Author: openjargon

  • Local senators slam FAA bill provision that would add long-haul flights to a key DC-area airport and benefit lawmakers: ‘Ridiculous and dangerous’

    Reagan National Airport
    Passengers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

    • Many lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been pushing for long-haul flights at National Airport for years.
    • But the senators from Virginia and Maryland are firmly against the provision, pointing to safety concerns.
    • The provision was included in a FAA reauthorization bill being negotiated in Congress.

    For many members of Congress, the allure of adding long-haul flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is impossible to resist. The Arlington, Va., airport is easily accessible by car and public transit, and its proximity to Capitol Hill makes it a favorite of lawmakers.

    National Airport, which served nearly 26 million passengers last year, has long had to abide by a 1,250-mile perimeter restriction, effectively boxing out long-haul flights that would greatly benefit lawmakers from Western states.

    But on Monday, congressional negotiators put forward a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that would add 10 long-haul slots to the already-strained airport, which led the US senators from both Virginia and Maryland to quickly blast the move.

    In a joint statement, Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland criticized the proposal, arguing that passenger safety could potentially be put at risk by such a decision.

    "We are deeply frustrated that Committee leadership with jurisdiction over the FAA Reauthorization Act — none of whom represent the Capital region — have decided to ignore the flashing red warning light of the recent near collision of two aircraft at DCA and jam even more flights onto the busiest runway in America," they said, referring to a near miss at the airport earlier this month.

    "It should go without saying that the safety of the traveling public should be a higher priority than the convenience of a few lawmakers who want direct flights home from their preferred airport," the senators continued. "We will continue to fight against this ridiculous and dangerous provision."

    While Delta Air Lines has thrown its support behind the long-haul provision, United Airlines has opposed the push.

    The quartet of senators from Virginia and Maryland have voiced their opposition to the proposed provision since last year.

    However, for many lawmakers, a trip from Capitol Hill to National Airport reigns supreme. Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, while fully equipped to handle long-haul flights, are miles outside of Washington, DC. And missing a flight due to a delayed vote can mean waiting until the next day to travel back home.

    Still, Kaine, Warner, Cardin, and Van Hollen remain opposed to the potential provision in the FAA reauthorization.

    "The senators representing the region and the people who most use this airport stand uniform against a provision negotiated without us that will guarantee more unacceptable delay and compromise passenger safety," they added.

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  • Target’s CEO made 719 times the median employee’s pay last year

    Brian Cornell Target CEO 6
    Target CEO Brian Cornell's is in charge of 415,000 workers across 1,956 retail stores across the US.

    • Target CEO Brian Cornell received total compensation of $19.2 million last year.
    • The median compensation for associates was $26,696, according to Target's annual proxy statement.
    • Cornell's pay is behind Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and ahead of former Costco CEO Craig Jelinek.

    Brian Cornell has come a long way since his days of scrubbing Tropicana trucks and coaching high school football to pay his bills.

    The Target CEO received total compensation last year of more than $19.2 million, up $1.6 million from the year before, according to the company's annual proxy statement filed Monday with the SEC.

    The pay package consisted of $1.4 million in base salary, $14.7 million in stock awards, and about $3.1 million in other compensation.

    Cornell also made $303,197 worth of use of Target's company-owned airplane "for security reasons," the filings say.

    The 65-year-old New York native is now in charge of 415,000 workers across 1,956 retail stores across the US, and annual revenues of $107.4 billion.

    Of those 415,000 workers, the median employee was paid $26,696 last year, up 2.7 percent from the previous year. Cornell's compensation is 719 times that amount.

    By comparison, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon's most recently disclosed compensation package was $26.9 million, while Craig Jelinek made $16.8 million in his final year as Costco CEO. Their pay ratios were 976 and 336, respectively.

    Under a new calculation that companies are required to disclose as of last year, Cornell saw his net worth grow by nearly $10.7 million last year after adjustments to recognize the gains and losses of his stock awards.

    Do you work for Target? Contact Dominick Reuter via email or text/call/Signal at 646-768-4750. Responses will be kept confidential, and Business Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when reaching out.

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  • Trump’s jurors hardly look at him. Trial experts say that’s a good sign for everyone.

    A gavel with a shadow shaped like Donald Trump
    • Trump's New York hush-money trial starts its second week of testimony on Tuesday.
    • Each day, jurors file back and forth past the most famous person on earth — without looking at him.
    • That's actually a good sign for the justice system, veteran trial attorneys say.

    Reporters at Donald Trump's New York hush-money trial watch him continually.

    They crane to glimpse the back of his head. A few aim little binoculars at the courtroom's overhead screens to better gauge his expressions — and his alertness.

    But the 12 jurors and six alternates hardly look at Trump at all as they file back and forth past the defense table. At most, the eyes of one or two jurors may dart in Trump's direction as they enter and leave for breaks or for the day.

    Trump, likewise, does not appear to pay his jurors much attention at all as they pass within six feet of him.

    He'll stand, like everyone else, at a court officer's cry of "All rise! Jury entering." But he'll either whisper with his lawyers or scowl indistinctly into space as they pass by.

    It seems remarkable. Trump is the most famous person on the planet, and the jurors hardly look at him, even from the jury box. Meanwhile, the jurors hold his potential criminal record in their hands, but Trump doesn't watch them much, either.

    Business Insider described this strange-seeming, mutual coyness to veteran Manhattan trial attorneys. They didn't find it terribly strange at all.

    In fact, they said, this may be a sign that, at least where the jury is concerned, the wheels of justice are turning as they should.

    "My guess is that they're not looking at him because everyone on the jury has heard of Donald Trump, and they understand that this is a case that is being given worldwide attention," said Diana Florence, a former Manhattan financial crimes prosecutor.

    The jurors don't want to be seen as gawking at him, Florence and other attorneys said.

    "They've all taken an oath to judge the case solely on the evidence," said Florence, who is now in private practice.

    "So I think the fact that he is such a bold-faced name and they're not staring at him is probably a good sign for our jury system," she added.

    "You especially don't want to look like a fan boy or fan girl" with a room full of reporters watching, agreed Jeremy Saland, another former Manhattan prosecutor.

    "As a juror, if you nod your head at Trump, you're in the papers," Saland said.

    And if you nod at the prosecutors?

    "You have Jesse Watters saying liberals have infiltrated the jury," he added.

    Jurors did look at Gotti Jr. and El Chapo

    Jeffrey Lichtman has repped many mobsters and drug lords in his career. He wondered if jurors might be too intimidated to look at Trump.

    "I had John Gotti Jr., and El Chapo, and it doesn't get any more intimidating than that," Lichtman said of two of his more famous clients.

    "Jurors looked at both of them," he said. Gotti's federal racketeering charges were dropped after a third mistrial in 2006, and El Chapo was convicted of drug trafficking and conspiracy in 2019.

    "But I think they looked at them as if they were animals in a zoo," Lichtman conceded.

    Still, it's not uncommon for jurors not to look at the defendant, said Lichtman and other trial-practice veterans.

    More potentially significant, they said, was that Trump was failing to look at his jury, at least not with anything approaching respect and appreciation.

    "It's imperative that he stop with the 'Blue Steel' stare," Lichtman said.

    "You want them to like you, and you don't want to intimidate them," he said.

    "You think you're being inconvenienced by being there? So are the jurors. This is an inconvenience for them, too."

    Former President Donald Trump appears in court for opening statements in his Manhattan hush-money trial on April 22, 2024.
    Donald Trump in court for opening statements in his Manhattan hush-money trial.

    It's not enough for defense lawyer Todd Blanche to say in opening statements that Trump is "a person, just like you and me." They have to try to show the jurors this, not just tell them, Lichtman said.

    "It's very important that the jury see the defendant and the lawyers laughing and smiling together throughout the trial," Lichtman said.

    "I was very clear on Gotti and El Chapo that I would go up to them during the summation and put my arm around them," he said.

    "You touch them, you humanize them," he said.

    "I don't think anyone wants to look at a guy's face who's scowling."

    No 'resting scowl face'

    Trump's defense team is doing him a disservice by not convincing him to look a little friendlier, other lawyers told Business Insider.

    "They should be telling him that a 'resting scowl face' doesn't help him at all," said Saland, the former prosecutor, now in private practice.

    The lawyers should also be "reeling him in outside the courtroom," Saland said.

    Prosecutors have alleged Trump has violated his gag order at least 14 times in the past month by making statements targeting his jury and witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.

    A hearing on Manhattan prosecutors' most recent contempt-of-court allegations is set for Thursday morning.

    For each violation, Trump faces fines of up to $1,000 and, less likely, jail of up to 30 days.

    A lawyer for Trump declined to comment for this story.

    "They're letting him do his thing," Saland said of the defense team, noting that Trump has turned the trial into a stop on his campaign trail, where he rages against his political enemies.

    "After all, it's a heck of a lot cheaper to run afoul of the gag order at $1,000 a pop," Saland said, "than to run a 30-second spot on national news."

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  • Israel’s strike showed Iran’s air defenses were ‘woefully unprepared.’ Here’s what Tehran may do next.

    A Russian-made S-300 missile system drives in front of the officials' stand during a 2019 military parade in Tehran.
    A Russian-made S-300 missile system drives in front of the officials' stand during a 2019 military parade in Tehran.

    • Israel showed it can take out a key part of Iran's air defenses with a single missile.
    • The S-300 damaged is the most advanced air defense system Iran has acquired from Russia.
    • Iran must field better air defenses like Russia's S-400 to stand a chance against a barrage.

    In the early hours of April 19, Israel sent a message to Iran with an air-launched ballistic missile that took out a critical part of its air defense network: a radar belonging to one of its advanced Russian S-300 missiles.

    The Israeli missile scored a direct hit, and the next day Iran tried to cover up the damage with an inferior replacement radar, according to images obtained by the Economist. The incident in the city of Isfahan may force Tehran to upgrade its air defenses, possibly from more advanced Russian systems, to defend itself from the possibility of larger Israeli missile attacks.

    "I think it's quite clear that Iran is woefully unprepared for such attacks unless it receives significant help from Russia, which it has failed to do so far," Arash Azizi, senior lecturer in history and political science at Clemson University and author of "The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran's Global Ambitions," told Business Insider.

    "The attacks will also have given valuable operational information to the Iranians in charge of missile defense in that they'll have a better sense of their limits," Azizi said.

    Israel is known to possess ballistic missiles it can launch from fighter jets. One example is its 15-foot-long Rampage missile. Weighing 1,200 pounds, the supersonic missile can hit targets up to 186 miles away. Britain has shown interest in buying it.

    Freddy Khoueiry, a global security analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at the risk intelligence company RANE, believes it's possible Israel used the Rampage on April 19. However, he noted that missile debris uncovered in neighboring Iraq suggests it was more likely Israel used Blue Sparrow missiles, which have a purported 1,250-mile range.

    "Either way, the debris in Iraq and local reports of fighter jet activities over Iraqi airspace that same night suggest Israeli fighter jets possibly fired the missiles from a distance closer to the Iranian borders," Khoueiry told BI.

    While Iranian air defenses failed to stop Israel's strike they have hugely improved in recent years. In the early 2000s, Iranian radars couldn't detect American and Israeli drones operating inside Iranian airspace. Even bulky US tankers supporting missions in Afghanistan and Iraq flew over parts of Iranian airspace undetected.

    An Israeli F-16I fighter flew over the border area with south Lebanon on March 12, 2024.
    An Israeli F-16I fighter flew over the border area with south Lebanon on March 12, 2024.

    That's all changed. Iran shot down a sophisticated American RQ-4A Global Hawk surveillance drone flying at high altitude in 2019, claiming it used its indigenous 3rd Khordad system.

    "For the past few years, Iran has heavily invested in its air defense capabilities but simultaneously knows that it might not be enough against the technologically advanced Israeli or US weapons in a potential conflict," Khoueiry said.

    That's one reason Iran has placed its most sensitive installations in mountainous regions.

    "I believe the April 19 Isfahan strike will likely make the Iranians think more in terms of countering Israel's radar-evading systems by improving their radar capabilities while continuing to improve their air defenses, especially because we did not see Iran's best air defense equipment on display," Khoueiry said.

    The S-300PMU-2 is the most advanced air defense system Iran has acquired from Russia. Following the Isfahan strike, it's likely Tehran will conclude it needs more advanced Russian systems, such as the S-400 they've by some accounts been asking for.

    Khoueiry doesn't rule out the prospect of Iran seeking the S-400, given its "more advanced stealth capabilities" and ability to track aircraft at lower altitudes. These capabilities are "crucial" for defending vital Iranian installations, especially given the S-300's failure to intercept Israeli weapons on April 19.

    Clemson University's Azizi believes an S-400 acquisition remains "crucial" for Iran and one of its "best bets." Therefore, he anticipates Tehran will continue pushing for it.

    "I think the April episode will certainly have convinced Iranians that they need to be more serious about getting help from Russia," Azizi said. "But I think they ultimately have very little leverage unless Moscow wants to play Israel and the West by giving help to Iran."

    Iran has a strong card to play. It's become a major supplier of Russia's war against Ukraine via thousands of Shahed loitering munitions and hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles. But this may not be enough.

    "Moscow will be the key decision-maker here, not Tehran," Azizi said. "The drone help is important for Moscow but not indispensable."

    Iran could have a local solution in the form of indigenous systems, such as the 3rd Khordad that felled a Global Hawk and the Bavar 373.

    "Theoretically these Iranian systems should do better than the S-300 given that the Iranians upgraded the Bavar 373 in 2022, claiming that it's now a competitor of the S-400," Khoueiry said. "In practice, this could go either way, depending on the amount of Israeli missiles that would be hypothetically launched and from where."

    Khoueiry anticipates that early detection by Iranian air defenses could give these Iranian-made systems "more chances" against Israeli missiles.

    Conversely, Azizi believes these systems are "quite unlikely" to fare any better than their Russian counterparts.

    "These are impressive systems for Iran to have devised on its own but they are ultimately no match for Israel's significant offensive capabilities," Azizi said.

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  • Adam Neumann got cut out of WeWork’s restructuring deal

    Adam Neumann
    Adam Neumann

    • WeWork has a new plan to get out of bankruptcy — and it doesn't involve Adam Neumann.
    • Neumann is seeking to acquire the company he created for more than $500 million.
    • "We anticipate there will be robust objections to confirming this plan," a Flow attorney told BI.

    WeWork has a new plan to get out of bankruptcy — and it doesn't involve Adam Neumann, who wants to acquire the flexible office provider he created.

    WeWork announced Monday that it has raised $450 million in equity funding, which it could use to emerge from Chapter 11. The company also said it has a plan in place to "eliminate all of its $4 billion of outstanding, prepetition debt obligations."

    A vote on the plan — which has support from the owners of most of WeWork's debt — is scheduled for May 30, according to Bloomberg.

    The majority of the funding — $337 million, to be exact — would come from Cupar Grimmond, and SoftBank would still own a stake in the company, according to the outlet.

    But Neumann, who has recently expressed interest in purchasing WeWork for more than $500 million, doesn't plan to go down without a fight.

    "After misleading the court for weeks, WeWork finally admitted it is trying to sell the company to a group led by Yardi for far less than we are continuing to propose," Susheel Kirpalani, an attorney for Neumann's new real estate startup Flow Global, told Business Insider in a statement, adding, "so we anticipate there will be robust objections to confirming this plan."

    WeWork parted with Neumann five years ago following its failed IPO. The company filed for bankruptcy in November 2023 after the pandemic dealt a massive blow to its business model.

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  • Russian advances could give it a shot at Ukraine’s eastern ‘fortress belt,’ war analysts warn

    Ukrainian servicemen ride on an armored personnel carrier (APC) in a field near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on April 27, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    Ukrainian servicemen ride on an armored personnel carrier (APC) in a field near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, on April 27, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

    • Russian forces are poised to advance toward the "fortress belt" of four eastern Ukrainian cities.
    • The cities are a stronghold for Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast just northwest of Avdiivka.
    • Russia has been making gains in area, forcing Ukrainian troops to withdraw. 

    Russian troops appear to be making tactical advances just northwest of Avdiivka toward a so-called "fortress belt" of Ukrainian cities, war analysts report.

    Though it remains to be seen whether Russian command will turn its focus its troops on that area, they're setting the stage for offensive operations in that direction. And they've long aimed to capture these four cities.

    With Russian forces continuing to solidify their positions northwest of Avdiivka, a war-torn town they captured in February, they now have choices on which objectives to pursue. Ukraine has repeatedly warned that Russia seeks to capture Pokrovsk, southwest of Bakhmut.

    But according to a new assessment from The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington DC-based think tank that has followed the conflict closely, Russia has the option "to conduct possible complementary offensive operations" around Chasiv Yar, a city near Avdiivka that "is operationally significant because it would provide Russian forces with a staging ground to launch offensive operations" near two of the "four major cities that form a fortress belt" for Ukraine in the Donetsk Oblast.

    Chasiv Yar, another town under tremendous pressure, is close to Duzhkivka and Kostyantynivka, the two southernmost cities in the belt. The other two, Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, are located a bit more north, but still along the same highway.

    "The Russian military command could decide that advances north along the H-20 highway would allow Russian forces to conduct subsequent complementary offensive operations from the east and south against the southern edge of the Ukrainian fortress belt in Donetsk Oblast," ISW wrote.

    But the effort wouldn't be rapid or easy for Russia, the analysts added. And they may still yet decide to prioritize advancing toward the west, going after the borders of Donetsk Oblast, rather than heading northwest out of Avdiivka towards the fortress belt.

    At the moment, ISW reported, Ukrainian officials say Russia has deployed as many as four brigades, "roughly a reinforced division's worth of combat power," northwest of Avdiivka to stabilize sections of the front and support penetration operations.

    The Russian situation is not without its challenges though.

    Ukraine appears to have slowed down Russian gains near Avdiivka with reconstituted reinforcements in the area, despite facing a severe manpower shortage and disadvantages overall. That said, in recent days, Ukrainian military officials have acknowledged Russian tactical gains in the area, reporting a dire situation as they wait for the arrival of US aid.

    The potential for advances in this sector comes ahead of an expected Russian offensive this summer, when Moscow's troops could have the opportunity to make significant gains in the Chasiv Yar area and beyond.

    At this time, it remains unclear what weapons packages and security assistance Ukraine will have received by then and whether the country's forces will be able to sufficiently defend against a Russian offensive.

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  • Seeking nominations for our inaugural list of sports betting’s rising stars

    Fanatics' logo appears in neon at the company's 2022 Super Bowl party.
    Fanatics and ESPN Bet are trying to nab market share from the leading operators in sports betting.

    • Business Insider is compiling its first list of rising stars in the US sports-betting industry.
    • We're looking for early-to-mid-career staffers behind key efforts at operators, suppliers, and more.
    • Submit nominations through the form below by May 13, 2024.

    We're seeking nominations for our inaugural list of rising stars in the US sports-betting industry, and we want to hear from you.

    As the industry expands in North America, we've highlighted the leaders shaping it, from DraftKings' Jason Robins and FanDuel's Amy Howe to sports-betting executives at the major leagues, media companies, and industry suppliers to top investors.

    Now we're spotlighting up-and-comers who are working behind the scenes to solve some of the industry's toughest problems and making waves in the sector. We're looking for early-to-mid-career staffers focused on the US market at operators, industry suppliers, or media companies in sports betting. These people also have big ambitions to be the future leaders in the industry.

    Please submit your nominations here or through the form below by Monday, May 13, 2024, at 6 p.m. ET.

    Criteria and methodology

    We will consider several factors to determine who to spotlight in this list, including the nominee's specific role and responsibilities and the person's impact on the industry. We will also consider what leadership efforts the person has demonstrated.

    Please include as much detail as possible about the nominee's role when submitting a nomination below.

    [googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoEDI2RfXe2DDnMzOsePVbQKk62DuyEbjD4e71-Nx13PEa7g/viewform” query=”embedded=true” width=”640″ height=”1596″ /]
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  • Paramount CEO Bob Bakish is officially out

    Exiting Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, seen here in 2019
    Exiting Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, seen here in 2019

    Paramount announced Monday that its president and CEO Bob Bakish is stepping down and getting replaced by a trio of execs.

    Bakish is exiting the entertainment studio as major shareholder Shari Redstone inches closer to a sale of her controlling stake in the company.

    David Ellison's Skydance Media has been angling to buy Paramount.

    For the time being, three executives — CBS head George Cheeks; Chris McCarthy, the president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks; and Nickelodeon boss Brian Robbins — will run the company as an "Office of the CEO."

    "The Office of the CEO is working with the Board to develop a comprehensive, long-range plan to accelerate growth and develop popular content, materially streamline operations, strengthen the balance sheet, and continue to optimize the streaming strategy," Paramount's board said in a statement. "The Board has great confidence in the leaders comprising the Office of the CEO, all of whom are senior creative executives and business leaders with a track record of success running meaningful businesses within Paramount Global."

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  • More than 1 million student-loan borrowers could soon be transferred to a new company after their servicer requested a lighter load, the Education Department says

    college students graduation
    • Over 1 million student-loan borrowers are being transferred from MOHELA to new servicers in the coming months.
    • MOHELA requested the transition, and Federal Student Aid agreed to allow for "the best service."
    • The Education Department withheld pay from MOHELA last year for not fulfilling some of its obligations.

    A major student-loan company has requested that it no longer manage some of the borrowers in its servicing portfolio.

    On Monday, Federal Student Aid released a blog post — first reviewed by Business Insider — announcing that beginning this week, it will begin transitioning some student-loan borrowers' accounts from MOHELA to other federal servicers.

    An Education Department spokesperson told BI that it expects this transition will impact over one million borrowers, but that number is subject to change as the transition progresses.

    "MOHELA requested these transfers and FSA, as part of its work to ensure borrowers receive the best service and support, agreed to this path," the blog post said.

    According to FSA, it has already started to work with MOHELA and the other servicers to manage these transitions effectively. Impacted borrowers will receive a notice from both MOHELA and their new servicer notifying them of actions that they need to take to complete the transition. Those include creating an account with their new servicer, ensuring their new servicer has their contact information, and making sure any payment settings — like banking information — are up to date.

    The transition is expected to be completed "over the next several months," per FSA, and impacted borrowers will still be able to benefit from reforms set to be implemented over the summer, including some new provisions in the SAVE income-driven repayment plan to allow for lower monthly payments.

    With regards to the borrowers in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the Education Department already announced that beginning May 1, the program will be paused as PSLF borrowers switch from being managed by MOHELA to being managed through Federal Student Aid. Monday's announcement will work in accordance with that shift.

    "MOHELA continues to serve as one of the Department's federal student loan servicers and will continue their support for millions of student loan borrowers," the blog post said. "FSA will work closely with MOHELA and our other federal student loan servicers throughout the transition period to create a smooth process for borrowers."

    This announcement comes as the Education Department is working to overhaul the student-loan servicing industry to make it easier to use for borrowers. Since student-loan payments resumed in October after an over three-year pandemic pause, many borrowers have reported hourslong hold times with their servicers, along with inaccurate and delayed billing statements, among a list of other errors.

    MOHELA was the first servicer to receive punishment from the Education Department in October for failing to send on-time billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers, resulting in over $7 million of its pay withheld. The department has since released an accountability framework to enforce oversight over servicers, vowing to take additional action if it finds any federal servicer is failing to fulfill its contractual obligations.

    Some Democratic lawmakers have also been pushing for greater oversight over MOHELA. Sen. Elizabeth Warren held a hearing earlier in April to examine MOHELA's performance, and while the company's CEO declined to attend, MOHELA said in a statement that it is instead offering private briefings with lawmakers to answer their questions.

    Warren told BI in a statement that less than three weeks after she held the hearing, "the Education Department is taking critical action to protect student loan borrowers."

    "There is more that the Education Department can do to hold MOHELA accountable, but today's action is an important first step," Warren said.

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  • From Tim Cook to Anna Wintour, these 15 successful people wake up before 6 a.m.

    anna wintour
    Anna Wintour.

    • Successful people across industries are known for waking up early.
    • They also practice other healthy habits like exercise and meditation.
    • Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes up between 4 and 5 a.m. and starts his day by answering emails.

    There are two types of people in the world: those who welcome the morning sunshine and those who try to snooze it into oblivion.

    People like Issa Rae and Tim Cook belong to the former category, crafting tailored morning routines that begin while their peers are still dreaming.

    Some of the benefits of waking up early include higher levels of energy and mental clarity, a higher likeliness to succeed, and, for women, a decreased risk of developing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, Business Insider reported in 2019.

    But the most successful people's healthy habits don't stop with their early alarms; some common recurring themes in their routines include meditation and regular exercise, both of which are beneficial to the mind and body.

    "Research has found that meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and increase feelings of calm and relaxation," wrote Business Insider's Rebecca Cairns.

    Of course, there's no one-size-fits-all method to hacking a perfect morning routine — especially with specific career demands, commute times, childcare needs, etc. — but if you're looking for a little motivation to make a change, here are 15 successful early risers you can draw inspiration from.

    Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes up between 4 and 5 a.m. to read emails from customers.
    Tim Cook at the AFI Awards in January 2024.
    Tim Cook at the AFI Awards in January 2024.

    Cook was featured as a guest on a 2023 episode of the podcast "Dua Lipa: At Your Service," and he revealed he likes to wake up between 4 and 5 a.m. to respond to emails.

    "I read emails from a lot of customers and employees, and the customers are telling me things that they love about us or things that they want changed about us. Employees are giving me ideas. But it's a way to stay grounded in terms of what the community is feeling, and I love it," he said.

    The rest of his morning involves strength training, getting ready for work, coffee, and a light breakfast.

    Issa Rae wakes up at 4 a.m. to work out.
    Issa Rae at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
    Issa Rae at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.

    "Insecure" creator, "Barbie" president, and Sienna Naturals cofounder Issa Rae has a lot on her plate.

    In a 2024 interview with Glamour, Rae was asked about her favorite way to take a moment for herself. "It's in the early morning," she said. "Honestly, I get up at four and that is my workout time."

    "And then literally after that time, I sit with coffee and a journal and just sit with my thoughts," Rae added.

    Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel gets up around 5 a.m. for "Evan Time."
    Evan Spiegel onstage during the Snap Partner Summit 2023.
    Evan Spiegel onstage during the Snap Partner Summit 2023.

    The 33-year-old described his motivation for waking up early in an interview that appeared in Entrepreneur's Handbook in 2018.

    "I get up really early, because that's the only time that's 'Evan Time' for me, when people aren't really awake yet. I get a couple hours between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. to do whatever I wanna do," he said.

    Snap told Business Insider in 2024 that after Spiegel wakes up, he takes 30 minutes to check the app and his email and drink a double espresso. After that, he'll do a 45-minute workout at the gym or do Kriya meditation before showering, reading the news, and having breakfast with his family around 7 a.m.

    Spiegel shares three kids with wife Miranda Kerr and helps co-parent Kerr's child from her previous marriage to Orlando Bloom.

    Multi-hyphenate Shonda Rhimes wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to start writing.
    Shonda Rhimes attends the 35th GLAAD Media Awards in 2024.
    Shonda Rhimes attends the 35th GLAAD Media Awards in 2024.

    The mind behind hit series like "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," and "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" collaborated with MasterClass in 2016 to teach writing for television.

    In episode 11, "Writing a Script: Effective Habits," Rhimes said, "I used to think that there was like a special magic golden hour in which I wrote better than any other time. But that keeps changing, so I no longer think that's true."

    At the time, she said her schedule involved waking up at 5 a.m. to get a lot of writing done, then focusing on writing again in the office around the middle of the day.

    Despite her early wake-up time, Rhimes is an advocate for work-life balance, telling Fast Company in 2017, "I do not answer phone calls or emails after 7 p.m. I do not work on weekends … I mean, I write. I just don't answer phone calls or emails."

    Tennis star and new mom Naomi Osaka wakes up between 5 and 7 a.m.
    Naomi Osaka after the second round at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Garden.
    Naomi Osaka after the second round at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Garden.

    In a February 2024 interview with The Cut, Osaka said, "I wake anywhere between 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. depending on the day. I try to start with a five-minute meditation, if I can squeeze it in with the baby."

    The four-time Grand Slam singles champion welcomed her first child, a daughter named Shai, with her partner Cordae in 2023.

    Michael B. Jordan told Vanity Fair he wakes up naturally at 5 a.m.
    Michael B. Jordan at the David Yurman High Jewelry Event with Michael B. Jordan in January 2024.
    Michael B. Jordan attends a David Yurman event in January 2024.

    "I hit the snooze button all the time. My body is a natural alarm clock. Whether I like it or not, I get up around 5 o'clock in the morning but then I go back to sleep depending on what I have to do; it's like a second sleep, it's like a really really good sleep," Jordan said in a 2018 episode of the Vanity Fair series "In a Day."

    When he's actually ready to get up, Jordan said he gets out of bed on the right foot — literally. He always ensures his right foot is the first to touch the ground.

    Then, he'll meditate while he showers, have breakfast, and work out.

    Mark Wahlberg follows an intense morning routine that starts at 3:30 a.m.
    Mark Wahlberg at an "Arthur The King" special screening and adoption event in 2024.
    Mark Wahlberg at an "Arthur The King" special screening and adoption event in 2024.

    In October 2023, Wahlberg told Today.com he wakes up at 3:30 a.m. to work out. Later, it takes him multiple trips upstairs to convince his kids to get out of bed.

    "I've been going like, 3:30 wake up, 4 o'clock in the gym, kind of finish that, get my reading and my prayer time done, and then start the process of waking them up, which usually ends up taking — I'm up and down the stairs at least three times to get the teenagers up and I get them off to school, and then I usually start the rest of my day," he said.

    He has four children with his wife, Rhea Durham: Grace, 14, Brendan, 15, Michael, 18, and Ella, 20.

    Pinterest's CMO Andréa Mallard wakes up at 5 a.m. to work out and meditate.
    Andréa Mallard Headshot
    Andréa Mallard.

    In 2022, the Pinterest CMO told Business Insider's Robin Madell that she goes to bed at 9 p.m. so she can start her days at 5 a.m.

    Her morning routine consists of 45 minutes of intense cardio, then listening to a five-minute meditation while in the shower. Mallard then makes a breakfast smoothie, which she drinks around 6:30 a.m. while preparing for her workday.

    This includes checking emails and reviewing and taking notes on pre-read materials, giving her at least two hours of uninterrupted work before she pauses to help get her three kids ready for school at 8 a.m.

    "I'm definitely at my most creative or innovative in the very early morning hours, well before anyone wakes up. If a work challenge needs lateral thinking or requires serious creative muscle or a tough decision, it's the first thing I'll tackle in the morning," she said, as reported by Madell.

    Disney CEO Bob Iger wakes up at 4:15 a.m. to enjoy some quiet time.
    Bob Iger attends the 96th Oscars Nominee Luncheon in 2024.
    Bob Iger attends the 96th Oscars Nominee Luncheon in 2024.

    In his MasterClass on business strategy and leadership, the Disney CEO revealed his methods for using his time effectively.

    "I happen to believe that in every day you need to have some quiet time to think, where you're not really being bombarded by external forces," Iger said.

    Part of his quiet time comes from working out, which he does after waking up at 4:15 a.m., Business Insider reported in 2018.

    "The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is work out. And I work out in solitude, typically in a darkened room, listening to music," he told his MasterClass.

    "It's my most creative time in many ways. I also make sure that I don't look at any email before I work out. Because if I do so, that tends to distract me and, at times, can be really mood changing in nature. And I need that time to be kind of cleansed of too many external forces or influences so that I can really have clarity of thought," Iger added.

    He said he usually arrives at the office between 6:30 and 6:45 a.m., which gives him time to ease into the day.

    Emmy-winning comedian, actor, and screenwriter Quinta Brunson usually wakes up at 5 a.m.
    Quinta Brunson attends the 55th Annual NAACP Image Awards in 2024.
    Quinta Brunson attends the 55th Annual NAACP Image Awards in 2024.

    In a 2023 episode of Elle magazine's series "Waking Up With…," "Abbott Elementary" creator and star Quinta Brunson shared that although she was waking up at 8 a.m. for the video, she wakes up at 5 a.m. a lot.

    The first thing she does in the morning is wash her face with water, a washcloth, and makeup remover wipes before moving on to skincare products.

    Nike CEO John Donahoe, who wakes up at 5:45 a.m., trains four mornings a week.
    Nike CEO John Donahoe attends the 2023 Footwear News Achievement Awards in 2023.
    Nike CEO John Donahoe attends the 2023 Footwear News Achievement Awards in 2023.

    A self-described "creature of habit," the Nike CEO told The Wall Street Journal in 2021 that he wakes up every weekday morning at 5:45 a.m.

    "The first thing I do is drink 33 ounces of water and two cups of coffee, and then I stretch using the Hyperice Hypervolt. I meditate for 10 minutes and then I have a Nike personal trainer — his name's JC Cook. I work out from 7 to 8, four mornings a week with him," Donahoe said.

    To keep up with the early wake-up time, he said he tries to get "seven-plus" hours of sleep per night. "Sometimes that's unrealistic, so I target getting 70 hours every 10 days," he said.

    Gymshark founder and CEO Ben Francis wakes up between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m. every day.
    Ben Francis
    Ben Francis, Gymshark's founder and CEO.

    In a 2022 interview with Business Insider's Kiera Fields, Francis said he likes to simplify his mornings by doing the same thing every day.

    This includes waking up between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m., much to the dismay of his wife, he said.

    He starts his mornings with breakfast and time with his dogs before getting ready and heading to the office, where he works five days a week.

    Olabisi Boyle, the senior vice president of product planning and mobility strategy at Hyundai Motor North America, wakes up at 5 a.m.
    Bisi Outdoor Hyundai Laguna   Bisi.JPG
    Olabisi Boyle.

    "I start work between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. but wake up at 5 a.m. to give myself time to breathe," said Boyle in an interview with Business Insider's Lola Christine Alao in 2023.

    Boyle said she likes to start her mornings by checking on yearlong goals and progress. "Everything I do ties into these initiatives, so it's important to start my mornings by breaking down what needs to be done in order to achieve our goals," she said.

    Anna Wintour, Vogue editor in chief and global chief content officer of Condé Nast, starts her days between 4 and 5 a.m. to read the news.
    Anna Wintour at the Chanel Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show during Paris Fashion Week 2024.
    Anna Wintour during Paris Fashion Week 2024.

    The media legend gave a MasterClass on creativity and leadership in 2019, telling viewers in episode two, "Getting the Work Done: Anna's Management Tips," that she has "a pretty consistent structure" for her day.

    "I wake up early, between 4 and 5:30 a.m. I read both the British and American papers online, so I know what's happening. I often play tennis. I eat breakfast consisting of Starbucks," she said.

    Her motivation for waking early is to get ahead of the day's tasks before they "creep up on you," she said, MasterClass wrote.

    Bumble founder and former CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd's schedule can require waking up at 5:15 a.m.
    Whitney Wolfe Herd attends Vox Media's 2023 Code Conference.
    Whitney Wolfe Herd attends Vox Media's 2023 Code Conference.

    "Most of my days are unpredictable and start at different times, so I try my best to keep up with a stable morning routine. I sleep with the drapes open to rise with the sun," Wolfe Herd told Entrepreneur in 2017. "I think that's a healthy thing to do because even if you don't like to wake up early, your body does adjust," she added.

    Wolfe Herd gave The New York Times a glimpse into her "unpredictable" days in 2019. Throughout the week, her mornings included everything from a 5:30 a.m. call with her London-based Bumble founding partner Andrey Andreev to homemade celery juice and Chinese takeout for breakfast and a monthly directors' meeting.

    After becoming a mother to two boys, Wolfe Herd told Time magazine in 2023 that she likes to operate one hour at a time.

    "I try to do the drive to preschool with no calls so I can pay attention to him," she said of her oldest son, Bobby. "And then the minute I drop him off, literally as I'm giving him a hug out the door, I have to dial into something. But I've structured it so that that call on the way home is totally sequenced perfectly to get back to my computer to then pick up another two things on Zoom."

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