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Tag: people

  • ‘It’s a fun job’: Neighbors help rid sidewalks of snow and ice for free

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    With all the snow and ice still on the streets after Sunday’s storm, one mayor in Maryland asked for volunteers to help clear sidewalks.For middle and high school students in Baltimore, it’s a chance to get credit for volunteer hours. For adults, it’s just the satisfaction of being a neighbor helping a neighbor.Volunteers come armed with shovels and clear walkways within minutes. They’re part of the Baltimore City Snow Corps, and their job is to break the ice and clear the snow — free of charge for homeowners.”I’m not going to lie. It’s very tedious. I (have fun) doing it,” said Joel Rodgers-Turner, a Snow Corps volunteer.”A mess. It’s just a mess. You have to really dig it up and take your time, though,” said Martrell Marshall, another volunteer.The program started with a call from Mayor Brandon Scott.”We are asking for people to help their neighbor. We want volunteers to help shovel out their neighbors across the city of Baltimore,” Scott said in a video posted to Instagram.”Mayor Brandon Scott. Big encouragement to come outside to help Baltimore City,” said Jordan Carter.Volunteers sign up and go to those in need — older adults, people with disabilities and others who may not be able to pick up a shovel and clear snow and ice from sidewalks.”The trucks are doing what they have to do on the streets, so we have to do what we have to do,” Carter said. “When you bring people help, they may help someone else. It’s better when we all come together and get it done. It’s going to get done a lot faster.”The group of volunteers said it has removed snow outside of 60 houses and off 80 cars throughout 12-hour shifts.”We do it quick, like 15 minutes. We’ll be in and out,” said Donta Crosby. “It’s really fun. It’s a fun job. I encourage everybody to volunteer and do it, too.”When volunteers aren’t working, they’re singing about the volunteer job they do.

    With all the snow and ice still on the streets after Sunday’s storm, one mayor in Maryland asked for volunteers to help clear sidewalks.

    For middle and high school students in Baltimore, it’s a chance to get credit for volunteer hours. For adults, it’s just the satisfaction of being a neighbor helping a neighbor.

    Volunteers come armed with shovels and clear walkways within minutes. They’re part of the Baltimore City Snow Corps, and their job is to break the ice and clear the snow — free of charge for homeowners.

    “I’m not going to lie. It’s very tedious. I (have fun) doing it,” said Joel Rodgers-Turner, a Snow Corps volunteer.

    “A mess. It’s just a mess. You have to really dig it up and take your time, though,” said Martrell Marshall, another volunteer.

    The program started with a call from Mayor Brandon Scott.

    “We are asking for people to help their neighbor. We want volunteers to help shovel out their neighbors across the city of Baltimore,” Scott said in a video posted to Instagram.

    “Mayor Brandon Scott. Big encouragement to come outside to help Baltimore City,” said Jordan Carter.

    Volunteers sign up and go to those in need — older adults, people with disabilities and others who may not be able to pick up a shovel and clear snow and ice from sidewalks.

    “The trucks are doing what they have to do on the streets, so we have to do what we have to do,” Carter said. “When you bring people help, they may help someone else. It’s better when we all come together and get it done. It’s going to get done a lot faster.”

    The group of volunteers said it has removed snow outside of 60 houses and off 80 cars throughout 12-hour shifts.

    “We do it quick, like 15 minutes. We’ll be in and out,” said Donta Crosby. “It’s really fun. It’s a fun job. I encourage everybody to volunteer and do it, too.”

    When volunteers aren’t working, they’re singing about the volunteer job they do.

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  • Silicon Valley is driving users to ditch keyboards and spend hours talking to their tech

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    Gavin McNamara has abandoned his keyboard and spends all day talking rather than typing.

    He speaks for hours with his computer and phone, sending emails, writing presentations, posting on LinkedIn and even coding through conversations using an AI dictation app from San Francisco startup, Wispr Flow.

    The AI punctuates, formats and adapts his rambling into coherent copy. McNamara averages 125 words per minute, which is twice the average typing speed.

    “At this point, anything that could be done by typing, I do by speaking,” said the 32-year-old, founder of software agency Why Not Us. “I just talk.”

    Across 77 apps, he has dictated nearly 300,000 words in the past five months — that’s equivalent to writing three novels.

    California’s tech titans and startups are at the forefront of a movement to use AI and the large language models they are based on to push people to interact with technology using their voices rather than their fingers.

    “AI and LLMs have changed the dynamic,” said CJ Pais, the San Diego-based creator of free voice-to-text dictation app Handy. “Using your voice is much faster than typing.”

    A mix of independent developers and startups, including Handy, San Fransico’s Wispr Flow and Willow and others, have sprung up to offer accurate voice interaction with artificial intelligence.

    The biggest names in tech are also creating new ways for people to partner with AI. Meta’s latest smart glasses rely on voice. OpenAI and Meta have designed distinct personalities for their bots’ voice chats. Even Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are undergoing AI upgrades, which the companies anticipate will have everyone talking to their tech much more.

    These free and paid methods for using spoken words with computers have attracted millions of users, including coders, executive assistants, lawyers, content creators, and medical practitioners. Some optimists think the keyboard could become obsolete.

    “I’m excited to announce that we’ve removed keyboards from the most prestigious television awards in the world,” Allan Guo, the founder of Willow, said in a post on LinkedIn, noting that the Emmy Awards team used Willow’s voice dictation for sending Slack messages and clearing inboxes faster in preparation for the 2026 awards.

    Over the years, big tech companies have adapted many of their products with voice-first features – for convenience. Today’s pivot away from voice as an accessibility feature to a productivity tool.

    In late 2022, the maker of ChatGPT started giving away unfettered acccess to its automatic speech recognition model called Whisper, trained on 680,000 hours of multilingual data. OpenAI shared the tech for accurate audio transcription, once a closely guarded big tech secret. Anyone could now download and run high-quality AI transcription for free on their laptop.

    The new wave of AI dictation apps uses Whisper as the foundation and builds on top to offer live dictation. While there are free alternatives, paid subscription costs between $8 and $12 a month.

    AI-powered dictation is now gaining a toehold among programmers and regular users – and getting people to talk to their laptops. Be it writing emails, sending SMS, designing a website, or giving AIs tasks, early adopters say dictation allow them to work faster, think more clearly, and be more productive.

    “The people who’ve adopted voice heavily aren’t going back. Once you’re talking 20 hours a week to your laptop, typing feels like friction,” said Naveen Naidu, the general manager of New York-based voice dictation app Monologue. “Where I think it’s heading: voice becomes the delegation layer. You speak your intent, and things happen.”

    These new AI dictation apps leverage Apple’s advanced chips on iPhones and Macs to run private on-device dictation.

    Geoffrey Huntley, an independent software developer, switched almost completely to voice for work in June.

    He often starts projects by opening a voice prompt and asking the AI to interview him about his concerns and project requirements before any code is generated.

    “I speak to it, like I’m riffing in a jazz band, backwards, forwards, backwards, forwards,” Huntley said. This vocal dance helps refine the specifications, then the AI takes the wheel, and builds software.

    Beyond coding, Huntley uses voice to “let it rip” when capturing blog post ideas or messaging, using apps like Superwhisper or Whisper Flow to get a “first dump” of thoughts before moving to a keyboard for final editing.

    A growing number of software developers in Silicon Valley are dictating coding instructions for hours at a time instead of typing. The combination of rapidly advancing AI agents that can code for hours, with voice inputs capturing thoughts faster than typing, has boosted their productivity.

    Self-described “vibe coder” McNamara built over 25 web apps in a few months, a speed of development that would be impossible without voice instructions.

    “I don’t think that [typing], by any means, would be even efficient or effective to get there as fast as I did with talking,” McNamara said.

    He used a meandering conversation and a few hours to get AI to build Sprout Gifts, a gifting registry for kids, and an app to appraise any items via photos.

    To be sure, AI can make mistakes, and its work needs to be checked.

    Meanwhile, wide adoption has brought new inconveniences, as even power users feel awkward talking to their laptops. Crowded open offices are not designed for many people to be conversing with their computers at the same time.

    “Love voice, but not in an office setting,” said one user on X. “I dislike talking around other people. I would do it in a closed-door office, or go work in my car.”

    McNamara uses headphones so people assume he is on a call.

    “It’s like the social hack that I have,” he said.

    While it is too early to call whether and when the Qwerty keyboard might follow the ticker-tape and fax machines into obsolescence, the velocity toward voice is accelerating, said Dylan Fox, founder of San Francisco-based Assembly AI, which offers audio models to companies.

    “We’re definitely in the beginning of what we think of as like this 10 to 100x increase in demand for voice, AI applications and interfaces,” he said.

    For the coder, McNamara, talking more to chatbots has made him a better buddy.

    He used to be bad at responding to texts. Now he gets back to friends right away.

    “I am so quick to respond, they are like ‘Who’s this guy?’” he said.

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    Nilesh Christopher

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  • US appeals court says Secretary Noem’s decision to end protections for Venezuelans in US was illegal

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    A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended legal protections that gave hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela permission to live and work in the United States.A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans.The decision, however, will not have any immediate practical effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in October allowed Noem’s decision to take effect pending a final decision by the justices.An email late Wednesday night to the Department of Homeland Security was not immediately returned.The 9th Circuit panel also upheld the lower court’s finding that Noem exceeded her authority when she decided to end TPS early for hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti.A federal judge in Washington is expected to rule any day now on a request to pause the termination of TPS for Haiti while a separate lawsuit challenging it proceeds. The country’s TPS designation is scheduled to end on Feb. 3.Ninth Circuit Judges Kim Wardlaw, Salvador Mendoza, Jr. and Anthony Johnstone said in Wednesday’s ruling that the TPS legislation passed by Congress did not give the secretary the power to vacate an existing TPS designation. All three judges were nominated by Democratic presidents.“The statute contains numerous procedural safeguards that ensure individuals with TPS enjoy predictability and stability during periods of extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home country,” Judge Kim Wardlaw, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, wrote for the panel.Wardlaw said Noem’s “unlawful actions have had real and significant consequences” for Venezuelans and Haitians in the United States who rely on TPS.“The record is replete with examples of hard-working, contributing members of society — who are mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and partners of U.S. citizens, pay taxes, and have no criminal records — who have been deported or detained after losing their TPS,” she wrote.Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, authorized by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990, allows the Homeland Security secretary to grant legal immigration status to people fleeing countries experiencing civil strife, environmental disaster or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent a safe return to that home country.Designations are granted for terms of six, 12 or 18 months, and extensions can be granted so long as conditions remain dire. The status prevents holders from being deported and allows them to work, but it does not give them a path to citizenship.In ending the protections, Noem said that conditions in both Haiti and Venezuela had improved and that it was not in the national interest to allow immigrants from the two countries to stay on for what is a temporary program.Millions of Venezuelans have fled political unrest, mass unemployment and hunger. The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.Haiti was first designated for TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of people, and left more than 1 million homeless. Haitians face widespread hunger and gang violence.Mendoza wrote separately that there was “ample evidence of racial and national origin animus” that reinforced the lower court’s conclusion that Noem’s decisions were “preordained and her reasoning pretextual.”“It is clear that the Secretary’s vacatur actions were not actually grounded in substantive policy considerations or genuine differences with respect to the prior administration’s TPS procedures, but were instead rooted in a stereotype-based diagnosis of immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti as dangerous criminals or mentally unwell,” he wrote.Attorneys for the government have argued the secretary has clear and broad authority to make determinations related to the TPS program and those decisions are not subject to judicial review. They have also denied that her actions were motived by racial animus.

    A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended legal protections that gave hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela permission to live and work in the United States.

    A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans.

    The decision, however, will not have any immediate practical effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in October allowed Noem’s decision to take effect pending a final decision by the justices.

    An email late Wednesday night to the Department of Homeland Security was not immediately returned.

    The 9th Circuit panel also upheld the lower court’s finding that Noem exceeded her authority when she decided to end TPS early for hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti.

    A federal judge in Washington is expected to rule any day now on a request to pause the termination of TPS for Haiti while a separate lawsuit challenging it proceeds. The country’s TPS designation is scheduled to end on Feb. 3.

    Ninth Circuit Judges Kim Wardlaw, Salvador Mendoza, Jr. and Anthony Johnstone said in Wednesday’s ruling that the TPS legislation passed by Congress did not give the secretary the power to vacate an existing TPS designation. All three judges were nominated by Democratic presidents.

    “The statute contains numerous procedural safeguards that ensure individuals with TPS enjoy predictability and stability during periods of extraordinary and temporary conditions in their home country,” Judge Kim Wardlaw, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, wrote for the panel.

    Wardlaw said Noem’s “unlawful actions have had real and significant consequences” for Venezuelans and Haitians in the United States who rely on TPS.

    “The record is replete with examples of hard-working, contributing members of society — who are mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and partners of U.S. citizens, pay taxes, and have no criminal records — who have been deported or detained after losing their TPS,” she wrote.

    Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, authorized by Congress as part of the Immigration Act of 1990, allows the Homeland Security secretary to grant legal immigration status to people fleeing countries experiencing civil strife, environmental disaster or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent a safe return to that home country.

    Designations are granted for terms of six, 12 or 18 months, and extensions can be granted so long as conditions remain dire. The status prevents holders from being deported and allows them to work, but it does not give them a path to citizenship.

    In ending the protections, Noem said that conditions in both Haiti and Venezuela had improved and that it was not in the national interest to allow immigrants from the two countries to stay on for what is a temporary program.

    Millions of Venezuelans have fled political unrest, mass unemployment and hunger. The country is mired in a prolonged crisis brought on by years of hyperinflation, political corruption, economic mismanagement and an ineffectual government.

    Haiti was first designated for TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of people, and left more than 1 million homeless. Haitians face widespread hunger and gang violence.

    Mendoza wrote separately that there was “ample evidence of racial and national origin animus” that reinforced the lower court’s conclusion that Noem’s decisions were “preordained and her reasoning pretextual.”

    “It is clear that the Secretary’s vacatur actions were not actually grounded in substantive policy considerations or genuine differences with respect to the prior administration’s TPS procedures, but were instead rooted in a stereotype-based diagnosis of immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti as dangerous criminals or mentally unwell,” he wrote.

    Attorneys for the government have argued the secretary has clear and broad authority to make determinations related to the TPS program and those decisions are not subject to judicial review. They have also denied that her actions were motived by racial animus.

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  • Top Trump officials’ reversal on Minneapolis shooting: Policy change or damage control?

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    Minneapolis — Key Republicans in the Trump administration are retreating from their blanket defense of Border Patrol agents who fatally shot a U.S. citizen Saturday on a Minneapolis street, part of a larger effort by the White House to turn down the temperature after the killing provoked widespread outrage.

    But it remains unclear whether the tamping down of Republican rhetoric is just damage control after the shooting, or whether it will usher in a more fundamental scaling back of President Trump’s hard-line immigration crackdown in American cities from Los Angeles to Chicago.

    In Minneapolis, there were few signs of a reduction in force on the streets, where tensions have been high since the shooting.

    On Wednesday morning, protesters gathered outside the federal Whipple Building, the epicenter of immigration activity in the city, as a steady stream of federal agents entered and exited.

    “Traitor!” one woman yelled out to a car driven by masked agents.

    “Murderers!” a man said.

    As Richi Mead, dressed in a neon vest that labeled him as a peaceful observer (“DON’T SHOOT”), tracked federal vehicles coming in and out, he said he did not believe there had been a reduction in the number of federal immigration agents in his city. The rate of cars he saw Wednesday, he said, was “business as usual.”

    “They’ve entrenched themselves here,” he said of federal agents. “There’s no end to this — and there’s no end to Minnesotans showing up.”

    As a growing number of Republicans have joined Democrats to protest Alex Pretti’s killing and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faces increasing criticism, Trump has expressed a desire to “de-escalate a little bit.”

    Senior officials — such as Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor — have backtracked on their initial defense of the federal agents who fired the fatal shots.

    Just a few hours after Border Patrol agents shot the 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse Saturday in Minneapolis, Miller said on X: “An assassin tried to murder federal agents.”

    But that statement, along with others made by Noem, were contradicted by cellphone videos showing Pretti was holding a phone, not a gun, when federal agents shoved him to the ground and shot him.

    On Tuesday, Miller issued a statement to CNN acknowledging that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents may have deviated from protocol before the fatal shooting. The White House had provided “clear guidance” to the Department of Homeland Security on how to handle protesters, or “disruptors,” Miller said.

    “We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller said.

    A White House spokesperson said that Miller was referring to general guidance given to Immigration and Customs Enforcement that extra personnel sent to Minnesota for force protection “should be used … to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.”

    Officials will examine why additional force-protection assets may not have been present to support the operation, the spokesperson said.

    On Wednesday, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson disclosed that two Border Patrol agents involved in the shooting had been placed on administrative leave Saturday.

    But top Republicans in the White House have yet to announce any major rollback of their aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.

    Kevin R. Johnson, a professor who specializes in immigration law at UC Davis, said it was too early to determine whether senior Trump officials are rethinking federal tactics or whether the shooting of Pretti will lead the president to scale back his immigration agenda.

    “We have seen a de-escalation in the last 24 hours, at least,” Johnson said. “But whether it’s going to stay with us, or be gone in 24 hours, it’s hard to say. I think it’ll stay around at least till the midterms.”

    After hearing Trump and Miller use harsh language for so long to refer to undocumented immigrants, Johnson said, it was impossible to predict how long a de-escalation of rhetoric would last.

    “They shift gears like they’re first-time drivers,” Johnson said of Trump’s senior officials. “They’re all over the place.”

    On Wednesday morning, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, who was visiting Minnesota, announced that 16 people whom she dubbed “rioters” were arrested and charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers.

    “We expect more arrests to come,” Bondi said on X. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law.”

    Outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, it was hard to tell what, if anything, had changed. Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies continued to provide security in the area. Demonstrators still showed up across the street. Encrypted neighborhood group chats continued to circulate information about possible sightings of immigration agents.

    Before noon, one chat advised that observers were needed at an address where Homeland Security agents “have person trapped in home who went back to house for documentation.”

    Lucas Guttentag, a professor of law at Stanford University who specializes in immigration, said senior Trump administration officials appeared to be admitting things have gone too far and “killing people in the street is unacceptable.”

    “But that’s a low bar; the fundamental policy hasn’t changed,” he said, noting that the administration did not appear to be changing its policy on illegal detention, terminating people’s status or racial profiling. “This is a tactical retreat, but not a change of policy.”

    Still, even as arrests continued, Johnson said it was a positive sign that Miller and Noem had turned down their rhetoric on Pretti’s killing, and that border policy advisor Tom Homan had met with the Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

    “That’s what we need here: some communication and some discussion in an effort to bring down the temperature,” Johnson said. “Because it’s not surprising to me that when you have people at the highest levels, including the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, talking in harsh terms, then you have ICE officers on the ground engaging in very aggressive, maybe illegal tactics.”

    Johnson said he would like to see the Trump administration withdraw some ICE officers from Minneapolis. Beyond that, he said the administration should ramp up its training of federal immigration agents and rethink roving patrols that targeted people, regardless of their legal status, based on their skin color.

    “That tactic has terrorized communities,” he said.

    Johnson was skeptical that the move to apparently oust Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and bring in Homan to lead the Minnesota operation would change much.

    “He’s a relatively aggressive immigration enforcement type as well,” Johnson said of Homan. “If he’s your peacemaker, it’s unclear to me whether he’s really going to make peace.”

    As Christine Hebl, 45, dropped off a handwritten note at a memorial erected at the site in south Minneapolis where Pretti was killed, she said she doubted that bringing Homan to Minnesota would lead to a reduction in immigration enforcement.

    The only change she had noticed so far had been an expansion outward toward the suburbs north of Minneapolis.

    “It’s a PR stunt in my mind,” she said. “I think that it’s going to continue or even potentially worsen. You cannot believe a single word that comes out of this regime’s mouths. It’s going to continue and I’m scared — I’m really scared.”

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    Jenny Jarvie, Andrea Castillo

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  • For these thrifters, their rental is 99% secondhand goods and that’s ‘part of the fun’

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    After moving to Los Angeles from Palo Alto in 2023 with only a standing desk and a bed frame, Tess van Hulsen and Andrew Chait learned quickly how to furnish an empty rental without buying anything new.

    Because they love thrifting, decorating together was actually fun for them.

    In this series, we spotlight L.A. rentals with style. From perfect gallery walls to temporary decor hacks, these renters get creative, even in small spaces. And Angelenos need the inspiration: Most are renters.

    Two years later, their love of thrifting, antiquing, bargaining and restoring has turned their Westwood rental into a showcase of “secondhand treasures,” says Van Hulsen, 28, who works as a commercial contract specialist.

    “I have always liked things that have history and character and a story behind them,” she says. “Each piece represents a store we love, a lucky find or a successful haggle that ended with us carrying home something with history.”

    Two people sit at a table on the rooftop of their condo.

    Andrew Chait and Tess van Hulsen relax on their condo rooftop, sitting on patio furniture they bought in Venice through Facebook Marketplace.

    Chait, meanwhile, enjoys the thrill of searching and bargaining. He likes making deals, and even if he walks away, he still feels like he’s won.

    “I’m good at finding value, and Tess has the eye for style,” says Chait, 32, who works as a development director. “It’s something we really enjoy doing together.”

    At a time when many millennials and Gen Z shoppers enjoy hunting for deals on secondhand items, Van Hulsen and Chait also wanted to avoid “fast furniture, poorly built materials and disposable design,” according to Van Hulsen. For them, gently used pieces make their rental feel special.

    “People my age are taking an interest in having heirlooms and traditional items,” Van Hulsen says as she points to a silver-plated trinket tray that holds her jewelry. “I think it’s really fun to entertain and bring stuff out when guests come over. It makes the table look nice, and the platters are great for bringing food upstairs when we entertain on our rooftop patio.”

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    An assortment of vintage items sit on shelves in a china cabinet.

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    A silver punch bowl and candlesticks on a dresser underneath an artwork.

    1. An assortment of vintage items on display in a hutch the couple purchased at the Santa Monica Flea Market. 2. Brass angel candlesticks scored for $2 apiece at a Palo Alto garage sale flank a silver-plated punch bowl. The couple purchased the lithograph in Beverly Hills through Facebook Marketplace.

    Except for a few family heirlooms and some small dressers from IKEA and West Elm, nearly everything in their condo is thrifted.

    In the living room, an elegant cream-colored linen sofa from the Home Consignment Center is the main piece. On either side are striped linen armchairs, and a wooden coffee table from Facebook Marketplace completes the look, giving the room a relaxed coastal feel.

    A blue vintage ashtray rests on top of a Cezanne book next to a vintage ceramic container on top a chest.

    A vintage ashtray Van Hulsen found on Etsy rests on top of a Cezanne book scored at a Palm Springs estate sale.

    Blue and white vintage fine china items sit in display case.

    Dutch ceramic figurines and Asian ginger jars from various estate sales and thrift stores.

    Next to the 2-year-old sofa is an antique Tiger Oak hutch from the Santa Monica Antique and Vintage Market. It’s filled with their thrifted finds including silver champagne buckets, candlesticks, colorful Mexican ceramics and a tall rotating server from the Council Shop, a thrift store chain that supports low-income women and families in Los Angeles.

    “It’s dangerous living so close to the Council Shop,” Chait says of the nonprofit, which is within walking distance of the couple’s rental. “We probably walk down there every two weeks or so.”

    As the couple walks through their home, they reminisce about how each item has its own story.

    A decorative metal cup holds toothbrushes and toothpaste on top of a silver dish inside the restroom.

    In the bathroom, a mint julep cup that was given as a trophy at the 1964 Peacock Hill National Horse show holds toothpaste and toothbrushes.

    “I knew we wanted a neutral couch,” Van Hulsen says of the sofa that was originally on hold when they first saw it. “Luckily, it is modular, so my mother-in-law and I took it home in pieces in two cars.”

    The china cabinet was discounted to $60 at the Santa Monica Antique and Vintage Market because it was missing some glass pieces. “We purchased it from a father and son who were so nice,” says Chait. “Tess and I couldn’t fit it in our car, so they delivered it to us for $40.”

    Adds Van Hulsen: “It’s narrow and the perfect size.”

    In the dining room corner next to a table and eight chairs from the UCLA Thrift Shop that they had to pick up in two trips sits a charming oak dresser with carved floral details. “I found it on the street during bulky item pickup day in Palo Alto and brought it down during a holiday car ride back,” van Hulsen says.

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    A matted frame with illustrations of St. Martin's Church and St. James' Palace in London.

    2

    Wooden figurines depict men

    3

    A bronze duck holds a business card.

    1. A matted frame with illustrations of St. Martin’s Church and St. James’ Palace in London. 2. Chait’s collection of vintage mechanical banks. 3. A bronze duck paperweight.

    She also found a vintage print of Windsor Castle, now hanging in the entryway, on the street in Palo Alto. “That was the furthest thing we have thrifted,” she says.

    Many of the accessories in their penthouse such as a bright blue Kitchen Aid mixer (which can cost up to $699 new), coffee-table books and a decorative clam shell remind the couple of their favorite place: Palm Springs.

    “Palm Springs is our happy place,” Van Hulsen says. “We often go there for a night or a long weekend, and there’s a reliable string of antique stores there that we love: Sunny Dunes Antique Mall and the Antique Galleries. We keep extending our thrifting to Rancho Mirage — we love Victoria’s Attic Antiques and Collectibles — and La Quinta, and we also go to estate sales.”

    Tess van Hulsen and Andrew Chait play cards inside their rental condo.

    The couple play Phase 10 on the dining room table they purchased from the UCLA Thrift Shop.

    Now that they’re settled, it’s easy to forget how tough it was to find a rental near Chait’s new job in Santa Monica. “It was hard,” Van Hulsen says. “It was around Christmas, and there wasn’t a lot available.”

    “People were making deals and offering to pay more than the listed rent,” says Chait.

    Eventually, they found a bright two-bedroom, two-bath unit in Westwood with high ceilings, a loft and a rooftop patio. “We applied to two other places before we saw this one. It was worth waiting for,” van Hulsen says.

    Chait grew up in L.A. and spent 10 years in the Bay Area. He believes buying secondhand from strangers is a great way to get to know the city. “When I went to buy a wine fridge from someone yesterday, we ended up talking about surfing for half an hour,” Chait says. “It’s fun to meet new people and hear the stories behind what they’re selling. Plus, exploring new parts of L.A. is always interesting.”

    A small figure of a dog sits by other vintage cocktail items.

    A ceramic beagle rests next to two silver toothpick holders.

    For them, sticking to a budget is a way to get creative. Whether it’s silver platters or things left out on the street during bulky item pickup day, the couple is always searching for stylish, affordable finds.

    The result is a surprisingly cohesive look with jute rugs, light woods and striped linens creating a relaxed California coastal vibe with touches of Palm Springs and France. “My mom has always been a thrifter,” says Van Hulsen. “When we lived in London for four years, we collected all sorts of bits and baubles.”

    “From the beginning, Tess and Andrew’s relationship was stitched together through a shared love for the hunt,” her mother Dana McCue said in an email. “Their weekends away were never just about the destination, but about the ‘treasures’ hidden in dusty corners and the thrill of the ‘find.’ Today, their beautiful Westwood Penthouse serves as a living gallery of their love story. Each curated piece is more than just decor; it is a physical milestone that captures their journey from that first shared discovery to the life they have built together.”

    A bedroom with a white coverlet.

    The couple’s bed and side tables are among the new items in their condo.

    Though some couples who are making a home together for the first time prefer to buy new furniture, Van Hulsen and Chait have stuck with secondhand pieces except for their upholstered panel bed, which they purchased at Living Spaces. “That is our only big furniture purchase,” Chait says. “Things are so expensive, and so many things fall apart. And besides, we like the stories. That’s what we get excited about: the story, talking to people, imagining the life it had before.”

    They have a dresser from the Venice Canals that Tess squeezed into her Jeep Cherokee, etchings from an estate sale in Carmel, a lamp from the Guy on Motor at Venice in Palms and a vintage mirror from San Diego. “We have thrifted all over California,” says Van Hulsen.

    Silver platters are everywhere: on side tables, under cabinets and also under the bed. “Stubbing my toe on silver is not that bad of a life,” she adds, laughing.

    1

    A vintage soldier decanter.

    2

    A vintage case of Navy Cut cigarettes.

    3

    Legos, a Nintendo Game Boy and figuring sit on top of a Sony Playstation 4 console

    4

    A bronze woman rest next to other second hand items on a wooden cabinet.

    5

    Leather-bound books are sandwiched in between brass duck bookends.

    1. A vintage soldier decanter. 2. A vintage case of Navy Cut cigarettes from Palm Springs. 3. Legos, a Nintendo Game Boy and figurine sit on top of a Sony Playstation 4 console. 4. A bronze woman purchased in Laurel Canyon rests to other thrifted items in the dining room. 5. Leather-bound books are sandwiched in between brass duck bookends the couple found at an estate sale in Northern California.

    Sometimes things don’t go as planned. For example, Chait recently bought a Frigidaire wine refrigerator for $100 on Facebook Marketplace, but when he got it home, he saw it was too big for their space. (They’re still trying to make it work.) Van Hulsen adds: “I’ve gotten some coffee tables that I ended up flipping because they didn’t work in our space.”

    Making a cheap mistake isn’t a big deal when you can just resell the item online.

    Now that their condo is furnished, do they have a rule about not bringing in too much stuff?

    A picture of Tess van Hulsen and Andrew Chait sits next to a painting of Manhattan Beach on top of a bedside table.

    A photograph of the couple rests next to a painting of Manhattan Beach the couple found on Facebook Marketplace.

    “You’re looking at him,” Van Hulsen says, grinning at her fiancé.

    “You’re making me sound like the bad guy!” Chait says, laughing.

    “That’s part of the fun,” Van Hulsen says as she brings over a sterling silver ice cream scoop engraved with “There’s nothing wrong with me that ice cream can’t fix” in barely perceptible cursive.

    “We’re never really done,” Van Hulsen says. “It’s exciting to find new things and imagine how they’ll fit in our home.”

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    Lisa Boone

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  • Commentary: They said Katie Porter was dead politically. I checked her pulse

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    SAN FRANCISCO — Katie Porter’s still standing, which is saying something.

    The last time a significant number of people tuned into California‘s low-frequency race for governor was in October, when Porter’s political obituary was being written in bold type.

    Immediately after a snappish and off-putting TV interview, Porter showed up in a years-old video profanely reaming a staff member for — the humanity! — straying into the video frame during her meeting with a Biden Cabinet member.

    Not a good look for a candidate already facing questions about her temperament and emotional regulation. (Hang on, gentle reader, we’ll get to that whole gendered double-standard thing in a moment.)

    The former Orange County congresswoman had played to the worst stereotypes and that was that. Her campaign was supposedly kaput.

    But, lo, these several months later, Porter remains positioned exactly where she’d been before, as one of the handful of top contenders in a race that remains stubbornly formless and utterly wide open.

    Did she ever think of exiting the contest, as some urged, and others plainly hoped to see? (The surfacing of that surly 2021 video, with the timing and intentionality of a one-two punch, was clearly not a coincidence.)

    No, she said, not for a moment.

    “Anyone who thinks that you can just push over Katie Porter has never tried to do it,” she said.

    Porter apologized and expressed remorse for her tetchy behavior. She promised to do better.

    “You definitely learn from your mistakes,” the Democrat said this week over a cup of chai in San Francisco’s Financial District. “I really have and I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how do I show Californians who I am and that I really care about people who work for me. I need to earn back their trust and that’s what campaigns are literally about.”

    She makes no excuse for acting churlish and wouldn’t bite when asked about that double standard — though she did allow as how Democratic leader John Burton, who died not long before people got busy digging Porter’s grave, was celebrated for his gruff manner and lavish detonation of f-bombs.

    “It was a reminder,” she said, pivoting to the governor’s race, “that there have been other politicians who come on hot, come on strong and fight for what’s right and righteous and California has embraced them.”

    Voters, she said, “want someone who will not back down.”

    Porter warmed to the subject.

    “If you are never gonna hurt anyone’s feelings, you are never gonna take [JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive] Jamie Dimon to task for not thinking about how his workers can’t afford to make ends meet. If you want everyone to love you, you are never gonna say to a big pharma CEO, ‘You didn’t make this cancer drug anymore. You just got richer, right?’ That is a feistiness that I’m proud of.”

    At the same, Porter suggested, she wants to show there’s more to her persona than the whiteboard-wielding avenger that turned her into a viral sensation. The inquisitorial stance was, she said, her role as a congressional overseer charged with holding people accountable. Being governor is different. More collaborative. Less confrontational.

    Her campaign approach has been to “call everyone, go everywhere” — even places Porter may not be welcomed — to listen and learn, build relationships and show “my ability to craft a compromise, my ability to learn and to change my mind.”

    “All of that is really hard to convey,” she said, “in those whiteboard moments.”

    The rap on this year’s pack of gubernatorial hopefuls is they’re a collective bore, as though the lack of A-list sizzle and failure to throw off sparks is some kind of mortal sin.

    Porter doesn’t buy that.

    “When we say boring, I think what we’re really saying is ‘I’m not 100% sure how all this is going to work out.’ People are waiting for some thing to happen, some coronation of our next governor. We’re not gonna have that.”

    Gavin Newsom, she noted, was a high-profile former San Francisco mayor who spent eight years as lieutenant governor before winning the state’s top job. His predecessor was the dynastic Jerry Brown.

    None of those running this time have that political pedigree, or the Sacramento backgrounds of Newsom or Brown, which, Porter suggested, is not a bad thing.

    “I actually think this race has the potential to be really, really exciting for California,” she said. “… I think everyone in this race comes in with a little bit of a fresh energy, and I think that’s really good and healthy.”

    Crowding into the conversation was, inevitably, Donald Trump, the sun around which today’s entire political universe turns.

    Of course, Porter said, as governor she would stand up to the president. His administration’s actions in Minneapolis have been awful. His stalling on disaster relief for California is grotesque.

    But, she said, Trump didn’t cause last year’s firestorm. He didn’t make housing in California obscenely expensive for the last many decades.

    “When my children say ‘I don’t know if I want to go to college in California because we don’t have enough dorm housing,’ Trump has done plenty of horrible attacks on higher ed,” Porter said. “But that’s a homegrown problem that we need to tackle.”

    Indeed, she’s “very leery of anyone who does not acknowledge that we had problems and policy challenges long before Donald Trump ever raised his orange head on the political horizon.”

    Although California needs “someone who’s going to [buffer] us against Trump,” Porter said, “you can’t make that an excuse for why you are not tackling these policy changes that need to be.”

    She hadn’t finished her tea, but it was time to go. Porter gathered her things.

    She’d just spoken at an Urban League forum in San Francisco and was heading across the Bay Bridge to address union workers in Oakland.

    The June 2 primary is some ways off. But Porter remains in the fight.

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    Mark Z. Barabak

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  • Shoveling snow? Over-exertion and cold temps can raise your heart risks

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    Shoveling snow? Over-exertion and cold temps can raise your heart risks

    ON SATURDAY. TIP OFF FOR THAT GAME IS EIGHT. MIGHT HAVE TO DIG OUT IF YOU’RE HEADED TO THAT GAME. THE SNOW STILL FALLING. BUT FOR A LOT OF US MAYBE ALREADY STARTED OR WILL CONTINUE DOING IS THAT TASK OF SHOVELING. AND WHILE IT MAY BE LIGHT SNOW, THERE ARE STILL IMPORTANT HEALTH REMINDERS TO KEEP IN MIND. DOCTOR JORGE PLUTZKY IS THE DIRECTOR OF PREVENTATIVE CARDIOLOGY AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL. DOCTOR PLUTZKY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS MORNING. SURE. THANK YOU. WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT MOST WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE HEADING OUT TO MOVE ALL OF THAT SNOW AROUND? WELL, FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT MAY BE THE FIRST TIME THEY’RE EXERTING THEMSELVES TO THAT LEVEL. AND WE KNOW THAT SHOVELING SNOW IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF EXERTION. YOU CAN VERY QUICKLY. STUDIES SUGGEST WITHIN TEN MINUTES REACH 100% OF YOUR MAXIMUM HEART RATE. AND SO FOR PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE OR JUST RISK FACTORS, THAT CAN BE QUITE AN EXERTION. IT’S LIKE SETTLING, DOING A MAXIMAL STRESS TEST AND BRINGING ON ISSUES RELATED TO THAT. DOC, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WARNING SIGNS THAT FOLKS OUT THERE MIGHT BE? YOU KNOW, WE TOUGH NEW ENGLANDERS WILL SAY, WELL, WE’LL WORK THROUGH IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SOMETHING MAY BE SERIOUSLY HAPPENING AND YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A BREAK, HEAD ON INSIDE FOR A BIT. YES. YOU KNOW, THE CLASSIC SIGNS OF CHEST PAIN AND PERHAPS ASSOCIATED SHORTNESS OF BREATH, NAUSEA, RADIATION DOWN THE ARMS ARE CERTAINLY VERY VALID. BUT WE ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION TO MORE SUBTLE SIGNS LIKE CHEST PRESSURE, ACHING IN THE JAW, JUST THE THE NAUSEA CAN STILL BE RELEVANT. AND SO LISTENING TO YOUR BODY SLOWING DOWN, TAKING BREAKS AND STOPPING IF YOU’RE FEELING ANY OF THOSE IS GOOD ADVICE AND HIGHLY WARRANTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE OUT THERE IN THE COLD, WHICH MAY BE ITS OWN FACTOR FOR WHY THESE ISSUES ARISE. THE COLD CAN CONSTRICT ARTERIES AND MAKE THINGS WORSE, AND THERE REALLY IS NO MESSING AROUND WITH THIS. AND WE KNOW HEART ISSUES PRESENT DIFFERENTLY. BUT ARE THERE? AND MAYBE YOU JUST SPOKE ABOUT THIS MORE SUBTLE SIGNS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO DURING THIS KIND OF WEATHER. YEAH, IT’S THINGS LIKE I’M FEELING MORE SHORT OF BREATH THAN I THAN I WOULD EXPECT TO BE. I’M HAVING AN ACHE IN MY JAW OR IN MY NECK THAT IS SURPRISING AND FEELS DIFFERENT. THESE ARE ALL SIGNS TO PAY ATTENTION TO AND TO NOT PUSH IT, TO SORT THAT OUT. THE. THERE ARE VARIOUS STRATEGIES PEOPLE CAN TAKE TO HAVE LESS OF A LOAD, LIKE TAKING BREAKS, COVERING YOUR MOUTH SO YOU WARM THE AIR THAT’S ON ITS WAY IN TO NOT NECESSARILY SHOVEL AND LIFT, BECAUSE USING YOUR ARMS IS MORE OF AN EXERTION, BUT TO PUSH AND TO TO SWIPE. BUT YOU REALLY DO WANT TO LISTEN TO ANY, ANY SENSE YOU HAVE THAT SOMETHING’S OFF. INCLUDING THESE OTHER, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT ATYPICAL SYMPTOMS THAT AREN’T CLASSIC CHEST PAIN. EVEN THAT CHEST PRESSURE CAN BE A SIGN. IT’S BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE WE HAD THIS AMOUNT OF SNOW, SO MAYBE FOLKS HAVEN’T HAD TO FACE IT FOR A WHILE. DOCTOR GEORGE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CARDIOLOGIST WITH MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM, WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.


    By The Associated Press undefined

    Digging out from the weekend’s massive snow and ice storm could be hazardous to your heart.Pennsylvania health officials announced three snow-removal-related deaths on Sunday. All were between the ages of 60 and 84. The Lehigh County coroner’s office cautioned people to take breaks and avoid over-exerting themselves.Shoveling snow is heavy, hard work — research has shown that doing it for even a short time can make the heart work as hard as it does during a major workout. Adding to that stress, the cold temperatures cause blood vessels, including those feeding the heart, to constrict. That raises blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.Snow shoveling is especially risky for anyone with known heart disease or who’s already survived a heart attack, as well as older adults and people with risk factors, including high blood pressure or cholesterol. People who think they’re healthy can get in trouble, too, with that combination of heavy exertion in cold weather – especially if they’re generally sedentary until a snowstorm comes along.The heart association advises that if you have to shovel, go slow and try to push the snow instead of lifting and throwing it. It also urges people to learn common warning signs of a heart attack and to call 911 if they experience them.

    Digging out from the weekend’s massive snow and ice storm could be hazardous to your heart.

    Pennsylvania health officials announced three snow-removal-related deaths on Sunday. All were between the ages of 60 and 84. The Lehigh County coroner’s office cautioned people to take breaks and avoid over-exerting themselves.

    Shoveling snow is heavy, hard work — research has shown that doing it for even a short time can make the heart work as hard as it does during a major workout. Adding to that stress, the cold temperatures cause blood vessels, including those feeding the heart, to constrict. That raises blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.

    Snow shoveling is especially risky for anyone with known heart disease or who’s already survived a heart attack, as well as older adults and people with risk factors, including high blood pressure or cholesterol. People who think they’re healthy can get in trouble, too, with that combination of heavy exertion in cold weather – especially if they’re generally sedentary until a snowstorm comes along.

    The heart association advises that if you have to shovel, go slow and try to push the snow instead of lifting and throwing it. It also urges people to learn common warning signs of a heart attack and to call 911 if they experience them.

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  • Olympic snowboarder accused of running drug cartel pleads not guilty in L.A. hearing

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    Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who allegedly became the head of a billion-dollar drug trafficking organization, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges against him Monday and was ordered detained as his case proceeds.

    Wedding, who authorities say was in hiding for more than a decade and on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list, was arrested last week. He faces 17 felonies in two separate indictments.

    During the court hearing at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana, Wedding, who wore a beige jail uniform and black Crocs, scanned the gallery and occasionally smirked. Hulking and tattooed, the 6-foot-3 Wedding towered over his attorney and the deputy marshals standing guard in the courtroom.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Early ordered Wedding jailed without bond and set the next hearing for Feb. 11.

    The judge set a tentative trial date in March, although Wedding’s attorney, Anthony Colombo, said it would likely take more time for the case to unfold.

    Colombo did not argue for his client’s release on Monday afternoon, later citing “the whirlwind” Wedding had experienced since his apprehension.

    “It takes time to put the sureties in place, to have the information for the court to establish that there’s a condition or combination of conditions that could secure his release,” Colombo told reporters. “We were not in the position today to do that and we anticipate addressing that at a later date.”

    Colombo said he first met with his client several days ago, after his arrival in the U.S., and described him as being “in good spirits.” Colombo disputed claims from federal authorities that Wedding had been in hiding out in Mexico.

    “Hiding out and living somewhere are two different things,” Colombo said. “I would characterize him as living, the government can characterize it their way.”

    Colombo added that his client was arrested and “he did not surrender.”

    Wedding, who was known by many aliases, including “El Jefe” and “Public Enemy,” is accused of becoming a major trafficker of cocaine into Canada and the United States and a ruthless leader who ordered killings, including one of a witness in a 2024 federal narcotics case against him. The alleged order resulted in the victim being shot to death in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January 2025, prosecutors said.

    The former Olympic snowboarder was charged in a 2024 indictment with running a continuing criminal enterprise, assorted drug trafficking charges and directing the murders of two members of a family in Canada in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment.

    “Just to tell you how bad of a guy Ryan Wedding is, he went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco trafficker in modern times,” Patel said in a news conference Friday announcing the arrest. “He is a modern-day El Chapo, he is a modern-day Pablo Escobar. And he thought he could evade justice.”

    When questioned about authorities likening his client to El Chapo and Pablo Escobar, Colombo said, “I think it’s overstated, that’s their spin.”

    Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said last week that Wedding’s alleged global drug trafficking organization “used Los Angeles as its primary point of distribution.”

    Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI field office, said after Wedding’s capture that his alleged organization shipped approximately 60 metric tons of cocaine through Southern California on its way to Canada.

    Authorities have arrested 36 people in connection with their role in the transnational organization and the U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned 19 people, including Wedding, according to Davis.

    Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi previously said Wedding’s operation was responsible for generating more than $1 billion a year in illegal drug proceeds.

    Wedding competed for his home country, Canada, in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

    An experienced attorney, Colombo previously represented Rubén Oseguera González, also known as “El Menchito,” the son of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

    Oseguera González was sentenced last year to a term of life in prison plus 30 years to run consecutively for his role in a major drug trafficking conspiracy.

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    Brittny Mejia

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  • How leaders like Jamie Dimon and Microsoft president Brad Smith are trying to ease employee anxiety about AI | Fortune

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    Good morning. As artificial intelligence reshapes how people work, some business leaders are betting less on replacing employees—and more on helping them adapt to the technology.

    Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the U.S.’s largest bank, has emerged as one of the most vocal executives urging caution about AI’s impact on jobs. Dimon expects to employ fewer workers in the next five years, but he warned that rushing into AI-driven layoffs without safeguards could backfire, potentially triggering “civil unrest,” he said recently while speaking at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Fortune reported.

    Dimon said he would even welcome government bans on replacing large numbers of workers with AI if that were necessary to “save society.” He also insisted that companies must plan for the human consequences of automation. “I have a plan to retrain people, relocate people, income-assist people,” Dimon said of the 300,000-plus employees on his payroll.

    Regarding the AI boom set to take hold in enterprises, there is significant computing power needed to underpin it all. For more on that topic, I recommend a Fortune feature by my colleague Sharon Goldman, “At the edges of the AI data center boom, rural America is up against Silicon Valley billions.”

    Building a future where AI uplifts human talent

    Dimon is not alone in calling for AI strategies that put people at the center. Also in Davos, Microsoft President Brad Smith took on what he described as a defining question for leaders during a Harvard Business Review executive panel session: “Can technology be a platform that enables people to get better?” He framed the future of work as a race between humans and machines. “If we’re just going to say today, ‘the best we are today is the best we’re ever going to be,’ then computers will outpace us,” he said.

    Smith argued that the outcome changes if each advance in AI is used to upgrade human capability rather than replace it. If workers can use smarter machines to get better at their jobs, he suggested, then in many areas “machines will never catch up.” “You talk about leadership,” he added. “Are we not going to use, as employers and as leaders, technology as tools to help our employees get better themselves?”

    Those questions are becoming more urgent as AI moves from experimentation to everyday use. This year, AI is shifting from the pilot and testing phase to enterprise-wide scaling as worker access to AI tools expands, according to Deloitte’s State of AI in the Enterprise 2026 report. Surveyed companies have broadened worker access to AI by around 50% in just one year. While only about one-quarter of respondents said their organizations have moved 40% or more of their AI experiments into production so far, more than half expect to reach that level in the next three to six months.

    Yet the report also highlights a gap that connects directly to the concerns raised in Davos. Insufficient worker skills are cited as the biggest barrier to integrating AI into the business, even as fewer than half of companies are making significant changes to their talent strategies. For leaders like Dimon and Smith, the message is clear: the real test of AI leadership may be less about how quickly companies adopt new tools and more about how effectively they help their people keep up.

    Sheryl Estrada
    sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

    Leaderboard

    Bénédicte de Bonnechose was appointed CFO of the Michelin Group, effective June 1. She will succeed Yves Chapot. A member of the Michelin Executive Committee since Jan. 1, 2021, Bonnechose currently supervises the Urban and Long-Distance Transportation Business lines, as well as the European region. She joined the Michelin Group in April 2019 as deputy group CFO. 

    Dan Karpel was appointed interim CFO of Caleres (NYSE: CAL), a portfolio of consumer-driven footwear brands, effective immediately. Karpel also serves as the company’s SVP and chief accounting officer. He succeeds Jack Calandra, who is leaving Caleres at the end of the month to pursue other opportunities. His departure is not related to any disagreement with the company. The company started an external search for a permanent successor.

    Big Deal

    Organizational AI adoption has not changed meaningfully from the previous quarter, according to a new Gallup report. In Q4 2025, 38% of U.S. employees said their organization has integrated AI technology to improve productivity, efficiency and quality, while 41% said their organization has not implemented AI tools and 21% said they don’t know. These results are similar to Q3 figures. 

    Gallup reports that employees in technology, finance and higher education show the highest levels of AI use, especially compared with employees in retail, manufacturing and health care.

    However, the report also finds that employees who already use AI at work did so slightly more often in the fourth quarter of 2025 than in the prior quarter, continuing a gradual increase since 2023. The share of employees who use AI daily has grown from 10% to 12%, and frequent use—defined as engaging with AI at work at least a few times a week—has edged up three points to 26%.

    Courtesy of Gallup

    Going deeper

    “Minnesota-based CEOs, including Fortune 500 bosses, call for ‘immediate de-escalation of tensions’ after fatal shooting” is a Fortune article by Jason Ma.

    In an open letter Sunday from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, more than 60 CEOs said the business community has been working behind the scenes with officials for several weeks. 

    “With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” CEOs state in the letter. 

    Overheard

    “Retailers did not ask to be put into the middle of America’s political and legal fight over immigration. But they are being drafted nonetheless, and need to scream these facts loudly from the mountaintops to de-escalate a worsening situation.”

    —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, professor and founder of the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute, and Steven Tian, a research director at the institute, and a former analyst for Rockefeller Capital Management, write in a Fortune opinion piece.

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    Sheryl Estrada

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  • Thousands of flights canceled as major winter storm moves across the US

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    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.”What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents. “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.”All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane. Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.”We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport. More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted. “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.” Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures. “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.”We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.” The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.”Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie. Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow. President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.” Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.”I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.” Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

    OKLAHOMA CITY —

    Thousands of flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend were canceled as a monster storm started to wreak havoc Saturday across much of the country and threatened to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways with dangerous ice.

    Roughly 140 million people, or more than 40% of the U.S. population, were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warned of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina. By midday Saturday, a quarter of an inch of ice was reported in parts of southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana.

    “What really makes this storm unique is, just following this storm, it’s just going to get so cold,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The snow and the ice will be very, very slow to melt and won’t be going away anytime soon, and that’s going to hinder any recovery efforts.”

    Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. As crews in some southern states began working to restore downed power lines, officials in some eastern states issued final warnings to residents.

    “We are expecting a storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in years,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Saturday while announcing restrictions on commercial vehicle travel and a 35 mph speed limit on highways. She added: “It’s a good weekend to stay indoors.”

    Little Rock, Arkansas, was covered with sleet and snow Saturday, giving Chris Plank doubts about whether he would be able to make a five-hour drive to Dallas for work on Sunday. While some snow is a yearly event, Plank was concerned most about the ice.

    “All of the power lines are above ground, so it doesn’t take very much to end up in the dark,” Plank said.

    Forecasters say the damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane.

    Around 120,000 power outages were reported in the path of the winter storm Saturday afternoon, including about 53,000 in Texas and 45,000 in Louisiana, according to poweroutage.us.

    In Shelby County, Texas, near the Louisiana border, ice weighed down on pine trees and caused branches to snap, downing power lines. About a third of the county’s 16,000 residents were without power on Saturday.

    “We have hundreds of trees down and a lot of limbs in the road,” Shelby County Commissioner Stevie Smith said from his pickup truck. “I’ve got my crew out clearing roads as fast as we can. It’s a lot to deal with right now.”

    All Saturday flights were canceled at Will Rogers International Airport in Oklahoma City, and all Sunday morning flights also were called off, as officials aimed to restart service Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma’s biggest airport.

    More than 12,000 flights were canceled Saturday and Sunday across the U.S., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub, saw more than 700 departing flights canceled on Saturday and nearly as many arriving flights called off. Disruptions were also piling up at airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

    After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, the weather service predicted.

    “Please, if you can avoid it, do not drive, do not travel, do not do anything that can potentially place you or your loved ones in danger,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. “Instead, I urge every New Yorker who can to put a warm sweater on, turn on the TV, watch ‘Mission Impossible’ for the 10th time, above all to stay inside.”

    Officials in Georgia advised people in the state’s northern regions to get off the roads by sundown Saturday and be prepared to stay put for at least 48 hours.

    Will Lanxton, the senior state meteorologist, said Georgia could get “perhaps the biggest ice storm we have expected in more than a decade,” followed by unusually cold temperatures.

    “Ice is a whole different ballgame than snow,” Lanxton said. “Ice, you can’t do anything with. You can’t drive on it. It’s much more likely to bring down power lines and trees.”

    Crews began treating highways with brine after midnight Saturday, with 1,800 workers on 12-hour shifts, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry said.

    “We’re going to do what we can to keep the ice from sticking to the roads,” McMurry said. “This is going to be a challenge.”

    The Midwest saw windchills as low as minus 40 Fahrenheit, meaning that frostbite could set in within 10 minutes. The minus 36 F reading in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, on Saturday morning was the coldest in almost 30 years.

    In Minneapolis, the worst of an extreme cold wave was over, but protesters calling for ICE to leave Minnesota on Saturday still faced an outdoor temperature of minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Workers from The Orange Tent Project, a Chicago nonprofit that provides cold-weather tents and other supplies to unhoused people throughout the city, went out to check on those who did not or could not seek shelter.

    “Seeing the forecasted weather, I knew we had to come out and do this today,” said CEO Morgan McLuckie.

    Churches moved Sunday services online, and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to hold its Saturday night radio performance without fans. Mardi Gras parades in Louisiana were canceled or rescheduled.

    School superintendents in Philadelphia and Houston announced that schools would be closed Monday.

    Some universities in the South canceled classes for Monday, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Mississippi’s main campus in Oxford.

    Around the southeast, people used the cancellations to have some fun. On a hill outside the Capitol building in Nashville, adult sledders on green discs and inflatable pool animals giggled with joy as they slid in the snow.

    President Donald Trump said via social media on Friday that his administration was coordinating with state and local officials, and “FEMA is fully prepared to respond.”

    Nine states have requested emergency declarations, according to a FEMA briefing document released Saturday. The declarations can unlock federal emergency resources. Trump on Friday approved emergency declarations for South Carolina and Virginia, and requests from Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia were still pending as of Saturday morning.

    “I think there are two parts of this storm that make it unique. One is just a broad expanse of spatial coverage of this event … You’ve got 2,000 miles of country that’s being impacted by the storm with snow, sleet, and freezing rain,” said Josh Weiss, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center. “The other part of this storm that’s really impressive is what’s going to happen right afterward. We’re looking at extreme cold, record cold.”

    Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Julie Walker in New York, David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, George Walker in Nashville and Laura Bargfeld in Chicago contributed to this report. Amy reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

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  • Protesters gather in downtown Orlando to demand ICE’s removal

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    RESISTING WITHOUT VIOLENCE. THAT PROTEST WAS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL IN CENTRAL FLORIDA TODAY, INCLUDING ONE IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO AT CITY HALL. THAT’S WHERE OUR GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN IS NOW TO TELL US HOW THIS RALLY IS COINCIDING WITH MANY OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. GAIL. STEWART. THAT’S BECAUSE TODAY, JANUARY 23RD, HAS BEEN DECLARED A NATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY BY THE ICE GET OUT FOR GOOD MOVEMENT. AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS TO BASICALLY REMEMBER THOSE LIVES LOST AND TO DEMAND ICE’S ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE REST AND OTHER INCIDENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AT ITS HEIGHT. SOME 150 PROTESTERS AND SPEAKERS GATHERED OUTSIDE ORLANDO CITY HALL TO GET ICE OUT OF ORLANDO AND FLORIDA. NO FEAR, NO HATE, NO ICE IN OUR STATE, NO FEAR, NO HATE, NO ICE IN OUR STATE. AND I’M HERE BECAUSE I’M ANGRY. AARON LEWIS OF ORLANDO, 5051. ONE OF THE GROUPS ORGANIZING THIS EVENT SAYS ICE IMMIGRATION, CUSTOMS AND ENFORCEMENT IS NOT ABOUT SAFETY. IF IT WERE, WE WOULDN’T BE TERRORIZING NEIGHBORHOODS AT DAWN. IF IT WERE, WE WOULDN’T BE DISAPPEARING PEOPLE INTO A SYSTEM DESIGNED TO BREAK THEM. THIS IS WHAT THAT SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE. RENEE. NICOLE GOOD IS DEAD. A MOTHER, A NEIGHBOR KILLED BY ICE, A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD WAS USED AS A DECOY, LIKE BAIT. DEMONSTRATORS ARE EAGER TO SEE ICE MELT IN FLORIDA. WE WANT TO SEE ICE ABOLISHED, NOT JUST RETRAINED, NOT REGULATED, GONE OFF THE STREETS. YOU CANNOT TRAIN THE CRUELTY OUT OF THESE PEOPLE. AND NOW THAT THEY WANT TO BRING A 1500 BED ICE DETENTION CENTER TO ORLANDO, NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEY WANT TO DO THAT RIGHT HERE. WE SAY NO, THIS IS NOT ENFORCEMENT. THIS IS TERROR WITH PAPERWORK. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT PROTESTING IS NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO KICK ICE OUT OF ORLANDO. WE NEED TO DO STRIKE ACTIONS. ONE OF THE THINGS WE’RE CALLING FOR IS A NATIONAL GENERAL STRIKE ON MAY 1ST ON LABOR DAY. ORGANIZERS OF THIS ICE OUT FOR GOOD RALLIES SAY NOW IS THE TIME. STAND UP, FIGHT BACK, TELL YOUR LEADERS THAT THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANT IN AMERICA. FIND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THE WORK AND GET PLUGGED IN. ICE OUT OF ORLANDO, ICE OUT OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND ICE OUT FOR GOOD. THANK YOU. NOW, THE NEXT THING THAT ORGANIZERS TELL ME THAT THEY’RE ALSO WORKING ON IS A FEBRUARY 3RD PUBLIC ONLINE MEETING. AND THAT WAY IS TO DISCUSS MORE WAYS TO GET ICE OUT OF ORLANDO, COVERING ORANGE COUNTY LIV

    Protesters gather in downtown Orlando to demand ICE’s removal

    Updated: 11:18 PM EST Jan 23, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Protesters gathered outside Orlando City Hall on Friday as part of a national day of solidarity for the “ICE Out for Good” movement, demanding the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from Orlando and Florida.At its peak, around 150 protesters and speakers gathered, chanting, “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state.”Aaron Lewis of Orlando 5051, one of the event’s organizers, criticized ICE, saying, “If it were, we wouldn’t be terrorizing neighborhoods at dawn. If it were, we wouldn’t be disappearing people into a system that is designed to break them. This is what the system looks like: Renee Nicole Good is dead, a mother, a neighbor killed by ICE, a 5-year-old child used as a decoy, like bait.”Jackie Giralt, another organizer from Orlando 5051, expressed the group’s goal: “We want to see ICE abolished, not just retrained, not regulated, gone off the streets. You cannot train the cruelty out of these people.”Lewis also highlighted concerns about a proposed 1,500-bed detention center in Orlando, stating, “And they want to bring a 1,500-bed detention center to Orlando, not somewhere else; they want to do that right here. We say no, this is not enforcement, this is terror with paperwork.”Izzy Coventry from Socialist Alternative emphasized the need for more than just protests, advocating for strike actions and calling for a national strike on May 1, International Workers’ Day, also called Labour Day in some countries. Organizers urged attendees to take action, with Giralt saying, “Stand up, fight back, tell your leaders that is not what we want in America. Find organizations that are already doing the work and get plugged in.”The rally concluded with chants of “ICE out of Orlando, ICE out of our communities and ICE out for good.” Organizers are planning a public online meeting on Feb. 3 to discuss further steps to remove ICE from Orlando while ensuring the working class is not adversely affected.

    ORLANDO, Fla. —

    Protesters gathered outside Orlando City Hall on Friday as part of a national day of solidarity for the “ICE Out for Good” movement, demanding the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement from Orlando and Florida.

    At its peak, around 150 protesters and speakers gathered, chanting, “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state.”

    Aaron Lewis of Orlando 5051, one of the event’s organizers, criticized ICE, saying, “If it were, we wouldn’t be terrorizing neighborhoods at dawn. If it were, we wouldn’t be disappearing people into a system that is designed to break them. This is what the system looks like: Renee Nicole Good is dead, a mother, a neighbor killed by ICE, a 5-year-old child used as a decoy, like bait.”

    Jackie Giralt, another organizer from Orlando 5051, expressed the group’s goal: “We want to see ICE abolished, not just retrained, not regulated, gone off the streets. You cannot train the cruelty out of these people.”

    Lewis also highlighted concerns about a proposed 1,500-bed detention center in Orlando, stating, “And they want to bring a 1,500-bed detention center to Orlando, not somewhere else; they want to do that right here. We say no, this is not enforcement, this is terror with paperwork.”

    Izzy Coventry from Socialist Alternative emphasized the need for more than just protests, advocating for strike actions and calling for a national strike on May 1, International Workers’ Day, also called Labour Day in some countries.

    Organizers urged attendees to take action, with Giralt saying, “Stand up, fight back, tell your leaders that is not what we want in America. Find organizations that are already doing the work and get plugged in.”

    The rally concluded with chants of “ICE out of Orlando, ICE out of our communities and ICE out for good.” Organizers are planning a public online meeting on Feb. 3 to discuss further steps to remove ICE from Orlando while ensuring the working class is not adversely affected.

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  • Contributor: Iran’s crisis is a test of U.S. moral leadership

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    Right now, as you read this, Iranian protesters are facing live ammunition in Tehran’s streets. Women risk execution for removing their hijabs. Some 12,000 to 20,000 people are feared dead from the protest crackdown. The regime is vulnerable, weakened by strikes on its nuclear program, facing economic collapse, confronting a population that has repeatedly chosen death over submission. The window to support regime change is open. But it’s closing fast.

    The Trump administration made commitments to the Iranian people. Now, facing the moment of decision, there’s troubling hesitation. This isn’t just another foreign policy challenge: It’s a binary test of whether American leadership still possesses the will to act on its stated principles. Fail here, and we confirm that international relations have lost their moral compass entirely.

    Harvard’s Joseph Nye taught that foreign policy morality requires integrating intentions, means and consequences. Good intentions without adequate implementation produce catastrophic outcomes. We’ve stated our intentions. The question is whether we’ll employ the means — or allow bureaucratic caution and geopolitical calculation to paralyze us until the opportunity passes.

    The Iranian regime is a 47-year totalitarian theocracy that has terrorized its population, sponsored terrorism from Hezbollah to Hamas to the Houthis, supplied drones to Russia for killing Ukrainian civilians and pursued nuclear weapons while declaring itself America’s mortal enemy. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ordered protesters “put in their place.” The judiciary announced all participants will be tried for moharebeh — “enmity against God” — a capital offense.

    Yet the international left remains conspicuously silent, frozen in power analysis and identity politics. In too many minds around the world, Iranian protesters fail to generate solidarity because their oppressors — the mullahs — are classified as victims of Western imperialism.

    This pattern repeats globally. In Nigeria, 32 Christians are reportedly killed daily — 7,087 killed in the first 220 days of 2025 alone. More than 50,000 in five years. In Sudan, 3,384 civilian deaths in just the first half of 2025. Genocide Watch declares it stage nine: extermination. Only a small fraction of needed humanitarian funding has been committed. Some suffering by Palestinians sometimes generates international outrage. The selective morality is devastating and deliberate.

    Consider the Tudeh Party — Iran’s communist left. As protesters face bullets, they condemn the demonstrations while warning against American imperialism. Some progressive Iranian American academics have dismissed calls for change as Westernized and illegitimate. They use anti-imperialism to silence Iranians demanding their God-given rights. When ideology replaces principle, you get moral blindness masquerading as sophistication.

    The stakes transcend Iran. Since the modern nation-state system was organized by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1688, state sovereignty has been the bedrock of international law. But it’s become a shield for regimes that brutalize their populations. The post-1945 American-led international order assumed sovereign states would protect citizens’ basic rights and that the international community would act when they did not. We face a choice: sovereignty conditional on protecting citizens, or cynical realism where might makes right.

    What’s required is clear. First, an unambiguous statement that the U.S. supports the Iranian people’s right to choose their government and will not accept continued mullah rule. Second, escalating sanctions targeting the regime’s economic foundations while ensuring humanitarian aid reaches Iranians. Third, robust communications infrastructure support so protesters can coordinate despite attempts at censorship. Fourth, diplomatic isolation and coalition-building. Fifth, material support for opposition forces sufficient to tilt the balance.

    The question is whether the Trump administration recognizes this as a defining test — whether it understands that failure here signals to every authoritarian regime that the West lacks resolve, to every oppressed population that American principles are empty rhetoric, to every ally that American commitments are negotiable.

    If we allow the window to close — if bureaucratic hesitation or fear of opposition paralyzes us — the regime will reconsolidate. It will crush the protests with even greater brutality. It will execute thousands more. And it will emerge convinced that the West lacks the will to oppose it meaningfully. Every adversary will be emboldened. Every ally will question our word.

    But if we act — if we follow through with real support for removing the mullahs — we affirm that moral principles still matter in international affairs. We demonstrate that the Judeo-Christian foundations of American order remain vital and actionable. We show that universal human dignity still commands our allegiance, that freedom is still worth defending at cost and risk.

    The American founders understood rights as flowing from the Creator, not the state. They established a republic acknowledging transcendent moral law as the foundation of human law. Thomas Jefferson recognized that resistance to tyranny is obedience to God. The Iranian people are asking us to honor these principles — not abstractly, but concretely.

    Protesters have risen despite knowing the cost. They’ve demanded freedom despite facing torture and execution. They’ve trusted that America stands for something beyond geopolitical calculation. The time for decision is now. Not next month, not after more studies, not when conditions are perfect. Now. And on that decision hangs not only Iran’s fate but also the moral credibility of the entire international order we claim to defend.

    We can support the Iranian people’s efforts to remove the mullahs, or we can watch another opportunity for freedom slip away while we hesitate. History will record which we chose.

    Daniel J. Arbess is founder of Xerion Investments, a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a co-founder of No Labels, a political group promoting bipartisan collaboration.

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    Daniel J. Arbess

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  • Commentary: This is not normal: Why a fake arrest photo from the White House matters

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    How do you know what you know?

    Did you learn it in school, read it in a newspaper? Did you get your information on social media or though chatter with friends?

    Even in an age of misinformation and disinformation — which we really need to start clearly calling propaganda — we continue to rely on old ways of knowing. We take it for granted that if we really need to get to the truth, there’s a way to do it, even if it means cracking the pages of one of those ancient conveyors of wisdom, a book.

    But we are entering an era in America when knowledge is about to be hard to come by. It would be easy to shrug off this escalation of the war on truth as just more Trump nonsense, but it is much more than that. Authoritarians take power in the short term by fear and maybe force. In the long term, they rely on ignorance — an erasure of knowledge to leave people believing that there was ever anything different than what is.

    This is how our kids, future generations, come to be controlled. They simply don’t know what was, and therefore are at a great disadvantage in imagining what could be.

    This week, the White House altered a photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong, the civil rights lawyer arrested in Minneapolis for protesting inside a church.

    The original photo shows Armstrong in handcuffs being led away by a federal officer with his face blurred out. Armstrong is composed and steady in this image. A veteran of social justice movements and a trained attorney, she appears as one might expect, her expression troubled but calm.

    In the photo released by the White House, Armstrong is sobbing, her mouth hanging open in despair. In what is clearly nothing more than overt racism, it appears her skin has been darkened. Her braided hair, neatly styled in the original picture, is disheveled in the Trump image.

    On the left, a photograph from the X (formerly Twitter) account of U.S. Secretary Kristi Noem, showing Nekima Levy Armstrong being arrested. On the right, the photo has been altered before being posted to the White House’s X (formerly Twitter) account.

    (@Sec_Noem via X/@WhiteHouse via X)

    A strong, composed resister is turned into a weeping, weak failure.

    “YET AGAIN to the people who feel the need to reflexively defend perpetrators of heinous crimes in our country I share with you this message: Enforcement of the law will continue. The memes will continue. Thank you for your attention to this matter,”

    That was the official White House response to inquiries about the photo, posted on social media.

    The same week, the Trump administration began ripping down exhibits at the President’s House in Philadelphia that told the story of the nine Black people held in bondage there by George Washington. I’ve been to that exhibit and had planned to take my kids this summer to learn about Joe Richardson, Christopher Sheels, Austin, Hercules, Giles, Moll, Oney Judge, Paris and Richmond.

    They are names that barely made it into American history. Many have never heard of them. Now, this administration is attempting to erase them.

    How do you know what you know? I learned most of what I knew about these folks from that signage, which is probably in a dump somewhere by now.

    The information we once took for granted on government websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is gone. Climate change information; LGBTQ+ information; even agricultural information. Gone (though courts have ordered some restored).

    The National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, which tracked federal police misconduct, has been shut down.

    The Smithsonian is undergoing an ideological review.

    And now, our government is telling us it will alter in real time images of dissenters to create its own narrative, demand we believe not our own eyes, our own knowledge, but the narrative they create.

    “I’ll end with this, we’re being told one story which is totally different than what’s occurring,” said Cumberland County, Me., Sheriff Kevin Joyce.

    He was speaking specifically about an incident in his town in which a corrections officer recruit was detained by ICE this week. In video taken by a bystander, about five agents pull the man from his car as he drives home after work. They then leave the car running in the street as they take him away.

    Joyce told reporters the man had a clean background check before being hired, had no criminal record, and was working legally in the country. The sheriff has no idea where the man is being held.

    Joyce’s sentiment, that what we are being told isn’t what’s happening, applies to nearly everything we are seeing with our own eyes.

    A woman shot through her temple, through the side window of her car? You don’t understand what you are seeing. It was justified, our vice president has told us, without even the need for an investigation.

    Goodbye Renee Good. They are attempting in real time to erase her reality and instead morph her into a domestic terrorist committing “heinous” crimes, and maybe even worse.

    “You have a small band of very far left people who are doing everything they can … to try to make ICE out to be the ultimate enemy, and engage in this weird, small-scale civil war,” Vice President JD Vance said this week.

    Protesting turned into civil war.

    Next up, artificial intelligence is getting into the erasure game. Scientists are warning that those who wish to destroy truth will soon unleash AI-run operations in which thousands if not millions of social media posts will offer up whatever alternative reality those in control of it wish. Under the pressure of that avalanche of lies, many will believe.

    The message the White House is sending with Armstrong’s photo is that they control the truth, they decide what it is.

    Our job is to fight for truth, know it when we see it, and demand it not be erased.

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    Anita Chabria

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  • Why Europe’s far right has split with Trump over Greenland

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    NUUK, Greenland — One year ago, days before Donald Trump reclaimed power, the head of Denmark’s People’s Party took a trip to Mar-a-Lago. Morten Messerschmidt thought he and Trump shared a common view on the perils of European integration. Together, he told local media at the time, they could make the West great again.

    In Europe, just as in the United States, Messerschmidt thought it was “nationale suverænitet” — national sovereignty — that had over centuries given countries large and small the tools to build their culture, traditions and institutions. Those were the values that conservative movements across the European continent are fighting to protect.

    But Messerschmidt now finds himself on the defensive. The far-right politician is suddenly distancing himself from an American president who, off and on over the last year, has made aggressive plays to annex Greenland, targeting Danish borders that have existed for roughly 300 years.

    Trump pulled back from military threats against the island this week. “It’s total access — there’s no end,” he said in an interview on Thursday with Fox Business. Asked whether he still intended on acquiring the island, Trump replied, “It’s possible. Anything is possible.”

    Despite Trump’s fixation on Greenland since his first term, he declined to meet with Messerschmidt at Mar-a-Lago last January. Instead, the Danish politician found himself discussing the matter with Marla Maples, the president’s ex-wife.

    “Portraying me as someone who serves a cause other than Denmark, and who would sympathize with threats to our kingdom, is unhealthy,” Messerschmidt wrote on Facebook this weekend. “It is slander.”

    The Danish People’s Party is one of many far-right groups across Europe, which aligned with Trump’s MAGA movement in their fervent opposition to immigration and related issues, suddenly in rebellion against an administration it once thought of as an ideological ally.

    The president’s moves are now compelling them to reconcile their alliance with Trump with a core tenet on the political right, that nationalism is largely defined by people and place over historic stretches of time — or as Trump often said on the campaign trail, “without a border, you don’t have a country.”

    “Donald Trump has violated a fundamental campaign promise — namely, not to interfere in other countries,” Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany Party, or AfD, said in Berlin. Her colleague added: “It is clear that Wild West methods must be rejected.”

    The rupture could jeopardize the Trump administration’s own stated goals for a future Europe that is more conservative and aligned with the Republican Party — a plan that relied on boosting the very same parties now questioning their ties to the president.

    In its national security strategy, published in November, the White House said it would “cultivate resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations,” hoping to restore “Europe’s civilizational self-confidence and Western identity.”

    And it is not clear whether the president’s decision to walk back his most aggressive threats is enough to contain the diplomatic damage. “The process of getting to this agreement has clearly damaged trust amongst allies,” Rishi Sunak, former prime minister of the United Kingdom and leader of its Conservative Party, told Bloomberg on Thursday.

    Trump’s pressure campaign urging Ukraine to accept borders redrawn by a revanchist Russia had already strained relations between his inner circle and Europe’s far-right movements. But several prominent right-wing leaders say his aggressive posture toward Greenland amounted to a bridge too far.

    On Wednesday in Switzerland, addressing growing concerns over the plan, Trump still left threats lingering in the air, warning European leaders that he would “remember” if they blocked a U.S. takeover.

    “Friends can disagree in private, and that’s fine — that’s part of life, part of politics,” Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right Reform UK party in Britain, told House Speaker Mike Johnson in London earlier this week. “But to have a U.S. president threatening tariffs unless we agree that he can take over Greenland by some means, without it seeming to even get the consent of the people of Greenland — I mean, this is a very hostile act.”

    In France, the head of Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, National Rally, said the United States had presented Europe “with a choice: Accept dependency disguised as partnership or act as sovereign powers capable of defending our interests.”

    With overseas territories across the Pacific, Caribbean and Indian oceans, France has the second-largest maritime exclusive economic zone in the world after the United States. If Trump can seize Greenland by force, what is stopping him, or any other great power, from conquering France’s islands?

    “When a U.S. president threatens a European territory while using trade pressure, it is not dialogue — it is coercion. And our credibility is at stake,” said the party’s young leader, Jordan Bardella.

    “Greenland has become a strategic pivot in a world returning to imperial logic,” he added. “Yielding today would set a dangerous precedent.”

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    Michael Wilner

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  • ‘Water bankruptcy’ — U.N. scientists say much of the world is irreversibly depleting water

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    Dozens of the world’s major rivers are so heavily tapped, they often run dry before reaching the sea. More than half of all large lakes are shrinking, and most of the world’s major underground sources are declining irreversibly as agricultural pumping drains water that took centuries or even thousands of years to accumulate.

    In a report this week, U.N. scientists warn that the world has entered a new era of “global water bankruptcy” — a term that starkly underlines the urgency of efforts needed to protect what remains.

    “For too long, we have been living beyond our hydrological means,” said lead author Kaveh Madani, director of the U.N. University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health.

    Drawing on extensive research, the report says more and more regions of the world are effectively overspending from all their water accounts, and their reserves are dropping. The term “water crisis” is often used locally and globally, but the scientists said that denotes a temporary emergency from which a region can recover, whereas many parts of the world are depleting water beyond safe limits and are now bankrupt or approaching bankruptcy.

    Many rivers, lakes, aquifers and wetlands have been pushed past “tipping points” and cannot bounce back, the report says.

    “Millions of farmers are trying to grow more food from shrinking, polluted or disappearing water sources,” Madani said.

    An estimated 70% of water globally is used for agriculture. Where water resources are exhausted, it can mean collapsing economies, displacement and conflict. The report says about 3 billion people, and more than half of global food production, are concentrated in areas where water resources are in decline.

    The scientists said more than half of the world’s large lakes have shrunk since the 1990s. About 35% of the planet’s natural wetlands, nearly the size of the European Union in total, have been wiped out since the 1970s.

    Excessive pumping of groundwater has led to long-term declines in about 70% of the world’s major aquifers, and in many areas these declines are causing the land to sink. Land subsidence linked to groundwater overpumping, the report says, is occurring across more than 2.3 million square miles, nearly 5% of the global land area. This permanently reduces what the aquifers can hold and also worsens the risk of flooding.

    About 4 billion people endure severe water scarcity at least one month each year.

    Water bankruptcy is not only a problem in the world’s dry regions, Madani said. “Like financial bankruptcy, it’s not about how rich or poor you are. What matters is how you manage your budget.”

    And in many regions, the water people are using perpetually outstrips the supply year after year, effectively breaking the budget.

    The report points to the Colorado River and its depleted reservoirs, on which California and other western states depend, as symbols of over-promised water. Other hotspots of chronic overuse include parts of South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

    “We must prioritize prevention of further damage to our remaining savings,” Madani said. “By acknowledging the reality of water bankruptcy, we can finally make the hard choices that will protect people, economies and ecosystems. The longer we delay, the deeper the deficit grows.”

    Water bankruptcy also is caused by deforestation, loss of wetlands and pollution, the researchers said. These problems are compounded by climate change, which is upending the water cycle and bringing more severe droughts and floods.

    The report was released ahead of a U.N. water conference in the United Arab Emirates in December.

    Madani also authored a peer-reviewed article this week that presents a definition of water bankruptcy, saying the term is a diagnosis to “communicate the severity of the problem and the urgency of a transformative fresh start.”

    The banking analogy used throughout the report, he said, points to solutions that are similar to managing a financial bankruptcy — preserving remaining capital while cutting spending.

    Solutions for dealing with exhausted water resources will vary by region, Madani said, and will need to account for the reality that “simply taking water away from farmers can mean unemployment, immediate tension, chaotic situations,” and that farmers and others need assistance to use less water and adapt.

    In a related study published last year, scientists analyzed more than two decades of satellite data and found that vast areas of the world are losing fresh water and getting drier.

    In a recent World Bank report, researchers said global water use “increased by 25 percent from 2000 to 2019, with about a third of this increase occurring in regions already drying out.”

    Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist and professor at Arizona State University, said embracing the term water bankruptcy “is a brilliant way to convey that the water resources have been mismanaged, excessively utilized, and are no longer available for current and future generations.”

    He said water experts struggle to find the right “hook” to convey the severity and urgency of the problem, and calling it water bankruptcy promises to catch on.

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    Ian James

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  • Why Jollibee is turning to a U.S. IPO to fuel global growth | Fortune

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    Good morning. Chickenjoy—its crispy, juicy fried chicken—and Jolly Spaghetti are signature menu items at Jollibee, a Filipino fast-food chain that is building a growing fan base in the U.S. Now, the company is setting its sights on Wall Street. 

    The Philippines-based Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), the restaurant’s parent company, disclosed earlier this month that it plans to spin off its international operations and pursue a U.S. initial public offering for that business. The contemplated spin-off and listing are targeted for late 2027, leaving “quite a bit of time ahead of us for the work to be done,” Jollibee Global CFO Richard Shin said during a Jan. 14 media roundtable.

    JFC, which includes restaurant brands such as Smashburger and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, is currently traded as a single group on the Philippine Stock Exchange and operates in 33 countries. Over the past 15 quarters, JFC’s international network has posted a 26.7% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the group’s overall 15.1% rate of expansion. The separation reflects increasingly distinct strategic profiles for the domestic and international businesses, Shin said.

    In March 2025, Jollibee launched its first U.S. franchising program. After opening its first North American location in 1998 in Daly City, California, the brand has since expanded to more than 100 locations across the U.S. and Canada as of early 2026.

    Why go the route of a U.S. IPO? “I think there’s a fact that we can all agree on: the U.S. capital markets have deep investor-based experience in valuing global consumer and restaurant growth companies,” Shin said on the call.

    Many such companies are still growing into their potential yet are often rewarded with higher multiples and valuations, he said. While that outcome is not guaranteed for JFC, a U.S. listing offers greater capital depth, liquidity, and broader analyst coverage, with any final decision subject to valuation and required approvals, he added.

    The IPO market in the U.S. is heating up again, Fortune’s Jeff John Roberts writes in a new feature article. “While 2026 will almost certainly not match the banner year of 1999, which saw 476 companies go public, investors should have far more choices than they did four years ago, when just 38 firms held an IPO,” he writes.

    Shin also framed the separation of JFC in terms of simplifying how investors assess the corporation, noting the group includes businesses at different stages of their life cycles, with varying returns and opportunities. Distinct domestic and international entities, he suggested, could offer investors clearer, more targeted investment options as the strategic profiles of the two segments continue to diverge.

    Reasons for pursuing the separation include improved transparency, discipline in capital allocation, execution against the growth strategy, and the ability to attract an investor base aligned with the risk–return profile of each business rather than being judged solely on short-term financial metrics, he said.

    “The transaction is aligned with the Jollibee Group’s long-term value creation strategy,” Shin said.

    With its eyes on Wall Street, Jollibee is betting that global taste and investor appetite will be on its side.

    Sheryl Estrada
    sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

    Leaderboard

    Helen Cai was appointed senior executive vice president and CFO of Barrick Mining Corporation (NYSE: B), effective March 1, following the departure of long-serving finance chief Graham Shuttleworth, who will be leaving the company after its year-end results. Cai has served on Barrick’s board since November 2021 and brings more than 20 years of experience in equity research, corporate finance, capital markets, and M&A at firms across the mining, industrial, and technology sectors, primarily with Goldman Sachs and China International Capital Corporation.

    Meredith Peck was named CFO of Zekelman Industries, the largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer in North America. Peck succeeds Mike Graham, who will retire on May 15 following a planned transition period. She brings more than 20 years of financial leadership experience to Zekelman Industries and most recently served as CFO for COTSWORKS, Inc., after earlier roles as the company’s controller and then vice president of finance and administration. Earlier in her career, Peck held senior leadership roles at KeyBank and began her career in public accounting at PwC, and she is also a former U.S. Coast Guard officer.

    Big Deal

    In a blog post on Sunday, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar provided an update on the tech giant, including its revenue. In 2023, revenue reached $2 billion in annual recurring revenue; it rose to $6 billion in 2024 and jumped to more than $20 billion in 2025.​

    This revenue growth closely tracked an expansion in computing capacity. OpenAI’s computing capacity rose from 0.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 to 0.6 GW in 2024 and about 1.9 GW in 2025.​

    Friar writes: “Compute is the scarcest resource in AI. Three years ago, we relied on a single compute provider. Today, we are working with providers across a diversified ecosystem. That shift gives us resilience and, critically, compute certainty.”​

    In an accompanying LinkedIn post, Friar said that from a finance perspective, demand is real and growing at rates never seen by any company previously, and that customers are paying in proportion to the value delivered. She added that capital is being deployed deliberately into the constraints that actually matter, especially compute. 

    Going deeper

    ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) have published a Global Economic Conditions Survey, based on the results of their Q4 2025 poll. Members from around the world share their views on the macroeconomic environment. 

    Confidence among CFOs improved somewhat, but remained below its historic average, and the key indicators point to caution at their firms, according to the findings. Accountants flagged economic pressure, cyber disruption, and geopolitical uncertainty as the top risk priorities, underscoring that risks are increasingly complex and interlinked. 

    “Accountants remain cautious entering 2026, amid a highly uncertain global backdrop,” Jonathan Ashworth, chief economist of ACCA, said in a statement. “The global economy performed better than expected in 2025 and looks set to remain resilient in 2026 amid recent monetary easing by central banks, stock market gains, supportive fiscal policies in key countries, and the ongoing global AI boom.” However, there remains significant uncertainty, amid a wide range of risks, “not least on the geopolitical front, which are more heavily skewed to the downside,” he said.

    Overheard

    “We are entering an IPO ‘mega‑cycle’ that we expect will be defined by unprecedented deal volume and IPO sizes.” 

    —Goldman Sachs’ global co-head of investment banking, Kim Posnett, recently told Fortune. Posnett discussed how she sees the current business environment and the most significant developments in 2026 in terms of AI, the IPO market, and M&A activity. Posnett, named among the leaders on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list, is one of the bank’s top dealmakers and also serves as vice chair of the Firmwide Client Franchise Committee and as a member of the Management Committee.

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    Sheryl Estrada

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  • Deported to danger: Returning migrants discover a Mexico transformed by cartels

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    MEXICO CITY — Adrián Ramírez hadn’t been to his hometown in western Mexico for more than two decades. When he finally returned there early last year after being deported from the United States, he found the place transformed.

    Ramírez remembered the town as vibrant. But the discotheque where he used to dance through the night in his 20s was gone. The bustling evening market, where locals gather for tacos, now empties out early. After 10 p.m., cartel members wielding military-grade weapons take control of the streets.

    “It is no longer the same Mexico of my childhood,” said Ramírez, 45, who asked to be identified by his middle and last name for security reasons. “There was more joy, more freedom. But that’s not the case anymore.”

    Anyone returning to their hometown after decades away will note changes — old businesses close and new ones open, some people move away and others die. Adjusting to such shifts has long been part of the Mexican migrant experience.

    But many of the tens of thousands of people who have been deported to Mexico by the Trump administration have spent decades in the U.S. and are discovering that their country has also changed in more profound ways.

    Criminal groups, better armed and better organized than in the past, now control about a third of Mexican territory, according to an analysis by the U.S. military. Gangs have branched out beyond drug trafficking to extort money from small businesses and dominate entire industries, such as the avocado and lime trade. In some regions, criminals charge taxes on just about anything — tortillas and chicken, cigarettes and beer.

    Military forces provide security during a meeting about the Michoacan Plan for Peace and Justice, at the facilities of the Morelos barracks in the XXI Military Zone in Morelia, Micoacan, Mexico, in November.

    (Enrique Castro / AFP via Getty Images)

    Parts of Michoacán, the state where Ramírez is from, now resemble an actual battlefield, with criminal groups fighting each other with grenade launchers, drones rigged with explosives and improvised land mines.

    Returning migrants are vulnerable to violence because they stand out. Many speak Spanglish. Their stylish haircuts, often with fades on the sides, set them apart in rural communities. So does their gringo-style attire, like baggy pants and T-shirts touting their favorite sports teams — Dodgers, Raiders, Dallas Cowboys. Ramírez said that even his mannerisms, which had changed from years up north, quickly identified him as an outsider.

    Cartels single out returning migrants for kidnapping or extortion because they are perceived to have money, said Israel Concha, who runs Nuevo Comienzos, or New Beginnings, a nonprofit with offices in Las Vegas and Mexico City that supports deportees. Returnees often don’t know how to navigate cartel-run checkpoints or local rules set by criminal groups.

    “We’re an easy target,” Concha said.

    Concha said he was abducted and tortured by cartel members in 2014 after he was deported to Mexico. He said 16 migrants from his organization’s support group have been assassinated or disappeared since he founded his organization.

    Ten of those cases happened in the last year.

    In May, a recently returned man vanished after leaving his job at a hotel in the central state of Querétaro, Concha said. His parents, giving up hope of finding him alive, held a funeral and a Mass for him in October.

    Ramírez left his town in Michoacán state for the United States when he was 21, hoping to save money so he could come back home and build a house of his own.

    But life happened — Ramírez got married and had three children — and he stayed. He was washing cars and driving for Uber in Nashville before he was deported.

    Returning to Michoacán was bittersweet. He cried with happiness as he hugged his mother and siblings for the first time in years. But shortly after, he was interrogated by a cartel member on the street who wanted to know his name and what he did for a living. Another cartel member photographed him while he strolled the town plaza.

    His town had once been famous for its cheese production. Now its most dominant industry is fuel theft, a booming multimillion-dollar enterprise in Mexico. Criminals with the Jalisco New Generation cartel recently burned down the town’s two gas stations and killed the owner to assert their control over the pueblo, Ramírez said. They then set up their own illegal stations, leaving locals no choice but to buy from them.

    The authorities were no help.

    Ramírez learned from his family that the mayor had been handpicked by the cartel. The police are also in cahoots with criminals. After a relative suffered an accident, the cops who responded ended up extorting money from him, Ramírez said.

    Ramírez began to fear for his life. He wondered whether it might be time to leave, and if so, where he would go.

    A growing number of Mexicans are being forced to flee their communities because of violence, data show. The conflict-ridden states of Michoacán, Chiapas and Zacatecas have seen particularly high levels of displacement.

    Israel Ibarra, a migration expert at the College of the Northern Border, said migrants returning to war-torn communities often end up having to leave again.

    “They are not only becoming deported people,” he said. “They will experience double-forced displacement.”

    That is what happened to a man who returned to a town few hours away from where Ramírez grew up, in the mountains of Michoacán. A local rancher hired the migrant to manage his herd of cattle.

    Contracting outsiders requires vetting and approval by the regional faction of the cartel, which the rancher had not done. No locals had dared help the rancher repair his fence and care for his herd because of the cartel requisites, leaving the rancher with a limited employment pool.

    The migrant, who declined to provide his name because he feared for his life, didn’t fully recognize the power wielded by cartels and took the job. The rancher also paid better than others, to the consternation of the Jalisco cartel, which controls wages in the area.

    One morning, sicarios arrived at the migrant’s home and fired round after round of bullets into the building. The worker fled out the back door as gunmen stormed in.

    “They left me in ruin,” he said. “They took everything.” He went into hiding in Michoacán’s capital.

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum touts data showing that homicides fell during her first year in office. But the number of people being disappeared has surged across the country, particularly in cartel-controlled regions. And shocking acts of violence continue to make headlines.

    “For people who left a long time ago, many of them are coming back to communities that are much more violent than they were when they left,” said Andrew Selee of the Washington, D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute.

    In Michocán in the fall, the Jalisco cartel is accused of assassinating a prominent mayor who had vowed to hold criminals accountable. In December the group detonated a car bomb in a municipality located along a top cocaine-trafficking route, killing four police officers.

    Deportations to Mexico were fewer last year than either of the two previous years, according to data from the country’s National Migration Institute. But President Trump’s hard-line deportation campaign means fewer migrants who were returned to Mexico are attempting to cross back into the the U.S., experts said.

    Sheinbaum’s government launched a reintegration program called México te Abraza, or Mexico welcomes you with open arms, that has provided limited support to those returning, according to migrant advocates.

    Under the program, migrants are supposed to be given around $100 and a bus ticket to their hometown. But Concha said that some don’t receive the money and that migrants need much more help. “The program doesn’t work,” Concha said. “We need something more comprehensive that also supports emotional and mental health.”

    Ramírez wants to return to the U.S. to be with his family but is afraid of ending up in detention there.

    He misses his children, and dreams of buying them plane tickets so they can visit. But he is afraid of exposing them to Mexico’s violence. “It’s a very different kind of life here,” he said. “It hurts me what’s happening.”

    He decided to leave his pueblo a few months ago. The town where he is now living seems more tranquil, although it is also controlled by the Jalisco cartel. After he got a job at a tortilleria, his new employer warned him: Cartel members may stop by to ask him where he’s from.

    This article was co-published with Puente News Collaborative, a bilingual nonprofit newsroom that covers stories from Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico border.

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    Steve Fisher, Kate Linthicum

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  • Israeli troops kill Palestinians for crossing a vague ceasefire line

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    A dividing line, at times invisible, can mean life or death for Palestinians in Gaza.Those sheltering near the territory’s “yellow line” that the Israeli military withdrew to as part of the October ceasefire say they live in fear as Israeli soldiers direct near-daily fire at anyone who crosses or even lingers near it.Video above: Palestinians struggle for food amid floodingOf the 447 Palestinians killed between the ceasefire taking effect and Tuesday, at least 77 were killed by Israeli gunfire near the line, including 62 who crossed it, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Among them were teenagers and young children, The Associated Press found.And although the military has placed some yellow barrels and concrete barriers delineating the limits of the Palestinian zone, the line is still unmarked in certain places and in others was laid nearly half a kilometer (0.3 miles) deeper than what was agreed to in the ceasefire deal, expanding the part of Gaza that Israel controls, according to Palestinians and mapping experts.“We stay away from the barrels. No one dares to get close” said Gaza City resident Ahmed Abu Jahal, noting that the markers are less than 100 meters (110 yards) from his house — instead of the roughly 500 meters (546 yards) outlined in a map put out by the Israeli military.As of Tuesday, the military had acknowledged killing 57 people around the yellow line, saying most were militants. It said its troops are complying with the rules of engagement in order to counter militant groups, and are informing Palestinians of the line’s location and marking it on the ground to “reduce friction and prevent misunderstandings.”Easy to get lostUnder the ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone that is up to 7 kilometers (4 miles) deep and includes most of Gaza’s arable land, its elevated points and all of its border crossings. That hems more than 2 million Palestinians into a strip along the coastline and central Gaza.People of all ages, some already dead, have been showing up almost daily at the emergency room of Gaza City’s Al-Ahli hospital with bullet wounds from straying near the line, said hospital director Fadel Naeem.Amid the vast destruction in Gaza, the demarcation line often isn’t easy to detect, Naeem said. He recounted picking his way through undamaged paths during a recent visit to the southern city of Khan Younis. He didn’t notice he was almost across the line until locals shouted at him to turn back, he said.The Israeli military said most of the people it has killed crossing the line posed a threat to its troops. According to a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military rules, troops issue audible warnings and then fire warning shots whenever someone crosses the line. Many civilians retreat when warning shots are fired, though some have been killed, the official acknowledged.Killed while playing near the lineZaher Shamia, 17, lived with his grandfather in a tent 300 meters (330 yards) from the line in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp. On Dec. 10, he was playing with his cousin and some friends near the line, according to video he took before his death.Suddenly, shots rang out and the video stopped. Soldiers approaching the line with an armored bulldozer had fired on the teens, hitting Zaher, said a witness.A neighbor eventually found Zaher’s body, which had been crushed by the bulldozer, said Zaher’s grandfather, Kamal al-Beih: “We only recognized him from his head.”Two doctors, Mohamed Abu Selmiya and Rami Mhanna, confirmed that the teen had been killed by gunshots and then run over by a bulldozer. The military official said he was aware that Shamia was a civilian and that the military was looking into it.Maram Atta said that on Dec. 7, her 3-year-old daughter, Ahed al-Bayouk, was playing with siblings outside of their tent, which was near the yellow line along Gaza’s southern coast. Atta was preparing lentils when she heard aircraft overhead, then shots.A stray projectile whizzed close to her and struck Ahed, who was dead before they reached the clinic.“I lost my daughter to what they keep calling a ‘ceasefire’” said Atta, crying. “What ceasefire are they talking about?”A military official denied the killing.Deadly ambiguityThe line’s exact location is ambiguous, differing on maps put out by the Israeli military and the White House.Neither matches the line troops appear to be marking on the ground, according to Palestinians and geolocation specialists.Video below: Palestinians react to UN plan for Gaza futureChris Osiek, an open source intelligence analyst and consultant, has geolocated a number of yellow blocks based on social media videos. He found at least four urban areas where troops set the blocks several hundred meters deeper into Gaza than the military map-specified yellow line.“This is basically what you get when you simply let Trump make an image and post it on Truth Social and let the IDF make their own,” he said, using the acronym for the military. “If it’s not a proper system, with coordinates that make it easy for people to navigate where it is, then you leave the ambiguity free for the IDF to interpret the yellow line how they basically want.”The military official dismissed such criticism, saying any deviations from the map amount to just a few meters. But to Palestinians hemmed in by widespread destruction and displacement, every few meters lost is another house that can’t be sheltered in — another they doubt will ever be returned.‘The line is getting very close’Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces are only supposed to remain at the yellow line until a fuller withdrawal, though the agreement doesn’t give a timeline for that. With the next steps in the deal lagging and troops digging into positions on the Israeli side, though, Palestinians wonder if they are witnessing a permanent land takeover.In December, Israel’s defense minister described the yellow line as “a new border line — serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.”The military has continued leveling buildings inside the Israeli-held zone, turning already damaged neighborhoods to moonscapes. Almost all of the city of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt, has been razed over the past year. The army says this is necessary to destroy tunnels and prepare the area for reconstruction.In some places, demolitions since the ceasefire have encroached beyond the official yellow line. Since November, troops have leveled a swath of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood extending some 300 meters (330 yards) outside the Israeli-held zone, according to Oct. 14 and Dec. 18 satellite photos provided by Planet Labs.Video below: Israeli settlers forcibly enter Palestinian home, kill sheep in latest West Bank attackAbu Jahal moved back to his damaged house in Tuffah at the ceasefire’s start. He said he frequently saw new yellow barrels appear and the military forcing out anyone living on its side of the markers.On Jan. 7, Israeli fire hit a house near him, and the residents had to evacuate, he said. Abu Jahal said his family — including his wife, their child, and seven other relatives — may also have to leave soon.“The line is getting very close,” he said.

    CAIRO, Cairo Governorate —

    A dividing line, at times invisible, can mean life or death for Palestinians in Gaza.

    Those sheltering near the territory’s “yellow line” that the Israeli military withdrew to as part of the October ceasefire say they live in fear as Israeli soldiers direct near-daily fire at anyone who crosses or even lingers near it.

    Video above: Palestinians struggle for food amid flooding

    Of the 447 Palestinians killed between the ceasefire taking effect and Tuesday, at least 77 were killed by Israeli gunfire near the line, including 62 who crossed it, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Among them were teenagers and young children, The Associated Press found.

    And although the military has placed some yellow barrels and concrete barriers delineating the limits of the Palestinian zone, the line is still unmarked in certain places and in others was laid nearly half a kilometer (0.3 miles) deeper than what was agreed to in the ceasefire deal, expanding the part of Gaza that Israel controls, according to Palestinians and mapping experts.

    “We stay away from the barrels. No one dares to get close” said Gaza City resident Ahmed Abu Jahal, noting that the markers are less than 100 meters (110 yards) from his house — instead of the roughly 500 meters (546 yards) outlined in a map put out by the Israeli military.

    As of Tuesday, the military had acknowledged killing 57 people around the yellow line, saying most were militants. It said its troops are complying with the rules of engagement in order to counter militant groups, and are informing Palestinians of the line’s location and marking it on the ground to “reduce friction and prevent misunderstandings.”

    Easy to get lost

    Under the ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone that is up to 7 kilometers (4 miles) deep and includes most of Gaza’s arable land, its elevated points and all of its border crossings. That hems more than 2 million Palestinians into a strip along the coastline and central Gaza.

    People of all ages, some already dead, have been showing up almost daily at the emergency room of Gaza City’s Al-Ahli hospital with bullet wounds from straying near the line, said hospital director Fadel Naeem.

    Amid the vast destruction in Gaza, the demarcation line often isn’t easy to detect, Naeem said. He recounted picking his way through undamaged paths during a recent visit to the southern city of Khan Younis. He didn’t notice he was almost across the line until locals shouted at him to turn back, he said.

    The Israeli military said most of the people it has killed crossing the line posed a threat to its troops. According to a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military rules, troops issue audible warnings and then fire warning shots whenever someone crosses the line. Many civilians retreat when warning shots are fired, though some have been killed, the official acknowledged.

    Killed while playing near the line

    Zaher Shamia, 17, lived with his grandfather in a tent 300 meters (330 yards) from the line in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp. On Dec. 10, he was playing with his cousin and some friends near the line, according to video he took before his death.

    Suddenly, shots rang out and the video stopped. Soldiers approaching the line with an armored bulldozer had fired on the teens, hitting Zaher, said a witness.

    Jehad Alshrafi

    FILE – The body of 11-year-old Palestinian girl Hamsa Hosou, killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia, is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

    A neighbor eventually found Zaher’s body, which had been crushed by the bulldozer, said Zaher’s grandfather, Kamal al-Beih: “We only recognized him from his head.”

    Two doctors, Mohamed Abu Selmiya and Rami Mhanna, confirmed that the teen had been killed by gunshots and then run over by a bulldozer. The military official said he was aware that Shamia was a civilian and that the military was looking into it.

    Maram Atta said that on Dec. 7, her 3-year-old daughter, Ahed al-Bayouk, was playing with siblings outside of their tent, which was near the yellow line along Gaza’s southern coast. Atta was preparing lentils when she heard aircraft overhead, then shots.

    A stray projectile whizzed close to her and struck Ahed, who was dead before they reached the clinic.

    “I lost my daughter to what they keep calling a ‘ceasefire’” said Atta, crying. “What ceasefire are they talking about?”

    A military official denied the killing.

    Deadly ambiguity

    The line’s exact location is ambiguous, differing on maps put out by the Israeli military and the White House.

    Neither matches the line troops appear to be marking on the ground, according to Palestinians and geolocation specialists.

    Video below: Palestinians react to UN plan for Gaza future

    Chris Osiek, an open source intelligence analyst and consultant, has geolocated a number of yellow blocks based on social media videos. He found at least four urban areas where troops set the blocks several hundred meters deeper into Gaza than the military map-specified yellow line.

    “This is basically what you get when you simply let Trump make an image and post it on Truth Social and let the IDF make their own,” he said, using the acronym for the military. “If it’s not a proper system, with coordinates that make it easy for people to navigate where it is, then you leave the ambiguity free for the IDF to interpret the yellow line how they basically want.”

    The military official dismissed such criticism, saying any deviations from the map amount to just a few meters. But to Palestinians hemmed in by widespread destruction and displacement, every few meters lost is another house that can’t be sheltered in — another they doubt will ever be returned.

    ‘The line is getting very close’

    Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces are only supposed to remain at the yellow line until a fuller withdrawal, though the agreement doesn’t give a timeline for that. With the next steps in the deal lagging and troops digging into positions on the Israeli side, though, Palestinians wonder if they are witnessing a permanent land takeover.

    In December, Israel’s defense minister described the yellow line as “a new border line — serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.”

    The military has continued leveling buildings inside the Israeli-held zone, turning already damaged neighborhoods to moonscapes. Almost all of the city of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt, has been razed over the past year. The army says this is necessary to destroy tunnels and prepare the area for reconstruction.

    In some places, demolitions since the ceasefire have encroached beyond the official yellow line. Since November, troops have leveled a swath of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood extending some 300 meters (330 yards) outside the Israeli-held zone, according to Oct. 14 and Dec. 18 satellite photos provided by Planet Labs.

    Video below: Israeli settlers forcibly enter Palestinian home, kill sheep in latest West Bank attack

    Abu Jahal moved back to his damaged house in Tuffah at the ceasefire’s start. He said he frequently saw new yellow barrels appear and the military forcing out anyone living on its side of the markers.

    On Jan. 7, Israeli fire hit a house near him, and the residents had to evacuate, he said. Abu Jahal said his family — including his wife, their child, and seven other relatives — may also have to leave soon.

    “The line is getting very close,” he said.

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  • Wegovy injections vs. pills: Doctors explain the differences

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    Wegovy injections vs. pills: Doctors explain the differences

    When it comes to GLP-1 pills vs. injections, doctors share which form may be best for you.

    Updated: 3:01 PM PST Jan 15, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) like Ozempic and Wegovy continue to make headlines as more research points to the benefits of taking these medications. Traditionally, patients administer these via injection, but now, one medication in particular is available to take in pill form. So, which works best: Wegovy injection vs. pill? And is the answer the same for all GLP-1s?First, GLP-1s are a class of drugs that mimic the GLP-1 hormone that’s naturally released in your GI tract when you eat, explains Mir Ali, M.D., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. These medications help to moderate blood sugar levels, reduce feelings of hunger in the brain, and delay emptying in the stomach, making you feel fuller, longer. As a result, a side effect is weight loss. There are some buzzy GLP-1 medications that have become household names, like Wegovy and Ozempic, but there are also other options you may not have heard about.Ultimately, the best GLP-1 medication is one that you and your healthcare provider agree will best serve your needs. But learning more about the medication you intend to use can’t hurt. Here, find the major differences between GLP-1 injections and pills.There are a lot of medications that fall into the GLP-1 class, including injectable drugs and pills. Some popular ones include Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.It’s worth noting that Wegovy (the main active ingredient of which is semaglutide) is the only GLP-1 pill that’s approved for weight loss by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While Rybelsus is sometimes used off-label for weight loss, it’s technically FDA-approved for blood sugar management in people with type 2 diabetes (the same goes for Ozempic). So, keep in mind that the information ahead speaks primarily to Wegovy.Wegovy injection vs. pill: How does each work? GLP-1 injectable medications are usually injected into the belly. “GLP-1 injections deliver the medication into the subcutaneous fat, where it is slowly absorbed,” explains Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “These drugs have a long half-life, about five to seven days, which is why they only need to be taken once a week.”After they’re injected, the medication steadily enters the bloodstream and activates the GLP-1 receptor, Dr. Buettner explains. Once it’s in your body, the medication signals to your brain to take in less food, says Martin Binks, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University College of Public Health. “They also help delay stomach emptying, which ultimately improves satiety and reduces hunger,” he says. “The combined influences of these medicines regulate metabolism and appetite.”The GLP-1 pills work similarly, but these contain a higher dose of medication to compensate for absorption into the digestive tract, Dr. Binks says. (The injectable medications have lower doses of medication because they’re slowly released into the bloodstream and bypass the gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Ali explains.)These medications are taken by mouth once a day. They usually need to be taken on an empty stomach, and you can’t eat or take most other medications for up to an hour afterward, Dr. Buettner points out. “These requirements can be inconvenient for many patients,” he says.Which is most effective for weight loss?It depends. There have been a few clinical trials on the impact of GLP-1 injectable medications on weight loss with different results. However, People usually lose about 15% of their body weight while using semaglutide medications like Wegovy.Meanwhile, during clinical trials for the Wegovy oral route, people who took the pill lost about 16.6% of their body weight. (That’s compared to 3% weight loss achieved by people who used a placebo.)While Rybelsus isn’t FDA-approved for weight loss, people typically lose around eight pounds while taking this medication.Which works best?There are a few things to consider. “Both injectables and pill forms can be helpful,” says Dina Hagigeorges, PA.-C., a physician assistant who specializes in weight and wellness at Tufts Medicine Weight + Wellness – Stoneham. “Unfortunately, cost and insurance coverage are a huge deciding factor, as not all insurance plans cover these medications for people.” When paid for out of pocket, injectable GLP-1 medications are usually much more expensive than their oral counterparts.There’s a larger body of research to support injectable medications for weight loss, although the Wegovy pill shows promise, Dr. Ali says. “If someone can tolerate injections, it’s usually the better way to go—they’re taken less frequently,” he says. But these medications aren’t a good fit for people who are scared of needles, and they have to be refrigerated, Dr. Ali points out.“The pills are a good option for people who don’t like injections, and you can easily take them with you when you travel,” Dr. Ali says. “But they have to be taken daily, which is not for everyone.”Side effectsThe side effects are similar for both medications, Dr. Buettner says.These side effects may include:NauseaVomitingDiarrheaConstipationUpset Stomach “The most important thing is choosing a medication that you can use consistently and that aligns with your personal priorities—whether that’s maximum weight loss, convenience, avoiding injections, or simplifying your routine,” he says. “Many patients try one form first and later switch based on their experience.”So, talk to your healthcare provider and keep the line of conversation open. You may find one form of GLP-1 feels like a more natural fit over another.

    GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) like Ozempic and Wegovy continue to make headlines as more research points to the benefits of taking these medications. Traditionally, patients administer these via injection, but now, one medication in particular is available to take in pill form. So, which works best: Wegovy injection vs. pill? And is the answer the same for all GLP-1s?

    First, GLP-1s are a class of drugs that mimic the GLP-1 hormone that’s naturally released in your GI tract when you eat, explains Mir Ali, M.D., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. These medications help to moderate blood sugar levels, reduce feelings of hunger in the brain, and delay emptying in the stomach, making you feel fuller, longer. As a result, a side effect is weight loss.

    There are some buzzy GLP-1 medications that have become household names, like Wegovy and Ozempic, but there are also other options you may not have heard about.

    Ultimately, the best GLP-1 medication is one that you and your healthcare provider agree will best serve your needs. But learning more about the medication you intend to use can’t hurt. Here, find the major differences between GLP-1 injections and pills.

    There are a lot of medications that fall into the GLP-1 class, including injectable drugs and pills. Some popular ones include Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.

    It’s worth noting that Wegovy (the main active ingredient of which is semaglutide) is the only GLP-1 pill that’s approved for weight loss by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While Rybelsus is sometimes used off-label for weight loss, it’s technically FDA-approved for blood sugar management in people with type 2 diabetes (the same goes for Ozempic). So, keep in mind that the information ahead speaks primarily to Wegovy.

    Wegovy injection vs. pill: How does each work?

    GLP-1 injectable medications are usually injected into the belly. “GLP-1 injections deliver the medication into the subcutaneous fat, where it is slowly absorbed,” explains Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “These drugs have a long half-life, about five to seven days, which is why they only need to be taken once a week.”

    After they’re injected, the medication steadily enters the bloodstream and activates the GLP-1 receptor, Dr. Buettner explains. Once it’s in your body, the medication signals to your brain to take in less food, says Martin Binks, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University College of Public Health. “They also help delay stomach emptying, which ultimately improves satiety and reduces hunger,” he says. “The combined influences of these medicines regulate metabolism and appetite.”

    The GLP-1 pills work similarly, but these contain a higher dose of medication to compensate for absorption into the digestive tract, Dr. Binks says. (The injectable medications have lower doses of medication because they’re slowly released into the bloodstream and bypass the gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Ali explains.)

    These medications are taken by mouth once a day. They usually need to be taken on an empty stomach, and you can’t eat or take most other medications for up to an hour afterward, Dr. Buettner points out. “These requirements can be inconvenient for many patients,” he says.

    Which is most effective for weight loss?

    It depends. There have been a few clinical trials on the impact of GLP-1 injectable medications on weight loss with different results. However, People usually lose about 15% of their body weight while using semaglutide medications like Wegovy.

    Meanwhile, during clinical trials for the Wegovy oral route, people who took the pill lost about 16.6% of their body weight. (That’s compared to 3% weight loss achieved by people who used a placebo.)

    While Rybelsus isn’t FDA-approved for weight loss, people typically lose around eight pounds while taking this medication.

    Which works best?

    There are a few things to consider. “Both injectables and pill forms can be helpful,” says Dina Hagigeorges, PA.-C., a physician assistant who specializes in weight and wellness at Tufts Medicine Weight + Wellness – Stoneham. “Unfortunately, cost and insurance coverage are a huge deciding factor, as not all insurance plans cover these medications for people.” When paid for out of pocket, injectable GLP-1 medications are usually much more expensive than their oral counterparts.

    There’s a larger body of research to support injectable medications for weight loss, although the Wegovy pill shows promise, Dr. Ali says. “If someone can tolerate injections, it’s usually the better way to go—they’re taken less frequently,” he says. But these medications aren’t a good fit for people who are scared of needles, and they have to be refrigerated, Dr. Ali points out.

    “The pills are a good option for people who don’t like injections, and you can easily take them with you when you travel,” Dr. Ali says. “But they have to be taken daily, which is not for everyone.”

    Side effects

    The side effects are similar for both medications, Dr. Buettner says.

    These side effects may include:

    • Nausea
    • Vomiting
    • Diarrhea
    • Constipation
    • Upset Stomach

    “The most important thing is choosing a medication that you can use consistently and that aligns with your personal priorities—whether that’s maximum weight loss, convenience, avoiding injections, or simplifying your routine,” he says. “Many patients try one form first and later switch based on their experience.”

    So, talk to your healthcare provider and keep the line of conversation open. You may find one form of GLP-1 feels like a more natural fit over another.

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  • Latest shooting is 17th time immigration officials have fired at civilians in Trump’s second term

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    I urge anyone that is at the scene to leave immediately. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara urging protesters to go home Wednesday night amid clashes with law enforcement after *** federal officer shot *** man in the leg. The Department of Homeland Security said the subject, *** Venezuelan man who was in the country illegally, fled in his vehicle during *** targeted traffic stop, then crashed into *** parked car and fled on foot. When the officer caught up to him, he allegedly resisted arrest. DHS said two other individuals attacked the officer with *** snow shovel and *** broom handle. During the struggle, the federal agent discharged his weapon, striking one adult male. Tensions rose as protesters gathered at the scene, with *** crowd following agents through the neighborhood. Agents launched pepper balls and what sounded like flashbangs. Smoke hung in the air as officers deployed tear gas canisters, with *** member of the crowd apparently throwing one of the canisters back at agents while still demanding ICE leave the city. Officials, including the mayor, are asking the public to remain peaceful. We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos. For those that have peacefully protested, I applaud you. For those that are taking the bait, you are not helping. I’m Reed Binion reporting.

    Federal immigration officials have fired gunshots at people in at least 17 different incidents since President Donald Trump began his second term nearly a year ago. In the latest incident, a federal officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis on Jan. 14 after he was attacked with a snow shovel and broom handle, according to Homeland Security. Federal officers were conducting a traffic stop, DHS said, when the man crashed into a parked car and fled on foot. As the man and the officer were in a struggle on the ground, two people from a nearby apartment came out with the shovel and broom, according to DHS reports.The latest shooting comes a week after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good less than 10 miles away, sparking widespread protests and fear in the city.A Get the Facts Data Team analysis of data collected by The Trace has found that four people have been killed and at least eight have been injured in the 17 shooting incidents.The number of incidents is likely an undercount, according to The Trace, as not all shootings are publicly reported. Also, others have been killed during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown beyond those killed by guns.Most of the shooting incidents have been in the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis areas.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

    Federal immigration officials have fired gunshots at people in at least 17 different incidents since President Donald Trump began his second term nearly a year ago.

    In the latest incident, a federal officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis on Jan. 14 after he was attacked with a snow shovel and broom handle, according to Homeland Security.

    Federal officers were conducting a traffic stop, DHS said, when the man crashed into a parked car and fled on foot. As the man and the officer were in a struggle on the ground, two people from a nearby apartment came out with the shovel and broom, according to DHS reports.

    The latest shooting comes a week after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good less than 10 miles away, sparking widespread protests and fear in the city.

    A Get the Facts Data Team analysis of data collected by The Trace has found that four people have been killed and at least eight have been injured in the 17 shooting incidents.

    The number of incidents is likely an undercount, according to The Trace, as not all shootings are publicly reported. Also, others have been killed during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown beyond those killed by guns.

    Most of the shooting incidents have been in the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis areas.

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