter has played competitive sports for several years, which involve travel and significant time at practice and games. I connect with her through an Apple Watch, which gives me a way to communicate while keeping track of her safely and allowing autonomy. However, it doesn't give her the ability to communicate with her friends or teammates.

If you ask her what bothers her the most about having an internet-less phone, the top complaints are that she won't have the internet to look information up and that she won't be able to download games. Luckily, being on social media holds no value for her as a middle schooler heading into high school, but she's a teen, and that could change tomorrow.

I'm sure she'll struggle to communicate with friends outside school, but she can still make phone calls. She will also have a laptop for high school.

I'm open to changing my decision, but I doubt I'll budge

I told my daughter that if she can find three studies demonstrating the benefits of smartphones and social media, I will renegotiate my stance. The empirical evidence is not in her favor.

When she's an adult — and there is far more research and data — I'm more than willing to admit I was wrong if studies show that social media and smartphones weren't the problem.

I just don't think that will happen.

• On Thursday, federal prosecutors unsealed an updated sex-trafficking indictment against Sean Combs.
• The indictment brings no new charges but does make reference to two additional anonymous victims.
• The feds are asking for Combs to be arraigned on the new indictment on March 17.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan filed a long-awaited updated sex-trafficking indictment on Thursday against Sean "Diddy" Combs — and while it makes reference to two additional anonymous female victims, there are no new charges or defendants.

The new indictment does not warrant delaying Combs' scheduled May 5 trial date, prosecutors said, asking that he be arraigned on the new charges at his next court date, March 17.

"The latest indictment contains no new offenses," defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said in an emailed response. "The government has added the ridiculous theory that two of Mr. Combs' former girlfriends were not girlfriends at all, but were prostitutes. Mr. Combs is as committed as ever to fighting these charges and winning at trial."

Combs pleaded not guilty to the first indictment and says that any sexual activity with his accusers was consensual.

Prosecutors had been warning since October, just weeks after Combs' arrest, that they may seek to re-indict the entertainment and fashion entrepreneur, signaling that they were looking at potential weapons and drug charges and possible additional victims.

The second indictment makes no new mention of weapons or drugs, and repeats almost verbatim the allegations of Combs' original indictment from September, charging him again with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

It does allege that Combs trafficked an unnamed "Victim-2" and "Victim-3." The original indictment had listed only "Victim-1," Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

The new indictment also adds a smattering of details.

In describing the conspiracy, it now specifies an allegation that back in 2016, Combs or his associates paid a $100,000 bribe to a security employee at the InterContinental Hotel in LA. In return, the employee provided the hallway surveillance video that shows Combs kicking and dragging ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, it says. The previous indictment had just alleged that there was a bribe.

The new indictment names two additional drugs that prosecutors say the Combs conspiracy used in its trafficking scheme: a psychedelic and methamphetamine. The original charges allege he gave ecstasy. ketamine, GHB to his victims.

It also alleges that Combs' sex trafficking conspiracy began in 2004, instead of in 2008 as alleged in the original indictment.

Prosecutors had said they recovered baggies of a pink powder they believed to be narcotics from Combs' hotel room when he was arrested in September. The new indictment makes no mention of this seizure.

The indictment also does not charge Combs with guns and ammo prosecutors say they seized when search warrants were executed in March at Combs' homes and a Florida airport.

Federal agents had seized three AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers, plus two magazines containing 29 rounds, prosecutors said. Two of the weapons were found broken down into parts in the bedroom closet of Combs' $48.5 million Miami mansion, prosecutors alleged back in September.

Agnifilo, Combs' attorney, had suggested during bail arguments in September that the weapons belonged to his client's security guards.

"I don't dispute that Mr. Combs has used armed security," Assistant US Attorney Emily A. Johnson had told the judge in response.

"But it is incredulous that armed security in a professional security company would use defaced AR-15s and store them in pieces in the defendant's personal closet."

This story was updated to include a statement from Combs' defense lawyer.

• I have four kids, two of them are teens. I don't want any of them using social media.
• The risks of teen bullying and my own experiences with online threats have led me to this decision.
• My 16-year-old recently thanked me for shielding her from the anxiety her peers have experienced.

I have four children, ranging in age from 8 to 16. I am that mom, the one who won't let my kids have social media. Of course, my teenagers have pitched fits over my rule many times. However, I'm grateful I've stuck to it.

I've been an influencer since blogs debuted. Social media has been both a gift and a curse for the last 15 years. Yes, I can use social media to promote my work as a writer, but with an online presence also comes degrading, ignorant, and sometimes threatening comments and messages from total strangers.

Countless articles tout how social media access provides open season for bullying, discrimination, stalking, trafficking, and safety threats — especially for teens who can be more vulnerable in these situations. I knew, from my own experiences, that social media is overwhelmingly not a safe space for teens and I didn't want my own kids having any part of that world.

Initially, my teens hated me

My teenagers, starting around early middle school, didn't understand why, according to them, everyone else got to have social media accounts but they didn't. They pleaded with me, assuring that they would always use social media for positive interactions with peers, entertainment, and information. No way would they share their personal information or interact with strangers.

My teens, now 14 and 16, felt I was being unfair and too strict. I certainly empathize with their feelings, remembering when I thought my own parents weren't fair to me, like not letting me attend sleepovers or date when I was in middle school, but I've held strong to my decision

We've revisited the topic many times

I'm not a "because I said so" parent. I took the time to answer my teens' complaints — er, questions — about why social media is not, or even mostly, all fun and games. I shared concrete examples of what's happened to me, including name-calling, trolling, and even threats to my safety. If I'm an adult dealing with these issues, imagine teenagers, whose brains aren't fully developed, using social media, I explain to them. I've also re-explained the dangers, including catfishing, bullying, and even receiving loads of misinformation on important topics. I was met with eye rolls.

I have my reasons

We live in a digital world, which is why some parents give their kids, even those younger than teens, the all clear to freely use social media. "They need to learn somehow, this is just how society is now," other parents have said to me.

I disagree with that line of thought. We know that that a person's brain, specifically the reasoning part, doesn't fully develops until around age 25. My oldest child is nine years away from their new "reasonable" brain. Why would I let my teens be exposed to numerous dangers and influences when they aren't brain-ready?

One of my teens thanked me recently

Surprisingly, not that long ago, my 16-year-old daughter thanked me for not letting her have social media, especially during her middle school years when she was constantly begging me for access. As she's matured, as well as observed her peers who have social media, she's noticed some of the fallouts of teens obsessing over what gets posted on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok.

I believe in "never say never." I may ease up on my rule or change my mind at some point and allow my teens very limited and well-supervised social media usage with gradual access. I want them to learn self-control, listen to their intuition, and learn to balance an online presence with real life. Raising teens is about training them to become adults. However, for right now, the rule is right for us.

• Glenn Close is giving her opinion on the Trump-Vance administration.
• Close played Vance's grandmother in the 2020 movie "Hillbilly Elegy," based on Vance's memoir.
• She told BI she's "very disturbed" by what's happening and referenced 1930s Germany.

Glenn Close may have once played JD Vance's grandma in a movie, but she doesn't appear to have much affection for him now.

On the red carpet for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival gala fundraiser, Close, who attended the gala and is Trustee Emeritus of The Sundance Institute, spoke to Business Insider about her feelings toward the Trump-Vance administration.

Though the actor previously had relatively positive experiences with Vance and his family while making "Hillbilly Elegy," the 2020 Ron Howard movie based on Vance's memoir of the same name, the star and outspoken supporter of women's rights and same-sex marriage said she was "disturbed" by the new administration's moves so far.

"I do not think it's what this country is," she told BI. "But I also read a lot of history, and I know what happened in Germany in the 1930s. And we think because we're America, it might not happen here. We're wrong."

Still, Close indicated she had hope that things could change in the future.

"If it's going to happen, we gotta get through it and hope that the pendulum swings back. Usually, that's what history does, but it could take a while," she added.

Close has spoken about her experiences with Vance several times before. Most recently, in a January appearance on "The View" to promote her new Netflix movie "Back in Action," the actor recalled how she and other "Hillbilly Elegy" cast members had met with Vance and other members of his family to inform their performances. She said they were "very generous."

Host Joy Behar remarked that Vance must have "had a whole different personality in those days than he has now," to which Close replied, "I don't know what happened."

"Power is probably the biggest aphrodisiac for a human being," Close added.

• Josh Brolin spoke about auditioning for "The Goonies" on the podcast "Literally! With Rob Lowe."
• Brolin, the son of actor James Brolin, said he auditioned multiple times to prove his talent.
• "Instead of that kind of nepotistic thing, they looked at me and they were like, 'Oh yeah? So act,'" he said.

Josh Brolin says his famous lineage backfired and put him at a disadvantage when he auditioned for "The Goonies."

"'I think 'Goonies' was quite an accident," Brolin, the son of actor James Brolin and Jane Cameron Agee, said during an interview on the podcast "Literally! With Rob Lowe."

"I went in there, I'd been told, they pulled the Brolin thing, 'Are you Brolin's kid? You want to be an actor, huh?'" Brolin continued. "So instead of that kind of nepotistic thing, they looked at me and they were like, 'Oh yeah? So act.'"

Brolin made his film debut in the 1985 adventure movie directed by Richard Donner and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, who also wrote the story.

The movie centered on a group of misfits led by Sean Astin's Mikey Walsh. Brolin starred as his red bandana-wearing older brother, Brand Walsh.

Brolin said that prior to auditioning for "The Goonies," his mom had kicked him out of their house, and he was staying on his dad's couch. Then 16, said he'd already missed a considerable amount of high school days and "really wanted to try something new."

"I said, maybe I should do this acting thing," Brolin recalled. "It's kinda what everybody resorts to when they don't know what to do. They either become a real estate agent or an actor. So I chose acting."

Brolin said that he went on 350 auditions, sometimes even four in one day. He vowed to prove himself to casting directors who may have speculated that he wanted to take advantage of his famous connection so he could easily land roles.

So he studied acting, read books, and "stayed in a bookstore 90% of the time." Then he met director Donner and Spielberg and it all clicked.

"I just looked right for the part," Brolin said. "You look at Sean Astin, you look at the type of movie it is, I looked like a bit of a bad boy, but sort of a jock, and I was in good shape, so they were like, 'That's the guy.'"

"I went back six times, just so they could make sure, and then I did it," he said.

Brolin went on to land notable roles in films like "No Country For Old Men," "True Grit," "Sicario," and the "Dune" franchise. He's also known for playing the villains Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Cable in "Deadpool 2."

Brolin reminisced about his breakout role during an interview with Howard Stern in November in support of his memoir, "From Under the Truck."

Brolin said that "The Goonies" was a lucky break, and he knows that perhaps being the son of James opened the door for his acting career. However, he believed that he was a good fit for the part of Brand.

"I was the right guy," Brolin said. "I look at that objectively now and I go, 'That's the perfect specimen for that role.'"

• Amanda C. Riley is serving prison time for faking cancer and scamming supporters out of thousands of dollars.
• A 2023 podcast and a new docuseries cover her story, which also mentions her husband, Cory.
• Cory and Amanda have two sons together. Here's where Cory is today.

The story of Amanda C. Riley, a Christian woman in California who used her now-archived blog, "Lymphoma Can Suck It," to chronicle her experience after supposedly being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma was compelling from the start: A young woman blogging about having cancer in order to raise awareness and funds to help pay for her aggressive treatment was actually lying the whole time, leaching attention and more than $100,000 from her friends, family, and even strangers.

It's the reason the "Scamanda" podcast quickly became a megahit upon its 2023 release, and why a new ABC docuseries is telling the story for a second time, delving deeper into how Riley pulled off her scheme and how she was eventually caught.

Amanda pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in October 2021, and was sentenced to five years in federal prison in May 2022. She was also ordered to pay $105,513 in restitution to her victims. She's currently incarcerated at FMC Carswell, a federal prison in Ft. Worth, Texas, and is scheduled for release on October 15, 2026.

As of January 2025, no one else has been charged with crimes related to their involvement in Amanda's scheme. However, according to the "Scamanda" podcast and docuseries, family members helped her set up websites to acquire donations and contributed posts to her blog. Whether any of them knew Amanda did not actually have cancer or if they truly believed she was ill is unclear.

While Amanda's fake cancer scheme was in full force, her husband Cory Riley was simultaneously battling his ex-wife Aletta Riley in court for custody of their daughter, Jessa. Per the podcast, he cited his wife's supposed diagnosis and medical expenses to try and win custody of Jessa and get his child support payments lowered.

Here's everything we know about Cory Riley's life today.

Where is Amanda C. Riley's husband Cory Riley today?

Cory and Amanda first met when Amanda was a 17-year-old cheerleading coach hired to instruct one of Cory's then-wife Aletta's daughters — one of whom actually had cancer — how to dance. Per the podcast, Cory was about 29 years old at the time.

Cory and Aletta eventually divorced, and he married Amanda a few years later. The couple had two sons together, Carter and Connor, whom Amanda would proclaim were "miracles," since she claimed she shouldn't have been able to deliver a healthy baby while undergoing cancer treatment.

Though the family lived in the Bay Area outside of San Jose for most of the time Amanda was writing her cancer blog, they moved to Texas after Amanda lost her job as principal at Pacific Point Christian School in Gilroy, California.

"Scamanda" podcast host Charlie Webster told Glamour in a 2023 interview that Cory was "looking after his two kids in Texas" where Amanda was serving her sentence.

According to a divorce petition obtained by Today.com, Cory filed for divorce in January 2024. The filing indicated he was still living in Texas at that time.

• The US Army Black Hawk that collided with an American Airlines flight was training on a familiar flight path.
• The 12th Aviation Battalion frequently navigates Washington DC airspace for VIP transport.
• Pilots were flying with night vision goggles and are trained to deal with those challenges.

The US Army crew of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that fatally collided with an American Airlines passenger jet on Wednesday was on a routine training flight on a well-known flight path at the time of the incident, an Army official said Thursday.

Jonathan Koziol, a retired Army chief warrant officer aviator with nearly three decades of military flight experience, said during a media roundtable this flight would have likely been deemed "low risk," not medium or high risk.

Such designations are required elements of pre-flight risk assessments and briefings to military mission approval authorities and take into account variables like weather, mission type, and potential hazards. Koziol, the Headquarters Department of the Army Aviation Directorate Chief of Staff, was not involved in flight operation or oversight.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said earlier in the day that the flight was "routine" and conducted along a "standard" corridor. The flight was along Route 4, a commonly used flight path, and "should not have been a problem," Koziol said.

Crews from the Army's 12th Aviation Battalion, based in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, are well acquainted with Washington, DC and the surrounding areas, said Koziol. Much of this unit's mission includes ferrying government and military VIPs throughout the National Capital Region (NCR) and being ready to move officials during crises.

Speaking of the Black Hawk's flight path, Koziol said "this is a relatively easy corridor to fly because you're flying down the center of the river."

He said that the dark river flight path, with urban lights on either side to act as informal guardrails, makes the task simple for pilots. The battalion's Black Hawk was also equipped with an in-flight map, meaning the pilots could track their position throughout the flight.

"You have the darkness of the river, and you have the lights on either side of you and obviously the rotating beacon on Reagan National to point out the airfield and all the traffic on it for them to know exactly where they're at," he said.

There are several routes for helicopters in the NCR which government aircraft traverse daily and includes airspace that is off-limits to non-approved aircraft, including areas near the Pentagon, White House, National Mall, and Naval Observatory.

Each flight requires coordination with surrounding air traffic control, including the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which assigns each flight a four-digit tracking number to chart its movements. Within the aviation unit, flights are meticulously planned for and managed, Koziol said.

Koziol said the Black Hawk pilots were training with night vision goggles, which can cut down a wearer's peripheral vision and impact depth perception. Soldiers train regularly with these capabilities to limit the impact.

"They are helpful at night, obviously, and in an urban environment, they're still useful," Koziol said. City lights can make seeing with night vision more difficult, but flying over the river where the Black Hawk was shouldn't have posed any problems with light, he said.

All three crew members, two pilots and a crew chief, were experienced aviators, he said. Both pilots had at least 1500 combined flight hours between them. One pilot served as the flight commander and instructor, overseeing an annual training requirement for the second pilot, who held 500 hours and had previously served as a flight commander.

The cause of Wednesday's deadly crash, in which there were no survivors, is unknown and under investigation.

• There have been more news stories of airline issues and crashes in the past year.
• Distressing news about flying can heighten aerophobia, or fear of flying.
• Two therapists shared tips on how to manage anxiety around flying.

For anyone fearful of flying, the recent news cycle hasn't helped. Last night, a military helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger jet in DC, killing all 64 people aboard both flights.

Over the past year, news stories have emerged of commercial planes crashing, losing doors mid-flight, or flying through increased turbulence.

People with existing aerophobia might feel vindicated in their fears. "Now they're going to say, 'I was right all along,'" Tom Bunn, a retired airline captain and licensed therapist specializing in aviation phobias, told Business Insider.

Prerna Menon, a New York City therapist who's seen this issue come up a lot in her practice, said her clients' symptoms worsen when they consume more news around crashes.

Bunn and Menon shared a few tips to overcome flying phobias, whether you feel increased discomfort when you land or avoid flying as much as possible.

Where you sit can help you feel a sense of control

For many fearful fliers, the root issue is feeling a lack of control.

Bunn gave an example of a client — an airline captain — who one day felt anxious sitting in an economy middle seat. "If he was in the cockpit, he wouldn't have any trouble because he's in control," Bunn said.

Takeoff, landing, and bad turbulence can exacerbate that feeling of helplessness, Menon said. The tricky thing is finding a way to process your feelings in the moment. "Now that fight-or-flight response has been activated, and you're confined to a seat, you're not really able to expel that anxiety."

For anxious passengers, you can choose a seat closer to the front or over the wing, where you can see outside.

While some experts say it doesn't make much difference, one flight anxiety coach told Condé Nast Traveler that he recommends sitting in the center of the plane. "Factually speaking, the point of balance is over the wings or maybe slightly forward. This is considered the 'best place' by many," Paul Tizzard, a coach with LoveFly, told the outlet.

Don't try to fly your way out of a phobia

For many phobias, treatment involves some form of gradual exposure therapy. Aerophobia is different because "either you're flying or you're not," Bunn said.

However, you don't want to force yourself to go on a bunch of flights, Bunn said. "Once you get sensitized to not being in control and able to escape, you're only going to make it worse."

Instead, he said it's best to start as small as possible, breaking down each part of the flight into bite-sized pieces. Take-off, for example, isn't just one event. "The engines rev up, and when they do, the pitch goes higher," he said.

He recommends having someone you feel safe around, like a partner or friend, hold neutral photographs of an airplane terminal, a plane in flight, and a plane landing to change your associations with the images. You can also picture them holding up the photographs while looking you in the eye, which can have a calming effect.

Menon also said exposure to more neutral images of planes, especially in contrast to distressing videos on social media, can help. If your fear of flying is severe, she recommended taking small steps like going with a loved one to an airport.

Engage your senses when you're in the air

Once you're on a flight, your options for calming down are more limited. Some techniques involve engaging your physical senses to pull away from ruminating.

Bunn suggested using the 54321 grounding exercise, in which you identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. (Doing it in that order makes it harder for your brain to blow through the steps quickly, he said.)

If you anticipate being nervous on a flight, Menon said you can bring a tactile activity with you, such as crocheting, drawing, or playing with a fidget toy. "Engaging multiple senses allows us to anchor our minds and bodies into the present moment," she said.

Try the 4-7-8 breathing trick

It sounds simple, but breathing exercises work to quell your fears. Mindful breathing "slows down our heart rate and triggers the relaxation response," Menon said.

Menon recommended the 4-7-8 breathing pattern, in which you inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale for eight.

Bunn agreed. He said exhaling for longer than you inhale is his trick for calming the nervous system. He added that it may not be a perfect cure-all, especially in times of turbulence.

"When the plane drops, everybody's going to get some stress hormones released, some more than others," he said.

To get the most out of this trick, Menon said it's best to do it a few times prior to boarding the aircraft, as well as when you just sat down.

Look at other stressors in your life

If you suddenly developed aerophobia as an adult, Bunn said it could help to look at other stressors in your life, particularly ones that leave you feeling powerless.

Often, "straws have been put on the camel's back for years," he said, making you less tolerant of situations where you feel trapped — like being on a plane.

• Kash Patel, Trump's nominee to be FBI Director, is worth more than $5.9 million.
• He made more than $2.6 million last year from consulting, paid speeches, and books.
• His clients included Truth Social, one of Trump's PACs, and the Embassy of Qatar.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's nominee to be the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made more than $2.6 million last year.

According to a financial disclosure obtained by Business Insider ahead of its public release, Patel's income came from a mixture of consulting work, paid speeches, media appearances, and the proceeds of several books.

His total net worth is more than $5.9 million, according to a document filed with the Senate Judiciary Committee. All of Trump's nominees are required to file public final disclosure reports as they are considered by the Senate.

The bulk of Patel's income, more than $2.1 million, came from consulting work. Among his clients was Trump Media and Technology Corp, the company that runs Truth Social. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Patel's annual compensation was $120,000, though his contract ended in March 2024.

Pam Bondi, Trump's nominee for attorney general, has also been financially tied up with Truth Social, holding more than $3.9 million in stock in the company as of December.

Patel also listed Save America, Trump's leadership PAC, as a client, along with the Embassy of Qatar and several other organizations.

He earned $306,000 last year from a series of paid speeches and media appearances, including $99,000 for working as a contributor for the Epoch Times and $20,000 for a May 2024 interview on "Our Watch With Tim Thompson."

Writing books also proved to be lucrative for Patel. He earned between $100,000 and $1 million in royalties for his 2023 book, "Government Gangsters," and between $45,000 and $150,000 for his "The Plot Against the King" children's book series.

He also owns Elite Depot, a "fashion management company" based in the Cayman Islands worth between $1 million and $5 million. A spokesperson for Patel did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the organization's purpose.

Patel's assets also include up to $100,000 in Bitcoin, up to $250,000 in NVIDIA stock, and up to $100,00 in Palantir stock. In 2024, he earned $8,000 in director's fees from VK Integrated Systems, a weapons company.

Patel is among Trump's most controversial nominees, owing to questions about his conduct during Trump's first term, his promotion of conspiracy theories, and his extreme rhetoric.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer identified Patel this week as a nominee that Democrats felt they may have a shot at defeating. His first confirmation hearing took place on Thursday.

Read Patel's full financial disclosure below:

• For seven years, blogger Amanda C. Riley told people she had Hodgkin's lymphoma, but she was lying.
• The mom of two swindled over $100,000 from 349 donors.
• A 2023 podcast and a new docuseries explore "Scamanda" and the fallout of Riley's fake cancer scheme.

In 2012, California-based Christian blogger and mother of two Amanda Christine Riley started "Lymphoma Can Suck It," a since-archived blog documenting her journey after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in her late 20s. She used her blog and social media to publicize her journey with the aggressive form of cancer, winning over sympathy from friends, strangers, and even celebrities who gave her money for her medical treatments.

The only problem? Riley didn't have cancer.

Riley, now 39, never had any cancer treatments because she never had the disease. And according to a criminal complaint filed by now-retired Internal Revenue Service (IRS) special agent Arlette Lee in July 2020, she had used the ruse of the illness to bilk people out of over a total of $100,000.

Riley was the subject of Charlie Webster's hit 2023 podcast "Scamanda," which exposed the blogger's web of lies with the help of Riley's victims, journalists, and law enforcement who worked the case. Now, a new four-part ABC news docuseries of the same name premiering on January 30 delves further into how Riley pulled off her scheme and what ultimately gave her away.

According to Lee's complaint, the former teacher and principal convinced friends, coworkers, a megachurch, and complete strangers (including singer LeAnn Rimes) to donate over $100,000 to her and her family to help cover the cost of her non-existent cancer treatments and travel for experiences she said she wanted to have before she died.

Riley shared on her blog multiple times that she was near death. But each time, she would experience a "terminal miracle" that would inexplicably put her cancer into remission, taking her followers on an emotionally manipulative ride. At one point, Riley even claimed that her pregnancy had "reversed the cancer." (It would always eventually return.)

According to the Department of Justice, Riley collected at least 349 donations over the eight years she perpetrated the fraud. They added up to more than $105,000.

So where is Riley today? The end of her story isn't a miracle, but the consequences she faced are now a part of legal history.

Amanda C. Riley faced repercussions for her fraud — and made legal history

The case wouldn't have happened without the work of investigative producer Nancy Moscatiello, who began an initial investigation into Riley after receiving an anonymous tip via email that she should look into the blogger in the summer of 2015.

Riley quickly went on the offensive, and attempted to sue Moscatiello for civil harassment (the judge threw out the suit).

Moscatiello's own sister had died of cancer, and she dug in, calling the hospitals and clinics Riley claimed to have been treated at, and closely examining the photos she posted on her blog. She took her findings to Jose Martinez, a now-retired San Jose-based financial crimes detective. Martinez contacted a facility where Riley claimed to be treated; an employee confirmed to him that Riley was not and had never been a patient there.

Martinez, realizing his scope was limited to San Jose, eventually passed the case on to the IRS, which had federal jurisdiction. IRS special agent Lee took the case over the line, subpoenaing every facility that Riley mentioned in her blog posts to establish that Riley didn't have cancer.

Even as she was being actively investigated — investigators raided her house in 2016 — Riley continued blogging and maintaining her claim she was being treated for cancer. She also took a job as a principal at Pacific Point, a Christian elementary school, and worked there for about three years, resigning just before federal authorities charged her with wire fraud.

Federal charges were eventually brought against Riley in July 2020, related to financial crimes associated with "a scheme to solicit donations from individuals to help her pay for cancer treatments she never needed nor received," the DOJ said.

During the trial, it was revealed just how far Riley went to perpetrate the fraud, including shaving her head to appear as though she was receiving chemotherapy, falsifying medical records, forging physicians' documents, and creating a library of photos depicting her fake cancer journey.

Riley pleaded guilty to wire fraud in October 2021, admitting in the written plea agreement that she knew she did not have Hodgkin's lymphoma and had never been diagnosed or treated with any type of cancer, and that she'd knowingly deceived people to convince them to give her money.

She was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $105,513 and sentenced to 60 months in prison in May 2022.

The case made IRS history for being the first financial conviction of someone who faked cancer for fundraising purposes, according to the "Scamanda" podcast.

Riley is incarcerated at FMC Carswell, a federal prison in Ft. Worth, Texas, that houses prisoners at all security levels and specializes in prisoners with mental and physical health needs.

In 2024, Riley's attorney filed a motion for compassionate release, asking for a reduced sentence because of new medical issues Riley claimed to have. The judge denied the motion after the government opposed it, "pointing to evidence that Defendant is once again feigning illness."

Her scheduled release date is October 15, 2026, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

"Scamanda" premieres January 30 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, airing weekly. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.

• An American Airlines flight collided with a helicopter, raising questions about air traffic control.
• Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Black Hawk pilot, said military and civilian pilots usually do not speak directly to each other.
• The FAA faces a shortage of controllers, impacting high-traffic areas like Washington DC.

The crash of an American Airlines flight in Washington, DC, has renewed anxiety about air-traffic control staffing and procedures at US airports, especially in crowded airspaces.

As investigators began to piece together how a military helicopter collided with the regional jet, questions swirled about communication between the pilots and Reagan National Airport's control tower.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an ex-Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot, told reporters that military aircraft usually do not talk directly to commercial pilots, as ATC is the responsible intermediary.

"Everybody's listening on the same frequency," she said, adding that the American flight that crashed would have been aware of the Black Hawk helicopter in the skies. "You are listening to instructions from ATC. ATC is telling you what to do."

Duckworth said an FAA briefing involving ATC tapes revealed the helicopter pilots were told about the passenger plane, and the crew confirmed "at least twice" that they had the jet in sight before the crash.

She added that the American flight was cleared to land and would have had the "right of way" and that the Black Hawk was told to pass behind. The flight was in visual flight conditions, meaning the helicopter would be visually searching for the plane.

"They would be looking up to try to find this aircraft, pick it out of the sky as it's coming in for a landing," she said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, some military and civil aircraft, if equipped, can talk to each other using specific emergency frequencies. This is usually reserved for distress situations where immediate communication is necessary. It's unclear if the Black Hawk was equipped.

"[The Black Hawk's] flight path should have been hugging the east bank of the Potomac River, so they should not have been within the flight path of that landing aircraft," she said. "Did one of the aircraft stray away latitude, sideways in the airspace from the route that they were supposed to be on?"

National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said the DC area is a unique environment for helicopters and that the Black Hawk was transitioning zones at the time of the crash. ATC is one of the "human factors" the agency will examine as part of its investigation, he said.

Air traffic control is a complex system with many moving parts and no room for errors

The national air traffic system in the US is immense in both size and complexity, 14,000 air traffic controllers handle upwards of 45,000 flights a day across 29 million miles of airspace.

It's an intricate network that includes hundreds of regional and area control centers, each responsible for a specific piece of airspace.

A pilot flying from San Francisco to Washington, DC, for example, could interact with more than 20 different controllers during the flight.

The job is infamous for its high stress and heavy workload, which can involve managing upwards of a dozen flights at a time.

These stressors are amplified for airports like Ronald Reagan National. The airport has strict flight paths and altitude restrictions. It handles more than 25 million passengers a year and is located in highly trafficked and highly controlled airspace, as it is near the White House, Pentagon, and other government buildings.

The airport has seen multiple near misses recently, including a Southwest Airlines flight that was instructed to cross the same runway on which a JetBlue plane was starting its take-off.

A month later, an American Airlines flight was cleared for takeoff at the same time another plane was given the go-ahead to land on an intersecting runway.

Controllers working the airspace in and around Reagan National also have to handle an extraordinary amount of private and military aircraft that operate in the area.

The situation is exacerbated by a shortage of around 3,000 air traffic controllers, which the FAA has worked to address with plans to hire 1,800 controllers in 2024 and 2,000 this year.

• Mark Zuckerberg addressed several recent policy changes in a company all-hands meeting on Thursday.
• Zuckerberg admitted that the company was slow to respond to TikTok's rapid growth.
• The CEO also told employees to "buckle up" for an "intense" year ahead.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged the company was slow to respond to TikTok's meteoric rise because executives didn't view it as truly social, offering a rare window into how the tech giant missed one of social media's biggest shifts in recent years.

"When I look back on TikTok, I think part of the reason why we were slow to it is because we didn't think TikTok was social," Zuckerberg said in a recording of an all-hands meeting obtained by Business Insider. "We looked at it and we thought, 'Oh, this is like, a little more like YouTube.'"

The admission came in response to an employee's question about whether Meta's current focus on artificial intelligence might cause the company to miss the next major social media trend, as it did with TikTok.

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

Zuckerberg explained at the meeting that Meta's traditional view of social interaction — centered around friends posting content and commenting — caused the company to initially misread TikTok's appeal. The company failed to recognize how users were sharing TikTok content through private messages, which has become a crucial form of social interaction across Meta's platforms.

"Because we were too dismissive up front, it wasn't just about people commenting in the feed. It was about people seeing stuff in their feed and then sharing it into message threads," Zuckerberg said, referring to the company's instant messaging platforms WhatsApp, Messenger, and direct messaging in Instagram, where "the majority of social interaction is happening."

Zuckerberg also addressed TikTok's uncertain future in the US. President Trump signed an executive order on January 20 that gave TikTok 75 more days to operate in the US, as owner ByteDance will either have to divest from TikTok or it will be banned in the US.

"We don't have control of what's going to happen to Tiktok," Zuckerberg said. "We have a lot of competitors, but they're an important one. So, who's gonna own Tiktok at the end of the year? What's gonna happen? I mean, that's a pretty big deal, something that's a card that we get to turn over."

Looking ahead, Zuckerberg emphasized that the company needs to avoid taking "too narrow of a view" of social interaction as it navigates the emergence of AI. He outlined a vision for AI-powered features in Facebook and Instagram feeds, including interactive AI agents that users can converse with and more immersive content experiences.

"I think the next trend here is there're going to be things that either AI can produce, that we can just put in there... I think this year we're gonna have stuff where it's like, okay, you have an AI agent, and you can just start talking to it," Zuckerberg said.

The Meta chief also pushed back against concerns that the company's AI investments might detract from its core social media business, noting that as a large company, Meta needs to be able to "walk and chew gum at the same time."

"If we can't build Facebook and [the] next platform at the same time, then, like, eventually game over," he said.

Do you work at Meta? Contact this reporter from a nonwork email and device at [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also reach him securely via Signal at +1408-905-9124. Your identity will be protected.

• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's latest model in an all-hands.
• The Meta chief praised its "novel infrastructure optimization advances" in a recording seen by BI.
• Zuckerberg also said it would "benefit" Meta as it can implement some of DeepSeek's methods.

Though DeepSeek may have caused panic among tech investors this week, Meta executives told staff on Thursday that the Chinese startup's breakthrough could ultimately benefit Meta's AI ambitions in the long run.

In a Q&A during a Thursday company all-hands, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked for his thoughts on DeepSeek and how Meta should respond or pivot its infrastructure spend to set itself up for success, according to a recording reviewed by Business Insider.

Zuckerberg responded that he doesn't think it changes the company's infrastructure spend.

"DeepSeek had a few pretty novel infrastructure optimization advances, which, fortunately, they published them, so we can not only observe what they did, but we can read about it and implement it, so that'll benefit us," Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg also said that it's "always interesting when there's someone who does something better than you" and that it motivates him to "make sure we're on it."

Last week, Zuckerberg announced in social media posts on Meta platforms that the company will spend $60 billion to $65 billion in additional capital investment for the year and said 2025 will be a "defining year for AI."

Nvidia, which builds AI chips, plunged in value this week amid a $1 trillion tech sell-off in the markets over fears that DeepSeek had leapfrogged US AI labs, as the Chinese startup said its R1 model rivaled OpenAI's o1 across several benchmarks and that it was built for a fraction of the cost and compute power.

DeepSeek's claims have caused investors to question Big Tech firms' spending on AI infrastructure, and shares plummetted. By Wednesday, tech stocks had partially recovered.

Meta CFO Susan Li told staff on Thursday that Meta was "seen as more insulated" from DeepSeek's market impact than other companies because it didn't rely on selling its own open-source AI model, Llama, to generate revenue.

"Does it mean that over the longer run, Meta will have to spend less on infrastructure investment or get more for their existing their existing investment?" Li said. "That's definitely sort of what I've heard so far in a few calls since the earnings call yesterday with our analysts and our investors in terms of parsing where reactions are."

Meta declined to comment.

Do you work at Meta? Contact BI reporters from a nonwork email and device at [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]. You can also reach them via Signal at jyotimann.11, hughlangley.01, and +1408-905-9124.

• Microsoft has started performance-based job cuts, according to termination letters seen by BI.
• The letters state benefits stop immediately. Ex-employees also say they won't receive severance.
• As BI reported earlier this month, Microsoft is taking a stronger stance on performance management.

Microsoft has started performance-based job cuts, according to termination letters viewed by Business Insider.

Employees losing their jobs will see healthcare benefits end immediately, the letters state. In three specific cases, employees were told by Microsoft they're not getting severance, according to people familiar with the situation. These people asked not to be identified discussing sensitive topics.

"The reason(s) for the termination of your employment include your job performance has not met minimum performance standards and expectations for your position," the letters viewed by BI state. "You are relieved of all job duties effective immediately and your access to Microsoft systems, accounts, and buildings will be removed effective today. You are not to perform any further work on behalf of Microsoft."

The letters do not mention severance, but note that medical, prescription, and dental benefits end on the last day of employment. The letters also say that Microsoft will consider past performance and termination if the person applies for other jobs at the company in the future.

As BI reported earlier this month, Microsoft is taking a stronger stance on performance management like its competitors and managers at the company have spent the past few months evaluating employees all the way up to level 80, one of its highest levels. A company spokesperson declined to comment on Thursday.

A Microsoft spokesperson previously confirmed the job cuts, stating that when people leave for performance reasons, Microsoft often backfills the roles, so there may be little change to the company's overall headcount. At the end of June, Microsoft had roughly 228,000 full-time employees.

"At Microsoft we focus on high performance talent," the spokesperson said. "We are always working on helping people learn and grow. When people are not performing, we take the appropriate action."

Microsoft also this month started cutting jobs across organizations including Security, Experiences and Devices, sales, and gaming, according to two people familiar with the matter. At the time, a spokesperson said those layoffs were separate from the performance-based cuts.

Read an excerpt from Microsoft's performance-based termination letters:

"The reason(s) for the termination of your employment include your job performance has not met minimum performance standards and expectations for your position. You are relieved of all job duties effective immediately and your access to Microsoft systems, accounts, and buildings will be removed effective today. You are not to perform any further work on behalf of Microsoft.

Note: If you apply for employment at Microsoft in the future, your past performance and basis of termination will be considered.

You must immediately return your Microsoft cardkey, corporate American Express card, phone card, and any other Microsoft property, including but not limited to hardware, software, email files, source code, customer contact information, financial data, status reports, or any other proprietary or confidential data or trade secret information that you have in your possession to me.

You are bound by the terms of your Microsoft Employee Agreement to return such materials and to protect Microsoft confidential information after termination of your employment. If any such materials are stored on any personal device (including, without limitation, computers, mobile phones, tablets, storage devices) you are required to permanently delete them."

Are you a Microsoft employee, or do you have insight to share? Contact the reporter Ashley Stewart via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-425-344-8242) or email ([email protected]). Use a nonwork device.

• Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa tied the knot in October 2021.
• They welcomed their first child together in January 2023.
• The El Moussas are starring in "The Flip Off" alongside Tarek's ex, Christina Haack.

Heather Rae El Moussa and Tarek El Moussa have been inseparable since they met on a boat in July 2019.

Nearly six years later, Tarek, 43, and Heather, 37, are married, have welcomed their first child, and now star in two HGTV series together.

Here's a timeline of their relationship, from their whirlwind meeting to new real-estate projects.

January 2018: Tarek El Moussa was single for the first time in nearly a decade.

Tarek El Moussa married Christina Haack in 2009. They starred in HGTV's "Flip or Flop" and have two children, Taylor, 14, and Brayden, 9.

The couple separated in 2016, seven months after police were called to their house because of "a call of a possibly suicidal male with a gun," TMZ reported at the time. Tarek was seen running from his home with a firearm, which he dropped after police told him from a helicopter to release it, TMZ reported.

"Like many couples, we have had challenges in our marriage," Tarek and Haack said in a statement to People on the matter. "We had an unfortunate misunderstanding about six months ago, and the police were called to our house in an abundance of caution. There was no violence, and no charges were filed."

Tarek addressed the incident in his 2024 book "Flip Your Life," saying he decided to go on a walk after a fight with Haack and was carrying the gun to protect himself from wildlife.

In a February 2024 conversation with Business Insider, he also described his divorce from Haack as "the most difficult period" of his life, particularly because of the media attention their separation received.

"I don't know what it was about me and Christina, but we got so much press for years, and it just wouldn't slow down," he said. "It wouldn't go away."

Tarek and Haack's divorce was finalized in January 2018, and he went on to star in "Flipping 101" solo. "Flip or Flop" ended in 2022.

July 4, 2019: Tarek and Heather met on a boat.

As the couple shared on the "Not Skinny Not Fat" podcast, Tarek and Heather first connected when he slid into Heather's Instagram DMs a few months before she started filming Netflix's "Selling Sunset." He asked her out, but she said no because she had a boyfriend at the time.

On July 4, 2019, Tarek and Heather, who was then single, were cruising on separate boats off the coast of Newport Beach, California, for the holiday, according to People.

When their boats were docked near each other, Heather came onto Tarek's boat to speak to a mutual friend. Sparks flew, and Tarek asked Heather on a date again. This time, she said yes.

July 28, 2019: The pair were first spotted in public together.

TMZ captured photos of Heather and Tarek kissing in Redondo Beach, California. 

August 8, 2019: Heather and Tarek confirmed their relationship on Instagram.

The pair announced their relationship with matching Instagram photos. 

"It's official," Tarek captioned his post. "After more than 3 years on my own I'm so PROUD to say that this beautiful, sweet and talented young lady is my girlfriend."

"I'll be honest and say I never thought I would meet someone special in my life after the last three years," he went on to write. "Then...out of the blue @heatherraeyoung walked into my life."

Heather said she was "so proud to call" Tarek her boyfriend in her post.

"This incredible man @therealtarekelmoussa came into my life at the perfect time and I haven't stopped smiling since," she wrote. "I am so proud to call him my boyfriend, I just look at him in awe at what an amazing, talented and kind human he is."

August 8, 2019: Tarek revealed he had introduced Heather to his children.

On the same day that they announced their relationship, Tarek and Heather did an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

In the interview, Tarek shared that he introduced Heather to his family, including his two children, the night before.

"I introduced her to my kids last night for the first time," he said in the interview. "My mom, my dad, my mom's husband, my sister. So, we're doing it! Very excited."

Tarek also said in the interview that Heather was everything he didn't know he had been missing.

"I just went through some pretty traumatic things in my life and honestly I was very happy being comfortable on my own and I didn't realize what I was missing until I found what I was missing," he told Entertainment Tonight at the time. "I was sad for a very long time; I was alone for a very long time, and I feel like she's really brought me back to life, which is very, very fun to say."

August 21, 2019: Heather met Tarek's TV crew in honor of this birthday.

The crew members Tarek works with on HGTV surprised him with a birthday cake and rendition of "Happy Birthday" to celebrate his 38th birthday, as he documented in an Instagram post.

Heather was with him during the surprise, and Tarek introduced her to the crew as his "birthday present" after saying it was the "best birthday ever."

September 5, 2019: Tarek shared that he introduced Heather to his ex-wife.

The "Flipping 101" star revealed that Heather and Haack had already met during an appearance on "GMA3."

As he told hosts Michael Strahan, Keke Palmer, and Sara Haines, Haack and Heather met when he and Heather went to pick up his kids. He only gave both women five minutes' notice that they would be meeting.

"I was like, 'Oh, I'm coming over to see the kids. By the way, my girlfriend is coming. See you in five!'" Tarek said of what he told Haack.

"I looked at Heather, and I was like, 'Are you ready?' And she was like, 'Ready for what?' I was like, 'Well, we're going to go see the kids, and my ex-wife is there,'" he said.

Tarek added that he and Haack had not formally discussed his new relationship before the two women met, but they "got along great."

"They both eat that healthy, hippie food," he joked. "They do that weird hiking stuff."

November and December 2019: They spent their first holiday season together.

Heather and Tarek went to Amsterdam and Paris for their first Thanksgiving together, as they documented on Instagram.

A month later, they spent Christmas Day with Tarek's children. 

"My heart is so full of love," Heather wrote in an Instagram post about the day. "@therealtarekelmoussa and the kids have changed my life more than I can even describe. This is our first Christmas together and it's one I'll never forget."

"I just adore Tarek's family so much," she added.

January 29, 2020: The couple announced they were living together.

Tarek announced on Instagram that he and Heather had been living together "for a while" at the end of January 2020. He said they split their time between a home in West Hollywood and another in Orange County.

"The best part is I now have someone to go to bed with and wake up to every day," he wrote. "The better part is that person is @heatherraeyoung."

Tarek later revealed in another Instagram post that he and Heather moved in together "less than a week after our first date."

July 22, 2020: Heather and Tarek celebrated their first anniversary.

Both Tarek and Heather took to Instagram to celebrate one year together.

"From the first day I met you, to our first date and our second date when we decided to commit 100% before we barely even knew each other. But we knew what we had was special. We had that butterflies in your tummy, can't eat, can't stop smiling soul mate love," Heather captioned her post. "You are my very best friend in the whole world. The man I look up to, admire, adore, best daddy, best heart, kind & most important loyal and honest."

"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you," she added. 

Tarek echoed Heather's post, saying he would be "lost" without her.

"The second our eyes connected and we smiled at each other I knew my life would never be the same," he wrote. "She is incredible in every way possible and most importantly she loves and adores Tay and Bray."

"I just love you to the moon and back. You are my everything and you complete me. I'd be lost without you," Tarek said of Heather.

July 26, 2020: Tarek proposed to Heather.

The couple announced their engagement with matching Instagram posts.

Tarek popped the question on the beach, which Heather said was a complete surprise in a follow-up post.

Tarek told People he knew he wanted to make Heather his wife after seeing how she was with his children.

"We were sitting on the boat one day, and I looked over, and she had Taylor in one arm and Brayden in the other arm, and they're all three cuddling," he said. "That was the moment I knew I had to make her my wife and bring her into the family." 

People also reported that Tarek proposed with an eight-carat diamond. The emerald-cut ring sits on a gold band.

September 2020: The engaged couple bought their first home together.

The pair bought a home in Newport Beach, California, where they first met, as People reported.

"Tarek originally bought it as a flip but then they decided to make it their new home," a representative for the couple told People at the time.

February 2021: Heather got a tattoo in Tarek's honor.

As US Weekly reported, Heather revealed on Instagram that she got a tattoo on her hip that read, "Yes sir, Mr. El Moussa" as a Valentine's Day present for her fiancé. 

She later deleted the post after fans reacted with mixed reviews, according to People.

July 2021: Tarek reportedly compared his ex to Heather on the set of "Flip or Flop."

People reported that Tarek yelled at Christina Haack on the "Flip or Flop" set and compared her to Heather.

"Look at me, look at me, look at me. It's called winning," Tarek said to Haack, according to People. The publication also reported that he called his ex-wife a "washed-up loser" during the incident.

August 14, 2020: Heather and Tarek got a puppy together.

The couple added their puppy Bugz to their family as a surprise for Taylor and Brayden, as Tarek wrote on his Instagram.

"It's one of those moments where you know your kids will look back on it and remember it forever," he wrote.

October 23, 2021: Heather and Tarek got married.

The couple got married near Santa Barbara, California, with Heather wearing a Galia Lahav gown. They filmed the wedding for an HGTV special, "Tarek & Heather: The Big I Do."

"I'm a WIFE!!! Yesterday feels like a dream… so perfect, filled with so much love and magic," Heather captioned an Instagram post about the event. "Truly everything I've ever wanted and more. I love you so much @therealtarekelmoussa and now I get to say we're officially MARRIED!!"

Heather also shared on Instagram that she and Tarek said vows to his children during the wedding.

"When your daddy and I decided to be fully committed, I was 100% committing myself to you too," Heather said she told the kids in her vows. "I am beyond honored to be your 'bonus' mommy. Thank you for allowing me to love your daddy with all my heart. I love you both more than you will ever know."

January 2022: Heather started freezing her eggs as she and Tarek family planned.

Heather told Today that she didn't think she wanted to have children until she met Tarek.

Heather went on to tell Today that she found out she had a low egg count in her 20s, so she decided to freeze her eggs and create embryos through IVF after they got married to transfer in the summer of 2022. Heather documented the process on social media.

"I'm glad I decided to share my story on Instagram because struggling with infertility can feel very isolating," she told Today. "I also want to encourage women to think about their fertility in their 20s."

April 2022: The El Moussas got matching tattoos.

On April 12, Heather posted a black-and-white photo on Instagram of fresh tattoos on her and Tarek's arms.

Both were inked with "10.23.2021," their wedding date, on their forearms. Heather's wrist had a smaller "TEM" tattoo, while Tarek's had "HEM" in the same place to represent each other's initials. 

May 11, 2022: The El Moussas turned over a new leaf with Haack after a medical emergency.

In March 2022, "Flip or Flop" ended amid reports that filming had become "too intimate" for Tarek and Haack to film.

Then, Heather seemed to confirm that Tarek had compared her and Haack during the "Selling Sunset" reunion, which aired on May 6, 2022.

Just three days later, the Daily Mail published photos of Heather and Haack at Brayden's soccer game, in which the pair appeared to be arguing. In separate photos, a coach seemed to be separating Tarek from Josh Hall.

Heather and Haack released a joint statement on May 11, saying they had resolved "a personal matter." On May 13, they posed for a photo together and said they were focused on co-parenting after Brayden underwent an emergency appendectomy, which Haack said was a "wake-up call."

June 22, 2022: HGTV announced a new series about the couple.

HGTV announced the series "The Flipping El Moussas" in a press release provided to Business Insider.

The press release said the show would document Tarek and Heather combining their home flipping and renovation skills, as well as their IVF journey, a move, and a renovation. 

"We are so excited to bring viewers into our world to see the ins and outs of our day-to-day lives," the El Moussas said in a statement included in the same press release.

"As busy parents and successful real estate experts, fans can watch us as we go from making breakfast for the kids in the morning, to making business deals by the afternoon," the statement said. "The cameras are capturing our journey like never before and we can't wait to share it all."

"Bringing our expertise together from each of our worlds has been so much fun," Tarek and Heather wrote in an Instagram post about the series. "We are working on all new flipping projects - from multimillion-dollar homes in Los Angeles to a tiny cabin in Big Bear, California, and everything in between that we cannot wait to share with you."

"We'll also be giving a little peek into our everyday lives with the kids, our loved ones and our journey to grow our family," the post went on to say.

July 13, 2022: Heather and Tarek announced they were expecting their first child together.

The El Moussas announced on Instagram that they were expecting a baby in early 2023.

They opened up about the pregnancy to People, saying it was a "huge shock" because they were scheduling an appointment to implant an embryo via IVF when Heather found out she was pregnant naturally. 

"We just weren't expecting this," Heather told People. "We had just gone through IVF. We had embryos on ice. We had a plan."

"I think when you least expect it, and there's no stress in your life, the world just brought us what was meant to be," she added. "I'm so excited that it happened like this."

July 24, 2022: The El Moussas announced they were having a boy.

Tarek and Heather shared that their third child would be a son with an Instagram reel in which they popped blue confetti poppers alongside Brayden and Taylor. 

Heather posted on her story that she was "shaking" and her heart was racing ahead of the reveal.

January 31, 2023: Heather and Tarek welcomed their first son together.

Heather and Tarek announced on Instagram that their son, Tristan El Moussa, was born on January 31, 2023.

Speaking to Business Insider just over a month after Tristan's birth, Heather said her close bond with Taylor and Brayden made her want to have a child.

"They're very special kids, and I'm so in love with them, and that's what made me want to have a baby, as well as my love for Tarek," Heather said. "This is the kind of relationship you dream of and hope for. I found the love of my life, and I wanted to create a beautiful baby with him."

March 2, 2023: "The Flipping El Moussas" premiered on HGTV.

The series spotlighted the couple flipping homes, and it gave peeks at their home life together as well.

Ahead of the premiere, the couple told BI that working together only made them closer.

"We love being together," Heather told BI. "Tarek and I really trust each other, and we value each other and respect each other."

The show was confirmed for a second season in July 2023, and it premiered in December 2024.

May 15, 2024: The El Moussas announced they were teaming up with Haack on a new series.

HGTV announced it would reunite Haack and Tarek on-screen alongside their new spouses in a house-flipping competition series called "The Flip Off."

In the show, the El Moussas were set to compete against Haack and Hall to see who could make the most money off of a flip. However, Haack and Hall split in July 2024 after filming had begun, so Haack ended up competing in the series solo.

Tarek and Heather expressed their support for Haack amid her divorce to paparazzi on July 23, 2024, as E! News reported.

"We support her," Heather said.

"Whatever she needs, we're here to help," Tarek echoed.

January 29, 2025: "The Flip Off" premiered on HGTV.

The series premiere featured some dramatic moments, including an emotional conversation between Tarek and Haack about her divorce.

Although they're competing against each other on the show, Haack and the El Moussas seem to be on good terms, with Haack and Heather hugging each other on the show.

The El Moussas and Haack even told BI before the premiere that they were open to flipping a house as a team.

• Anthony Mackie faced backlash for comments he made about Captain America.
• Mackie suggested Captain America should not solely represent America, sparking controversy.
• He's not the first actor who played the role to downplay the "America" aspect of the character.

Anthony Mackie's Captain America will be on the big screen for the first time in Marvel's new movie "Captain America: Brave New World" after taking the iconic shield in the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" in 2021.

But Mackie's moment in the spotlight has already been marred by controversy ahead of the movie's February 14 opening when comments he made about his character landed him in hot water.

"To me, Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don't think the term 'America' should be one of those representations," Mackie told a live audience in Rome on Monday on the film's press tour.

"It's about a man who keeps his word," he continued. "Who has honor, dignity, and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable."

Mackie also called the opportunity to play the character "a dream coming true."

While the comments could be interpreted as Mackie's attempt to cater to an international audience, the footage went viral and some Americans weren't happy.

The backlash was immediate, but Mackie isn't the first to downplay the 'America' aspect of the character

The response to Mackie's comments was swift.

Users on X had responses that ranged from, "Well, his name is Captain America. He represents American values. Get used to it," to "Strange take."

Others deemed the movie anti-American and called for a boycott of "Brave New World."

Mackie is not the first Captain America to downplay the "America" in the character's name.

Chris Evans, who bowed out of playing the role for nearly a decade following 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," told CBM in 2011 that he was trying not to "get too lost in the American side" of the character.

"This isn't a flag-waving movie. It is red, white, and blue, but it just so happens that the character was created in America during wartime, when there was a common enemy, even though it is Captain America," he said.

"I've said before in interviews that it feels more like he should just be called Captain Good. You know, he was created at a time when there was this undeniable evil, and this guy was kind of created to fight that evil. I think that everyone could agree that Nazis were bad, and he, Cap, just so happens to wear the red, white, and blue."

Evans didn't receive any backlash from these comments.

Mackie has since clarified his remarks

In a statement on his Instagram Stories, Mackie responded to the backlash Tuesday.

"Let me be clear about this, I'm a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP is the honor of a lifetime," he wrote. "I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country. CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to."

Reps for Mackie did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

"Captain America: Brave New World" also stars Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez, and Giancarlo Esposito.

• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staffers in a Thursday all-hands to be ready for an "intense year."
• Zuckerberg addressed Meta's rollback of its DEI programs and work with the US government.
• He said that AI could lead to some roles becoming redundant, as well as hiring more engineers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees Thursday in a company all-hands meeting to "buckle up" for an "intense" year ahead and addressed several recent policy changes.

Zuckerberg opened the all-hands by emphasizing a sense of urgency for the year. He told staff that he expected to have a clearer sense of the company's trajectory by the end of 2025 and that AI would be top of mind. He also addressed recent policy changes related to fact-checking and programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

"This is a marathon, not a sprint," he said in a recording reviewed by Business Insider. "But honestly, this year feels a little more like a sprint to me."

Meta declined to comment.

Meta is betting on AI

In a wide-ranging opening monologue, Zuckerberg predicted that 2025 would be the year a "highly intelligent and personalized" digital assistant reached 1 billion users.

"I think whoever gets there first is going to have a long-term, durable advantage towards building one of the most important products in history," Zuckerberg said, according to the recording.

Zuckerberg also reiterated his belief that this would be the year Meta started seeing AI agents take on work, including writing software. Asked whether this would lead to job cuts, Zuckerberg said it was "hard to know" and that while it may lead to some roles becoming redundant, it could lead to hiring more engineers who can harness artificial intelligence to be more productive.

"The nature of what engineering is in the future will be different than it is today," he said.

Meta made recent policy changes

Zuckerberg touched on several flashpoints in recent weeks from inside the company, including the announcement that it would move away from third-party fact-checkers to a community-notes system like that used by Elon Musk's X.

He told staff to wait and see how the new system would be implemented.

"I'm actually quite optimistic that this is going to end up being a better system," he said.

Zuckerberg also said this would be a year for "resetting" Meta's relationship with governments worldwide.

"After the last several years, we now have an opportunity to have a productive partnership with the United States government, and we're going to take that," Zuckerberg said. "I think it's the right thing to do because there are several areas, even if we don't agree on everything, where we have common cause for things that are going to make it so that we can serve our community better, and we can advance the interests of our country together, " he said, adding that Meta would do so in ways that didn't compromise its "principles or values."

Meta rolled back DEI programs

The Meta chief also addressed the company's recent changes in its stance on DEI policies and the rollback of those programs in response to a shifting legal and regulatory landscape under the Trump administration.

"The way to think about this is we're in the middle of a pretty rapidly changing policy and regulatory landscape that increasingly views any policy that might advantage any one group of people over another as something that is unlawful, and because of that, we need to adjust, or else we'll just be out of alignment with what the law is saying," Zuckerberg said.

He again said that Meta viewed diversity as a strength, adding: "Historically, we've had a handful of specific programs that were very focused on certain underrepresented groups, and I think the direction of the policy and regulatory and legal direction on a lot of the stuff is that you can't do things that advantage specific groups, even if you're trying to make up for other things."

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• Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 1.3% chance of impacting Earth in 2032, NASA reports.
• Astronomers all over the world are watching the asteroid, trying to narrow down its future path.
• The risk will likely drop to 0%, but if not, NASA may have to plan a mission to push the asteroid away.

An asteroid large enough to flatten a city may be on track to crash into Earth on December 22, 2032, but the odds are very small, NASA announced Wednesday.

"There should be no particular panic or great concern about this object," Davide Farnocchia, the technical lead at NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, told Business Insider.

Even so, the object — called asteroid 2024 YR4 — is Earth's biggest known impact threat in 20 years and it's already triggered international planetary-defense planning.

What's the threat level?

As of Thursday morning, the chance of a 2032 impact was 1.3%, or odds of 1 in 77.

As a result, two international asteroid-response groups are actively monitoring the situation: the International Asteroid Warning Network, chaired by NASA, and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, chaired by the European Space Agency.

SMPAG is meeting in Vienna next week. If the risk remains above 1%, the group "may begin to evaluate the different options for a spacecraft-based response," the ESA wrote in a Wednesday statement.

A telescope in Chile first discovered the asteroid in late December, but fresh January data drove its risk level past 1%.

That sounds low, but a risk above 1% is uncommon and, therefore, significant for asteroid watchers, Farnocchia said. "It just means that we pay close attention and do everything that we need to do to better understand the situation," he said.

As telescopes all over the planet gather more data on the asteroid, the odds of impact will likely change.

The last time this happened was with the discovery of asteroid Apophis in 2004. It briefly had a nearly 3% impact risk, but after further data narrowed down its future path, it proved to be no threat at all.

That's what NASA expects for 2024 YR4, saying it will probably rule out the possibility of impact by April.

April is the cutoff point because, after that, the asteroid will be too far away for telescopes to continue tracking its path. It won't be observable again until 2028.

If the risk is still above 1% in April, the world's space agencies may find themselves plotting the first-ever mission to deflect an incoming asteroid.

How big is asteroid 2024 YR4?

Asteroid 2024 YR4 is somewhere between 130 to 300 feet wide — not big enough to pose a global threat.

Richard Binzel, an MIT professor of planetary sciences, told BI that if it struck Earth, the effect would be similar to the Tunguska event that occurred in Siberia in 1908, when an asteroid or comet exploded as it plowed through the atmosphere.

The fireball and blast wave flattened 500,000 acres of forest — about 34 times the size of Manhattan.

It's too early to determine the exact location of a potential impact for 2024 YR4.

The asteroid's size and risk make it a 3 out of 10 on the Torino Scale, which categorizes potential impact threats, with 10 being a certain impact that threatens the future of civilization.

A rating of 3 means YR4 will likely prove to be a non-threat, but given the eight-year timeline, it deserves close attention.

"I like our chances," said Binzel, who invented the Torino Scale. He expects more incidents like this "as we're finding more and more of these objects."

How NASA could deflect an incoming asteroid

NASA has already practiced deflecting a dangerous asteroid.

The agency's DART mission in 2022 slammed into a small asteroid and pushed it into a different orbit around the larger asteroid it's circling. It was a test, and it showed the method works.

Binzel thinks eight years is enough warning time to organize a larger deflection mission for asteroid 2024 YR4, if necessary. Given the asteroid's size, it won't take as big of a punch to budge it as, say, the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.

Failing that, there's always the possibility of evacuation for the affected area. Farnocchia said it's important to remember that Earth is mostly ocean, and then a lot of its land is uninhabited.

However, "it's a little too early to talk about that scenario because we have time now," he said. "The priority is getting observations and better understanding what the situation actually is."

The risk could increase before it drops

The risk could rise before it falls. If new data narrows down the asteroid's possible paths through space, but an Earth impact is still one of them, the risk of impact will be higher.

Even then, further data could completely remove Earth from the cone of probability. That's still the most likely outcome.

Asteroid hunters like Binzel have long fought to increase space surveillance enough to spot potentially dangerous asteroids. In that sense, the discovery of 2024 YR4 is a kind of victory.