• OPM sent an email to federal workers over the weekend asking them to list their accomplishments.
• The Social Security Administration told workers to treat it as an opportunity to highlight their work.
• The Department of Defense, on the other hand, told their workers not to respond to the email.

One federal agency's advice to workers who received Elon Musk's email on productivity: treat it like an opportunity to highlight your accomplishments.

After the Office of Personnel Management sent an email to all federal employees over the weekend requesting five bullet points on what they accomplished at work over the past week, the Social Security Administration told all agency employees that the email "is a legitimate assignment and should not be reported as spam."

"You must take the action requested by the deadline," SSA's human resources department told employees in an email, reviewed by Business Insider.

It added: "Review your work over the last week and identify the most impactful mission-critical work accomplishments that advances our public service mission, as well as the Administration's priorities. This is an opportunity to highlight the important work you do that helps impact the lives of those we serve."

An SSA employee who received the email told BI that management told workers to respond to the email as advised, and that the agency's management will have a meeting this afternoon to get more information on the next steps.

SSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

The email comes after federal agencies terminated thousands of their workers over the past week, in line with President Donald Trump and Musk's goal to reduce waste and slash the government workforce. Dozens of workers — including those who voted for Trump — told BI that they were upset that the administration is targeting the federal workforce. Some fired workers were told cuts were targeting low performers, upping the stakes on Musk's latest ask.

Some other federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, have instructed their employees not to respond to OPM's email.

"The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures," the agency posted on X.

The email sparked mass confusion across federal agencies, leaving many workers frustrated to have received the email on a Saturday with minimal guidance on how to respond. One federal worker told BI that the email was "pure harassment;" another worker said that they did not plan to respond to the email.

"It's absolutely crazy to be treated like this by a president," the worker said.

Musk also posted on X that failure to respond to the email would be treated as a resignation. The email sent to workers did not include that claim, and Musk later posted on X on Monday morning that it "was basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email. This mess will get sorted out this week."

The OPM gave employees Monday at 11:59 p.m. EST as the deadline to respond to the email. The National Treasury Employees Union told its members that those who have not received guidance from their agency should wait to respond; those who have received guidance should follow it, whether that means responding or not responding to the email.

"This situation remains very fluid, and we are actively seeking out clearer information to pass along," the union said. "It is incredibly unfortunate that you were required to complete this wholly unnecessary request."

Are you a federal worker? Got a tip? Contact this reporter securely on Signal at the username asheffey.97 or email her at [email protected].

• The agency responsible for regulating vehicle safety has cut 4% of its workforce.
• The NHTSA has multiple investigations into Tesla including two about its self-driving tech.
• The firings come as Elon Musk's DOGE makes sweeping cuts across the federal government.

The agency responsible for regulating vehicle safety and is investigating Tesla has cut staff as Elon Musk's DOGE continues to make sweeping changes to the federal workforce.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fired 4% of its workers on February 14, an individual with knowledge of the cuts told Business Insider.

The agency, which is responsible for ensuring vehicle safety in the US, has three active investigations into Tesla.

These include an investigation into Tesla's Actually Smart Summon (ASS) feature, which allows drivers to fetch their cars remotely using their smartphone, and investigations into the Full-Self Driving and Autopilot technology.

Cuts to the NHTSA, which is part of the Department of Transportation, come as the Trump administration continues efforts to slash the federal workforce, with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency leading the charge.

The new administration fired thousands of probationary federal employees, who have typically been in their roles for less than two years, across multiple agencies on February 13.

Musk's DOGE, meanwhile, has made broad cuts across multiple departments as it seeks to eliminate what it says is government waste.

On Saturday, Musk sent out an email to federal employees asking them to list what work they accomplished in the past week, with the Tesla CEO posting on X that failure to respond would be taken as a resignation.

It is not clear whether the NHTSA layoffs affected teams specifically involved in regulating Tesla. A review of LinkedIn profiles by BI suggests that some of the federal workers let go by the NHTSA had been in their roles for less than a year.

An NHTSA spokesperson told BI that despite the job cuts, the agency remained larger than it was at the start of Joe Biden's presidency and had grown 30% during his administration.

"We have retained positions critical to the mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing economic costs due to road traffic crashes. We will continue to enforce the law on all manufacturers of motor vehicles and equipment," the spokesperson said.

NHTSA is responsible for overseeing vehicle recalls for automakers.

It issued 932 safety recalls, affecting almost 31 million vehicles in 2022 per the agency's website. Over the past year, Tesla has issued multiple recalls for its Cybertruck, Model Y, and Model 3 vehicles.

The NHTSA, which has between 500 and 1,000 employees according to its LinkedIn page, also sets rules on autonomous vehicles and robotaxis.

The Washington Post reported that the small team overseeing self-driving vehicles within NHTSA has been cut in half as a result of the layoffs. The agency declined to comment to the outlet about that point.

Tesla is set to enter the robotaxi market this year. Musk told investors that the EV maker plans to launch an autonomous ride-hailing vehicle service in Austin in June.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Do you work at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and have information to share? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or tcarter.41 on Signal.

• The 96th Academy Awards are on Sunday, March 2.
• Some of the recipients of the most Oscars in history never set foot in front of the camera.
• Walt Disney holds the record for the most wins, taking home 22 from 59 nominations.

When you think of Oscar winners, your mind might go to some of the biggest names in Hollywood, like Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, or Viola Davis.

But some of the winningest individuals in Oscars history actually made their impacts behind the scenes, bringing dinosaurs to life in "Jurassic Park," composing songs for "The Little Mermaid," and doing makeup for "Men in Black."

Edith Head, an eight-time Oscar winner — and the most awarded woman in Oscars history — famously said, "What a costume designer does is a cross between magic and camouflage. We create the illusion of changing the actors into what they are not. We ask the public to believe that every time they see a performer on the screen he's become a different person."

From costume designers like Head, to composers, sound engineers, and set designers, these individuals helped create the magic needed for movies to thrive.

As excitement builds for this year's nominees, get to know the achievements and contributions of the 12 people with the most competitive Academy Awards in history.

Gordon Hollingshead — 7 Oscars

Gordon Hollingshead — whose movie career spanned from 1916 to his death in 1952 — won his first competitive Oscar for best assistant director in 1933, a category that would only exist through 1937.

He also won three best short subject (two-reel) awards, two best short subject (one-reel) awards, and one best documentary (short subject) award.

These categories have also been redefined since his victories in the 1940s and 1950s; they are now known as the awards for best live action short film and best documentary short film.

Fred Quimby — 7 Oscars

"Tom and Jerry" producer Fred Quimby received his first Oscar nomination and trophy in 1944 for best short subject (cartoon) for "Yankee Doodle Mouse."

His other six wins would all come from the same category, which is now called best animated short film.

Gary Rydstrom — 7 Oscars

Director and sound designer Gary Rydstrom was awarded best sound and best sound effects editing for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Jurassic Park," and "Saving Private Ryan."

He also has a best sound award for "Titanic," bringing his total award count to seven.

Richard Day — 7 Oscars

Richard Day won seven awards for best art direction (now known as best production design), beginning in 1936 with "The Dark Angel" and concluding in 1954 with "On the Waterfront."

Rick Baker — 7 Oscars

Described by the Oscars as a "lifelong 'monster kid,'" makeup artist Rick Baker has made significant contributions to the world of movie makeup across genres, winning seven Academy Awards throughout his career.

In 1981, Baker received his first nomination and win for best makeup for "An American Werewolf in London."

In the '90s, he had multiple wins with "Ed Wood" (1995), "The Nutty Professor" (1997), and "Men in Black" (1998).

Another memorable contribution includes transforming Jim Carrey into the Grinch for the 2000 movie "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Edwin B. Willis — 8 Oscars

Working alongside esteemed art director Cedric Gibbons, set designer Edwin B. Willis won eight Oscars in 15 years for his contributions to set design within the art direction category.

His first win came in 1941 for his work in interior direction on "Blossoms in the Dust," and his final win came in 1956 for his work in Set Decoration on "Somebody Up There Likes Me."

Alan Menken — 8 Oscars

Disney fans can say a big thank you to composer Alan Menken, the mind behind the music in "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," and "Pocahontas."

Menken won two Academy Awards for each of these films, winning in the scoring and original song categories.

Dennis Muren — 8 Oscars

Dennis Muren won eight Academy Awards for his contributions to visual effects on iconic films like "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Jurassic Park."

Muren's work had a significant impact on popular films throughout the '80s and '90s, like "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," "Innerspace," and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

In addition to his competitive Oscars, Muren also won a technical achievement award in 1981.

Edith Head — 8 Oscars

The beautiful costumes worn by Audrey Hepburn in the classics "Roman Holiday" and "Sabrina" came from eight-time Oscar-winner Edith Head.

Known for her "distinctive personal style" and "forthright personality," according to the Oscars website, Head built a career dressing some of the most famous movie stars of her time, like Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and Steve McQueen. In all, she received 35 nominations and is the winningest woman in Oscars history.

Other winning films she designed costumes for include "The Heiress," "All About Eve," "Samson and Delilah," "A Place in the Sun," "The Facts of Life," and "The Sting."

Alfred Newman — 9 Oscars

Alfred Newman, who was known for films like "The King and I," won nine awards for his work as a composer.

He won his first Oscar in 1938 for scoring "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and his final Oscar in 1967 for "Camelot."

Cedric Gibbons — 11 Oscars

Cedric Gibbons won best art direction 11 times out of 38 nominations.

His first award came in 1930 at the second annual Academy Awards ceremony for "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." He won his final Oscar in 1957 for "Somebody Up There Likes Me"

Walt Disney — 22 Oscars

Walt Disney dominated the best short subject (cartoon) category (now awarded as best animated short film) throughout the 1930s with projects like "Flowers and Trees," "Ferdinand the Bull," and "The Ugly Duckling."

His films continued to win awards throughout his life, and he won his final competitive Oscar posthumously in 1969 for "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," bringing his total to 22 awards from 59 nominations.

In addition to his competitive awards, Disney was also the recipient of four non-competitive special awards for the creation of Mickey Mouse, the significance of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in animation, the use of sound in "Fantasia," and his work as a creative producer, for which he won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

Mustafa Al-Bassam is a former member of Anonymous, the global hacktivist collective known for cyberattacks on governments, corporations, and security agencies. Al-Bassam also cofounded LulzSec, a splinter group that launched high-profile cyberattacks in 2011. He was one of the key figures behind its hacking of Sony Pictures, the CIA website, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and multiple international law enforcement agencies.

In this interview, Al-Bassam takes us inside the world of cyber warfare and digital activism, discussing the rise of Anonymous, hacking programs targeting governments, and the battle for online privacy. He offers insight into cybersecurity threats posed by intelligence agencies like the US National Security Agency and UK Government Communications Headquarters and discusses how global powers such as China and Russia use hacking as a geopolitical weapon.

Since leaving the hacktivist world, Al-Bassam has become a blockchain developer and an entrepreneur. He earned a doctoral degree in computer science and cofounded Celestia, a decentralized blockchain platform aimed at enhancing online security and privacy.

For more:
Twitter: @musalbas
Celestia: www.celestia.org

• Stacy Anderson, a scientist, has studied how centenarians live for over 20 years.
• She believes lifestyle factors such as diet play a big role in how long a person might live.
• She eats plenty of fruits and vegetables and gets eight hours of sleep each night.

A scientist who has studied centenarians for over 20 years shared four things she does to live a long, healthy life.

Stacy Andersen, a behavioral neuroscientist at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, is the co-director of the New England Centenarian Study, which examines the lives of people over 100 who are in good health. She has traveled the country visiting centenarians in their homes, meeting their families, and often sitting down with them for breakfast to try to pinpoint why they have lived so long.

"We're not trying to get everyone to live to 100. We're trying to get everyone to live like a centenarian. So really, to have that extended healthspan," Andersen told Business Insider, using the term for how long a person is healthy.

Living to an extreme age, like 105 and over, is likely about 70% down to a person's genetics, Andersen said, but healthy habits appear to be the most important factor for living to our late 80s and early 90s.

There's no one recipe for longevity, Andersen said, but following "the good, healthy behaviors that we know about and that are well tested" is the best approach to healthy aging.

She shared the habits she's implemented into her life based on her research and meeting hundreds of centenarians.

1) Eat five different colors a day

Andersen tries to eat five different colors of fruits and vegetables every day to ensure she gets a range of nutrients. "You're getting a wider variety, and it just feels good to check that box each day," she said.

Prioritizing fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and lean meats is crucial for healthy aging, she said and pointed to the Mediterranean-style diet as an example.

Based on the eating patterns of people in countries like Italy, Greece, and Turkey, the Mediterranean Diet has been ranked the healthiest way to eat for eight years running by US News & World Report.

A large 2023 study found that people who ate a whole-food-rich diet, similar to the Mediterranean Diet, lived up to a decade longer than those who ate a typical Western diet.

2) Exercise daily and mix it up

Anderson aims to get some movement in every day. She mixes up her workouts, sometimes going on long hikes with her dog, and other times running on a treadmill.

A typical centenarian is active, Andersen said. Many live on their own into their 90s, they often drive for an average of 10 years longer than their peers, and work for five years longer, she said.

The most common workout the centenarians she has studied do is walking or stretching, but they also do a lot of informal exercise, such as housekeeping, gardening, and yard work.

The link between longevity and an active lifestyle is well-established. A 2023 study by researchers at the University of Cambridge found a link between exercising for 11 minutes a day and a lower risk of dying from chronic illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

3) Get good-quality sleep

Andersen prioritizes consistently getting eight hours of high-quality sleep.

Current guidance on sleep tends to emphasize getting seven to nine hours, but some emerging science suggests sticking to a consistent sleep schedule could matter more.

Everyone is different and feeling refreshed when you wake up is more important than the number of hours you sleep, she said.

"It's kind of when you feel like you're waking up ready to start the day," Andersen added.

When we sleep, it's like a "power cleanse for our brain," she said. It helps remove the proteins that are thought to to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

4) Challenge yourself to learn a new skill

Andersen has taken up sailing, which she said challenges her both cognitively and physically. "I tell everyone, 'Whatever you've always wanted to do that's new, go and do that!'" she said. Several centenarians she has met took up painting in their later years, for example.

Doing something that engages your brain and attention strengthens neural pathways and builds new ones, and is the number one thing we can do for brain health, she said. "Just doing crossword puzzles where you're retrieving information is probably not going to be that beneficial," she said.

A 2021 study published in the journal PLOS One by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, found that after just one week of intensive language learning, a group of 33 participants, aged between 18 and 78, had improved their ability to focus and switch between tasks. A control group of 34 participants who did an intensive course that didn't involve language learning also experienced cognitive benefits, but they weren't quite as significant, the authors said.

• This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

What did you do last week? Sorry to be so blunt, but federal workers are grappling with that question. DOGE sent an email this weekend asking government employees to list their recent accomplishments before midnight tonight. Many told BI they feel frustrated by the request. The Department of Defense, meanwhile, instructed staff not to respond.

In today's big story, getting an advanced degree was once viewed as the best path toward job security. Now, it's proving to be a liability on your résumé.

What's on deck

Markets: The takeaways from Warren Buffett's annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.

Tech: A former big-time Elon Musk believer makes the case for why Tesla is in trouble this year.

Business: The Russian media oligarch pushing Putin to even further extremes.

But first, school's out forever.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

Highly educated, highly unemployable

Their degrees were something for them to fall back on. Instead, they're in a free fall.

Job seekers with advanced degrees are having a much harder time finding work compared to their less-educated peers, writes Business Insider's Aki Ito.

These days, you're better off with just a high school diploma instead of a Ph.D. if you want to find work fast. People who didn't go to college can get work twice as quickly as those with advanced degrees.

(Let's be clear: Advanced-degree holders still largely rule the roost on compensation. But pay only matters once you have a job.)

Aki has previously written about the struggles of white-collar workers thanks to hiring reductions among tech and finance firms. Those are common landing spots for people with advanced degrees, which might be why extra education isn't paying off in the job hunt.

However, Aki's story explores whether the labor market's latest shift could signal a bigger change in the importance of education.

All of this is also happening at a time when colleges are facing a reckoning.

Some say you can't put a price on education, but universities have certainly tried. With the cost of a four-year degree at a private college easily surpassing $250,000, more and more young people are questioning the benefits of college, let alone grad school.

Another corner of the job market that was once a sure thing is also getting shaken up.

Government jobs, traditionally considered a stable paycheck with good benefits, have been upended by the Trump administration. (Just reread the intro to this newsletter if you need a recent example.)

Tens of thousands of employees took buyouts, and thousands of probationary workers were fired during the first month of the Department of Government Efficiency's cost-cutting efforts.It's still unclear the impact these job cuts will have on the wider labor market. But continuing to make wholesale changes to the largest employer in the US, which is known for its job security, will likely have some residual effect.

News brief

• Few prisoners claiming abuse have access to a jury trial. The Supreme Court could soon change that.
• Here's what management experts think about Elon Musk's DOGE emails.
• Nike is betting Kim Kardashian can be its next Michael Jordan.
• The big healthcare startup buyers have left the building.
• I spent five days at a FIRE retreat in Bali with 50 super-savers.

3 things in markets

1. Warren Buffett's tax bill was a doozy. Berkshire Hathaway, the legendary investor's conglomerate, paid a record $26.8 billion in taxes last year, Buffett wrote in his annual letter to shareholders. It's the most paid by any US company in history and represents about 5% of total American corporate income taxes paid in 2024. "Spend it wisely," Buffett wrote. The letter also included some more fundamental business — and life — lessons, too.

2. The meme coin explosion. Once an obscure corner of crypto, meme coins have taken on a life — and market — of their own. But scams are common with meme coins, and ongoing conversations about a regulatory path are another big question mark.

3. How a hedge fund repays $1.2 billion to investors heading for the exits. The past few years have been rocky for Paloma Partners, posting just a 2.5% return in 2024. The multistrategy hedge fund said last fall it would take time to repay departing investors. To meet redemption requests, Paloma plans to pull $600 million from hedge funds it backed, including the quant firm Aquatic Capital, according to four people familiar with the matter.

3 things in tech

1. An early Tesla investor is now bearish on the stock. Ross Gerber was among the first to spot Tesla's potential, but he isn't feeling so confident now. Gerber doubts the company can achieve Full Self-Driving on time without switching hardware, and he believes Elon Musk has too many pots in the fire.

2. We're hiring … just not humans. Originally created as an experiment, two founders built a jobs board for AI agents. The jobs board, dubbed "Job for Agent," provides insight into what companies might look for in an AI workforce.

3. AI bosses feel the pressure. In a recent interview, the CEOs of Google DeepMind and Anthropic spoke about the weight of responsibility that comes with ushering in AI. The leaders urged people to better grasp the real force for change they expect AI to be — and for societies to start planning accordingly.

3 things in business

1. The oligarch who wants to "Make Russia Great Again." There is one Russian nationalist currently in the spotlight who may be even more zealous than Vladimir Putin. Konstantin Malofeyev operates Tsargrad, a multimedia platform with over three million followers. He embraces Trumpian rhetoric and helped organize the Russian separatist rebellion in Ukraine's Donbas region, paving the way for Putin's invasion. But Malofeyev thinks Putin isn't doing enough to crush Ukraine.

2. Scaredy-cat capitalism in the new Trump era. While deregulation and tax cuts are generally favored by corporate America, Trump and his policies aren't exactly predictable. That's leading some companies — from Meta to Disney — to brace for his whims. Many businesses are trying to get in Trump's good graces by cutting back on DEI and handing over a check.

3. You might be waiting on your tax return this year. The Internal Revenue Service began firing probationary workers last week who were not "critical" to tax filing season. These terminations are part of Trump's efforts to slash the federal workforce, but it could result in more backlogs, slower customer service, and delayed refunds, tax experts and IRS employees told BI. An IRS HR employee said the firings, coupled with a hiring freeze, could set the agency behind on its functions well into 2026.

In other news

• OpenAI researcher says soft skills aren't going anywhere.
• Sam Altman welcomes baby in birth announcement on X: 'I have never felt such love.'
• Your apartment building is made of steel — and Trump's trade plans could mean higher rent.
• Three numbers that show how dramatic Walmart's transformation has been with Amazon nipping at its heels.
• Charlie Javice called for a mistrial, saying her right to a fair trial was 'irreparably compromised' during openings.
• MrBeast said making his Amazon show 'Beast Games' was 'not a good' financial move: 'I lost tens of millions of dollars.'
• One of the few bears on Wall Street worries stagflation could drive a 10% stock sell-off this year.
• Why ESPN doesn't need the MLB.

What's happening today

• Donald Trump hosts Emmanuel Macron at the White House
• Zoom reports Q4 earnings
• Ukraine summit in Kyiv on third anniversary of Russian invasion

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

The world's largest construction project is carving a path through the Saudi Arabian desert, but will the 170-kilometer-long megacity known as "the Line" ever become a reality? Journalists cannot freely report from Saudi Arabia, so we analyzed satellite imagery and spoke to experts to separate the vision from reality.

Not only have the cost and the timeline for construction shifted in the sand, but recent reports suggest that thousands of migrant workers have died while trying to deliver Mohammed bin Salman's "Vision 2030."

• Starbucks said it would lay off 1,100 corporate employees this week.
• The coffee chain said it would notify affected employees by midday Tuesday.
• CEO Brian Niccol is trying to turn around results at the Seattle-based chain.

Starbucks said it would lay off 1,100 corporate employees this week and halt hiring for hundreds of open roles.

Employees whose jobs are being eliminated will hear from Starbucks by midday Tuesday, the company said.

"We are simplifying our structure, removing layers and duplication and creating smaller, more nimble teams," CEO Brian Niccol said in a letter on Monday announcing the layoffs. "Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration."

The company said employees at Starbucks' stores would not be affected by the layoffs.

Starbucks has 16,000 employees across its corporate offices and other areas of the business, such as roasting operations. It said that not all of those employees were on teams affected by the layoffs.

Starbucks has been seeking to rejuvenate sliding sales in the US, its main market. Niccol, who was named CEO in September, has said the company needs to prioritize the customer experience, including focusing more on baristas, whom the company calls "partners."

"I recognize the news is difficult," he said in the memo. "We believe it's a necessary change to position Starbucks for future success — and to ensure we deliver for our green apron partners and the customers they serve."

Starbucks has been making changes to its stores since Niccol joined the company.

Partners at stores are now encouraged to write notes to customers on their paper cups. Starbucks also rolled back its open-door policy and requires patrons to buy something in order to use the store's bathroom or get a cup of water.

Under Niccol, the company has also reduced the number of promotions it offers members of Starbucks' rewards program.

Do you work at Starbucks and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected] or via the encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501.

• For a long time, I was terrified by the idea of being alone in a foreign country.
• However, I was thrown into my first solo trip when a friend unexpectedly left me alone in France.
• Exploring France by myself gave me more confidence and made me excited to plan future solo trips.

In my 20s, I traveled with friends all over the globe, from Oktoberfest in Germany to the Bedouin Tents in Israel. Now that I'm 33 and most of my friends are married (some with kids), I've found myself booking fewer flights.

So, last year, when I scored two tickets to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in France, I hoped I could convince someone to come with me. Going alone briefly crossed my mind, but solo travel felt out of my comfort zone, and I was worried that I wouldn't have as much fun that way.

So, I ended up booking a weeklong trip to Paris and Lyon with a friend from work who I'd known for almost a decade.

At the time, I was just happy that I wouldn't have to go by myself. Looking back, I had the wrong priorities.

The truth is, not all friends work well together as travel companions

Before the trip, my friend and I struggled to get on the same page about choosing hotels and agreeing on an itinerary.

Our problems continued as we left for Paris. As she complained about our flight, I felt drained by her negativity. When we arrived, I marveled at a rainbow over the Seine River as she appeared to be answering work emails on her phone.

Tensions felt high, and I worried we might not be very compatible travel partners — but I figured we'd both feel better by day two and ready to continue exploring.

Instead, that was the last day we spent together on the trip. The next morning, she texted me to head out for the day without her.

I took myself on a walking tour from the Eiffel Tower to the Palais-Royal. I should have been excited to cross off bucket-list items, but instead, something felt off.

Later, she let me know that she would be flying home to New York City, leaving me to unexpectedly continue the trip by myself.

Although I was scared of being alone in a foreign country, I embraced it

For a long time, the thought of being by myself in a foreign country (especially one where I don't speak the language) made me feel anxious and afraid.

However, instead of feeling completely terrified when she left, I mostly felt relieved. The tension was gone, and I no longer had to worry about someone else.

Determined not to let being ditched ruin my experience, I changed our original itinerary to be one entirely on my own terms with excursions I wanted to do most.

As an extrovert who is energized by others, I worried that I wouldn't have as much fun in Paris by myself. However, I realized I didn't need to share an experience to value it. It was impossible not to enjoy visiting places I'd dreamt of seeing for years.

I continued on from Paris to Lyon alone and even went to see the Eras Tour solo. As I navigated public transit and city streets on my own, I felt strong, confident, and like I could truly do anything.

This experience gave me more confidence to take on the world alone

As it turns out, getting ditched in a foreign country may be the best thing that could've happened to me.

Being suddenly pushed into solo travel showed me that I'm capable of something I was originally afraid of even trying out. This realization has empowered me to travel more without waiting around for anyone else.

Plus, I've come to appreciate how traveling solo means setting your own schedule and making your own decisions without having to accommodate anyone else's needs.

I hope to travel to Europe by myself again this year, and I'm even considering booking a longer stay.

As for this trip? My only regret is not booking it solo in the first place.

• Apple is set to defend its DEI programs against critical investors at its shareholder meeting.
• A vote is expected Tuesday on a motion brought by a conservative think tank to ax its DEI programs.
• Apple said the motion "inappropriately attempts" to restrict its ability to manage its operations.

Apple is set to face a showdown with shareholders this week as it prepares to defend its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies against critical opponents in its investor base.

The iPhone maker is scheduled to meet investors Tuesday at its annual shareholder meeting, where a vote is expected on a motion put forward by the National Center for Public Policy Research to cease DEI efforts.

The organization, a conservative think tank in Washington, DC, argued that US Supreme Court cases had called into question the legality of corporate DEI programs, putting employers at risk of discrimination claims.

Apple, the world's most valuable company, said in a filing that it would oppose the proposal because it "inappropriately attempts" to restrict how the company manages its operations.

It comes at a time when its Big Tech counterparts have been rolling back DEI initiatives.

Last month, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta announced it would cut its DEI programs. The company told employees that the "legal and policy landscape" around DEI efforts in the US was changing.

Other companies that have rolled back programs include Google, which said this month that it would no longer pursue hiring goals based on DEI, and Amazon, which has changed references about DEI benefits on some of its websites.

Though some companies began shifting focus away from DEI before the election, several tech leaders have recently reacted to President Donald Trump's deeming DEI efforts "wasteful."

Apple's decision to stand by its DEI policies could weigh on its relationship with the president. CEO Tim Cook has tried to build a good rapport with Trump, visiting his Mar-a-Lago resort in December.

On Monday, Apple announced a plan to hire about 20,000 people over the next four years as part of a commitment to invest more than $500 billion in US projects.

Apple is a rare holdout among tech firms stepping back from DEI initiatives. Large shareholders in its investor base, such as BlackRock, have kept a distance from activist campaigns.

Shareholder proposals don't always end up on a company's ballot. A review by the consultancy ISS-Corporate found that proposals against ESG policies, including those against DEI, that came to a vote had garnered little support in the past three years.

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

• Franchises have been the backbone of Hollywood for decades.
• The highest-grossing franchise in movie history is the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• It has made more than $31 billion at the box office since 2008.

It's hard to imagine what the movies would look like without sequels, spin-offs, and connected universes taking over the box office every weekend.

The top 10 movie franchises at the global box office have each grossed at least $5 billion. They range from '60s and '70s series like James Bond and the "Star Wars" movies to more contemporary releases like "The Fast and the Furious" and "Harry Potter."

Business Insider used data from Box Office Mojo and The Numbers to identify the highest-grossing film franchises of all time.

Here's how each of your favorite movie universes compare, including their number of films and their top-performing release.

10. "Batman"

Box office total: $5.72 billion

Number of movies: 11

Highest-grossing movie: "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) — $1.11 billion

9. "Jurassic Park"

Box office total: $6.08 billion

Number of movies: 6

Highest-grossing movie: "Jurassic World" (2015) — $1.67 billion

8. "X-Men"

Box office total: $6.08 billion

Number of movies: 13

Highest-grossing movie: "Deadpool 2" (2018) — $786 million

7. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Box office total: $7.11 billion

Number of movies: 12

Highest-grossing movie: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011) — $1.34 billion

6. DC Extended Universe

Box office total: $7.21 billion

Number of movies: 16

Highest-grossing movie: "Aquaman" (2018) — $1.15 billion

5. "The Fast and the Furious"

Box office total: $7.32 billion

Number of movies: 11

Highest-grossing movie: "Furious 7" (2015) — $1.52 billion

4. "James Bond"

Box office total: $7.88 billion

Number of movies: 27

Highest-grossing movie: "Skyfall" (2012) — $1.11 billion

3. "Spider-Man"

Box office total: $9.03 billion

Number of movies: 10

Highest-grossing movie: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (2021) —$1.95 billion

2. "Star Wars"

Box office total: $10.36 billion

Number of movies: 12

Highest-grossing movie: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2016) — $2.07 billion

1. The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Box office total: $31.48 billion

Number of movies: 35

Highest-grossing movie: "Avengers: Endgame" (2019) — $2.8 billion

• I've visited every national park in the US and a few have stood out to me as underrated favorites.
• Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park has some of the most beautiful views.
• Kings Canyon is incredible but sometimes overshadowed by other national parks in California.

The 63 Congress-designated national parks have been touted as "America's best idea" — and with their mile-deep canyons, 3,000-year-old trees, and stunning mountain ranges, it's easy to see why.

However, with great beauty often comes great crowds. Many top-rated national parks routinely make headlines for their confusing timed-entry reservation systems, long lines of cars, and overrun trails.

I've experienced it firsthand, as I've been to every national park in the United States and authored a book about them. I'm here to tell you that Yosemite is beautiful, but a visit is usually not worth the summertime traffic.

This year, I suggest you skip the more famous national parks in favor of these six underrated gems.

I don't think Capitol Reef National Park in Utah is appreciated enough

I think Capitol Reef is the most underrated national park.

Set in central Utah, away from more popular tourist hubs like Zion and Moab, this park is a haven for camping amid crumbling rust-red cliffs, exploring secluded slot canyons, and hiking to enormous sandstone arches.

Book a site at the Fruita Campground or nab a cabin at nearby Capitol Reef Resort for the best red-rock views in town.

Be sure to spend a day ambling around the park's stunning trail system, checking out the easy trek through Grand Wash and the thigh-burning hike up to Cassidy Arch along the way.

Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park is worth trekking to.

Gates of the Arctic is one of the least-visited national parks, perhaps because it takes a flight to Fairbanks, a transfer to tiny Bettles or Coldfoot, and a bumpy ride in a bush plane to get to it.

However, once you lay eyes on the magnificent Brooks Range and its miles of unspoiled tundra, you'll see the journey is worth it.

Rather than a pricey, half-day flightseeing tour, which won't actually get you hiking inside the park, splurge on a river-rafting journey with a guiding service like Alaska Alpine Adventures.

Or, if you're feeling fit, embark on a backpacking trip to the toothy Arrigetch Peaks, which absolutely blew my mind in person.

Located in North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is filled with wildlife.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the best places in the country to view incredible wildlife from the comfort of your vehicle.

On my three-day visit to the park, I witnessed a rattlesnake slither across the trail, spent hours photographing playful prairie dogs, watched coyotes take in the sunrise near a herd of wild horses, and got caught up in a bison traffic jam.

Be sure to get out and stretch your legs on the park's hundreds of miles of trails, too. The Painted Canyon Nature Trail overlooks striking coral- and rust-hued badlands, and the hike to Sperati Point offers a sweeping view of the Little Missouri River and the Little Missouri National Grassland.

West Virginia's New River Gorge National Park is one of my favorites.

If you're the kind of outdoor enthusiast who's a jack of all trades, master of none, New River Gorge might be your new favorite park.

There's something for everyone at America's newest national park, which only just got its designation in 2020. It has world-class rafting and excellent rock climbing, plus forest trails along the ravine that parallels the New River.

Set up base camp in a homey cabin at Adventures on the Gorge. If you're feeling brave, book a death-defying Bridge Walk, which allows visitors to explore the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

Big Bend National Park is a Texas highlight.

After growing up in flat, humid East Texas, I was shocked to learn that there's a whole wonderland of high peaks and rocky, view-filled trails in the state's far western corner.

A haven for float trips down the mighty Rio Grande, steamy hot springs, and epic camping inside the Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend is a nature-filled oasis, situated just south of the artsy towns of Marfa and Terlingua.

Intrepid travelers will want to make a beeline for Santa Elena Canyon, the park's most famous ravine, and either hike its short, riverfront trail or book an all-day rafting trip to marvel at its honey-tinted limestone walls.

For an up-close look at Big Bend's rocky summits, spend a few hours traipsing around the Window Trail. After a day of big adventures, rest in a chic, modern casita at Willow House or a funky camper at El Cosmico.

I prefer to visit Kings Canyon National Park over its other famous California neighbors.

Set in the High Sierra, between the more famous Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, Kings Canyon is an underrated (and often less-crowded) gem for serious hikers and backpackers.

Although I'd visited the park many times, I first fell head-over-heels in love with it while trekking across its entirety on the John Muir Trail.

Want a shaded day hike with views of a roaring waterfall? Check out the 8-mile round-trip loop out to Mist Falls — and be sure to pack a picnic lunch.

If you prefer an overnight backpacking excursion, hike in from the South Fork of Bishop Creek and wander around the alpine lakes of Dusy Basin.

Either way, pass through the tiny town of Big Pine and head to Copper Top BBQ for the best pulled-pork sandwich in the state.

• A former Meta employee was hired in 2022 and had positive reviews for two years.
• They were shocked when they received a "low performer" rating and were laid off on February 10.
• The former employee said they were worried the label could hurt their job search and felt betrayed.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a former Meta employee who worked at the company for 2 ½ years. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about future employment. Business Insider has verified their identity, employment, and performance reviews at Meta. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was hired by Meta in late 2022. During my time there, I received performance evaluations every six months, in which my ratings were always "at or above expectation" or "consistently met expectation." Of course, I received small tweaks and feedback that are normal in any review, but I never received any signal that I was a low performer or that I was trending downwards.

When Zuckerberg announced Meta would be laying off the lowest 5% of performers, I felt a general sense of anxiety, but I looked at the criteria they were going to apply and thought: "This doesn't apply to me. I've gotten really good ratings up to this point." I didn't consider I'd be in that bucket.

I woke up to a layoff email at 5 a.m., and by 8 a.m. I'd lost all access to chats

They sent an email at 5 a.m. PST, and by 8 a.m. we'd been locked out of our chats. I didn't get to say goodbye to my colleagues. The morning of my layoff, I felt despondent. I'd worked really, really hard to get this job, had worked long hours, and had put a lot of effort into supporting my team. I just felt this deep sense of defeat.

And then I got angry. I was livid, like transcendentally livid. I can't even really put into words how it felt. I'd lost so much — my confidence, my reputation, a substantial amount of unvested stock. I just remember being in bed, screaming into a pillow.

I felt betrayed by the company I'd worked for, and they destroyed my confidence in the process.

I have no idea how they decided I was a low performer

I haven't received any documentation explaining how they got my "low performer" rating, so I don't have any official idea of why this occurred. I didn't get a signal from my manager. I just received the rating and the termination letter stating I was being let go.

I'm so scared about how this "low performer" label will affect my ability to find a new job.

Right now, the zeitgeist is sympathetic to those of us who've been laid off, but I know it's going to impact future employment. It's already a tough job market, so I'm scared. I'm really, really scared.

Because Meta clearly labeled people affected as low performers, any hiring manager who looks at my end date will know. We are uniquely disadvantaged because this announcement was leaked and widely publicized.

For the first week after my layoff, I couldn't even fathom the idea of updating my résumé or looking for jobs. I felt so hopeless that I could hardly even motivate myself to get out of bed. I already struggled with imposter syndrome, and this felt like Meta threw salt in the wound. I'm going to have to rebuild my self-confidence, and that's going to take time.

I think this is going to be a moment to take a step back, recenter myself, and think about what I truly want for myself and my career. Right now, I know I value some sense of stability. I know no job is stable, but I really want my next role to be somewhere where I feel like leadership at least doesn't seem to have an openly hostile position toward its employees.

My opinion on Mark Zuckerberg has completely changed

I used to defend Mark Zuckerberg to people. I thought he was personable in company meetings and really funny. Now, I feel like that was just a facade.

Between the layoff, removing DEI initiatives, and changes around content moderation, Mark Zuckerberg seems to be testing how many decisions he can make without retribution. Because Meta is such a big player in the tech industry, I'm concerned the company is creating an environment where other employers will follow suit.

Tech used to be a place where companies took care of their employees and where we were supported, but now it feels like we're all in a meat grinder. It's really sad to see.

Meta could already be backfilling these roles

Meta laid off thousands of employees and said they were going to start filling many of those roles with new people.

I joined at a time when Meta's stock was lower, and like many of my coworkers, a portion of my compensation is tied to the value of the company's stock. I have questioned whether the low-performance label was a way to let expensive employees go.

I'm worried about speaking out for fear of retribution. I hope people are empathetic toward those impacted by layoffs six months or a year down the road.

Nobody knows how long we'll be looking for a new job. I've heard horror stories of people applying to hundreds of jobs for over a year. I don't think that's going to be my position, but it indicates how hard the market is right now.

I had a call with my dad the other day and told him I just don't know what to hope for right now. The rug was pulled out from under me. I don't know how to move forward from that.

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

• Apple said Monday it plans to invest over $500 billion in US projects over the next four years.
• The package includes adding 20,000 US jobs, a manufacturing facility in Houston, and R&D spending.
• Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is "bullish on the future of American innovation."

Apple has said it plans to hire about 20,000 people over the next four years as part of a more than $500 billion US investment commitment.

The "vast majority" of the new hires would focus on AI, silicon engineering, R&D, and software development, the tech giant said Monday.

The package — which Apple said is its largest-ever spending commitment — also includes plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Houston and double its Advanced Manufacturing Fund from $5 billion to $10 billion.

Apple said it's set to open the 250,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing facility in Houston next year to produce servers for Apple Intelligence, the company's generative AI product.

"We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we're proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country's future," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

Apple's plan to add 20,000 jobs comes at a time when many large tech companies have been reducing their workforces. While it made some layoffs last year, it has not made large-scale cuts similar to companies like Meta, which earlier this month began cutting 5% of its workforce — equivalent to about 3,600 roles.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives welcomed the move by Apple on Monday, writing in a research note that this appeared to be a "a strategic move" by Cook to "continue diversifying its manufacturing strategy in both the US and globally."

Apple has come under pressure in recent years to diversify its supply chain, with the vast majority of its iPhones and other products being manufactured and assembled in China.

That pressure has only grown since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, with the threat of increasingly aggressive tariffs on China threatening to hurt Apple's business, where it generated $66.9 billion in its last fiscal year.

"Cook continues to prove that he is 10% politician and 90% CEO and times like this he will be using his strong ties globally to make sure its smoother waters for Cupertino ahead despite the market agita around AAPL's growth initiatives with Trump heading down the tariff threat path," Ives wrote in a research note.

Trump posted on Truth Social, saying Apple was announcing the investment because of "FAITH IN WHAT WE ARE DOING, WITHOUT WHICH, THEY WOULD'NT BE INVESTING TEN CENTS. THANK YOU TIM COOK AND APPLE!!!"

Apple made a similar announcement in Trump's first term in the White House. In 2021, it committed to making $430 billion in investments in the US and creating 20,000 jobs over the next five years.

• A mid-flight bomb hoax led Italy's air force to scramble jets to escort an American Airlines plane.
• The Boeing 787 was flying from New York to Delhi when the threat occurred.
• Italy's Aeronautica Militare released a series of photos of the incident unfolding.

American Airlines passengers had a whirlwind journey after a bomb threat saw their flight turn around, and fighter jets scrambled to escort the plane.

The airline said the "possible security concern" was later found to be "non-credible."

Saturday evening's Flight 292 from New York to India's capital, New Delhi, U-turned over the Caspian Sea — more than 10 hours after taking off, according to data from Flightradar24.

It then spent around four hours going back toward Italy, where the country's air force scrambled two Eurofighter jets.

In a press release, the Aeronautica Militare said it escorted the Boeing 787 to Rome Fiumicino Airport after a "bomb alert."

It also shared images of the Eurofighters following the airliner, as well as a video.

American Airlines said the flight landed safely in Rome, and "law enforcement inspected and cleared the aircraft to re-depart."

"Safety and security are our top priorities and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience," it added.

The Boeing 787 landed in Rome around 4 p.m. local time on Sunday. The same plane is scheduled to fly from Rome to New Delhi at 6 a.m. ET on Tuesday, per Flightradar24.

A senior official briefed on the matter told ABC News a bomb threat was received by email.

Protocol at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport required an inspection before the plane could land there, American Airlines said.

The incident is the latest in a string of bomb threats on planes flying to or in India in recent months.

India's deputy civil aviation minister, Murlidhar Mohol, said that as of mid-November, there had been 999 hoax bomb threats in the country in 2024.

More than 500 of those were received across two weeks, and 12 people were arrested.

Last October, Singapore's Air Force scrambled two F-15s to escort an Air India Express flight, which landed safely.

The same month, an Air India flight from New Delhi to Chicago made an emergency landing in Canada's Nunavut territory after another bomb threat.

Were you a passenger on this flight? Get in touch with this reporter at [email protected].

• Jon Flynn works in AI sales at Google, focusing on media, entertainment, and gaming.
• Flynn studied journalism and started his career in filmmaking before skilling up in engineering.
• He followed his passions and said his ability to communicate was the skill that got him the farthest.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 49-year-old Jon Flynn, a Google AI sales leader. His identity and employment have been verified by Business Insider. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I've always been a hobbyist in technology, but I'm an accidental technologist.

I started my career making music videos and commercials in southern Africa. Now, I help lead AI sales at Google in the telecom, media, entertainment, and gaming sectors within the North American market.

That means I'm responsible for a team of sellers and technical and product counterparts that are responsible for bringing the best of Google AI products into the arms of our customers, whether that is an eight-point or multifaceted solution that will be intricate to their business or a film-making process, or to a game customer service engine.

If you don't know exactly where you want to end up, don't sweat it. Some of the best journeys start without a map. Here's how I ended up where I am now.

I followed my passions

Initially I thought I was going to be a fireman. Then, I wanted to be a doctor. Then, I was planning to be a meteorologist, and eventually I went to school to be a photo journalist. Then, I wanted to get into the movie industry so I went to film school and did a master's degree in cinematography on the back of my journalism degree.

The road less traveled, the risky bet, that's where the magic happens.

"Fortune favors the bold" is a timeless saying for a reason. The people who change the game aren't the ones who wait for certainty. They're the ones who take the leap and figure it out on the way down.

The way that I was very fortunate in my career is that I've been able to zigzag to areas of passion.

Technology was always a passion of mine, so I always did it in my spare time. I had a computer in the family living room ever since I was single-digits years old. I learned to code and spoke in code poorly, but I can code. I was always the one who would fix the neighbor's computer, I was always the one who would build your friend's computer back in the day when we still built them. 

That never left me, and when I had downtime after working on a film project, I completed an engineering certification.

So I got accredited as an engineer with a Microsoft engineering certification and I got this job opportunity at a financial services company as an engineer.

It was really one of those crossroads. I was like, this seems like very much a 9-to-5 corporate kind of offer over here. Sure, it's stable and it's cool, but aren't I supposed to be this cool freewheeling make-music-videos, live-in-your-mom's-basement-until-you're-50 kind of guy?

That didn't seem too great either, though. So, I figured I would do both.

It opened my eyes to another thing I'm passionate about. From there I went into product and then from product into business and then into leadership. I ended up in an AI leadership role in the sports, media, and entertainment sector at Microsoft and then in the last year, moved to Google. 

I never went back holistically into being a content creator. I've created podcasts and I do those kinds of things, but it's a little bit different from what I thought I was going to be back when I finished school.

I find myself just as fortunate though because I get to work in the industry I'm super passionate about, in terms of getting to influence the way in which content is created and consumed.

A technology degree isn't everything

There's one constant thread between everything that I've done in my entire career from school, to being an engineer, to being a sales leader: conversation.

Getting a Microsoft data engineer certification is very functional, but with the advancements in AI, I think that the largest programming language in the world is English, or whatever your native tongue is.

The ability to translate technical complex things into conversational subject matters and hold someone's attention when we are surrounded by competing data points is a massively important skill. That has never ever left me on any step of the way that I've gone. Traditionally, technology people speak to technology people, which is such a miss because you become very myopic in your views.

When I'm looking for someone who's going to represent the products that we are building and the products that we want to get out into the hands of our customers, I'm not looking for someone who is a PhD.  I'm not looking for someone who is going to be up at 2 a.m. in the morning in their garage coding some Python script.

I'm looking for people who are articulate. I'm looking for people who are curious. I'm looking for people who are looking at technology the way our customers are looking at their technology.

A lot of people that I hire come from non-technical roles. They come from business-focused roles, project management-focused roles, and, quite frankly, some of them come from marketing and sales roles.

If you can articulate what we have in a product and how it's going to help you do your job easier, that's a super valuable skill — and none of that has any bearing on a technology-focused degree.

• I was surprised when people started calling me Mom when I was pregnant.
• I quickly began to hate it.
• It was all part of my identity crisis while transitioning to motherhood.

During pregnancy, people started referring to me as Mom. While some other pregnant women seemed to find this cute or sweet, I didn't. In fact, as my daughter (and my belly) grew larger and it was more and more obvious that I was pregnant, so did my annoyance with being called Mom or Mommy. It felt like the person I was, who had a name and a life separate from the life growing inside her, was starting to disappear.

The first place I was called Mom was at my prenatal appointments

It probably all started in the doctor's office. One of the (many) little failures of the prenatal and postpartum care period for me was being referred to as Mom at my birth center. It was not endearing to me — it felt lazy.

I wanted them to look at my chart and call me by my first name. It seemed like just another thing about the experience that was centered on the baby rather than the person who was growing the baby. I wanted to feel like they were looking at me as an individual, not just another of the hundreds of moms who visited their office every month.

My daughter is now 6, and I still dislike being called Mom, Mommy, or Mama in place of my name by other adults. This is especially true in medical settings, like my daughter's pediatrician's office; it feels like they're not taking my concerns seriously. It also feels infantilizing, distancing, and dismissive.

Motherhood caused an identity crisis

After my daughter was born, I was suddenly no longer a writer, a reader, a wife, a chocolate lover, an anglophile, a person who pooped in private. I was a mom, and my responsibility was to care for the well-being of my daughter. It felt like everything else just fell by the wayside. I felt like my identity as a person — a dynamic, well-rounded person — had been snatched away from me. And being called Mom instead of my name by people who weren't my actual child just seemed to reinforce that.

I am sure that being a stay-at-home mom also contributed to this feeling of no longer having a purpose beyond new parenthood, though I know working parents also experience this.

When my daughter was around 18 months old, I spent a weekend away from her for the first time. I spent much of the train ride to my destination feeling guilty for leaving her. I wondered: Will she be confused? Will she think I've abandoned her? I felt unspoken judgment from others when they asked me who was watching my daughter while I was away. Like I didn't deserve time to myself or to explore my own interests apart from her.

I've rediscovered my identity since my daughter was a baby

The only person I love to hear call me Mom is my daughter. In fact, now that she's 6, I miss her calling me Mama like when she was a baby. It's just another reminder that my daughter is growing up.

Since those earlier days of motherhood, I've been able to rediscover who I am apart from my daughter, and being called Mom doesn't irk me the way it used to. The older my daughter gets, the more time I've been able to spend doing the things I love: writing, traveling, reading, crafting. And I've been able to share them with her as well.

• The latest "White Lotus" season was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in Thailand.
• Previous seasons filmed at Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii and Italy led to increased interest.
• Thailand expects a 20% rise in visitors due to the show's influence, the Four Seasons said.

Fictional guests have officially checked in to the "The White Lotus" hotel for the third season of the hit TV series. As the backdrop for vacationers this season, a Four Seasons resort in Thailand is already getting a boost in interest from IRL tourists.

"The White Lotus," an HBO TV show that follows a cast of characters on lavish vacations, was filmed at the Four Season Resort Koh Samui this time round. The resort, on a Thai island, told Business Insider that it's already seeing a jump in interest since the first episode aired on February 16. Its second episode aired in the US on February 23.

A spokesperson for Four Seasons Koh Samui said the hotel is experiencing a surge "in terms of availability checks, searches, and bookings." It's the third time "The White Lotus" has been filmed at a Four Seasons; production previously took place at locations in Hawaii and Italy for the first and second seasons, respectively. Searches for hotels and flights to Sicily from the US increased by over 50% while season two was airing, according to travel booking site Hopper.

The show also filmed at the Anantara Mai Khao Villas hotel in Phuket, a separate Thai island, for some scenes. Representatives for Anantara and HBO didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

"There is also increased interest in Thailand itself as a travel destination, and the Director of Thailand's Tourism Authority has said they expect about 20% rise in tourism as a result of the show," the Four Seasons Koh Samui spokesperson said. They didn't specify over which time period.

The season 3 premiere attracted 4.6 million total viewers in the US between Sunday and Monday, up 90% from the season 2 premiere, HBO said. IMDb included "White Lotus" in its top 10 most-anticipated TV shows set to return in 2025.

In 2021, Cascade Investment, the investment firm for billionaire Bill Gates, bought a controlling stake in the resort chain. He purchased it from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Holding and paid $2.2 billion in cash. Anantara is owned by Minor Hotels, founded by American businessman William Heinecke.

Four Seasons Maui at Wailea in Hawaii — where season one was shot — told BI that it knows the "White Lotus effect" well. A spokesperson said it experienced a 425% increase in website visits and a 386% increase in availability checks year over year when the show first aired in 2021.

Four years later, it says guests are still asking about the fictional "Pineapple Suite," a redecorated version of the real Lokelani Presidential Suite, which costs $29,000 a night. Starting March 14, the resort said it will offer a "White Lotus" experience to guests for a limited time, offering them cocktails inspired by the series and more.

Three nights in May in a serenity pool villa will cost about $1,363 a night on average for a one-bedroom villa at the Koh Samui resort, according to its website. A four-bedroom residence villa with a pool will run to about $7,866 per night. When BI previously searched its accommodation prices for a May 2024 stay last January, the rates were $1,281 and $7,746, respectively.

• Christian Lovell shares six signs your boss might want you to quit your job.
• Lovell, a career coach, highlights communication and workload changes as key indicators.
• In a tough job market, understanding these signs can help you prepare for career shifts.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Christian Lovell, a 31-year-old career coach from Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm the founder of Careers by Chris, a growing online community of job seekers, and a former career expert at Sofi. I help people figure out the next steps in their careers and how to land their next job.

On my Instagram, I share actionable, understandable, and easily digestible career growth tips that people may not have learned in school. I answer common questions like: How do I build an effective résumé? What's an applicant tracking system? How do I market myself for a role that I want?

In the current job market and economy, one question to consider is: How do I know if my boss wants me to quit? This job market is the toughest I've ever seen, and you must be prepared for anything.

Although just one sign alone might not be an indicator, here are six signs your boss might want you to quit and what to do next.

1. Your boss is communicating less

A lack of communication is one sign that your boss might be pushing you to quit. If they're decreasing your one-on-ones, making it hard to communicate with them, or if you're unable to get the support you need, it could indicate that developing you as an employee is no longer a priority.

On their end, it wouldn't make sense to pour resources into further developing you if they don't plan to keep you around.

2. Your boss stops having discussions about your future at the company

Similarly, discussions about your future might stop if they don't see you having a future at the company. They might no longer say things during your performance reviews, like, "In three months or six months, this will be happening," or they may stop mentioning your promotion altogether.

If you say to your manager, "Hey, I want to talk about my next steps," and they're not open to having those conversations, that's a red flag.

This might mean they're making excuses or perpetually putting things off. They may feel guilty about letting you go, they might not yet have all the information themselves, or they might not be at liberty to talk about it.

3. Your boss is excluding you

Another sign your boss might be pushing you to quit is if they start excluding you from important meetings or other key forms of communication, such as emails, team meetings, or Slack channels.

If you've been part of a project update every month or week, and suddenly you're no longer included, that can be a sign. There could be many excuses for why you're being excluded from important projects or meetings, like "it was an oversight" or "we're changing how we're structuring this project."

It could also indicate that your work is being reassigned or that they're removing you from projects because they no longer see you as part of the company's future. Again, understanding these decisions in context is important. How often is this happening? How relevant are the projects you're excluded from to your core job duties?

4. Your boss is giving you busy work

If you realize you're not on any important projects and feel like you're doing busy work, that can also be an indicator.

This could look like being asked to do tasks below your normal job duties, like summarizing meeting notes, instead of the important projects you were once on.

5. Your boss is giving you too much work

You might also be given an unbearable amount of work. Your boss could set unrealistic expectations and then document them, saying, "I asked my employee to do X, Y, and Z, and they failed to do it. So now there is a reason to let them go," or you might say, "This is unbearable, and I need to quit."

I've seen this happen to a lot of people. Once it happens, I tell them they should be searching if they have inklings they're being pushed out of their job. Do not wait until you can't bear it, or they let you go.

When it comes to finding new work, you won't list your reason for leaving a job on a résumé, so your next company would not know if you quit or were fired, but there will be times when you have to explain your departure from the company, like in future interviews.

There are pros and cons to quitting or waiting to be let go, and the best choice will depend on where you are in your career.

6. Your boss placed you on a PIP

PIPs (performance improvement plans) do not 100% mean you'll be fired from your job, but they are a sign. PIPs are used to create a paper trail — and, in many cases, let the employee go.

If you're put on a PIP, you should make arrangements to find another job. PIPs can be a sign they're preparing to have a final conversation with you and let you go. PIPs are usually paired with micromanaging and unrealistic or unreasonable workloads.

Regardless of whether you're on a PIP, never fully remove yourself from the market. Keep your résumé updated and your network warm.

What to do next

Seeing one of these signs doesn't necessarily mean your boss wants to let you go. Instead of jumping to conclusions, ask yourself: Are there multiple signs? Could it just be your imposter syndrome? And most importantly, have things with your boss shifted from one extreme to the other?

If you do feel your boss wants you to quit, you should first have a conversation with them. Document your achievements, and if you feel your time at the company is ending one way or the other, start your job search.

• The outsize returns VCs depend on might be out of reach through healthcare M&A this year.
• VCs told BI they don't see much appetite for big deals among healthcare's historical mega-buyers.
• Healthcare startups looking to sell may have to settle for lower prices from their peers.

Healthcare startups are hoping for more M&A in the market this year after a three-year drought of company combinations. But most VCs aren't expecting to reap blockbuster returns through big healthcare deals anytime soon.

The industry's historical mega-buyers — from Big Tech and retail to health plans and private equity — don't seem to have much of an appetite for big digital health deals this year, according to nearly a dozen VCs and investment bankers Business Insider spoke to.

Big Tech companies like Amazon and retailers like Walgreens have already made multibillion-dollar buys in healthcare and, in some cases, been burned by their losses. Insurers like United Healthcare are facing mounting scrutiny, said these investors. While private equity seems increasingly interested in healthcare technologies, many of PE firms' recent big healthcare buys have been public companies, and often those already demonstrating stable revenue and profitability, rather than high-growth startups.

Many healthcare startups are looking to get bought or raising down rounds to extend their lifespans, sometimes offering discounts on their last-round valuations to make a deal happen, BI reported in November. Better-performing startups, especially later-stage players, may not want to sell as investors hope for a reopening in the IPO markets that could help them recoup their returns, VCs told BI.

On the bright side, those descending valuations offer plenty of opportunities for late-stage digital health startups flush with cash and looking to grow. Healthcare startups like Transcarent have already announced acquisitions this year, while others like Datavant have signaled they're ready for an M&A spree.

Still, the outsize returns VCs depend on might be out of reach through healthcare M&A for the time being.

"M&A can be a great outcome. It just feels like there's not a lot of buyers that can do the kinds of deals that we would hope for for that big outcome," said IVP partner Yuri Lee.

Tech and retail's healthcare struggles

2024 brought a reckoning for retail healthcare as a number of large companies looked to downsize, sell off, or shut down their healthcare bets.

Walmart shut down its entire Walmart Health division in April, including its 51 health centers and its virtual care services. Walgreens closed at least 160 of its VillageMD primary care clinics throughout the year; the pharmacy retailer said in an August securities filing that it was considering selling part or all of its controlling stake in VillageMD, which Walgreens paid more than $6 billion for.

CVS, which owns a number of healthcare businesses, including the insurer Aetna and the primary care clinic chain Oak Street Health, swapped out its CEOs in October after undergoing a strategic review, where the company reportedly considered splitting up its retail and insurance businesses as it faced rising costs from Medicare Advantage claims, according to Reuters. (For its part, CVS has forged on with its expansion of Oak Street Health, which it bought for $10.6 billion in 2023. The pharmacy business continued opening new clinics throughout the year as other retailers backed off their own in-person healthcare bets.)

A CVS Health spokesperson declined to comment for this story but said the company is "focused on executing on our integrated care strategy." Walmart declined to comment. Walgreens didn't respond to a request for comment.

Some of Big Tech's healthcare investments underwent their own struggles last year. While Amazon's pharmacy business is drawing more consumer interest, its primary care business One Medical, which Amazon said in 2022 it was acquiring for $3.9 billion, lost Google as a large enterprise client in 2024 and faced an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit. Amazon also scrapped its telehealth business, Amazon Care, in 2022.

Amazon declined to comment on its M&A strategy. A spokesperson said the company is committed to One Medical's continued growth and plans to expand next to New Jersey, Northeast Ohio, and Westchester County, New York. The spokesperson said One Medical has contracts with around 10,000 employers and growing.

Investors said that while players like Amazon may look around for smaller acquisitions to tack onto their existing offerings — especially those they can get at a discount — those buyers aren't likely to take another big swing anytime soon.

"I think it's fair to say that they've had a lot of large-scale failures in trying to buy nationally scaled assets that would impose consistency on the system. It just doesn't work like that," said Dan Mendelson, the CEO of JPMorgan's healthcare fund Morgan Health, of large tech and retail companies like Amazon. "As soon as you move to more of a national system, you lose the quality control and a lot of the economic viability."

Steadier buyers may snub startups

For the likely buyers among health insurance's top players, federal scrutiny and a public reckoning could hamper megadeals this year.

UnitedHealth Group's Optum spent more than $31 billion on acquisitions between 2022 and 2024. UnitedHealth is currently trying to close a $3.3 billion deal to acquire home-health company Amedisys. But the Department of Justice sued to block the merger in November, citing antitrust concerns.

Some other health plan mergers fell through last year, including early talks between Anthem and Cigna about a potential combination, per Bloomberg. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana also called off plans to sell itself to Elevance Health in February after facing regulatory pushback.

For health plans, the elephant in the room is the December murder of former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which ignited a public outcry over how health insurers pay for patient care, or, more accurately, how frequently they deny paying for it. PitchBook senior healthcare analyst Aaron DeGagne said insurers may seek to lay low for the next few months as criticism mounts — "A lot of things could be misinterpreted," he said.

Despite those headwinds, DeGagne noted that health plans are hoping to tap into recent advancements in healthcare AI technologies to make their prior authorization and claims processes more efficient. He said he thinks health plans will notch more startup partnerships this year, and likely make their own investments in the sector, before they turn to acquisitions.

UnitedHealth Group didn't respond to requests for comment for this story.

Private equity firms have remained active in healthcare and shelled out billions of dollars on a handful of deals last year, like R1 RCM's August take-private by two private equity firms for $8.9 billion, the second biggest US healthcare deal in 2024, according to PitchBook.

Private equity's healthcare interest could certainly continue through 2025, especially as firms hope for falling interest rates and less regulatory scrutiny under a new presidential administration.

However, private equity firms often require acquisitions to be profitable or nearly profitable. In VC, investors aren't exactly itching to sell off their late-stage profitable healthcare bets — since many of those could be candidates for IPOs once the public markets reopen, Mendelson said.

"It is definitely the case that private equity buyers are attractive to middle-market companies. But the larger companies have to be thinking about an IPO," he said.

Moreover, private equity's healthcare playbook has historically relied on buying up individual healthcare practices, like medspas or home health centers. Those models generally bring in slower but more reliable revenue streams rather than explosive growth potential. Healthtech, a VC favorite, wasn't significantly represented in the top megadeals last year — of the 25 biggest US healthcare and life sciences deals in 2024, R1 RCM was the only true healthtech deal, with most of the other deals being in healthcare services or biopharma, per PitchBook.

So while private equity could certainly look to buy more healthcare companies this year, they may not be the sexy deals VCs are looking for, said Krish Ramadurai, a partner at AIX Ventures.

"A lot of the boring services companies with great margins and great product market fit are prime takeouts right now. And if you have the AI angle, even better," he said.

M&A-hungry healthcare unicorns

This year, some of the most active buyers of venture-backed healthcare startups may just be other startups.

Several healthcare startups have signaled their intentions to look for M&A in 2024. Datavant CEO Kyle Armbrester told Business Insider in January that the $7 billion health data startup plans to make more acquisitions this year, a strategy that could help the company continue to grow its revenue ahead of a potential IPO. Other startups approaching public market debuts may use a similar playbook, like Hinge Health, which has been open about its plans to make more acquisitions for its physical therapy business.

Venture capital firms may also work to combine multiple companies within their portfolios to minimize their losses, as healthcare firm 7wireVentures did in selling mental health investment Caraway to its pediatric healthcare investment Summer Health. General Catalyst has taken the same approach for numerous healthcare deals over the years; most recently, its health software bet Commure acquired care navigation platform Memora Health in December.

In fact, a number of General Catalyst's portfolio companies look poised to make acquisitions this year. One of its investments, health benefits platform Transcarent, already made a big bet with its $621 million acquisition of healthcare navigator Accolade in January. Commure has taken an M&A-forward strategy to drive its growth, with seven acquisitions to date, including two in 2024. Care enablement startup Fabric has made four acquisitions since launching out stealth in early 2023, and CEO Aniq Rahman told Business Insider in September that the company was still looking for deals.

"A lot of the companies that are struggling to go raise capital right now, or some of these larger businesses that are reevaluating their position in the market, are creating opportunities for us as well," Rahman said. "Pretty much every week, there's inbound coming in from investors that are like, we have assets in our portfolio that may be accretive to what you're doing with Fabric."

All told, there may yet be options for digital health startups hoping to get acquired and for the investors desperate for returns, even if billion-dollar deals aren't on the table.

"Founders and investors are getting impatient over exit timelines, and they can only stay impatient for so long," Pitchbook's DeGagne said.