• Taylor Swift has supported her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, at all four Chiefs home games this season.
• She's been photographed at 20 football games total since last September, including Super Bowl LVIII.
• Swift tends to wear Chiefs gear and dress up in the team's red-forward color palette.

Taylor Swift famously sang, "You know I love the players, and you love the game." But when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, it looks like she loves them both.

Since Swift began dating NFL star Travis Kelce last summer, she has been spotted cheering at 20 of his games so far, including Super Bowl LVIII.

"I'm just there to support Travis," Swift told Time. "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads."

The megastar is back in action for her second NFL season, supporting Kelce and the Chiefs in their first three home games against the Ravens, Bengals, and Saints.

We rounded up the best photos of Swift from each appearance so far.

Swift attended her first game at Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023.

Swift's enthusiasm at her first Chiefs game seemed to confirm her rumored romance with Kelce.

Swift later said they were already an official couple before she watched the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears.

"This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell," she told Time. "We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for, because we got to get to know each other."

"By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple," Swift continued. "I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."

For her second appearance, she brought her longtime pal Blake Lively.

Swift and Lively watched the Chiefs defeat the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — where Swift had performed three sold-out concerts just a few months prior.

The October game drew the highest viewership for a Sunday TV show since the Super Bowl, NBC Sports reported.

Indeed, Swift's newfound interest in football has been credited with bumping merch sales and enticing more female viewers.

Swift cheered with her boyfriend's mom, Donna Kelce, during a home game against the Denver Broncos.

Shortly before her third game-day appearance, Kelce accused the NFL of "overdoing it" with its wall-to-wall coverage of Swift.

"I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game. I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching," Kelce said during an episode of his "New Heights" podcast.

"But at the same time, I think they're overdoing it a little bit," Kelce continued. "For sure, especially for my situation. I think they're just trying to have fun with it."

Swift has struck up a close friendship with Brittany Mahomes, who's married to Kelce's teammate.

Just a few days before the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)," the rerecorded version of her fifth album, Swift watched the Chiefs take down the Los Angeles Chargers.

She spent the home game cheering with Mahomes and showing off their secret handshake.

Swift wore a black turtleneck and a red teddy coat in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Swift spent most of November 2023 on the road for the South American leg of The Eras Tour. Kelce even flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to watch Swift perform — and received an onstage shout-out in return.

She returned to Kelce's side in early December when the Chiefs took on the Green Bay Packers. It was her first time watching Kelce's team lose.

She wore a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt for the team's next home game.

Swift purchased the '90s sweatshirt from Westside Storey, a secondhand clothing boutique in Kansas City.

The store's owner, Chris Harrington, told Business Insider he originally thought Swift's order — which totaled $1,200 for curated vintage pieces — could be fraudulent.

Instead, she wore one of those pieces at Arrowhead Stadium in December, causing a surge of traffic to Westside Storey's website.

"We've had hundreds of orders over the last 48 hours," Harrington told BI. "Sometimes our online store lights up after a Chiefs game when we win, but this is 100 times more than that, and we lost the game. It was the Taylor effect."

She brought her dad and friends to cheer for the Chiefs in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Swift hit the road to watch the Chiefs defeat the New England Patriots on the latter's home turf. She even convinced her father, Scott Swift, to swap his traditional Philadelphia Eagles gear for a Chiefs sweatshirt.

Several friends accompanied Swift, including Alana Haim, stylist Ashley Avignone, and backup singer Melanie Nyema.

Swift spent Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium.

Even though the Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on December 25, 2023, Kelce praised Swift and her family for making the day special.

The singer's brother, Austin Swift, even gave him a sentimental gift while dressed as Santa Claus, Kelce shared on his podcast.

She also spent New Year's Eve cheering for Kelce in Kansas City.

Swift wore a Chiefs varsity jacket for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which the home team won.

For her first game of 2024, Swift braved freezing temperatures to high-five fans.

The Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins during the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, according to CNN.

That same day, the Chiefs owner praised Swift and Kelce's "purely organic" relationship.

"It's been a very interesting, very fun year having the two of them dating, the attention that's been focused on the Chiefs," Clark Hunt told CNBC. "Our female audience has grown leaps and bounds."

Kelce scored two touchdowns in Buffalo, New York, with Swift in the stands.

Swift joined Kelce's family to watch the Chiefs advance through the NFL playoffs — including his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, who lost his shirt in the frenzy.

She saw Kelce and his teammates become AFC champions.

Swift watched the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in Super Bowl LVIII. She even joined Kelce on the field to celebrate the win.

Swift flew from Tokyo to watch the Chiefs play in Super Bowl LVIII.

Swift was widely expected to attend the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas, despite having an Eras Tour stop scheduled in Tokyo the night before.

Sure enough, she made the trip in time to watch the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers, with friends like Lively, Lana Del Rey, and Ice Spice in tow.

The superstar geared up for her second NFL season in September 2024.

Swift was back in Kansas City on the evening of September 5, 2024, as the Chiefs took the field for their first game of the season against the Baltimore Ravens.

She donned an all-denim getup and thigh-high red boots.

Swift wore a vintage Chiefs T-shirt for Kelce's second home game of the season.

Just a few days after attending the MTV Video Music Awards in New York (and giving her boyfriend a shout-out onstage), Swift was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs defeat the Cincinnati Bengals.

She also watched the Chiefs beat the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium.

After skipping two of Kelce's games in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Swift returned to Kansas City in style — wearing over $50,000 worth of jewelry and designer clothing — to cheer for the Chiefs against the New Orleans Saints.

The home team won 26-13, their fifth consecutive win of the season.

Swift cheered when the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers with a touchdown drive in overtime.

One day after Swift wrapped the final US leg of the Eras Tour in Indianapolis, she was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite a touchdown from the Buccaneers in the final minute of regulation play, the Chiefs rallied in overtime to score a winning touchdown.

The singer was on duty again to watch the Chiefs defeat the Denver Broncos.

Swift wore her typical black-and-red combo for another home game at Arrowhead Stadium, pairing a Victoria's Secret corset with a Versace tweed two-piece set. She was joined in the VIP box by her mother, Andrea Swift.

Swift saw the Chiefs beat the Raiders at home.

Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce's mom, Donna. The pair cheered as the Chiefs clinched a narrow defeat against the Los Vegas Raiders.

A few weeks later, she watched the Chiefs win again at Arrowhead Stadium.

Swift wore her boldest gameday outfit yet for the Chiefs vs. the Houston Texans, pairing a statement red coat with a faux fur lining from Charlotte Simone with a vintage Chanel bucket hat.

Kelce and the Chiefs beat the Texans 19-27, adding another win to their dominant season. (To date, the Chiefs have only lost three times with Swift in the stands.)

• A new study suggests universal pre-K programs could increase parents' earnings.
• Researchers found that those who enrolled their kids in free pre-K made about 21% more
• Universal pre-K programs have also been shown to help kids' long-term futures.

Universal pre-K has long been thought to boost children's lives and futures, but a new study suggests parents could also reap the benefits of free and early education for their kids.

Economists found that parents who had the opportunity to enroll their children in a universal pre-K program in Connecticut saw increased earnings by about 21% while their kids were in the program, as well as persistent gains for up to six years after.

The study, published in the National Bureau of Economic Research this month, looked at a New Haven pre-K program that provides six and a half hours of free schooling each day to three and four-year-olds, as well as wraparound childcare before and after school.

Parents who were lucky enough to win the school lottery saw several positive economic benefits, according to researchers. In addition to increased wages over time, those whose kids enrolled in the program also got an average of 12 more working hours each week, the study found.

"Parents whose kids have access to reliable, high-quality child care in the pre-K period are more likely to work during that period, and they work more hours," wrote economist Emily Oster in her ParentData newsletter. "This extra work allows them to get on a steeper career path."

The authors of the study similarly chalk it up to career continuity.

"This means that even though everyone eventually ends up working the same number of hours, the group that was able to invest in their career early have higher wages and therefore more income," Oster added.

Historically, parents haven't been required to send their kids to school until Kindergarten in most states. But in recent years, a growing number of municipalities have begun offering schooling for children as young as 3.

Supporters of universal pre-K say the concept gives kids an equal starting position heading into school and opens them up to educational opportunities at a younger age. Opponents, however, point to the high costs associated with providing free childcare.

Several studies in recent years have recorded some of the benefits for kids, including 2021 research that found children who attended universal pre-K are more likely to graduate high school and attend college. The study also pointed to positive behavioral impacts for those students.

The positives go beyond academics, too. A 2017 study found that universal pre-K helps more kids access healthcare, such as earlier detection and treatment for conditions like asthma and hearing and vision problems.

Affordable childcare and universal pre-K could also flush billions of dollars back into the US economy, a 2022 study from left-leaning think tank The Century Foundation found.

President Joe Biden included universal pre-K in the Build Back Better Act, which failed to garner Congressional support back in 2021. The legislation would have allowed three million more parents to either enter the labor force or increase their working hours, the Century Foundation report found.

The new study out of New Haven notably did not find any evidence that universal pre-K programs improve students' future test scores — a finding in line with prior research that suggests the biggest benefits are more long-term, Oster noted in her newsletter.

"In the end: from an economic standpoint, the biggest value to universal pre-K may be that it helps parents return to the labor force and make a better life for their families in the short and long run," Oster wrote. "And of course, that's also good for kids."

• The House of Representatives failed to pass a pared-down spending bill.
• The vote came after President-elect Donald Trump tanked a bipartisan version that looked set to pass.
• The move pushes the government closer to a holiday shutdown.

The House of Representatives on Thursday failed to pass a stripped-down spending bill following a tumultuous 48 hours on the Hill, pushing the government closer to a partial shutdown right before the holidays.

Republicans in the House said they had settled on a new version of the continuing resolution ahead of the vote on Thursday after President-elect Donald Trump tanked a previous spending bill that initially won bipartisan support.

But the final vote was 174-235-1. Thirty-eight Republicans flouted Trump and voted against the continuing resolution.

On Wednesday, Trump came out hard against the original continuing resolution, urging Republican lawmakers to renegotiate the bill and threatening to primary those who failed to fall in line.

The president-elect's apparent turnabout came after billionaire Elon Musk publicly backed the idea of shutting down the government until the day Trump is inaugurated. Musk railed against the resolution, which he said included items unrelated to government funding, such as pay raises for lawmakers and pandemic preparedness.

Musk, who has been tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency alongside fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, celebrated the pared-down spending bill ahead of the failed Thursday vote.

"This shows how much your voice matters!" the Tesla CEO wrote on X. "And having a President like @realDonaldTrump means that your voice is finally heard."

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem to agree that Musk played a major role in killing the original bill. Some have expressed concern about the outsized influence Musk seems to have on Trump. The president-elect, for his part, has pushed back on suggestions that Musk is the one in control.

The continuing resolution that failed to pass on Thursday was smaller in scope than the original legislation. Among the items cut from the bipartisan resolution included funding for a child cancer research program, funding for research on premature labor, money for treatment of sickle cell disease, money for early cancer detection, a program for Down syndrome research, and an anti-deepfake porn bill.

The newer version of the resolution would have kept the government funded through mid-March and suspended the nation's debt ceiling until January 2027.

Trump encouraged Republican lawmakers to back the new version of the bill on Thursday.

House Democrats, on the other hand, expressed frustration about the series of events. CNN reported Thursday that Democrats could be heard chanting "hell no" during a caucus meeting ahead of the vote.

If lawmakers fail to reach an agreement, a partial shutdown would lead to suspended funding for many government entities and withheld paychecks for thousands of federal employees right before the holidays.

• Republicans in Congress withdrew a spending bill after pressure from Elon Musk.
• The bill aimed to keep the government funded through mid-March.
• Trump had also called on Republicans to renegotiate the bill.

Congressional Republicans scrapped a last-minute spending bill that would keep the government funded thought mid-March after a pressure campaign from Elon Musk.

CNN and The Washington Post reported the bill had been killed.

Earlier on Wednesday, Musk wrote in a post on X, "Your elected representatives have heard you, and now the terrible bill is dead. The voice of the people has triumphed!"

The bipartisan bill was backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had said he spoke Tuesday with Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy about their criticisms of the bill. Musk and Ramaswamy are set to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which will serve as an advisory group to the Trump administration focused on cutting government spending.

In a post on X, Musk endorsed the idea of shutting down the government until January 20, when President-elect Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated.

Shortly after Musk's post, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued a statement calling on Republicans to renegotiate the bill.

Trump threatened that Republican lawmakers who failed to fall in line would face political consequences.

"If Republicans try to pass a clean Continuing Resolution without all of the Democrat 'bells and whistles' that will be so destructive to our Country, all it will do, after January 20th, is bring the mess of the Debt Limit into the Trump Administration, rather than allowing it to take place in the Biden Administration," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried," Trump added. "Everything should be done, and fully negotiated, prior to my taking Office on January 20th, 2025."

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told CNN Republicans scrapped the bill after Trump came out against it.

The Biden administration subsequently accused Trump and Vance of "playing politics," hurting "hardworking Americans," and creating "instability" with the last-minute rejection of the legislation.

"Triggering a damaging government shutdown would hurt families who are gathering to meet with their loved ones and endanger the basic services Americans from veterans to Social Security recipients rely on," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "A deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word."

Some Democratic senators blamed Musk for the package falling apart, suggesting the billionaire already has an outsized influence on Congress' ability to pass legislation.

Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat who lost his re-election bid, told CNN that Wednesday's series of events were "bizarre, disturbing, and dangerous."

"Just the fact they're even talking about this because of a comment by one person that triggers this kind of result, it doesn't bode well for the new Congress or the new administration," he told the outlet.

• A bird flu outbreak has ravaged the world's birds since 2020 and infected cattle earlier this year.
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the virus this week.
• Health officials also confirmed the first "severe" case of and hospitalization for the H5N1 virus.

The burgeoning global bird flu outbreak continued its flight path across the country this week, with two major developments that point to the virus's increasingly concerning spread.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the virus on Wednesday, citing a worrying number of infected herds throughout the state in recent months and a need for more resources.

Since the state first identified the H5N1 avian influenza virus in cattle in late August, California's agriculture department has confirmed 645 infected dairy herds.

Newsom's announcement, meanwhile, came just hours after health officials confirmed the first severe case of bird flu in Louisiana, saying a person was hospitalized with an infection after being exposed to sick birds in his backyard.

In recent months, infectious disease experts have grown more and more nervous about the possibility of a human pandemic linked to the virus, even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has maintained that the public health risk for humans is low.

Here's where things stand.

Bird flu outbreak

The H5N1 virus first reemerged in Europe in 2020 and has since become widespread in birds around the world. The outbreak has killed tens of millions of birds and tens of thousands of sea lions and seals in recent years.

Birds carry the disease while migrating and can expose domestic poultry to the virus while never showing signs themselves, according to the CDC.

The virus jumped to cattle herds for the first time ever earlier this year in a major escalation. Then, in October, a pig in Oregon tested positive for the virus, an especially concerning case as swine can host both bird and human flu viruses.

There has been no known human-to-human transmission yet. Still, the growing pattern of mammal-to-mammal transmission has infectious disease experts on guard against the possibility that H5N1 could eventually become a human pandemic.

"If it keeps spreading in animals, then it is eventually going to cause problems for humans, either because we don't have food because they've got to start exterminating flocks, or because it starts to make a jump in humans," Dr. Jerome Adams, a former surgeon general and the director of health equity at Purdue University, told Business Insider in April.

"The more it replicates, the more chances it has to mutate," he added.

The ongoing multi-state dairy cattle outbreak, which is believed to have started in Texas, has infected 865 herds across 16 states, according to the CDC, and has led to a growing number of human cases among US dairy and poultry workers.

The CDC has thus far confirmed 61 reported human cases and seven probable cases across the US, though some scientists estimate that the real number of infections is higher.

More than half of the human cases are tied to interaction with sick cattle. The remaining infections have been traced to exposure to sick poultry or have an unknown origin, the CDC said.

State of emergency

California's Wednesday announcement will give state and local authorities increased resources to study and contain the outbreak, Newsom said.

"This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak," the governor said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the Agriculture Department said it would start testing the nation's milk supply for traces of the virus, requiring dairy farmers to provide raw milk samples upon request. Up until then, cattle testing for potential infections had been almost entirely voluntary.

Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine and associate chief of the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said the declaration will likely give California a greater ability to surveil dairy farms for signs of the virus.

But declaring a state of emergency could be a double-edged sword.

Phrases "like 'state of emergency,' given that we've just been through a pandemic, can induce panic," Gandhi said.

And it's not time to panic yet, she said.

Gandhi praised the CDC's "very measured" messaging around the virus thus far and said health officials are closely monitoring the spread.

• Nissan and Honda are considering a merger to help them compete in the EV industry.
• The news sent Nissan stocks skyrocketing by as much as 24% in early trading on Wednesday local time.
• The Japanese car companies are struggling with slumping profits and stock prices.

Honda and Nissan are set to negotiate a possible merger that could see the two Japanese car heavyweights strengthen their existing ties and increase their collective power locally and globally.

Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported news of the possible merger on Tuesday, adding that the two car companies are hoping their combined resources will help both compete against Tesla and Chinese electric vehicle makers.

The two companies are in talks to set up an umbrella holding company to facilitate a merger, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a person with knowledge of the discussions.

"As announced in March of this year, Honda and Nissan are exploring various possibilities for future collaboration, leveraging each other's strengths," a spokesperson for Honda said in a statement to Business Insider on Tuesday.

"We will inform our stakeholders of any updates at an appropriate time," the statement added.

The merger could also include another automaker: Mitsubishi Motors, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Nissan is Mitsubishi's largest shareholder.

"The contents of the report is not something that has been announced by our company. Nothing has been decided at the moment," Mitsubishi said in a statement to BI.

On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that the parent company of Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn had approached Nissan to take a controlling stake in the automaker.

Representatives for Nissan and Foxconn did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

The news sent Nissan stocks skyrocketing. The company's shares were nearly 24% higher when local markets closed on Wednesday.

The stock's uptick follows a particularly difficult year for the car company. Amid falling profits and decreased sales, Nissan slashed its workforce by 9,000 jobs globally in November in an effort to reduce costs. Nissan's shares are down nearly 25% this year.

The potential consolidation comes after Honda and Nissan agreed to collaborate on EV batteries and software earlier this year.

During Nissan's November earnings call, CEO Makoto Uchida acknowledged that the company had fallen behind, saying the automaker needed to strengthen its competitiveness.

"There are limits if we are to do that alone. So, that had triggered us to engage in partnership with Honda," Uchida said on the call.

Honda investors, however, seemed less thrilled by the news.

The company's shares closed 3% lower on Wednesday. Honda's stock is down by over 15% this year.

December 18, 12:15 a.m. — This story has been updated with statements from Honda and Mitsubishi Motors.

• Dozens of unidentified aircraft have been spotted over military bases, airports, and cities in the US.
• The Pentagon said Monday that DoD has "no evidence" the drone sightings pose a threat.
• A White House spokesperson said the sightings include a mix of commercial, hobbyist, and law enforcement drones.

US officials said on Monday that the mystery drones flying over US military bases, airports, and cities don't pose a threat.

On Monday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said that more than 5,000 drone sightings have been reported in recent weeks, but only about 100 required further investigation.

He said the sightings have included a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as some crewed aircraft and stars mistaken for drones.

The House Intelligence Committee was expected to receive a classified briefing on Tuesday over the issue, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

The drones have been seen flying at night over New Jersey and other East Coast states since mid-November, sparking concern and speculation from officials and citizens.

Kirby told reporters that "our assessment at this stage is that the activity is lawful and legal,"

The federal government has sent advanced technology and additional personnel to assist local authorities and state officials investigating the sightings, Kirby said.

He stressed that the government does not believe the drones represent a threat to national security.

"There are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA here in the US and there are thousands of commercial hobbyists and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day," Kirby said.

Kirby spoke to reporters on Monday after the Pentagon indicated, drawing an analogy to vehicles that approach the base, it wouldn't shoot at something unless it presented as a "clear and present danger."

The Department of Homeland Security echoed Kirby's statement in a post to X late on Monday.

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the Defense Department has "no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus."

"We'll continue to do everything possible to investigate reports of concerning activity," he told reporters Monday. "But given how many drones are lawfully in our skies every day, we need to be careful to avoid assuming malintent or malicious behavior."

President-elect Donald Trump accused the US government on Monday of withholding information about the drones.

"The government knows what is happening," he said during public remarks at Mar-a-Lago. "And for some reason, they don't want to comment. I think they'd be better off saying what it is. Our military knows, and our president knows, and for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense."

"Something strange is going on," Trump said of the recent developments. "For some reason, they don't want to tell the people."

Mayors of 21 towns in New Jersey sent a letter Monday to the state's governor, Phil Murphy, demanding more transparency.

"Despite inquiries made to relevant authorities, we have yet to receive satisfactory answers about the purpose, operators, or safety protocols governing these flights," the letter says.

Where have residents reported seeing drones and unidentified aircraft?

Residents and officials have reported spotting unidentified aircraft, believed to be drones, flying above New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ohio in recent weeks.

Murphy, the New Jersey governor, said late Monday that he had received a briefing from FBI Newark on their investigation.

"We are ready to assist the federal government in getting to the bottom of this," he added.

Murphy told reporters on Monday that some of the suspected drones spotted over his state are "very sophisticated" and can "go dark" the "minute you get eyes on them." Others have described the flying objects as bigger than normal hobby-style drones and able to avoid detection.

"This is something we're taking deadly seriously and we've gotten good cooperation out of the feds, but we need more," Murphy said.

Drones have been spotted near Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle, both military bases in New Jersey, and an airport in New York serving the public and the military.

However, officials have stressed such sightings are not necessarily unusual.

"This is not a new issue for us. We've had to deal with drone incursions over our bases for quite a time now," the spokesperson for the Joint Staff said Saturday. "It's something that we routinely respond to in each and every case when reporting is cited."

There have also been reports of suspected drones following a US Coast Guard vessel, as well as local police statements on the presence of unidentified aircraft near critical infrastructure.

US Northern Command, which is responsible for overseeing the protection of the US homeland, said over the weekend it was "aware and monitoring the reports of unauthorized drone flights in the vicinity of military installations in New Jersey."

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio acknowledged that drone activity near the base led officials there to close its airspace for several hours late Friday night and into Saturday.

A recording of a controller from the Wright-Patterson air traffic control tower that was shared by The War Zone, which first reported the incursions, urges an aircraft to "use extreme caution for heavy UAS movement on the base."

What are officials saying about these mystery drones?

Trump said Friday on Truth Social that there are mystery drones being sighted all over the country. "Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge," he wrote. "I don't think so!"

He suggested that they be shot down. Other officials have expressed concern about shooting them down due to the threat to local populations of falling debris. Neither kinetic nor electronic warfare methods are particularly ideal near civilian areas.

New Jersey State Assemblyman Brian Bergen told CNN News Central's Sara Sidner on Monday that "we shouldn't be shooting things down right now."

"Look, I was an attack helicopter pilot in the US Army. I flew overseas. I have seen bullets fly through the sky. It's not a great idea to do over the United States," he said. "Things should not be shot out of the sky. That is a very dangerous thing to do."

The FBI and New Jersey State Police issued a joint statement on Monday warning of "a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS," as well as increased incidences of pilots being dazzled by lasers.

There could be "deadly consequences" of these actions, they said.

Amid the confusion on the drones, there has been a lot of speculation, including from officials.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey said on Fox News last Wednesday that the drones came from an Iranian "mothership" off the East Coast of the United States, citing "very high sources."

Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh rejected the congressman's claim in a press conference later that day, saying "there is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones toward the United States."

Singh said that the Pentagon has no evidence that the reported drone sightings are the work of a foreign adversary. While Iran does have vessels that can carry drones, they were spotted off its southern coast as recently as Thursday — debunking Van Drew's claims.

He doubled down on Thursday, saying the government isn't telling the truth. The congressman said it could be another ship belonging to another foe. A Department of Homeland Security official said Saturday that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement in sending drones ashore from vessels in the area.

"We're doing our best to find the origin of those drone activities," an FBI official told reporters Saturday. "But I think there has been a slight overreaction."

Local officials, meanwhile, have been calling for additional information.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Saturday called for increased federal oversight of drones and said runways at Stewart International Airport in Orange County were shut down for an hour due to unidentified drone activity. "This has gone too far," she said.

Hochul called on Congress to strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of drones and provide counter-unmanned aircraft equipment to local law enforcement. On Sunday, she posted to social media that the federal government was sending a "drone detection system" to her state.

Previous unidentified flying objects and drone sightings

There have been a number of sightings of suspected drones and other unusual flying objects over or around military installations in recent years.

In February 2023, for example, the United States shot down three unidentified objects flying over American airspace over the course of three days. The incidents were part of a saga that followed the US takedown of a spy balloon off the coast of North Carolina the government said came from China.

As for drone activity, The Wall Street Journal reported in October that drones had been spotted over a military base in Virginia and the Energy Department's Nevada National Security Site the year prior. Retired US Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, until March of this year the head of Air Combat Command, said that he learned about the sightings in December 2023, when officials at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia reported seeing dozens of drones flying over the base at night. It's unclear who was behind those incidents.

While the federal government says that the latest sightings are not the work of adversaries or a public security threat, multiple recent incidents near bases have raised national security concerns.

For instance, federal authorities on Monday charged a Chinese citizen residing in California, Yinpiao Zhou, with failure to register a non-transportation aircraft and violation of national defense airspace. The Justice Department accused Zhou of using a drone to photograph Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County on November 30.

Police arrested Zhou at the San Francisco International Airport before he boarded a China-bound flight.

And another man, Fengyun Shi, a Chinese national, was sentenced to six months in federal prison in October for photographing US Navy ships with a drone in Virginia. Fengyun, a student at the University of Minnesota, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of aircraft for the unlawful photographing of a designated installation.

The FBI official who spoke to reporters on Saturday said of the most recent sightings: "We are doing everything we can, alongside our partners, to understand what is happening and whether or not there is more nefarious activity that we need to explore."

• OpenAI published Elon Musk's old emails in a blog post on Friday.
• The AI company released its version of a timeline of events amid a brewing legal feud with Musk.
• In a 2015 email, Musk said OpenAI's nonprofit structure didn't seem "optimal."

OpenAI responded to co-founder Elon Musk on Friday with a new legal filing and a pointed blog post featuring the billionaire's old emails in which he pushed for the AI startup to be for-profit.

The emails and filing are the latest blows thrown in the legal feud between OpenAI and Musk. Last month, Musk asked a federal court to stop OpenAI from moving to a for-profit business structure. In the last year, Musk has twice sued OpenAI in an effort to stop the startup from adopting a more traditional business structure.

In a Friday afternoon legal filing, OpenAI accused Musk of trying to hobble the AI startup while he perfects his competitor, xAI.

The company also detailed its version of a timeline of events in a post titled "Elon Musk wanted an OpenAI for profit," saying that the Tesla CEO "not only wanted, but actually created a for-profit" structure in 2017.

The emails stand in contrast to Musk's more recent public stance against OpenAI transitioning from a not-for-profit company to a for-profit organization.

Musk did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

In one image of a November 2015 email, Musk wrote to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman that the startup's then-non-profit structure "doesn't seem optimal," according to the post.

OpenAI wrote in the blog that the company and Musk both agreed that a for-profit was the next step for the startup in the fall of 2017. But when Musk failed to win majority equity, OpenAI accused him of walking away and saying the company would "fail."

Musk left the OpenAI board in 2018, but his lawyers have said he continued contributing to the company until 2020.

"Now that OpenAI is the leading AI research lab and Elon runs a competing AI company, he's asking the court to stop us from effectively pursuing our mission," OpenAI wrote this week.

Musk announced xAI, his competitor to OpenAI, last year and has since released the Grok chatbot.

OpenAI also published Musk's private emails in March after Musk sued OpenAI and Altman.

In a November 2015 email published earlier this year, Musk said the company should say it was starting with a funding commitment of $1 billion, promising to cover "whatever anyone else doesn't provide."

OpenAI also accused Musk at the time of wanting the startup to merge with Tesla and be its "cash cow."

Musk's most recent filing is his fourth attempt in less than a year to "reframe his claims," OpenAI said in the blog post.

"You can't sue your way to AGI," the company wrote in the blog post. "We have great respect for Elon's accomplishments and gratitude for his early contributions to OpenAI, but he should be competing in the marketplace rather than the courtroom."

• Amazon plans to donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration, the same amount as Meta, per reports.
• The moves show Big Tech's effort to mend relations with Trump, who has been critical of the industry.
• Trump said Thursday he wanted to "get ideas" from Big Tech leaders coming to visit him in Mar-a-Lago.

First Meta, now Amazon — Jeff Bezos' company will also reportedly donate $1 million to Donald Trump's inauguration.

The Wall Street Journal reported Amazon would donate the same amount as Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, the latest sign that Big Tech and the president-elect are reconciling.

Trump also told CNBC Thursday that Bezos would visit him "next week," and The Information reported Thursday that Google CEO Sundar Pichai would also travel to meet him.

It comes after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Trump at the president-elect's Mar-a-Lago resort for Thanksgiving Eve dinner last month.

″Mark Zuckerberg's been over to see me, and I can tell you, Elon is another and Jeff Bezos is coming up next week, and I want to get ideas from them," Trump told CNBC's Jim Cramer on Thursday.

Spokespeople for Amazon and Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

Meta confirmed to the Journal Wednesday its $1 million donation to the president-elect's inaugural fund. Amazon confirmed its donation to the Financial Times.

The meetings and donations point to a shift in the relationship between tech leaders and Trump, who had previously been critical of them. Trump has previously accused Zuckerberg and Bezos of bias against his administration, among other criticisms.

In previous years, Bezos and Trump have clashed. During his first campaign and term, Trump would take shots at Amazon, once stating that the company was doing "great damage to tax-paying retailers."

Bezos has previously criticized Trump's inflammatory rhetoric, including the president-elect's call at the time to imprison Hilary Clinton.

As Trump took office in 2017, Amazon donated about $58,000 to Trump's inauguration — much less than what other tech companies donated at the time, according to the Journal.

Zuckerberg has criticized Trump's violent remarks on Facebook. In 2021, the social media platform took the extraordinary step of deplatforming Trump after he praised January 6 rioters.

Both tech leaders have appeared to warm up to Trump in recent months.

The Amazon tycoon said at The New York Times' DealBook Summit last week that he's "actually very optimistic" about a second Trump term, saying that Trump has likely "grown in the last eight years" and that he was encouraged by the president-elect's focus on deregulation.

"He seems to have a lot of energy around reducing regulation. If I can help do that, I'm going to help him," Bezos said.

Zuckerberg also appears to be mending his relationship with the president-elect, despite Trump threatening to throw the Meta CEO in prison as recently as July.

After the first assassination attempt against Trump, Zuckerberg called the president-elect a "badass" but stopped short of endorsing him during a Bloomberg interview.

On November 6, Zuckerberg was among the CEOs congratulating Trump's election victory.

"Looking forward to working with you and your administration," Zuckerberg wrote in a Threads post.

• Luigi Mangione has been charged with murder in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killing.
• Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy family, left an online trail before his arrest.
• He founded an app, talked about AI on X, and read the Unabomber Manifesto.

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate charged with murder in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has a vast online trail.

Police arrested Mangione in Pennsylvania on December 9. He initially faced local gun and forgery charges. He's expected to be extradited to New York.

New York court documents show that in addition to one count of murder, he also faces two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a firearm.

Here's what to know about Mangione.

Mangione attended elite schools

Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020.

He achieved a Bachelor of Science in engineering with a major in computer science and a minor in mathematics. He also received a Master of Science in engineering the same year with a major in computer and information science, a university spokesperson told Business Insider.

Before that, he attended Gilman School, an elite all-boys preparatory school in Baltimore. His yearbook entry, obtained by BI, says he was involved in robotics and Model United Nations.

In his valedictorian speech, Mangione praised classmates for "challenging the world" and thanked parents for sending their children to the fee-paying school, which he described as "far from a small financial investment."

He favorably reviewed the Unabomber Manifesto

On Goodreads, Mangione reviewed Ted Kaczynski's "Industrial Society and Its Future" book, also known as The Unabomber Manifesto, in early 2024. He gave it four out of five stars.

"He was a violent individual — rightfully imprisoned — who maimed innocent people," Mangione wrote. "While these actions tend to be characterized as those of a crazy luddite, however, they are more accurately seen as those of an extreme political revolutionary."

Mangione's review of the manifesto also quoted another online comment about the book, which appears to have originated on Reddit, praising the use of violence "when all other forms of communication fail."

"'Violence never solved anything' is a statement uttered by cowards and predators,'" Mangione quoted.

He founded an app and worked in tech

In 2015, while in high school, Mangione founded a company called AppRoar Studios. AppRoar released an iPhone game called "Pivot Plane" that's no longer available, but a reviewer in 2015 said it was "a fun little arcade game brought to you by 3 high school juniors."

He lived in a co-living space in Hawaii as recently as 2023.

He posed for photos indicating he participated in Greek life at the University of Pennsylvania.

The fraternity chapter represented in his photos couldn't be reached for comment.

A blog post on the University of Pennsylvania's website that was removed on December 9 said he cofounded a video game design club there.

Stephen Lane, a professor of video game design at the Ivy League university who didn't advise the club, told BI that "the fact he took the initiative and started something from nothing, that means at least in the context of Penn, that's a pretty good thing." He added, however, that Thompson's shooting was "obviously not a good thing."

Mangione's LinkedIn page says he worked as a data engineer at the vehicle shopping company TrueCar starting in 2020.

A TrueCar spokesperson told BI that Mangione hadn't worked for the company since 2023.

Online breadcrumbs and roommate say he dealt with back pain

At the top of Mangione's profile on X — formerly Twitter — is a triptych of three images: a photo of himself, smiling, shirtless on a mountain ridge; a Pokémon; and an X-ray with four pins or screws visible in the lower back.

The Pokémon featured in his cover image is Breloom, which has special healing abilities in the games.

Some of the books reviewed on Mangione's Goodreads account are related to health and healing back pain, including "Back Mechanic: The Secrets to a Healthy Spine Your Doctor Isn't Telling You" and "Crooked: Outwitting the Back Pain Industry and Getting on the Road to Recovery."

R.J. Martin, the founder of the co-living space in Hawaii, told the Honolulu Civil Beat that Mangione had suffered back pain from a misaligned vertebra that was pinching his spinal cord.

Martin told CNN that after leaving Hawaii, Mangione texted him to say he'd undergone surgery and sent him X-rays.

"It looked heinous, with just, giant screws going into his spine," Martin told the outlet.

It's not immediately clear whether the surgery was related to UnitedHealthcare.

Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for the co-living space founder, told The Wall Street Journal that Mangione stopped replying to texts about six months ago and "sort of disappeared."

A YouTube spokesperson said that the platform had terminated Mangione's three accounts, adding that they had not been active for about seven months.

A senior police official told NBC New York on December 12 that Magione was never a UnitedHealthcare client and may have targeted Thompson because of the insurer's large size and outsize power. That same day, The Wall Street Journal reported that a company spokesperson said Magione was not a client.

Mangione was interested in AI

On his X account, Mangione posted and amplified posts about technological advances such as artificial intelligence. He also posted about fitness and healthy living.

He frequently reposted posts by the writer Tim Urban and the commentator Jonathan Haidt about the promise and perils of technology.

He also appeared to be a fan of Michael Pollan, known for his writing about food, ethics, and lab-grown meat.

On Goodreads, he praised Urban's book "What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies," describing it as "one of the most important philosophical texts of the early 21st century."

Urban posted to X on December 9: "Very much not the point of the book."

He was previously accused of trespassing

Before his arrest, Mangione had at least one encounter with the legal system. Hawaiian court records indicate that in 2023, he was accused of entering a forbidden area of a state park.

Mangione appears to have paid a $100 fine to resolve the matter.

Mangione comes from a wealthy and influential Baltimore family

Mangione is one of 37 grandchildren of the late Nick Mangione Sr., a prominent multimillionaire real-estate developer in Baltimore who died in 2008, The Baltimore Banner reported. Nick Mangione Sr. had 10 children, including Louis Mangione, Luigi Mangione's father.

Members of the Mangione family own the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Maryland, and Hayfields Country Club in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

One of Luigi Mangione's cousins is the Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, the Associated Press reported.

Representatives for Nino Mangione's office, in a statement to BI, declined to comment on the news of Luigi Mangione's arrest.

"Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione," the statement read. "We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news."

The Mangione family has donated more than $1 million to the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, where all of Nick Mangione Sr.'s grandkids, including Luigi Mangione, were born, the Banner reported.

A public filing from 2022 for the nonprofit Mangione Family Foundation lists Louis Mangione as vice president.

He was arrested while on his laptop at a McDonald's, the police said

When the police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, responded to a McDonald's after a call about a suspicious person, they found Mangione sitting at a table looking at a silver laptop and wearing a blue medical mask, a criminal complaint said.

The complaint said that when asked for identification, Mangione gave police officers a New Jersey driver's license with the name "Mark Rosario."

When an officer asked Mangione whether he'd been to New York recently, he "became quiet and started to shake," the complaint said.

It added that Mangione correctly identified himself after officers told him he could be arrested for lying about his identity.

When asked why he lied, Mangione replied, "I clearly shouldn't have," the complaint said.

His motive is still not known, but police are analyzing his so-called manifesto

An internal NYPD report obtained by The New York Times said Mangione "likely views himself as a hero of sorts who has finally decided to act upon such injustices."

Mangione "appeared to view the targeted killing of the company's highest-ranking representative as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and 'power games,' asserting in his note he is the 'first to face it with such brutal honesty,'" according to the NYPD report by the department's Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, the Times reported.

Moments before the December 10 extradition hearing began, Mangione, handcuffed and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, shouted out to the press as Pennsylvania police escorted him into the courthouse.

Mangione yelled out something partially unintelligible, saying something was "completely out of touch" and "an insult to the American people." He also shouted that something was a "lived experience" as a group of officers led him into the courthouse.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York that Mangione had prior knowledge that UnitedHealthcare would be having its annual conference in New York City.

Mangione has retained a high-profile New York attorney

Thomas Dickey emerged as Mangione's attorney in Pennsylvania after his arrest in Altoona on December 9.

During a December 10 hearing at Pennsylvania's Blair County Courthouse, Dickey told the judge that Mangione was contesting his extradition to New York City.

Dickey later told reporters that Mangione would plead not guilty to all the charges in Pennsylvania. During an interview with CNN, Dickey said he expected Mangione to plead not guilty to the second-degree murder charge in New York and that he hadn't seen evidence that authorities "have the right guy."

Karen Friedman Agnifilo will represent Mangione in New York, a representative for Agnifilo Intrater LLP confirmed to Business Insider on Sunday.

Friedman Agnifilo worked as the chief assistant district attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office from 2014 to 2021. She pivoted to private practice in 2021.

Do you know Luigi Mangione? Have a tip? Reach out to [email protected].

Timothy Danikowski was ready to start his adult life. After four years in a small college town and a fifth year back at home thanks to the pandemic, he finally moved to Seattle in 2021. Soon after, Danikowski landed a respectable accounting job, moved into his own apartment, and signed up for his first credit card, which he intended to use only for emergencies.

At first Danikowski kept on top of his balance well enough, but soon his compulsive shopping addiction and desire to see the world broke his discipline. "I built up points to travel," he told me. "But when I travel, I want to go shopping, and that's where the spending gets out of control."

In three years, Danikowski has racked up about $15,000 in debt across three cards, one of which has an interest rate of 28%. He makes his minimum payments each month — a task that has become much harder since he lost his job this year — and tries to resist the urge to keep using the cards, but his balance doesn't budge.

"When it comes to everyday things, I choose comfort over everything else," he said.

Danikowski and many other Gen Zers are rapidly building up credit-card debt. A TransUnion study found that, adjusting for inflation, the average credit-card balance for someone who was 22 to 24 at the end of last year was $2,834, a 26% increase from the average figure for millennials who were the same age a decade ago. The study also suggested that Gen Zers were much more comfortable with credit cards than prior generations were: They were opening more cards, were more likely to fall behind on payments, and were using the cards for more types of purchases. Alev told me Credit Karma data shows Gen Zers are acquiring debt at a faster rate than any other age group. The combination of an increasingly turbulent economy and Gen Zers' desire to make up for lost time via pandemic "revenge spending" has left many members of the generation overly reliant on credit.

"Gen Z really prioritizes fun over finances when it comes to things like eating out, shopping, and travel," says Courtney Alev, a consumer advocate at Credit Karma. "That combined with the fact that they have just had fewer earning years explains why their credit-card debt is growing at a faster rate."

While Gen Zers' overall debt levels are still lower than older generations', young consumers' early reliance on credit cards puts their financial futures at risk. "The financial burdens that Gen Z is facing today can really have long-lasting effects on their lives," Alev says, "including their ability to achieve key milestones, such as delaying big moments like marriage, buying a home, or starting families until they feel more financially secure."

Part of Gen Zers' interest in credit cards is simply the march of technological progress. The digital natives have more payment options than any generation before them, and they've embraced electronic payments and alternative credit methods like digital wallets and buy-now-pay-later apps. Meanwhile, credit-card companies have targeted young people as eager new customers.

There are also some acute financial reasons Gen Zers have been jumping headfirst into the credit pool. Pandemic restrictions, inflation, and high interest rates hit them hard as they were starting their professional careers and getting their financial footing. As young people sought solutions to financial stresses, and as credit-card balances fell, credit-card companies were more than willing to make Gen Zers an offer. The companies made getting credit easier in 2021 and 2022 by allowing people with lower credit scores to access cards for which they previously would have been ineligible. Young people opened credit cards at a faster rate than any other age group during the pandemic.

The temptation to use those cards was strong. Credit Karma found that its Gen Z members' average credit-card debt increased by 3.2% from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2024, while the average debt for millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers increased by 2.4%, 2%, and 1.6%. While credit-card balances in the US decreased early in the pandemic, it didn't take long for American consumers to start racking up debt again. Credit-card balances have risen by $396 billion since the first quarter of 2021, a 51% increase.

Some people accumulated credit-card debt in a wave of post-pandemic revenge spending; some were chasing points and rewards. Still others said they racked up big bills because they couldn't afford not to. Regardless of the reasons, it's clear that many Gen Zers are comfortable with their little pieces of plastic.

Danikowski, for example, told me he fell into the credit-card trap after acquiring an American Express gold travel card with a sky-high annual percentage rate. The card let him build up points, which allowed him to continue traveling. "I got so used to this lifestyle I lived for the last three years that it became hard for me to cut back," he says.

Others, like Nico, a 27-year-old advertising strategist, got caught in a post-pandemic spending cycle. After graduating from college in 2020, Nico moved back home with his mom to save money while working remotely. By late 2021, Nico was ready for a change. After he moved to Chicago, he started using his credit card way more. He was struggling to make his $1,100 rent on a $36,000 salary. In addition to paying his bills and making sure he had groceries, Nico was trying to make new friends in the city.

"I couldn't afford to live, but I'm in a new city, and I want to go out and meet people. I called those my fun expenses," he says. "I started putting all of that on my credit card."

Nico kept reaching his credit limit, and the credit-card company kept extending it. Three years later, he has about $20,000 in credit-card debt and a monthly minimum payment of $400, nearly all of which goes toward interest. Landing a higher-paying job has helped him start to get a handle on the debt, he said. He's stopped using the card and tries to make a payment of $700 to $900 each month in hopes of bringing his total down.

Credit proved vital for Emmaline, a 27-year-old web developer in North Carolina, when she had to make ends meet during a career pivot. She racked up $6,000 in credit-card debt while attending a full-time coding boot camp, using the card to to pay for groceries, car maintenance and insurance, and other life expenses. While the card was a lifeline as she tried to set herself up for a successful career, she felt ashamed and worried about her debt, she tells me. For a long time she kept it a secret. This year she finally opened up to family members, who helped her make a plan to pay it down and offered some financial assistance. After spending a few months throwing nearly every penny she had at the debt, Emmaline was able to pay it all off in November.

"I made sure I was only eating beans and leaving myself money for gas," she says. "I let out a tear or two of pure joy and relief when it was finally paid off."

Gen Zers are far from alone in racking up credit-card debt: The total credit-card balance held by US consumers surpassed $1 trillion in 2023. The number of Americans struggling to pay off their loans is also rising. But the particular danger for Gen Zers is becoming so reliant on credit cards so early in their financial lives. Higher debt, Alev says, can lead to lower credit scores that could make it more difficult to pay for things like a house or a car. From March 2022 to February 2024, the percentage of Credit Karma's Gen Z members with subprime credit, meaning a score below 600, rose by 8 points, to 33% from 25%, while the percentage of millennials with subprime credit scores increased by 6 points. Credit Karma said the average Gen Z credit score dropped to 659 in the second quarter from 671 in the first quarter.

William, a 27-year-old emergency medical technician in Colorado, has about $20,000 in credit-card debt, accumulated over 4 ½ years. His first job out of college in 2020 came with a salary of $27,000. Struggling to get by, William primarily used his credit card for necessities like groceries, bills, and car maintenance. But when a health emergency kept him out of work for weeks, his balance snowballed. These days, William makes his minimum payment, but nearly all of it goes to interest. He says he once dreamed of moving abroad and teaching English but has accepted that his credit-card debt keeps him tethered to a reliable source of income stateside.

"I'd like to have a family one day and be able to settle down and raise kids, give them a good life," William says. "But that's not something I can do until I have a better hold on this."

It's not clear that Gen Zers' habits will change anytime soon. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in August that younger debt-holders were more likely to be delinquent on their credit-card payments than older ones. Falling behind on these payments has given young people a bleak outlook.

"Credit-card debt is an invisible problem," Emmaline says. "You can't see it. It veils you in shame. It eats you like a parasite."

Alev says there are some steps people can take to try to escape credit debt. First and foremost, she cautions people to stay as far away from high-interest debt as possible. She also advises debt-holders to stop using that credit line and make a plan to pay down the debt, such as transferring the debt to a personal loan at a lower interest rate.

Most important, she says, members of the credit-card generation shouldn't bury their heads in the sand. She recommends people create a spreadsheet listing all their debts along with minimum payments, interest rates, and consolidation options.

When William feels suffocated by his monthly payments and interest rate, he can feel tempted to rack up even more debt. "Someone is always willing to give you another credit card," he says.

Danikowski, meanwhile, said feeling hopeless about his debt was pointless. Though he lost his job this year, he still took trips to Europe and New York.

"I know it's not a good decision," he says. "But at least I've gotten to see the world."

Erin Snodgrass is a senior reporter at Business Insider.

• 29 countries offer residence visas for remote workers, or "digital nomad visas."
• Spain and Italy have joined the growing list of countries offering digital nomad visa programs.
• Governments hope the visas will help develop more sustainable tourist economies.

In the lead-up to the election, Business Insider reported millions of Americans were considering leaving the country if former President Donald Trump won his 2024 campaign. After his victory was announced, searches for the phrase "moving to Canada" spiked — along with inquiries about international digital nomad visas.

The specialized visas allow remote workers to live and work in countries like Malta, Portugal, and Costa Rica — as long as their income comes from outside the country.

And as some American tourists consider moving abroad, dozens of countries have, in recent years, launched special visas designed specifically for remote workers to drive tourism in their countries.

In some countries, the visas have become so popular that they've had to start turning people away. As of October 2024, for example, Cyprus is no longer accepting digital nomads after it filled the 500 slots it had available for its visa program.

Nonetheless, there are still plenty of options elsewhere. Here are 29 countries that offer visas specifically for remote workers, the minimum income required to apply, and how much they cost.

Europe digital nomad visas

Malta

Malta, an island south of Italy, has a permit that allows nomads to keep their jobs elsewhere and legally stay in the country for one year with a chance of renewal.

To be eligible, you must be from a country outside the EU and EEA and have a minimum gross annual income of 42,000 euros. The Nomad Residence Permit requires applicants to have health insurance, hold a valid travel document, have a rental or purchase agreement, and pass a background check. There is no application deadline, but there is a 300-euro application fee.

Latvia

Latvia introduced its digital nomad visa in February 2022, allowing applicants to spend up to a year in the country with the opportunity to renew for another.

Digital nomads must either work for a company based in a member state of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe) or a company registered in one of those countries for at least six months.

They must also have health insurance and make at least 2.5 times the country's average monthly salary of the previous year, which the government website reports is about $4,043 (€3,843). There's also a $63 (€60) state fee for the visa application.

Romania

To apply for Romania's digital nomad visa, digital nomads must show proof they can work remotely, either as freelancers, business owners, or employees of a company registered outside the country.

Applicants are also required to have a clean criminal record, medical insurance for the duration of the visa with a minimum liability of $31,580 (€30,000), make at least three times the average gross monthly salary in Romania, around $3,467 (€3,300), and pay an application fee of $126 (€120).

Hungary

Known as the White Card, the digital nomad visa in Hungary requires applicants to be employed by a company outside the country, have shares in a company outside the country, or work as a freelancer.

In addition to providing proof of health insurance and proof of accommodation, those keen on getting a White Card must earn at least $3,146 (€3,000) a month. Application fees can cost as much as $297 (€284).

Croatia

Croatia allows non-EU citizens to apply for its digital nomad visa program, which grants up to one year of residency for remote workers.

The program also allows residency for close family members of the visa applicant so long as the family meets the country's income requirements. To be eligible, applicants must make a minimum of 2,870 euros a month (or $3,035) or have a minimum of 34,440 euros (or $36,430) already available in their account.

Iceland

In Iceland, a long-term visa for remote work can grant you 90 to 180 days while working. The program requires that you are from a country outside the EU and EEA and also from a country that does not need a visa to travel to the Schengen area (US citizens can travel to Iceland without a visa).

Applicants must also have a monthly income of 1,000,000 Icelandic króna (or $7,156) or 1,300,000 Icelandic króna if they bring a spouse.

Greece

Greece started its Digital Nomad Visa in 2021 and is still operating today. The program lets non-EU digital nomads, with a 3,500-euro monthly income, stay for 12 months.

The application fee is refundable at 75 euros, and there's also an administration fee of about 150 euros.

Portugal

Portugal has been kind to digital nomads. With its "Temporary Residence Visa for the Exercise of Professional Activity Provided Remotely Outside the National Territory," or D8 visa, launched in 2022, non-EU nomads can still freely work there.

Applicants must be over 18 years old, prove income over 3,280 euros a month, and show proof of accommodation for at least 12 months. The application fee ranges from 75 to 90 euros.

Estonia

Estonia launched its Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) program in 2020, offering up to a year of residency for eligible workers looking to live in the Northern European country bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland.

Eligible remote workers must prove they earn at least 3,504 euros a month (or $3,706) and apply in person at their nearest Estonian Embassy or Consulate. Application fees range between 80 and 100 euros ($84 and $105).

Spain

Spain's Digital Nomad Visa Program allows remote workers, their spouse or unmarried partner, and dependent children to reside in the country for one year.

Applicants must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a "University, College, or Business School of prestige" or have at least 3 years of work experience in their current field, in addition to earning at least 200% of the monthly Spanish national minimum wage — currently set at 37.8 euros/day ($39) or 1,134 euros/month ($1,199).

Italy

Italy's Digital Nomad Visa is available to non-EU citizens who are highly specialized workers with careers that require post-secondary degrees or at least three years of professional training or experience.

The visa lasts up to one year for the applicant, their spouse, and dependent children. To be eligible, the applicant must prove that their salary is at least three times the annual minimum wage of 24,789 euros (or $26,221) and that they have at least 30,000 euros (or $50,000) worth of medical insurance coverage.

Asia and Africa digital nomad visas

Bali, Indonesia

In April, Bali introduced a Remote Worker Visa (E33G), which allows digital nomads to work from Bali for a year. Foreign workers in Bali must be employed by a company outside Indonesia and receive a yearly income of at least $60,000.

The application fee for a standard single-entry visa costs 12,900,000 Indonesian rupiah, or about $810.

Thailand

The Destination Thailand Visa allows digital nomads to stay in Thailand for up to 180 days per visit, on a multiple-entry basis, within five years. The visa fee costs 10,000 Thai baht, or $284.

Applicants must be at least 20 years old and have at least THB 500,000, or about $14,400 USD, in their bank. Employed workers are required to have a foreign employment contract, while freelancers need a professional portfolio.

Japan

Japan introduced a new digital nomad visa in April. This visa allows holders to work remotely in the country for up to six months. Visa holders must be nationals or citizens of selected regions, including the US and UK.

Applicants must have an annual income of at least 10,000,000 Japanese yen, or $65,000, and submit their applications in person or by mail to the nearest embassy or consulate general of Japan. A single-entry visa costs $22, while a multiple-entry visa costs $43, but some countries, including the US, are exempt from this fee.

United Arab Emirates

UAE's virtual work residence visa allows holders to live and work remotely in the UAE — including Dubai and Abu Dhabi — for up to a year. Applicants must make at least $3,500 a month and have sufficient health insurance coverage within the country.

The service fee to apply for the visa is 300 United Arab Emirates Dirhams, or about $80.

Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde's Remote Working Program allows remote workers to stay for up to 6 months, with the option of renewal after. Individual applicants must have an average bank balance of 1,500 euros, or $1,570, in the past 6 months.

The visa fee costs 20 euros, and applicants must submit an online form to indicate their interest.

South Africa

South Africa recently launched a remote work visa, which allows holders to stay for at least 3 months and up to 3 years. While details are still being finalized, the latest visa requirements state that applicants must have a salary of at least 650,796 South African Rand, or about $36,000, and a valid foreign-based employment contract.

Caribbean digital nomad visas

Grenada

To receive a digital nomad visa from Grenada, you need a valid passport, an annual income of at least EC$100,000 a year, or about $37,000, full COVID-19 vaccination, and valid health insurance.

There is no application deadline. The fee is $1,500 for individuals, $2,000 for a family of four, and $200 for each additional dependent.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia's Digital Nomad Visa program, "Don't Just Visit, Live It," has no income threshold. The one-year visa is available to remote workers, freelancers, and students.

The application fee costs $125 XCD (about $47) for a single-entry visa or $190 XCD (about $70) for a multiple-entry visa.

Curaçao

Curaçao's Digital Nomad Visa, the At Home in Curaçao program, has no salary requirements. Still, you must be employed, own a business, or have freelance clients outside the country.

Health insurance, a clean criminal record, and proof of accommodation or a lease on the island are also required. The visa application fee is about $294.

Dominica

To qualify for Dominica's Digital Nomad Visa, the Work in Nature (WIN) Program, you must be 18 years old and have a clean criminal record.

You will also need an income of at least $50,000 or have sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members accompanying you during a 12-month stay.

The application fee is $100. The individual visa costs $800, and the primary applicant can also apply for their spouse and dependents for a total fee of $1,200.

Anguilla

The digital nomad visa in Anguilla has no income requirements, but interested travelers must fill out an application at least 7 days before arrival.

Digital nomads also need proof of a negative COVID-19 test 3 to 5 days before they step foot on the island and proof of a health insurance policy covering COVID-19 complications.

Antigua and Barbuda

To nab Antigua and Barbuda's two-year visa through the Nomad Digital Residency Programme, applicants must be 18 or older, earn at least $50,000 a year, and have a clean criminal record.

Their employer must be outside Antigua and Barbuda as well. Application fees range from $1,500 for a single person to $3,000 for a family of three, plus another $650 for each additional dependent.

Barbados

Introduced in June 2020, the Barbados 12-Month Welcome Stamp offers a one-year visa for digital nomads interested in the island and the opportunity to renew.

Applicants must make at least $50,000. Fees are $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a family bundle and must be paid within 28 days of application approval.

North, Central, and South America digital nomad visas

Bermuda

The Work from Bermuda certificate was created for "remote workers, self-employed digital nomads and university students engaged in remote learning," according to the program's web page. It lasts for 12 months and is renewable on a case-by-case basis.

The application fee is $275, and interested applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a clean criminal record, and have valid health insurance.

There is no official salary requirement, but applicants must demonstrate that they "have substantial means" or a "continuous source of income," though no official range is provided.

Colombia

Colombia's "Visa V Digital Nomads" program allows expats from more than 100 countries to live and work remotely in the tropical country for up to two years. Applicants must make a minimum income of three times the current legal monthly minimum wage in Colombia, which currently equals about $885 a month.

The application costs $54, and if approved, the Visa itself costs another $177. People hoping to become digital nomads in Colombia must also provide a contract or employment letter detailing their employment agreement and compensation details. Entrepreneurs may alternatively submit a letter outlining their business project and financial resources.

Belize

Belize offers citizens of the European Union, the United Kindom, the United States, and Canada the chance to live and work in the country via its "Work Where You Vacation" program. Applicants can secure a six-month visa by proving they make a minimum annual income of $75,000 or $100,000 if applying with dependants. Kids under 18 are eligible to enroll in the country's school system.

Applicants must submit a notarized banking reference, a police record, and proof of travel insurance. The visa costs $500 per adult and $200 per child.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica's digital nomad program extends the country's 90-day tourist visa to a full year with the option to renew for an additional year. Applicants must be foreign nationals who earn a minimum of $3,000 a month or $4,000 a month if applying with dependants.

All application materials must be submitted in Spanish. The application costs $100, while the visa is an additional $90.

Brazil

Brazil's digital nomad visa (VITEM XIV) allows foreign nationals from more than 100 countries to work remotely in the South American country for one year and to renew for longer.

The visa is available to remote workers who can prove a monthly minimum income of $1,500 or an available bank balance of at least $18,000. Applicants must submit a background check, a copy of their birth certificate, proof of valid health insurance in Brazil, and documents proving digital nomad status.

The visa costs $290 for US applicants and between $100 and $215 for UK applicants. Expats from all other countries will pay $100 for the visa.

• Michael Kittredge II's son put the Yankee Candle founder's Massachusetts estate up for sale in 2022.
• The compound, which features an indoor water park and bowling alley, was originally listed for $23 million.
• After two years on the market, the estate could soon be redeveloped as senior living. 

Three years after Yankee Candle founder Michael Kittredge II died in 2019, his son, Michael Kittredge III, put the family's sprawling 120,000-square-foot compound on the market for a whopping $23 million.

Now, after more than two years of no movement and a significant slash to its asking price, the historic Massachusetts estate could soon be transformed into an entirely different kind of living space. The Kittredge family has enlisted Josh Wallack, a Florida-based developer, to oversee the re-imagination of the mansion into a luxurious senior living community that features affordable housing.

In a conversation with Business Insider, Wallack outlined his vision for "Pioneer Point at Juggler Meadow: A 55+ Active Adult Community," a $200 million project that aims to incorporate all the amenities of the Kittredge estate into a community that helps address Massachusetts' housing crisis. 

"This is going to be amazing. Regular people can buy one of these units and live in this amazing place that is like heaven on Earth," Wallack said. 

Take a peak inside the mind-boggling compound.

The former home of Yankee Candle founder, the late Michael Kittredge II, went on the market in September 2022.

The $23 million listing quickly went viral thanks to its litany of amenities. 

The sprawling estate is located about two hours outside Boston in Leverett, Massachusetts.

The estate encompasses 120,000 square feet of living space spread across eight separate structures, including a main house, a clubhouse, a spa, a pool cabana, two guest houses, and two car barns.

The main residence is a 25,000-square-foot house designed in the colonial style. It was originally constructed in the 1980s.

The compound sat on the market for months before its price was slashed from $23 million to $14.9 million.

Wallack and his family stayed at the estate's guest home in 2022 after he hit it off with Michael "Mick" Kittredge III.

As an expert in rezoning, Wallack said the Kittredge family asked him what he thought they should do with the property. 

"Instead of looking for one billionaire to buy this mansion, let's take all the land underneath it and build 700 homes and allow regular people to live here and use your father's mansion as the social club," Wallack said he told the family.

Wallack wants to turn the estate into an active senior living community.

If approved, Wallack's plan would allow people 55 and older to buy individual units on the property, where they would have full access to amenities like an onsite restaurant, cafe, tennis and pickleball courts, and a beauty parlor. 

The project would offer 25% of units at affordable housing rates.

Wallack said the community would be comprised of 25% of units at affordable housing costs and 75% of units at market rate. 

Someone making $84,000 a year would pay about $1,875 a month for an affordable unit, Wallack said.

The budget for the project is about $200 million, Wallack said.

Wallack serves as the development manager representing the Michael Kittredge trust. 

The team is in the final stages of preparing an application to MassHousing.

Wallack is working to garner more community support.

Take a peak at the original mansion before it potentially is redesigned.

The main residence has six full bathrooms and five half-bathrooms spread out between five bedrooms.

The house features 11 fireplaces, including in some of the bathrooms.

The lower level of the house has a 10-seat movie theater.

Kittredge was a car enthusiast who had two temperature-controlled car barns built at the estate.

The spa is a major attraction at the compound and houses a fitness center, as well as basketball and tennis courts.

Wallack said his project would turn some of those tennis courts into pickleball courts for senior residents. 

Kittredge had three outdoor tennis courts and one indoor court constructed at the estate.

The indoor tennis court also doubles as a concert venue, which has hosted such bands as The Doobie Brothers, as well as KC and The Sunshine Band.

The fitness center takes up 4,000 square feet and has multiple locker rooms.

A bowling alley is situated in the 55,000-square-foot spa.

The compound also has a two-story arcade.

In addition to an outdoor pool, the estate also has an indoor Bellagio-style water park.

It is full of slides, waterfalls, and palm trees.

The real estate company that originally listed the compound said the estate is set up like a private country club and includes a nine-hole golf course.

The clubhouse, which looks out on a pool and two cabanas, has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen.

The compound is also home to two guest houses.

"There was nothing he loved more than bringing his family and friends together and hosting parties at his home," Kittredge's son said in a 2022 press release.

• A top Democrat urged fellow liberals to remain on Elon Musk's X platform.
• This month, millions of users have joined Bluesky, which bills itself as a liberal alternative to X.
• Khanna told Politico that his relationship with Elon Musk is an example of finding common ground.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a leading progressive lawmaker representing the heart of Silicon Valley, said liberals shouldn't flee Elon Musk's X, instead urging his fellow Democrats to engage with those who share opposing beliefs.

Khanna made the comments on an episode of Politico's Power Play podcast this week amid an exodus of liberal users from X to Bluesky.

The social networking platform, which has billed itself as a progressive alternative to Musk's site, surpassed 21 million users this month, up from 13 million in October.

"I don't think the answer is for progressives to disengage," Khanna told Politico. "The idea is that in a marketplace of ideas, over the long term, the truth emerges."

The California lawmaker described himself as a "free speech person" who uses X "all the time" and suggested Democrats remaining on the platform is akin to liberal lawmakers appearing on conservative news outlets like Fox News to share their message with as wide an audience as possible.

Khanna, who has a longstanding relationship with Musk, cited his own interactions with the billionaire on X as evidence of the kind of common ground people can find online.

On Monday, Khanna posted a clip of himself on CNN talking about the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which President-elect Donald Trump has tasked Musk and fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy with leading.

"When it comes to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse and opening the 5 primes to more competition, there are Democrats on HASC who will work with @elonmusk and @DOGE," Khanna wrote on X.

Musk subsequently retweeted the post, saying, "Cool!"

Khanna reiterated his willingness to work with Musk, who has become an advisor to Trump in recent months, on Politico's podcast this week. He said he agreed with cutting costs, citing defense spending.

"That is an area, being on the armed services committee, where I will work with someone like Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy if they can actually help break the monopolies of these defense contractors," Khanna said.

Last year, Khanna praised Musk as an entrepreneurial "genius" but criticized the Tesla CEO's controversial online behavior, including his posting of edgy memes.

Khanna has described himself as a "technology optimist" and said he supports a balance of regulation and ethics in the digital space. The lawmaker introduced an Internet Bill of Rights in 2018 focused on online privacy, but the legislation has been stalled in Congress.

• Australia's government approved a law that would ban social media for kids under 16.
• The legislation puts the onus on tech companies to keep children off their platforms.
• But how exactly companies are supposed to comply remains a big question.

Australia's government agreed to a sweeping social media ban this week in an attempt to protect young people from online harm, though exactly how tech companies like TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat would verify users' age remains a giant question mark.

The law gives tech companies one year to figure out how to keep children under 16 from using their social platforms or risk up to $32 million in fines.

The legislation is among the strictest of its kind as countries around the world increasingly target social media as the next frontier for child safety laws.

"The law places the onus on social media platforms — not parents or young people — to take reasonable steps to ensure these protections are in place," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a November 21 press release.

The country's House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported the bill in a 102-13 vote on Wednesday, while Australia's Senate voted 34 to 19 in favor of the legislation on Thursday.

Some pornography websites and online gambling platforms have implemented ID checks in recent years to comply with a wave of legislation requiring online age verification in several US states, asking users to submit a selfie with a government-approved ID.

Australia's new law specifically bars social media companies from asking for users' IDs in an effort to protect privacy rights.

Julie Inman Grant, Australia's eSafety commissioner in charge of implementing the new law, told The New York Times that age verification technologies are improving daily and expressed faith in tech companies' ability to comply.

"They've got financial resources, technologies and some of the best brainpower," she told the outlet. "If they can target you for advertising, they can use the same technology and know-how to identify and verify the age of a child."

A government-commissioned trial looking into technologies that could be used for age verification, including biometrics, is underway in Australia and is set to deliver its report next summer.

Google and Meta had lobbied to delay the vote until the commission delivered its report. Snap Inc., which owns Snapchat, said "device-level age verification" was the best possible option to meet the requirements. Meanwhile, X CEO Elon Musk suggested the legislation was "a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians."

Other critics of the legislation, including opposition lawmakers and some mental health experts, have expressed concern that the bill could have unintended consequences, especially for marginalized young people who have historically used social media to find online support.

Support for the legislation appears to be high in the country. A YouGov poll released ahead of the vote last week found that 77% of Australians backed the ban.

"This is a landmark reform," Albanese said. "We know some kids will find workarounds, but we're sending a message to social media companies to clean up their act."

• Mark Zuckerberg met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
• Trump and Zuckerberg, who did not endorse a candidate for president, have had a rocky relationship.
• Trump previously threatened to jail Zuckerberg if he was elected.

Mark Zuckerberg became the latest tech CEO to meet with President-elect Donald Trump.

The Meta CEO met with Trump at the latter's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed to Business Insider that the dinner occurred. The New York Times first reported the meeting.

"It's an important time for the future of American Innovation. Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming Administration," the statement said.

Details about the meeting were not immediately clear. Representatives for Trump did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president in the 2024 election.

He has had a contentious relationship with Trump, who earlier this year threatened to jail the billionaire if he were elected.

Zuckerberg praised how Trump responded to the assassination attempt in July.

"On a personal note, seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things I've ever seen in my life," Zuckerberg said.

After Trump won the election, Zuckerberg was among the many tech and business leaders who congratulated him.

"Congratulations to President Trump on a decisive victory. We have great opportunities ahead of us as a country," he wrote in a Threads post the day after the election. "Looking forward to working with you and your administration."

Trump and Zuckerberg met at least twice during the president-elect's first term, including in an unannounced White House meeting and at a secret dinner with billionaire Peter Thiel in October 2019, according to several reports.

In 2021, Trump suggested he should have banned Facebook while he was in office, but said, "Zuckerberg kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was."

Facebook suspended the former president's account on the platform after the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Meta reinstated Trump's accounts in 2023.

Zuckerberg isn't the only tech CEO to visit Mar-a-Lago in the wake of Trump's win.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who played a major role in Trump's campaign, spent election night with Trump at the Florida resort and has spent time there since.

Update: November 27, 2024 — This story has been updated with a statement from Meta confirming the meeting.

• Five top US business schools enrolled less racially diverse classes this year compared to last year.
• Bloomberg analyzed demographic data in the year since the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action.
• Overall, however, the share of underrepresented minorities in top MBA programs increased this year.

Five of the most prestigious business schools in the US enrolled fewer underrepresented minority students this year, according to demographic data released since the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action last summer.

Minority enrollment at these five universities — all of which are among the top 10 MBA programs, per Bloomberg's Businessweek ranking — stands in contrast to a larger trend that saw an overall increase in the number of minority students attending highly ranked business schools this year.

Bloomberg analyzed university disclosures of student racial counts and found that the share of Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander students enrolled in top MBA programs for the Class of 2026 actually represents an increase over the previous two years.

The analysis comes more than a year after the Supreme Court voted to ban universities from considering race in admissions, effectively ending affirmative action. For four decades, the practice allowed universities to give additional weight to applicants who belonged to groups that have historically been the subject of discrimination.

Fifteen of the 18 highest-ranked universities disclose racial breakdowns of their MBA programs. Of those 15, six saw a notable increase in the number of underrepresented minority students represented in their matriculating 2024 classes, Bloomberg found.

Four programs saw slight upticks, though those increases were across total enrollment, which includes international students, meaning the share of minority US students either did not change or fell slightly, according to the outlet's analysis.

Five of the most prestigious business schools, however, reported fewer underrepresented minorities in this year's newest class compared to last year's entering cohort: Harvard Business School, The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, and MIT Sloan School of Management.

Representatives for the five universities did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Harvard, which ranks sixth in Bloomberg's list, reported a 1.3% decrease in underrepresented minorities in this year's matriculating class, down from a total share of 12.9% in last year's cohort, Bloomberg found.

No. 7-ranked Wharton saw its share of underrepresented minorities dip 2% with this year's cohort, while No. 1-ranked Stanford's newest class is down 3.6% year-over-year, according to the outlet.

Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, meanwhile, which is ranked third, fell 5.6%, with underrepresented minorities representing 4.2% of the school's Class of 2026, the analysis found. Kellogg's Black student enrollment dropped from 20 students to five this year, and its Hispanic population fell by nearly half, Bloomberg reported.

A spokesperson for Kellogg, in comments to Bloomberg, attributed the decrease to a yield problem, saying the university accepted the same number of underrepresented minority students as it usually does, but they chose not to enroll.

MIT Sloan's share of underrepresented minority students in this year's entering class fell 5.7% from the Class of 2025's 14.2 minority makeup.

While these five programs reported decreases in underrepresented minorities, this year's demographic data seems to suggest that the loss of affirmative action did not necessarily lead to less diverse cohorts.

For example, Duke's Fuqua School of Business and UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business both reported an 8.2% increase in the share of underrepresented minorities enrolled this year.

• Elon Musk and Grimes have ended their custody dispute in Texas.
• The former couple share three children, including 4-year-old X, who is frequently spotted with Musk.
• Court records show Musk and Grimes were arguing over whether the kids lived in Texas or California.

Elon Musk and Grimes' custody battle in Texas was resolved in August, nearly a year after the Tesla CEO filed a lawsuit against the musician in the state.

The former couple was locked in a contentious custody battle over the three children they share: 4-year-old X Æ A-12, also known as baby X, 2-year-old Exa, and 2-year-old Tau.

Last year, Musk and Grimes filed dueling lawsuits against one another in two different states, Texas and California, respectively, arguing over where the children actually lived and in which state the case should go forward.

Here's a timeline of the custody battle, including when the suits were filed, and the accusations Musk and Grimes have made against each other in court.

April 22, 2022: Grimes filed petition in Los Angeles

Grimes claimed in a recent court document that she first filed a petition to "determine parental relationship" in Los Angeles on April 22, 2022. Business Insider was unable to independently verify the petition in LA County's online courts database.

The document would've been filed a few months before Musk and Grimes welcomed their third child, Techno Mechanicus, or Tau, via surrogate in June 2022. Musk had also fathered another child with Grimes via surrogate in December 2021, Exa Dark Sideræl.

Musk began the process of buying Twitter (now called X) in April 2022. The pair had flown out to see Grimes' parents on April 9, but Musk had stayed behind at the hotel in "stress mode," weighing whether to buy the social media company, Grimes told Walter Isaacson. The billionaire later made his $44 billion bid on April 14.

What followed was a tumultuous year for both Grimes and Musk. The billionaire began sleeping at the social media company's headquarters and got into a series of political spats.

That same year, Grimes also learned Musk had separately fathered a set of twins with a director at one of his startups. In July 2022, Grimes learned of Musk's twins with Shivon Zilis via a Business Insider report, according to Isaacson's biography on Musk.

In August 2023, Grimes and Musk traveled to Tokyo together, but Musk said in his petition that their relationship broke down shortly after. He said Grimes flew back to California on a commercial flight on August 23 and that their two youngest children "have not been back in Texas" since, according to the court documents.

September 7, 2023: Musk sues Grimes

Musk sued Grimes in Texas in early September to "establish the parent-child relationship" with their three kids.

In his petition, he said he took legal action after he realized Grimes "was not returning to Texas with the younger children." Meanwhile, their eldest son, X, had remained with Musk in Texas.

On the same day Musk filed his custody suit, Grimes wrote and then quickly deleted a post on X calling for Musk to "let me see my son or plz respond to my lawyer," adding in response to a photo of Musk with Zilis: "I have never even been allowed to see a photo of these children until this moment, despite the situation utterly ripping my family apart."

Grimes and Zilis later took to social media to say they were no longer feuding.

September 29, 2023: Grimes sues Musk

Weeks after the Texas suit, Grimes sued Musk in San Francisco, asking for primary physical custody and joint legal custody of their three kids.

Meanwhile, Musk waded into the immigration debate, visiting the US-Mexico border on September 28 and calling for a Trump-style wall.

Ten days prior, Musk took his three-year-old son, X, to a meeting with the president of Turkey in New York. The event led to an awkward exchange in which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked Musk where his "wife" was.

"Oh, she's in San Francisco," Musk replied. "We're separated, I take care of him mostly."

October 6, 2023: Grimes says the kids don't live in Texas

Grimes responded to Musk's lawsuit in October, arguing that Texas was not the right jurisdiction for the custody battle. In the filing, Grimes said that two of the children had been living with her in California for more than six months before the litigation began and that California is their home state.

She acknowledged that one of the children, X, was not presently in California, but said he was only absent from the state over her objection.

On October 5, Musk learned he was under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for his Twitter purchase, while on October 7, Musk's X struggled to combat misinformation on the Israel-Hamas war. His company continues to see a mass exodus of advertisers over reports of unchecked hate speech on the site.

November 3, 2023: Grimes tracking down Musk

Grimes revealed in court records on November 3 the lengths to which her team went to serve Musk custody papers, which included tracking his private jets.

Also on November 3, Musk sat down for an interview with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to chat about AI regulation, following a global summit on the issue.

November 20, 2023: Musk accuses Grimes of trying to avoid Texas courts

Musk filed an amended petition on November 20 that accused Grimes of moving to California this year in order to avoid the jurisdiction of Texas, where the billionaire could be ordered to pay significantly less in child support.

The petition was filed only a few days after Musk faced backlash for appearing to boost an anti-semitic post on X. Tesla owners and investors alike spoke out against the billionaire. Then Musk appeared to go on what some called an "apology tour" on November 27.

November 28, 2023: Musk voices security concerns

Musk asked a Texas judge to restrict access to his custody battle for his kids' safety.

That same week, Musk sat down for a bizarre interview with Andrew Sorkin at the Dealbook Summit. At the event, Musk told X advertisers that had fled the platform to "Go fuck yourself" and even directed his comments directly at Disney CEO Bob Iger.

November 30, 2023: Grimes says Musk won't let nannies testify for her

In court records filed at the end of November, Grimes accused Musk of not allowing their children's nannies to testify on her behalf. Family law experts previously told Insider that interviews with nannies might be used to help prove where the kids primarily live.

Grimes said Musk was using nondisclosure agreements that he previously had the nannies sign in order to prevent them from speaking. However, she claimed Musk was "cherry-picking" information from the nannies for his benefit.

On November 30, Tesla hosted its biggest event of the year — Cybertruck deliveries. The 30-minute event drew ire from some Tesla fans after Musk failed to deliver on some of his promises for the vehicle, including its price and range.

December 4, 2023: Musk details evidence of the children primarily living in Texas

In an amended complaint filed in Texas court, Musk included Grimes' own social media posts over recent years in which the musician both explicitly said and heavily suggested she was living in Austin, Texas — including posts from months after she claims she moved to California with her two youngest children.

Musk also detailed aspects of the kids' lives in Texas, including their doctor's visits and schooling. The billionaire also filed another motion to seal the case, arguing his and his children's security is at risk as long as the filings remain accessible to the public.

Meanwhile on social media, Musk has continued to lash out at advertisers who are retreating from his social media platform. On Thursday, the billionaire took aim at Iger again, saying the Disney CEO should be "fired immediately."

December 2023: A Texas judge seals the case to the public

After Musk asked to suspend public access to documents in the case, A Texas judge agreed to close the courtroom to the media and seal the case.

Musk had argued that public interest in the custody battle did not outweigh the safety of his children.

July 27, 2024: Grimes' mother says Musk is 'withholding' the children

In a series of since-deleted posts on X, Grimes' mother, Sandy Garossino, addressed Musk directly, asking him to allow the children to visit their 93-year-old great-grandmother.

"[Grimes] was thrilled for the kids' planned visit to celebrate her birthday this weekend. Today. But those hopes were crushed when the trip was canceled," Garossino wrote on X.

"I am alarmed to learn that the children cannot come as you are withholding them and their needed passport documents from Claire," she added, referring to Grimes by her first name.

Garossino implied that Grimes did not know where the children were and asked Must to "honour your agreement" and return the kids and their documents to her daughter.

"Please Elon, I beg you. This is so painful for my mother, and concerning for the kids. Time is of the essence now," she wrote.

August 2, 2024: Musk and Grimes meet in court for custody hearing

The former couple appeared in Texas court, where they addressed a series of motions, including one brought to halt the proceedings temporarily.

The hearing was closed to the public.

Musk and Grimes' legal representation met at least one more time in court before the case was resolved sometime in August.

November 20, 2024: Grimes opens up about custody dispute

The singer shared details about the legal battle in a post on X, saying she hadn't had time to work on creative projects as of late because "the threat of losing ur kids while going bankrupt fighting for them is not very conducive to creative thoughts."

"I just slept and cried every minute I wasn't explicitly fighting for my kids during that year," she said.

In a follow-up post, Grimes said she had a "fraction" of Musk's wealth and resources."

"Spent a year locked in battle in a state with terrible mothers rights having my instagram posts and modeling used as reasons I shouldn't have my kids and fighting and detaching from the love of my life as he becomes unrecognizable to me, with a fraction of his resources (or iq/ strategy experience), all the while I didn't see one of my babies for 5 months," she said.

November 21, 2024: Business Insider reports that Grimes and Musk have ended their custody dispute in Texas

The clerk's office in Travis County, Texas, confirmed that a judge issued a final order in the case in August.

The status is listed as "closed," according to the clerk's office. Representatives for Musk and Grimes did not respond to request for comment.

It's unclear how the lawsuit was resolved.

The status of Grimes' original San Francisco case is also unclear. A representative from the San Francisco Superior Court told BI they couldn't share information about the case because it was restricted.

• Here are the famous people who died in 2024.
• Quincy Jones, Liam Payne, Kris Kristofferson, Teri Garr, James Earl Jones, and Shannen Doherty have passed away.
• So did broadcasters Charles Osgood and Phil Donahue, fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, game show host Chuck Woolery, and MLB legend Pete Rose.

Below, we look back at those we lost in 2024.

Jim Abrahams, 80

Along with his boyhood friends, Jerry and David Zucker, Jim Abrahams is responsible for some of the funniest movies ever made.

Known in Hollywood as "Abrahams, Zucker, and Zucker," the trio wrote and directed memorable movies in the slapstick comedy genre of the 1980s, such as "Top Secret!" and the "Airplane!" and "Naked Gun" franchises. They also were behind the popular TV show "Police Squad!", which preceded "Naked Gun."

Abrahams found success on his own in the 1990s when he directed the "Hot Shots!" franchise.

Abrahams died on November 26 of natural causes.

John Amos, 84

John Amos delivered legendary performances on TV and in movies for over five decades.

After starting his acting career playing weatherman Gordon "Gordy" Howard on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," his career took off with memorable roles like James Evans Sr. on "Good Times" and Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries "Roots," the latter of which earned him an Emmy nomination.

He also appeared in films like "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song," "The Beastmaster," and "Die Hard 2," and even made a surprise cameo opposite Adam Sandler in "Uncut Gems."

But his most memorable performance was as Cleo McDowell in Eddie Murphy's beloved comedy "Coming to America."

Amos died on August 21 of natural causes.

John Ashton, 76

Ashton made memorable turns as the grumpy LAPD sergeant in the "Beverly Hills Cop" movies, a concerned father in "Some Kind of Wonderful," and a stubborn bounty hunter in "Midnight Run."

Along with his work in movies, he also appeared in numerous TV shows over the '70s and '80s, including "Dallas," "The A-Team," and "M*A*S*H."

Ashton died on September 26 of cancer.

Frankie Beverly, 77

Beverly's iconic R&B music was a staple for decades.

The lead singer, songwriter, producer, and founder of the band Frankie Beverly and Maze, the group was responsible for such hits as "Before I Let Go," "Joy and Pain," and "Happy Feelin's."

"Before I Let Go" would be covered by Beyoncé for her 2019 album "Homecoming."

Beverly died on September 10. No cause was given.

Seth Binzer (aka Shifty Shellshock)

With his tattoos, frosted tips, and high energy, Crazy Town lead singer Shifty Shellshock was the epitome of the late 1990s-early 2000s rap-rock front man.

With that also came a hit song: 1999's "Butterfly," which hit No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was a staple on the radio and MTV's "Total Request Live."

By 2003, the band had disbanded, and despite an attempt to reunite a few years later, Crazy Town was relegated to one-hit-wonder status.

Shifty Shellshock, whose real name is Seth Binzer, appeared on the first season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" in 2007 and the spin-off "Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House" a few years later.

Binzer died at his home in Los Angeles on June 24 from an accidental drug overdose, according to his manager.

Eric Carmen, 74

Carmen was a rock ballad king whose songs still get constant play to this day.

"All by Myself" was a hit in the mid-1970s. It became an even bigger hit when Celine Dion did her own rendition in 1996.

The Grammy-nominated "Almost Paradise" from the soundtrack to the hit 1984 movie "Footloose" became a staple at school dances and weddings.

Carmen repeated the feat when his song "Hungry Eyes" showed up on the soundtrack for the 1987 classic "Dirty Dancing."

Carmen's death was announced on his website on March 12, stating he "passed away in his sleep, over the weekend." No cause was given.

Roberto Cavalli, 83

The Italian fashion designer was known for his flamboyant designs and game-changing innovations.

Cavalli's use of leopard prints beginning in the 1970s became one of his trademarks. His revolutionary method of printing leather and patchwork denim was beloved by everyone from Madonna to Gwyneth Paltrow.

Cavalli died on April 12. No cause of death was given.

Bill Cobbs, 90

From playing the concerned manager opposite Whitney Houston in "The Bodyguard" to the kind-hearted coach in "Air Bud," Bill Cobbs' ability to play the voice of reason in his roles made him a memorable character actor for decades.

Cobbs' other titles include "The Color of Money," "New Jack City," "The Hudsucker Proxy," "Demolition Man," and "Night at the Museum."

He died at his home in California on June 25 following a recent bout of pneumonia.

Dabney Coleman, 92

Dabney Coleman became a captivating scene stealer in the 1980s thanks to his gruff demeanor and booming voice. Whether he was playing the mean boss opposite Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin in 1980's "9 to 5," or the nasty TV producer in "Tootsie," or chasing Matthew Broderick in "WarGames," Coleman had a talent for playing the heel.

The Emmy winner most recently starred in the HBO hit series Boardwalk Empire from 2011 to 2014 and a 2019 episode of Yellowstone.

Coleman died on May 16. No cause was given.

Eleanor Coppola, 87

As the wife of Francis Ford Coppola, Eleanor had to navigate the stress and complexities of living with one of the greatest directors of all time.

She channeled that by filming her husband while he made his landmark 1979 Vietnam movie "Apocalypse Now."

Her documentary, "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse," has gone down as one of the most honest accounts of the making of a movie.

Eleanor died on April 12. No cause of death was given.

Roger Corman, 98

To say Roger Corman was the king of B-movies is too simple of a characterization.

For decades, Corman made ultra-low-budget genre movies that featured everything from cheesy monsters to crazed bikers. Corman-produced titles almost always made a profit, and many of them became proving grounds for the directors and actors who would go on to change Hollywood.

After directing the 1967 acid-trip fantasia "The Trip" starring Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda and written by Jack Nicholson, the trio went on to make "Easy Rider," which would usher in the New Hollywood era of the 1970s.

Corman also produced titles directed by then-unknowns like Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, and Martin Scorsese before they went on to mainstream studio success.

Corman died on May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., surrounded by family members.

Gavin Creel, 48

Known for his energetic performances, Creel was a fixture on Broadway. He won a Tony in 2017 for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in the revival of "Hello, Dolly!," which was headlined by Bette Midler.

His other credits include recent runs of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Hair," and "Into the Woods."

Creel died on September 30 after being diagnosed with metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, in July.

Shannen Doherty, 53

It was hard to separate the characters Shannen Doherty played from who she was in real life, and that genuine quality led to her becoming an icon to a generation growing up in the 1990s.

Teens were glued to their TV sets every week to see the latest drama on "Beverly Hills, 90210" between Doherty's character Brenda Walsh and heartthrob Dyan McKay (played by Luke Perry, who died in 2019).

The on-screen drama spilled into Doherty's personal life, with tabloids chasing her to find who she was dating; she ultimately left "90210" after season four.

Though her star would never return to the heights of her "90210" days (she reprised her role for the revival series "BH90210," which lasted for one season), Doherty worked steadily, starring in the popular series "Charmed," making an appearance on "Dancing with the Stars," and appearing in a TV reboot of the 1988 cult classic "Heathers" after starring in the original movie.

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015; two years later she announced it was in remission. In 2019, it returned and spread to her brain.

She died on July 13 due to cancer, according to her publicist.

Phil Donahue, 88

Before there was Oprah Winfrey, Geraldo Rivera, or Jerry Springer, there was Phil Donahue.

For close to 30 years, he ruled daytime talk with "The Phil Donahue Show," asking the biggest celebrities probing questions about everything from politics to abortion.

Donahue's style of mixing his own running commentary with questions from audience members became the blueprint for talk shows going forward. His efforts led to 11 Daytime Emmy wins.

Donahue died on August 18 following a long illness.

Shelley Duvall, 75

With her striking features and formidable acting talent, Shelley Duvall was born to be on the big screen.

A muse of Robert Altman, Duvall appeared in seven of his films, including "Nashville," in which she played teen groupie, "L.A. Joan," and "Popeye," as Olive Oyl.

The two-time Emmy nominee also became a horror icon when she starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining."

Duvall died on July 11 due to complications from diabetes.

Joe Flaherty, 82

As one of the original cast members of the Canadian sketch comedy show "SCTV" in the late 1970s, Joe Flaherty — alongside the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Martin Short, and Rick Moranis — created a brand of comedy that was edgier and more outlandish than their competition "Saturday Night Live."

In later decades, Flaherty made scene-stealing appearances as the Western Union worker who gives Marty McFly the 70-year-old letter from Doc Brown in "Back to the Future Part II" and the heckler Donald in "Happy Gilmore."

He was also a regular on TV through the decades, with roles in "Married… with Children," "Freaks and Geeks," and "The King of Queens."

Flaherty died on April 1 following a brief illness.

Rodolfo Franklin (aka DJ Clark Kent), 58

After making a name for himself as a DJ around New York City in the 1980s, DJ Clark Kent produced some of the biggest rap hits of the mid-1990s.

He was responsible for hits like Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Players Anthem," Jay-Z's "Brookyln's Finest," and "Loverboy" by Mariah Carey. 

Over his career, he also produced tracks for Slick Rick, Queen Latifah, Doug E. Fresh, the Fugees, Rakim, Ice Cube and 50 Cent. 

DJ Clark Kent, whose real name is Rodolfo Franklin, died on October 24 after a bout with colon cancer.

Teri Garr, 79

Through the 1970s and 1980s, Teri Garr showed her range as a budding star. 1974 marked her breakout year, as she starred in two very different movies. In Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation," Garr gave a beautifully subtle performance as a woman ending her relationship with the main character, played by Gene Hackman. She then showed her comedic side playing the female lead opposite Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein."

From there, Garr landed roles in "Oh God!" opposite John Denver, Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Tootsie" opposite Dustin Hoffman (for which she earned an Oscar nomination), and the female lead opposite Michael Keaton in "Mr. Mom."

Garr died on October 29 after battling multiple sclerosis since 1999.

Nikki Giovanni, 81

Giovanni was an acclaimed poet, author, and activist.

She found initial acclaim in the 1960s during the civil rights movement, when her writing led to her being called the "Poet of the Black Revolution."

She's written dozens of volumes of poetry since then, and 10 children's books.

Along with holding 27 honorary degrees from various colleges and universities, she also was awarded the NAACP Image Award seven times over her career.

Giovanni died on December 9 of lung cancer.

Louis Gossett Jr.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Louis Gossett Jr. made his stage debut at 17. After building his craft onstage through the 1960s, Gossett Jr. made the jump to screen and in 1977 was cast in the acclaimed miniseries "Roots" opposite the likes of Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton, and John Amos. He went on to win an Emmy for his performance as Fiddler.

He was nominated for seven more Emmys after that, most recently in 2020 for playing William Reeves in the HBO limited series "Watchmen."

He made history in 1983 when he won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the strict drill instructor Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman." It would mark the first time a Black actor won the prize in that category.

Gossett Jr. went on to star in hit movies and TV shows like "The Principal," "Toy Soldiers," "Iron Eagle," and "Boardwalk Empire."

Gossett Jr. died on March 29. No cause was given.

Cissy Houston, 91

Emily "Cissy" Houston, the Grammy award-winning singer and mother of Whitney Houston, died on Monday at 91.

The soul singer was surrounded by family while in hospice, Gwendolyn Quinn, a representative for Whitney Houston's estate, told Business Insider.

Cissy Houston had Alzheimer's disease, according to a statement from Quinn.

"Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family," Houston's daughter-in-law Pat Houston said in a statement shared with BI. "Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives.

"A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community," the statement continued. "Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts."

Cissy Houston got her musical start at church before joining her siblings in a family gospel act. She gained commercial success in the 1960s as part of The Sweet Inspirations, a backing group that sang for soul singers like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Elvis Presley.

She later pursued a solo career and recorded hundreds of songs throughout her career as a popular session singer.

Cissy Houston frequently sang with her daughter, including backup on Whitney Houston's successful first album.

Tito Jackson, 70

Jackson was one of the original members of The Jackson Five.

The group comprised his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. They found fame as kids in the 1960s thanks to hits like "Big Boy," "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There."

They would go on to sell millions of albums and perform alongside their famous brother Michael once he launched his solo career.

Jackson, who played guitar for the group, went on to have a solo career as a blues musician in the early 2000s.

Jackson died on September 15. No cause was given.

Norman Jewison, 97

The legendary director was best known for his eclectic filmography that included the drama "In the Heat of the Night," the musical "Fiddler of the Roof," and the beloved comedy "Moonstruck," all of which garnered him best director nominations at the Oscars.

The Canadian filmmaker's specialty was getting top-notch performances out of A-list actors like Steve McQueen ("The Thomas Crown Affair") and Denzel Washington ("The Hurricane").

It often led to Oscar glory for his movies and their stars. Twelve actors received nominations over his 40-year career, with five of his movies earning best picture noms.

Jewison died on January 20. No cause of death was given.

Glynis Johns, 100

The English actor starred in over 60 films and 30 plays, and is known best for playing Mrs. Banks in the beloved 1964 Disney movie "Mary Poppins."

Legend has it that Johns originally thought she landed the role of Poppins. To let her down easy, Walt Disney made sure that she got to sing a big musical number in the movie. It led to the famous "Sister Suffragette" sequence.

In 1973, Johns' breathy voice caught the attention of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, who cast her in the original Broadway production of "A Little Night Music." Sondheim wrote "Send in the Clowns," the song she performs, with her in mind. Johns would earn a Tony Award for her performance.

She was also nominated for an Oscar for her work in "The Sundowners" (1960).

Johns died on January 4. No cause of death was given.

James Earl Jones, 93

The legendary voice behind iconic characters like Darth Vader and Mufasa died on Monday, September 9, at 93.

James Earl Jones is also known for his roles in "Field of Dreams" and "The Great White Hope," for which he was Oscar-nominated.

The actor overcame a childhood stutter to become a star of the stage and screen, working for more than 60 years in Hollywood and on Broadway.

Jones is also a rare EGOT winner. He won an Emmy, Grammy, honorary Oscar, and Tony.

Quincy Jones, 91

Quincy Jones was one of the most successful producers in the history of the music business. Over his eight decades in music, he worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Will Smith, and his work resulted in 28 Grammy Award wins.

But Jones will forever be linked with Michael Jackson.

He produced Jackson's iconic solo albums, "Off the Wall," "Thriller," and "Bad," which launched the artist into becoming the King of Pop.

And only Jones could pull off the star-studded charity single "We Are The World," which featured the likes of Jackson, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, and Ray Charles.

Jones died on November 3. No cause was given.

Toby Keith, 62

Keith became prominent in the 1990s thanks to his hit single "Should've Been a Cowboy."

It would make him one of the decade's top draws in country music.

Keith released 19 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and dozens of songs that topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in his career.

Keith died on February 5 following a bout with stomach cancer.

Kris Kristofferson, 88

A multitalented performer, Kristofferson was a country music superstar known for hits like "Me and Bobby McGee" and "For the Good Times" before he became an A-list Hollywood actor with roles in "A Star is Born" and "Blade."

The former US Army pilot had a larger-than-life personality and credited fellow songwriter Johnny Cash with encouraging him to pursue a musical career, the Associated Press reported.

On September 28, the singer-songwriter, age 88, died peacefully in his home on Maui, Hawaii, surrounded by family, his spokesperson confirmed to AP. No cause was given.

Dequantes Devontay Lamar (aka Rich Homie Quan), 33

Thanks to his unique voice and lyrical prowess, Rich Homie Quan gained fame in the early 2000s in the Atlanta rap scene.

A member of Cash Money Records' spin-off Rich Gang, Quan, whose real name is Dequantes Devontay Lamar, found success with hit tracks like "Type of Way" and "Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)."

Lamar died on September 5. No cause was given.

Phil Lesh, 84

As one of the founding members of The Grateful Dead, Lesh was instrumental in defining rock music for a generation.

As the group's bassist, Lesh brought a steady rhythm to the band's iconic songs. He also sang a few of their classics, including "Pride of Cucamonga," "Unbroken Chain," and "Box of Rain."

When The Dead disbanded in 1995, he went on to jam with bands Phil Lesh and Friends and Furthur alongside Dead bandmate Bob Weir.

Lesh died on October 25. No cause was given.

Jon Landau, 63

Alongside James Cameron, producer Jon Landau was behind some of the most successful movies ever made.

Landau won the Best Picture Oscar with Cameron for 1997's "Titanic," which at the time was the highest-grossing movie ever.

He then broke the box office record again with Cameron's "Avatar" in 2009.

Landau also produced Steven Soderbergh's 2002 remake of "Solaris," Robert Rodriguez's 2019 "Alita: Battle Angel," and Cameron's upcoming "Avatar" sequels.

He died on July 5 of cancer.

Richard Lewis, 76

In an era in the 1970s where stand-up comedy could be a path to superstardom, Richard Lewis was one of the biggest acts.

Often dressed in black and holding his hand up to his temple, his self-deprecating and neurotic style made him a constant visitor to Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show."

By the 1980s, he hit it big on TV, starring opposite Jamie Lee Curtis on the series "Anything but Love," which ran for four seasons.

His movie credits include the Mel Brooks comedy "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," "Leaving Las Vegas," and John Candy's final role before his death, 1994's "Wagons East." Lewis has said Candy's death was one of the things that finally got him sober.

Lewis introduced himself to a new generation when Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premiered on HBO in 2000. For 11 seasons, Lewis played a fictional version of himself as one of David's friends. Though he didn't return as a series regular for the series' final season, season 12, he popped up in a cameo in an episode that aired on February 18.

Back in April, Lewis revealed via a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and would be retiring from stand-up comedy after undergoing four surgeries.

Lewis died on February 27 of a heart attack in his Los Angeles home.

Willie Mays, 93

Regarded as one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived, Willie Mays was astounding to watch.

He could hit and catch, had speed, and pulled off amazing feats that are still remarkable to this day.

One of his most memorable plays happened in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, which is simply known as "The Catch."

Mays' New York Giants were facing the Cleveland Indians at the Polo Grounds in New York. With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth inning and runners on base, Indians player Vic Wertz hit a towering 420-foot blast to dead center that in today's baseball would be deep in the seats for a homerun. But due to the Polo Grounds' massive outfield, it was in play, and Mays used practically all of it to track down the ball on the run with an incredible over-the-shoulder catch and then threw it into the infield quickly so no runner could score. The Giants went on to win the game in extra innings 5-2, and would go on to win the World Series. Many still regard Mays' catch as one of the greatest moments in baseball history.

Mays would go on to play 21 seasons with the Giants before being traded to the New York Mets for the 1972-73 season, which would be his last. He finished his career with 3,293 hits and 660 home runs.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

Mays died on June 18, no cause was given.

Cindy Morgan, 69

A 1980s icon, Morgan found instant stardom in her film debut playing the stunning Lacey opposite Chevy Chase in the classic 1980 comedy "Caddyshack."

Two years later, she found herself in another iconic work, Disney's "Tron." As Dr. Lora Baines in the real world and Yori, who helps Jeff Bridges after he's sucked into the game world, Morgan once again showed she can shine opposite Hollywood's biggest leading men.

Though Morgan worked steadily the rest of her career, including a multi-episode run on the soap opera "Falcon Crest," she'll be forever known for her performances in two of the biggest movies of the '80s.

Morgan's death was first reported on January 6, though she died on December 30, 2023. No cause of death was given.

Martin Mull, 80

Mull could expertly play self-deprecating or the know-it-all jerk in everything from hit TV shows and movies to commercials. He was known for his roles in movies like "Clue" and "Mr. Mom," and in TV shows like "Rosanne," as boss Leon Carp, and "Arrested Development," as private detective Gene Parmesan. He was also the voice of Red Roof Inn commercials for many years.

Mull died on June 27. No cause was given.

Dikembe Mutombo, 58

Over his 18 seasons in the NBA, Dikembe Mutombo was known by many as one of the greatest defensive big men to ever play the sport.

Nicknamed "Mount Mutombo," the 7-foot-2-inch center entered the NBA as the fourth pick in the 1991 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets after an impressive college career at Georgetown. He would go on to lead the NBA in blocked shots three times over his career and was named to eight All-Star teams. By the time he retired in 2009, after playing for six teams and making two NBA Finals appearances, he was second on the list of all-time career leaders in blocked shots.

Outside basketball, Mutombo was also known for his humanitarian work. His work with his foundation improving the living conditions in his native Democratic Republic of Congo made him one of the first global ambassadors of the NBA.

Mutombo died on September 30 following a bout with brain cancer.

Bob Newhart, 94

Bob Newhart is regarded as one of the funniest men of the 20th century.

With his comedy albums and iconic TV shows like "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart," the comic entertained audiences for generations.

The finale of the eight-season run of "Newhart" is regarded as one of the best in TV history. The last scene revealed that the entire series was a dream and that the show existed within the world of Newhart's other show, "The Bob Newhart Show."

Later in life, he played the heartwarming Papa Elf in the 2003 movie "Elf." Newhart scored his only Emmy win in 2013 for his recurring role on CBS' "The Big Bang Theory."

Newhart died on July 18 following a series of short illnesses.

Charles Osgood, 91

The face of "CBS Sunday Morning" for over two decades, Osgood became a fixture in Americans' homes at the end of every weekend thanks to his wit, calming demeanor, and that bow tie.

Osgood had been at CBS since the early 1970s, first as a reporter, then the anchor of the "CBS Sunday Night News" from 1981 to 1987. From 1987 to 1992, he was often on "CBS This Morning."

In 1994, he became the face of "Sunday Morning," replacing Charles Kuralt. He would go on to earn two Daytime Emmys and a Peabody for his work on the show. He ended his run 2016, passing the reins to Jane Pauley.

Osgood died on January 23 after suffering from dementia.

Ken Page, 70

Sporting a baritone voice and a flair for the dramatic, Ken Page forged a legendary Broadway career as he crafted some of the most memorable performances featured on The Great White Way.

After making his Broadway debut playing the Lion in 1975's "The Wiz," he went on to play two landmark roles: Ken in the original production of "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1978) and Old Deuteronomy in the original production of "Cats" (1982).

He also made an indelible mark on the big screen by voicing the villain Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton's beloved 1993 stop-motion animated movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Page died on September 30. No cause was given.

Liam Payne, 31

As one of the members of the boy band One Direction, Payne brought joy and excitement to the band's millions of fans around the world.

The band, which was formed after singers Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan were made into a group during the 2010 British talent show "The X Factor," quickly became a sensation.

In 2011, One Direction released their first album, "Up All Night," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. They released another four albums before going on hiatus in 2016.

In 2019, Payne released his solo album, "LP1." He released the song "Teardrops" in March.

Payne died on October 16 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Argentina.

Chance Perdomo, 27

Perdomo was a rising star in Hollywood, having starred in Netflix's reboot "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V."

The British-American actor died on March 30 as a result of a motorcycle accident, his publicist confirmed.

Tamayo Perry, 49

Perry, a professional surfer, appeared on screen in 2002's "Blue Crush" and 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."

Perry died on June 23 after being attacked by a shark while surfing off the island of Oahu in Hawaii, according to the Associated Press. He was brought to shore by paramedics and pronounced dead at the scene.

Chita Rivera, 91

Rivera was a Broadway legend who originated some of the stage's most memorable characters, including Anita in "West Side Story," Velma Kelly in "Chicago," and Rose in "Bye Bye Birdie." She would go on to be nominated for 10 Tony Awards and win twice.

With Broadway credits spanning seven decades, Rivera's singing and dancing shaped generations of performers.

Rivera died on January 30 following a brief illness.

Marian Robinson, 86

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, was often described as the matriarch of the White House during the Obama administration, but the Chicago-born daughter of seven never felt quite at home on Pennsylvania Avenue, according to her family.

"The trappings and glamour of the White House were never a great fit for Marian Robinson," a statement from former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and other family members said. "'Just show me how to work the washing machine and I'm good,' she'd say."

Robinson's death was announced on May 31.

A cause and place of death was not revealed.

Pete Rose, 83

Pete Rose was one of the most polarizing figures in all of baseball history.

First known as "Charlie Hustle" because he never let up — he even famously crashed into catcher Ray Fosse during an All-Star Game — he also gained the nickname "The Hit King" when he passed Ty Cobb for the most hits in a career with 4,256.

But after he hung up his cleats, he was called other names, like "cheat" and "disgrace," when he was given a lifetime ban for betting on games while manager of the Cincinnati Reds (Rose finally admitted to the charge in a 2004 autobiography).

Death may finally give Rose something he was never allowed in life: induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He has the credentials: along with hits, he also holds the record for most games played. He made 17 All-Star Game appearances and won an MVP, three batting titles, two Gold Gloves, and three World Series championships with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rose died on September 30. No cause was given.

Gena Rowlands, 94

For the current generation, Gena Rowlands is known as the older version of Rachel McAdams' character in the 2004 adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' "The Notebook."

But her career stretches back decades. From the late 1960s through the 1980s, Rowlands was one of the most respected and acclaimed actresses working in Hollywood. Thanks to the efforts of her husband John Cassavetes, she also became the muse of the burgeoning American independent film scene.

After conquering Broadway, Rowlands quickly found work in Hollywood in the late 1950s. As her star grew, her husband, a renowned actor himself, began making movies financed outside the Hollywood system, which was unheard of at the time. With Rowlands as his star, the two collaborated on 10 movies, two of which led to Oscar nominations for Rowlands (1974's "A Woman Under the Influence" and 1980's "Gloria").

Rowlands' other standout titles include Woody Allen's "Another Woman" (1988), Jim Jarmusch's "Night on Earth" (1991), and her son Nick Cassavetes' "The Notebook" (2004).

Rowlands died on August 14 following a battle with Alzheimer's.

Richard Simmons, 76

Richard Simmons would use his drive for weight loss to become one of the most recognizable fitness gurus in the world.

Overweight in his youth, Simmons began opening gyms around Los Angeles in the 1970s after losing 123 pounds. Simmons found fame in the 1980s for his energetic aerobic videos like "Sweatin' to the Oldies" and his Emmy-winning daytime show, "The Richard Simmons Show," which captured the nation's obsession with weight-loss programs.

For the rest of his life, Simmons' celebrity would only grow thanks to his flamboyant personality, which made him a fixture on game shows and late-night talk shows.

Simmons died on July 13. No cause was given.

O.J. Simpson, 76

O.J. Simpson had a life of high highs and low lows.

Finding fame initially on the football field, he became one of the greatest running backs ever to play in the NFL in the 1970s. He had an MVP season in 1973 when he set a single-season rushing record and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1985 after his retirement.

He was set to live out his days as a hero and grow even more famous thanks to endorsements, movie roles, and broadcasting.

But all of that changed in June of 1994 after his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her condo. Days later, Simpson, who was a person of interest in the murders, led Los Angeles police on a slow-speed chase in his Ford Bronco, finally giving up when he got back to his home.

Simpson's televised trial for the deaths of Nicole and Goldman a year later became one of the biggest spectacles in modern-day American history.

Simpson was acquitted of the murders, was found guilty in civil court in 1997.

The story of Simpson's incredible rise and fall still fascinates people to this day. The 2016 ESPN docuseries "O.J.: Made in America" won an Oscar and Emmy, and Ryan Murphy's 2016 scripted series "The People vs. O.J.: American Crime Story" won eight Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes.

Simpson died on April 10. He had been diagnosed with cancer, his family said.

Maggie Smith, 89

Dame Maggie Smith was a two-time Oscar winner and one of Britain's most acclaimed actors. Over her seven-decade career, she played every type of role on the stage and screen.

She'll perhaps be best known for her work later in life, especially her roles as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" franchise and Violet Crawley on "Downton Abbey."

Smith won an Oscar for best actress for 1969's "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and a best supporting actress Oscar for 1978's "California Suite."

She also won five BAFTAs, four Emmys, three Golden Globes, and a Tony over her career.

Smith died on September 27. No cause was given.

David Soul, 80

Soul found instant fame in the mid-1970s playing Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson, one half of the hip crime solvers in "Starsky & Hutch."

Before hitting it big on the show, Soul was a folk singer through the 1960s, opening for the likes of Frank Zappa and The Byrds. At one time he even sang while his face was covered with a mask, calling himself "The Covered Man."

After "Starsky & Hutch," Soul went back to music and scored the No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Don't Give Up on Us."

Soul also made appearances on shows like "Star Trek," "Gunsmoke," the Clint Eastwood movie "Magnum Force," and a miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King novel, "Salem's Lot."

Soul died on January 4. No cause of death was given.

Morgan Spurlock, 53

In 2004, an unknown documentary filmmaker arrived in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. Overnight, his life was changed — because he made a movie about eating McDonald's.

If there's one thing Morgan Spurlock knew how to do, it was get people's attention. With a big personality and an unusual idea, Spurlock changed the way we look at fast food when he made "Super Size Me," a documentary in which he ate nothing but McDonald's for a full month, to stomach-churning effect.

The documentary earned an Oscar nomination and became a box-office sensation. Weeks after its release in theaters, McDonald's discontinued its supersize portions.

Spurlock used that success to become one of the stars in the documentary medium, which was growing in popularity in the early 2000s. He would go on to direct and produce dozens of documentaries for the big screen and TV, focused on everything from Osama bin Laden to One Direction.

His legacy would be tarnished in late 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, when Spurlock confessed to multiple acts of sexual misconduct in his past.

Spurlock died on May 23 due to complications related to cancer.

Donald Sutherland, 88

Donald Sutherland had the incredible talent to be the life of the party in one performance or a wallflower in the next. Need a dark and disturbing presence for a role? He's your guy. Or he could do a wise-cracking know-it-all character.

What we're trying to say is whatever the role, Sutherland could pull it off. And he did it so well that he delivered some of the most memorable roles ever put on screen over the last six decades.

Playing a Nazi-killing grunt in "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), creating one of the greatest screen duos ever opposite Elliott Gould in "M*A*S*H" (1970), acting as a laid-back professor in "Animal House" (1978), delivering one of the best surprise endings ever in a remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978) — he could do it all. He was both the man who knew the truth behind the Kennedy assassination in "JFK" (1991) and the villain in the "Hunger Games" franchise (2013-2015).

He was a fixture in our lives over generations.

Sutherland died on June 20 in Miami following a "long illness."

Paul Teal, 35

Teal had a memorable recurring role in the hit series "One Tree Hill."

Over seven episodes he played Josh Avery, who had a romantic relationship with Jana Kramer's Alex, before revealing he was gay.

Following "One Tree Hill," Teal landed roles in "Dynasty," "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," "USS Christmas," "Fear Street Part 2: 1978," "Deep Water," and "Descendants: The Rise of Red."

On stage, he starred in "Newsies," "Sweeney Todd," and "Rent."

Teal died on November 15 due to pancreatic cancer.

Tony Todd, 69

Todd was a fixture in movies for decades, beginning as a grunt in Oliver Stone's 1986 classic "Platoon" followed by memorable roles in "The Crow," "The Rock," and the "Final Destination" franchise.

But he'll forever be known as the haunting figure in the 1992 horror movie "Candyman."

Playing the title character, he torments his victims with his hook hand and bees coming out of his mouth. The performance would cement Todd as a beloved figure in the horror genre.

Todd died on November 6 following a long illness.

Robert Towne, 89

Towne is regarded as one of the greatest screenwriters who ever lived thanks to his contributions during the New Hollywood era of the 1970s.

Known best for penning the acclaimed script for Roman Polanski's 1974 classic noir "Chinatown," which earned Towne his only Oscar win, he was also Oscar-nominated for "The Last Detail" (1973), "Shampoo" (1975), and "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes" (1984). For the latter, Towne famously removed his name from the credits and replaced it with the nom de plume P.H. Vazak, which was later revealed to be the name of his sheepdog.

Towne's other credits include Tom Cruise movies like "Days of Thunder" (1990), "The Firm" (1993), and the first two "Mission: Impossible" movies from 1996 and 2000.

He also was a prolific script doctor, an uncredited but paid position in which the screenwriter helps punch up a movie. Classics like "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Godfather," and "Marathon Man" all received tweaks from Towne.

Towne died on July 1. No cause of death was given.

Johnny Wactor, 37

Wactor was best known for his role as Brando Corbin on the soap "General Hospital." He appeared in more than 160 episodes during his two seasons on the series before leaving in 2022.

His résumé included guest roles on "Westworld," "The OA," "Station 19," "Siberia," "Agent X," "Vantastic," "Animal Kingdom," "Hollywood Girl," "Training Day," "Criminal Minds," "Struggling Servers," "Age Appropriate," "NCIS," "The Passenger" and "Barbee Rehab."

He also starred in the 2016 Mario Van Peebles-directed movie "USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage" alongside Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, and Thomas Jane.

His family confirmed that Wactor was shot and killed on May 25 in Los Angeles during a robbery.

M. Emmet Walsh, 88

You may not know the name, but you definitely know this face.

Character actor M. Emmet Walsh showed up in more than 150 movies over his career, many of which have gone on to become classics: "Blade Runner," "Blood Simple," "Slap Shot," "Fletch," "The Jerk," "Back to School," "My Best Friend's Wedding," and "Knives Out."

He also has appeared in many popular TV shows over the decades, including "Home Improvement," "The X-Files," and "Frasier."

Walsh died on March 19. No cause was given.

Carl Weathers, 76

Thanks to his bravado and astounding physique, Weathers found fame when he was cast as heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in 1976's "Rocky."

The following years and decades brought more memorable roles, whether he was sizing up biceps with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987's "Predator," or trying to teach Adam Sandler how to play golf in 1996's "Happy Gilmore."

Most recently, he played Greef Karga in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian." Along with appearing in front of the camera, he also showcased his talents behind it, directing multiple episodes.

Jerry West, 86

You can give several examples to show just how great a basketball player Jerry West was. He won an NBA title, an Olympic gold medal, and is the only player on the losing team of an NBA Finals to be named MVP.

But there's one that overshadows all of these accomplishments: he was the logo.

That's right. The actual NBA logo is a silhouette of Jerry West dribbling a basketball.

Known for his tenacious play and ability to score in the clutch, West was one of the stars in the NBA before its enormous popularity in the 1970s, when players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and later, Michael Jordan, became household names.

After his retirement, West became an executive of the Los Angeles Lakers and was instrumental in the "Showtime" Lakers' championship dynasty through the 1980s. He made the key signings to get Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant to the Lakers, creating another dynasty in the early 2000s.

West died on June 12. No cause was given.

Chuck Woolery, 83

Woolery entertained audiences for decades as host of many popular game shows,

After trying to find fame as a musician and actor, he finally found his niche in the burgeoning game show space in the 1970s.

He was the original "Wheel of Fortune" host when it launched in 1975. He followed that hosting "The Love Connection," "Scrabble," and "The Dating Game."

Woolery died on November 23. No cause was given.

• Adam Fletcher left San Francisco for Philadelphia in 2022.
• The product engineer was initially nervous about abandoning the tech hub for an East Coast locale.
• But Fletcher found a renewable energy job in the city and loves Philly's culture and cost of living.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Adam Fletcher, a 28-year-old product engineer who moved from San Francisco, California, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in November 2022. According to NerdWallet, the cost of living in Philly is about 40% less than in San Francisco.

The following has been lightly edited for clarity.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia and loved it. But when it came time for college, I was accepted into Stanford.

I've always been really interested in green technology, renewable energy, and solar stuff. I studied material science engineering as an undergrad, and then I stayed for a fifth year and got my master's degree in electrical engineering.

After graduating, I spent almost three years living in the Bay Area, working at Applied Materials, a semiconductor company. I lived in San Francisco, right on the edge of Mission and Portero Hill, and commuted to work in Santa Clara.

Silicon Valley was a hub of innovation

In the 2010s and early 2020s, California was the place to be if you wanted to do tech, engineering, or renewable energy.

At Applied Materials, I was learning how to be an engineer in the real world. But I wasn't working on energy efficiency or renewable energy, which was my dream.

I found that I was clashing with the culture of Silicon Valley. There are a ton of amazing people there, but generally speaking, I felt like people could be "fake nice." I attributed that attitude to the Silicon Valley atmosphere. I don't want to call it cutthroat, but it was tough at times to join a community of really driven people who would sometimes drive themselves over the edge.

I'm more of a "go-at-your-own-pace" kind of person. I don't think 16-hour days are a path to success.

In Silicon Valley, you have a lot of Google people, a lot of Meta people, and, at the time I was there, a lot of Tesla people. And that's the core of who they are. I grew tired of the way people would define themselves by their jobs rather than who they are as a person.

Leaving California was always in the back of my mind

After graduating, I was worried I would have to choose between staying in California and having a career I liked or leaving California and having a career I didn't like. The career opportunities in Silicon Valley seemed more abundant.

But ending up with a career that wasn't what I wanted while I was in California helped push me to take the next step.

In 2022, I started applying to East Coast jobs, specifically looking for roles in renewable energy.

I got an offer from my current workplace, Carbon Reform, in September 2022. They're a Philadelphia-based startup working on sustainability. It was right up my alley.

I moved back and started at the end of November 2022.

I definitely had some nerves before moving. I was questioning whether this was right for my career. The sustainability hub is in Silicon Valley, and moving to the other side of the country felt like I was separating myself from that.

But I was also so excited. It felt surreal that I had found something I wanted to do, and I got the bonus of being on the East Coast.

At Carbon Reform, we're working on devices that connect to HVAC systems in existing office buildings. They remove the carbon dioxide from the workspace air and allow you to recycle the air without having to bring in new air from outside.

I love my work now. I'm feeling a lot more fulfilled.

Philadelphia is much more affordable

It was so expensive to live in California. I had to live with two roommates to afford the cost of living, and that was for a spot on the edge of San Francisco.

Now, I have my own space in Philly. I pay about the same as I was paying in California, where I was splitting with three people.

I moved to a Philly neighborhood called Rittenhouse. It's a combination of older people and a bunch of young professionals and grad students who live there. There's always something to do around here. It's close to a huge park where they have shows and dining. It's a great way to meet new people and not break the bank.

We also have an incredible sports scene here. Between the Eagles and the Phillies, sometimes Philadelphia feels like a big college town.

Philly's tech and business scene is growing.

We have the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University right in the city. There are incredible students coming out of those schools.

I think the city has started taking advantage of all those really intelligent people. It seems like Philadelphia is putting in the work to try to keep them.

That said, Philly still seems like a little secret sometimes. I don't want to tell everybody about it because once the secret is out, people will move here, and costs will go up.

It's in a really unique pocket location-wise. You have the financial capital of New York nearby and the political capital of DC close, too. You get the benefits of both without the negative effects.

I miss parts of California sometimes. I miss my friends and the access to incredible types of food.

But my hope is to stay in Philly for the long term. As long as I have a job and am getting paid what I think I should be making, my goal is to be here.