But after a handful of long-haul flights tucked away in the rear of economy, I decided to see if my preference remained strong.
On a recent round-trip, long-haul Lufthansa flight between Denver and Germany, I decided to compare the two areas of economy. For my outbound flight, I sat in row 42, the third to last economy row. For my return trip, I was seated in row 11, the first economy row.
Each seat had its perks, but I'm sticking with the back of the plane.
The author's vegetarian meal on the long-haul flight.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
When it came to food service, the front wins
A few hours into my return flight to Denver, flight attendants came around with carts full of meals. Each passenger was asked a simple question: chicken or pasta?
This wasn't the case when I was seated in the back. When flight attendants reached the second-to-last row of economy, they had run out of options. Each passenger was handed a tray of beef and mashed potatoes.
This isn't the first time that's happened to me while seated in the back. Last year, a similar situation occurred on a flight to Tokyo.
If I was a picky eater, this reason alone could sway me to opt for a front-row seat. Instead, I typically request a vegetarian meal for long-haul flights, so my meal is already picked before boarding the plane.
The author avoids sitting near the bathroom at all costs on long-haul flights.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
My main focus — regardless of whether it's the front or back — is to avoid the bathrooms
When I'm cramped in a tight space, the last thing I want to worry about is a bathroom smell wafting around me for more than 10 hours.
So, my No. 1 priority when picking a long-haul seat is sitting far from the bathrooms. On many larger aircraft, the economy bathrooms are stationed in the middle of the cabin.
For my 10-hour flight to Germany, I was in the back of economy, and there wasn't a bathroom directly behind me. Instead, a galley was just a few feet away, ideal for a quick stretch break.
I also didn't have a bathroom nearby for my return flight at the front. If I opt for the front on a future flight, I'll double-check that the premium economy cabin has no bathrooms in the back.
An economy seat on a long-haul Lufthansa flight.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
A few days before each flight, open seats remained in the back of the plane
I've been lucky enough to have one or two long-haul flights without a middle-seat passenger. I've celebrated every bit of extra room and tried hard to recreate that luck.
I'm convinced your best chance of having an empty seat is if you're in the back of a cabin. Since most people avoid the rear, those seats are chosen last, or hopefully not chosen at all.
A few days before each flight, I checked the seat map and noticed my theory was correct. The majority of the empty seats remaining were toward the back of economy.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case when I boarded the plane. Both flights were fully booked, meaning I would've been sitting next to someone no matter where I was on the plane.
Business Insider's author was one of the first to disembark after the 10-hour flight.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
On one flight, sitting in the rear helped me disembark faster
One of the main arguments for sitting in the front of economy is that you get off the plane faster.
While that's been the case on most long-haul flights, it wasn't when we landed at the Munich airport. Instead, flight attendants informed the passengers that we'd use both the front and back doors for disembarking. Since I was seated in the back, I was off the plane in no time.
However, had I been sitting in the back on my return flight, I would've been one of the last people off the plane. This would have also meant a much longer line when I reached customs.
A passenger in the back of the plane put her bag in the overhead bin.
Monica Humphries/Business Insider
Ultimately, no economy seat on a long-haul flight is ideal, but I'm sticking with the back
No matter the seat, a 10-hour flight isn't fun. I've learned to be patient and celebrate small wins, like getting a window seat or having an empty seat nearby.
Ultimately, everyone has their preferences. Mine just happens to be at the back of the plane, where I have a galley for stretching and a better chance at an empty seat.
When booking air travel, I usually choose the cheapest nonstop flight leaving from my local airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). For this trip, that option was an eight-hour red-eye flight on an airline I'd never heard of, Norse Atlantic Airways.
Norse Atlantic Airways is a new budget airline that started flying in 2022 with nonstop trips from the US to Germany, Norway, the UK, France, and Italy, according to its website.
I booked the lowest tier of ticket — economy light, which included a seat and space to store a personal item for $88. I also paid $75 to select my window seat in advance and a $20 check-in fee at the airport, for a grand total of $183.
I like how domestic red-eye flights give me an extra day at my destination, but I'd never taken one internationally. And I found that the long-haul flight through the night left me exhausted at the beginning of my trip. To me, it wasn't worth the day I saved.
I arrived at JFK at 9:30 p.m. for my 12:30 a.m. flight.
The author checks in at JFK airport.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I could have checked in online for free, but I wanted to print my boarding pass at the airport.
On a late Sunday evening, the terminal at JFK felt quite empty.
Inside the author's terminal at JFK.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Aside from people in line to board an aircraft, I hardly saw anyone.
My flight began boarding at 11:30 p.m.
Travelers board the aircraft to Berlin in October 2022.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I was among the last to board and got situated in my seat right around midnight.
The flight's seating arrangement was three columns with three seats in each row.
People board the Norse aircraft in October 2022.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I paid extra to select a window seat before the flight so that I could lean against the window to rest.
A representative from Norse told BI that economy light seats are 17.2 inches wide with a 3-inch recline.
The author's seat on the Norse flight.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
It felt like a standard plane seat to me.
I thought I had enough legroom even with my backpack shoved underneath the seat.
The author's legroom on the flight.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The seat pitch was between 27 and 32 inches, according to the representative.
There was an entertainment screen with movies, TV shows, and information about my flight in front of me.
The screens on the seat back chair.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Although I spent most of the time trying to sleep, I appreciated having the screen.
As the plane prepared for takeoff, I was thrilled that I had a whole row to myself.
The author's row of seats on the flight.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
In fact, I noticed many of the seats were empty.
My seat back pocket contained a menu of amenities, including earbuds, blankets, neck pillows, and sleep masks, although I didn't buy any.
In-flight menu items.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Amenity prices ranged from $3.50 to $6.50.
After takeoff, the plane was quiet and dimly lit. But I hardly ever sleep well on planes, and this was no exception.
The flight at night.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I woke several times through the night.
At one point in the night, I went to the bathroom and found it cleaner than most aircraft bathrooms I've been in.
The bathroom on the Norse aircraft.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Unlike most economy aircraft bathrooms I've used, the floor wasn't sticky and the trash can wasn't overflowing.
In the morning, flight attendants came around with food and beverage service. So I looked at the menu in my seat back pocket.
In-flight service and menu.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I found that food and beverages weren't included in the price of my ticket, so I decided to skip it.
I landed in Berlin nearly an hour earlier than scheduled, so I was only in the air for seven hours.
The author's aircraft arrives in Berlin.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Still, when I got off the plane, I felt completely exhausted due to a lack of sleep.
Despite feeling tired, as I would after any red-eye flight, I was impressed by the budget airline and would definitely book with Norse again.
The author on the runway in Berlin.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The flight was comfortable and clean, and landing early was a nice bonus.
Once in Berlin, I still had a two-hour train journey to my Airbnb outside the city, and I could barely keep my eyes open.
The author takes trains from Berlin to her Airbnb.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Even after a night of sleep, I found that the exhaustion from the overnight flight — combined with jet lag — lasted for days. This wasn't ideal at the start of a two-week adventure.
My exhaustion wore off within a couple of days of my trip, but I had a lingering thought — next time I fly internationally, I won't mind spending a little more money and a little less time at my destination for a day flight.
Brittan Byrd, Bryton Constantin and Christine Obanor are some of several "Perfect Match" stars from season two involved in the cast conflict on social media.
Courtesy of Netflix
The "Perfect Match" season two finale aired last week, but the drama has continued on social media.
Contestants are accusing each other of inappropriate behavior and forming secret pacts.
This is not a new phenomenon, but "Perfect Match" stars seem to be taking post-show drama to a new level.
Warning: spoilers ahead for "Perfect Match" season two.
"Perfect Match" season two may have ended last week, but the drama is just getting started.
Last week, Netflix aired the season two finale, where Christine Obanor and Nigel Jones were voted the winners and Harry Jowsey was exposed for lying about kissing another contestant behind his partner's back.
Fans may have thought the season's biggest controversies would have been solved during the finale. But, now its stars have turned to social media, accusing contestants of secret pacts, homophobic and misogynistic behavior, and lying to their partners.
The stars claim these incidents were cut from the final episodes to fit the series' narrative.
This could be a tactic for the stars to boost their brands after the season ended. For example, Harry is bringing new fans to his podcast, "Boyfriend Material" by using this platform to comment on the show.
Some cast members may also want to use their new fame to criticize costars they feel were protected by the show's final cut.
Since last Friday, multiple contestants have released videos telling their side of the story, including a 27-minute YouTube video from Christine. She accuses Kaz Bishop of being a gaslighter, says Micah Lussier is a "mean girl," and claims Alara Taneri tried to DM her boyfriend Nigel while they were still together.
Multiple "Perfect Match" season 2 cast members have spoken out about the way the series was edited.
Shane Lopes / Netflix
Meanwhile, Chris Hahn stirred up an argument among cast members last week after he said on TikTok that some contestants formed a pact to vote for Christine and Nigel would win.
Christine and Brittan Byrd hit back on social media, saying that the main couples in the show made their own secret agreement to keep new singles out of the main house so they couldn't take part in the competition.
Christine, Brittan, Dominique Defoe, and Xanthi Perdikomatis are meanwhile calling out men on the series, especially Stevan Ditter, Kaz Bishop, Bryton Constantin, and Chris.
They said Stevan, Kaz, and Chris complained that they weren't with the right partner and hit on other women during the boys' day out and the whole cast mixer the following day. Christine said Stevan sucked Melinda Berry's toes during the boy's day out, and Brittan said Chris tried to match with her during the mixer.
Christine and Brittan also said Kaz tried to match with Brittan immediately after coupling up with Christine at the mixer but was rejected.
Chris responded to the women's videos on Wednesday, saying on TikTok that they are making "a whole bunch of bullshit" and calling them fake. He said the women were civil with him when they attended a party he hosted two weeks ago.
Brittan and Dominique have also come for Bryton on TikTok over the last month, accusing him of making homophobic and misogynistic comments on and off-camera.
Bryton denied Dominique's claims about being homophobic and misogynistic on TikTok earlier this month, claiming that Dominique lied about him and just "hates men." He has not commented on Brittan's TikTok, published on Monday.
This is not the first time reality show drama has continued past a series finale, and even the "Perfect Match" season one cast, which was less scandalous than season two, had a few public arguments.
But these videos are starting to make fans question whether the narrative Netflix is presenting them is genuine.
The series' integrity was already being questioned after season two contestant Dom Gabriel shared a deleted scene on social media last week that highlighted that the producers edited a conversation with Tolú Ekundare to make him seem like a villain. The video was first shared by Kinetic Content, the production team behind the show.
With no end in sight for the "Perfect Match" drama, perhaps the series should take a leaf out of "Love Is Blind" and organize a live cast reunion to address everything.
A representative for Netflix did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.
Alara, Brittan, Bryton, Chris, Christine, Dominique, Kaz, Micah Stevan, and Xanthi have also been contacted for comment.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky spoke about AI's timeline during the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Kimberly White/Getty
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said AI hasn't changed most people's lives yet.
Despite ChatGPT's 2022 introduction, apps have still remained largely the same, he said.
Chesky expects apps to look very different within two to three years.
There have been a lot of predictions about how AI will change the world — but you're not alone if it hasn't impacted your life yet.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky thinks that will manifest in the next two to three years.
Chesky spoke to CNBC during the Aspen Ideas Festival about how, despite AI's grand expectations spurred by ChatGPT's introduction in 2022, people's everyday apps and products they use have yet to truly change or transform.
"You pick up your phone, look at every app in your home screen, and they're almost exactly the same," Chesky said. "So AI hasn't actually changed our daily life. It's captured our imagination, a little bit of our fear, but it hasn't changed our app."
The Airbnb cofounder said that AI features have yet to reach "that last 10%" where "all the gains are."
With most tech companies still in the midst of unveiling future projects — Airbnb itself has plans to leverage AI after recently acquiring an AI startup from Siri's cofounder — actual product development is still nascent.
For now, AI rollouts have introduced milder improvements, like dedicated chatbots or customer service tools. But system-level integrations are on the way, such as Apple Intelligence, which begins rolling out later this year and promises to proofread your emails and quickly do the math on when you'll need to leave the house in order to pick up your friend from the airport.
But Chesky said he expects apps across the board to look very different within two to three years.
"I think next year you're going to see a bit of a step forward, and I think within 2026, you'll see a giant leap," Chesky said.
The Airbnb cofounder has made similar statements in the past.
"Take your phone and look at all the icons on your phone. Most of those apps have not fundamentally changed since the advent of generative AI," he told investors during Airbnb's Q4 earnings call.
Florida and California both have great beach destinations.
Molly O’Brien
I'm a Californian who visited Jacksonville Beach, Florida, for a spring getaway.
Everything was generally more low-key in Jacksonville, and the beach was less crowded.
Both cities are family-friendly and walkable, but finding parking in Florida was less stressful.
I've lived in Los Angeles for five years, so I'm about 30 minutes inland from Santa Monica. It's a beautiful, classic Southern California destination with a beach, a pier, and an abundance of classy shopping and dining spots.
But I decided to visit Jacksonville Beach, Florida, (or "Jax Beach" as I heard it referred to by many locals) for a spring trip. I liked that it's still on the "up and coming" end of the tourism spectrum. It felt like an unpretentious surfers' paradise.
Jacksonville Beach felt similar to Santa Monica, but there were also a few distinct differences between the beach towns on either coast.
The ocean is actually warm enough for me to swim in at Jacksonville Beach.
I think the Atlantic Ocean tends to feel a little warmer than the Pacific.
Molly O’Brien
I signed up for a surf lesson with Thompson Surf School in Jacksonville Beach, and I didn't even need a wet suit (which is usually customary for surfers in the chilly SoCal water).
I love swimming in the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast because, to me, it feels warmer than the Pacific Ocean in California.
Santa Monica's public transportation is much better than Jacksonville Beach's options.
I found it a little hard to get around in the Florida city.
Jacksonville Beach was honestly pretty walkable for most of what I needed during my stay, so I didn't have to drive many places. But there weren't any easy public-transit options.
Jacksonville Beach felt easier and less overwhelming to navigate on foot.
I could walk around Jacksonville Beach pretty easily.
Molly O’Brien
Jacksonville Beach itself is roughly 22 square miles, but most tourist spots are within walking distance of the pier.
Santa Monica is only about 8 square miles. But it's densely populated and feels a little chaotic in most of the touristy areas, which is more stressful to me.
The restaurant and bar scene is more polished (and pricier) in Santa Monica.
I liked the casual dining options in Jacksonville Beach.
Molly O’Brien
If you're looking for the hottest new restaurant or the chicest rooftop bar, Santa Monica is your place. The culinary scene is undeniably world-class.
But if you're just looking for a burger, burrito, and beer, you'll be perfectly happy in Jacksonville Beach. You'll also probably save more than a few dollars while eating out.
Santa Monica's Pacific Pier offers fun games, but it can feel a bit chaotic in the busier season.
The pier in Santa Monica is bigger than the one in Jacksonville Beach.
Molly O’Brien
Jacksonville's pier is smaller. But it just went through an 11 million dollar, multiyear upgrade. It's also a good option if you're looking to just chill out and have a laid-back day going fishing or admiring the coastal scenery.
If you're looking for a day of games, rides, and treats along the water though, Santa Monica's Pacific Pier is probably more up your alley.
Jacksonville Beach's weather is less predictable.
Florida can be stormy.
Molly O’Brien
In Jacksonville, you could have sunny skies in the morning and get stuck in an afternoon thunderstorm. The Florida city is also more humid.
In Santa Monica, and Southern California in general, the weather is known for being pretty consistently sunny and warm. But many tourists aren't prepared for the "June Gloom" weather that's actually pretty cold and foggy for some or most of the day.
Either way, you should definitely bust out the sunblock in both spots.
Jacksonville Beach still has plenty of room to develop new hotels and restaurants.
I stayed in a relatively new hotel in Jacksonville Beach.
Molly O’Brien
The SpringHill Suites in Jacksonville Beach just opened in April 2023. And from what I could tell, it seemed like there was plenty of room to build more accommodations along the city's coast in the future.
Santa Monica's coastline looks pretty maxed out in terms of development. I'm not sure how many brand-new buildings or hotels will be popping up there anytime soon.
But if you're going for opulence and elegance, you'll most likely prefer the lodging options in Santa Monica because there are multiple convenient, upscale hotels like Shutters on the Beach or Viceroy Santa Monica.
In Jacksonville Beach, my time at the Springhill Suites was lovely and clean with oceanfront views. But it wasn't overly showy in any way.
Santa Monica is more accommodating of dietary restrictions.
Santa Monica has plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free dining options.
Molly O’Brien
The Los Angeles area is known for accommodating all kinds of diners — especially on the west side, where Santa Monica is located.
Although there were ample options for milk alternatives at the coffee shop I frequented during my trip to Jacksonville Beach, I don't think the city offered the same dietary variety.
It was easier to find parking in Jacksonville Beach — and it cost less, too.
When I drove in the Florida city, I didn't have trouble parking.
Molly O’Brien
I love spending a day in Santa Monica on the beach during the summer. But I know I have to be prepared to spend at least $15 on parking if I want to hang out for more than a couple of hours.
Plus it can be hard to find a spot due to the volume of people coming from seemingly everywhere to visit the iconic beach town.
In Jacksonville Beach, I didn't have a problem finding parking — even on the weekend — and the lot prices maxed out at $7. Registered Jacksonville Beach residents even get to park for free.
Both destinations are pretty family-friendly.
I saw lots of multigenerational families enjoying their time in Jacksonville Beach.
Molly O’Brien
As someone who spends a fair amount of time out and about exploring Santa Monica, the Southern California city seems to have a much younger population than Jacksonville Beach.
In addition to the beach, Santa Monica offers plenty of family-friendly activities. There's Pacific Park, an amusement park on the pier, and the Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian-only shopping street, among other spots.
You can also rent bikes and explore the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (frequently referred to by locals as "The Strand"), which is a 22-mile paved beach path that travels from Santa Monica all the way down to Torrance Beach.
Jacksonville Beach also has a safe, wide, and sandy beach. When I went, the pier was filled with groups of people fishing (including some families).
Adventure Landing Jacksonville Beach, a water park, also offers mini golf, go-karts, batting cages, and an arcade. There's even places to rent bikes and take surfing lessons nearby.
It's easier to bring your pups to the beach in the Florida city.
Dogs aren't allowed on Santa Monica State Beach.
Molly O’Brien
Jacksonville Beach is a little more pet-friendly than Santa Monica since dogs are actually allowed on the sands of the beach. There are just certain time restrictions depending on the season, and the dogs have to be leashed.
When I went out to eat at a brewery one evening in Florida, I was also surrounded by pups on the outdoor patio.
Santa Monica is pretty dog-friendly, too, even though pets aren't allowed on the public state beach. The website has a pretty extensive guide to where you can and can't bring your pets along in town.
The destinations are about the same distance from the nearest commercial airport.
I didn't have any trouble flying into Jacksonville Beach.
Molly O’Brien
It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to drive from Los Angeles International Airport to Santa Monica. That's about the same amount of time it took me to get to the beach from Jacksonville International Airport.
Both cities also happen to be within a couple of hours of the Disney parks. Santa Monica is about two hours northwest of Disneyland, and Jacksonville Beach is about 2 1/2 hours from Disney World.
There are some beautiful outdoor parks and green spaces on both coasts.
Palisades Park has great ocean views.
Molly O’Brien
There are some beautiful parks in Santa Monica. My personal favorite is Palisades Park because it features gorgeous views of the ocean.
In Jacksonville Beach, I really enjoyed spending time at Oceanfront Park, which also offers beautiful waterfront views.
I'd prefer a laid-back vacation in Jacksonville Beach over a trip to Santa Monica.
I loved the vibes in Jacksonville Beach.
Molly O’Brien
Overall, I enjoy both cities. But the vacation vibes I personally go for are more relaxed and low-key, so I'd recommend Jacksonville Beach over Santa Monica.
Jacksonville Beach felt less crowded, and it was easier to find parking, which can be a challenge in any beach city during the busy season.
It felt overall more casual of a vacation destination to me — from how people dressed to the atmosphere at the local restaurants to the cost of food, lodging, and goodies at the low-key local boutiques.
This story was originally published in June 2023 and most recently updated on June 27, 2024.
Ricketts' request to bypass wildlife protections was denied by Sublette County.
He's far from the only billionaire to clash with his neighbors.
As one local put it, if Bondurant, Wyoming — a town of wide open spaces and a population of 156, per the 2022 census — "is not heaven, it's in the same ZIP code."
"It's God's country," Joshua Coursey continued to Business Insider. He's the CEO and president of the Muley Fanatic Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting the native mule deer.
And in God's country, it looks like mule deer will remain protected.
In a plotline straight out of Paramount's soapy western "Yellowstone," billionaire Joe Ricketts — the TD Ameritrade founder, part-owner of the Chicago Cubs, and Donald Trump mega-donor — got shut down by Sublette County, Wyoming, where he had requested the removal of a local restriction meant to protect moose, elk, and, yes, muledeer.
Earlier this spring, Ricketts, worth $4.1 billion, per Forbes, broke ground on the luxury Homestead Resort, which is set to feature a 20-unit hotel, underground spa, and restaurant. He calls it "Little Jackson Hole," though, in reality, billionaire hot spot Jackson Hole is in neighboring Teton County.
"If I advertise as Bondurant, well, nobody in Los Angeles and New York knows where it is," Ricketts, who bought land in the area 20 years ago, said at a public meeting last year, according to local news outlet WyoFile. "But if I advertise Little Jackson Hole, every angler knows where it is. Northwest Wyoming is a mecca for fishing trout."
(He's also pointed to the historical name of the area as a guiding principle for the name, though it doesn't seem locals are buying it.)
Part of his pitch was the conservation effort associated with the resort: Ricketts promised to make the 56 acres a safe place for moose, elk, and the like — and to use tourism dollars to ensure the land stays safe.
"We will open up corridors across my ranch during the migration season so that the ungulates can go through," he reportedly said at last year's meeting. "Now remember, I told you, we have to get tourists to pay for this stuff in order for it to be successful." (It's unclear if anyone at the meeting asked why he can't just pay for the corridors with his own money, as he has previously donated to the cause.)
In order to get tourists there, he'd have to build a hotel — but according to the proposal by a representative for Ricketts at a town meeting last week, the best way to build a safe haven for the ungulates of the West would be to sidestep some of the rules protecting them, specifically, the one that prevents construction between November 15 and April 30.
The representative proposed that the wildlife protections be put on pause to allow construction to continue this fall and winter, with certain measures in place — such as a speed limit, no work once the sun had gone down, and maintaining a corridor in which the animals could move.
While the regional wildlife coordinator for Wyoming Game and Fish supported the proposal, Ricketts' neighbors were another story, the Nebraska Examiner said.
"Does anybody in this room actually believe that after three years the construction is going to stop?" one local reportedly said, adding that Ricketts took the approach of "a used car salesman."
In the end, the irked neighbors got their way: The Sublette County Commission voted 3 to 2 against Ricketts.
It was "much to the liking of everybody that understands and appreciates why those rules are in place and the importance of not having that disturbance on the landscape when those critters are most vulnerable," the Muley Fanatic Foundation's Coursey said.
Ricketts, whose representatives declined to comment to BI, is joining a long tradition of billionaires upsetting a bunch of less-rich locals for any host of reasons — and often, the quarrels spin out into lawsuits.
Utah's richest man, tech billionaire Matthew Prince, is currently embroiled in a legal battle with his Park City neighbors, who are trying to prevent him from constructing a modern megamansion above the city's historic town. (Prince has filed a lawsuit against two of his neighbors that revolves heavily around their Bernese mountain dogs and seemed to admit to The Daily Beast that it was retaliatory.)
Bond investor Bill Gross was sued in 2020 by his Laguna Beach, California, neighbor for, in part, blasting the "Gilligan's Island" theme song and installing a $1 million Dale Chihuly sculpture. Gross said the music was not an effort to annoy anyone purposefully, but a judge sided against him.
Meantime, since 2008, VC billionaire Vinod Khosla has been in some sort of legal back-and-forth after attempting to block the public from using his Bay Area property to access a neighboring beach.
This wasn't even the first time Ricketts has upset residents of the rural Wyoming county. His bid to rezone his land to build a hotel was shot down twice before being approved in 2021, and last year, a request to expand the resort's size was denied.
"He's like a little boy, and he wants all the toys. That's what I kind of equate it to," one local told The Daily Beast about Ricketts at the time.
Still, Coursey pointed out that the upheaval associated with building a resort like this in the relatively unspoiled landscape of Wyoming would always be a "tough pill to swallow" for locals. "That's just not something that's ever going to be well received, whether it was Mr. Ricketts or the next billionaire with a big dream and a big plan."
And in the end, Ricketts is getting his big dream and big plan — just not when he wants it. According to estimates at the town meeting, the hotel will now take six years to build rather than three.
The US Supreme Court is issuing its most highly anticipated decisions before the term ends in July.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Supreme Court will likely discard the Chevron doctrine, which empowers federal agencies.
The decision could make it easier for courts to block President Joe Biden's climate policies.
Business and conservative groups argue the Chevron doctrine leads to federal overreach.
Climate advocates and business groups are closely watching the US Supreme Court this week.
The court could issue a ruling that sharply curtails the federal government's power to regulate the environment, including President Joe Biden's climate policies.
The case involves a group of commercial fishermen who opposed fees they had to pay to have federal observers aboard their vessels to prevent overfishing. But at the center is 40 decades of legal precedent known as the Chevron doctrine that has shaped the role of federal agencies.
Business groups and conservatives argue that the doctrine allows federal bureaucrats to overstep their authority on issues related not only to the environment but to broad swaths of the economy. The lawyers representing the commercial fisherman are from the Cause of Action Institute, a nonprofit group in the libertarian network built by Charles Koch, the petrochemicals billionaire who has advocated for deregulation.
Environmental groups are worried that overturning the Chevron doctrine will make it easier for courts to block regulations, especially those from the Biden administration designed to curb greenhouse-gas emissions that are warming the planet.
Here's what to know:
What is the Chevron doctrine?
Congress writes laws, and federal agencies write the rules to implement them. But Congress isn't always clear, and it doesn't regularly update old laws to reflect scientific or technological advancements.
The Chevron doctrine holds that when the law is ambiguous, courts should defer to the federal agency's interpretation, as long as it's reasonable. These agencies are often staffed by people with technical and scientific expertise that judges don't have.
That precedent stems from a 1984 court case over air-pollution rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency under President Ronald Reagan. The decision was actually a defeat for environmentalists; the Natural Resources Defense Council had sought a more expansive definition of pollutants at big industrial plants like Chevron's but lost.
"The doctrine was neutral," said David Doniger, a senior attorney at the NRDC who argued the original Chevron case on behalf of the group. "It originally came up in a Reagan administration effort to weaken the Clean Air Act."
Doniger said that since then, the Chevron opinion has been cited more than 15,000 times by courts across the country. But he added that as the Obama and Biden administrations have pushed for stronger environmental policies, business groups and conservatives have come to see Chevron as "systematically enabling the government to do more."
Where do the justices stand?
Legal experts say the Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, is likely to overturn or significantly limit the Chevron doctrine.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, said in oral arguments in January that Chevron was problematic for small businesses and individuals with little power to influence federal agencies.
But Justice Elena Kagan, an Obama appointee, argued that health, safety, and environmental regulations protecting the public could be upended if Chevron were overturned.
What could be affected?
Doniger said that while reining in Chevron could make it easier to win cases aimed at rolling back Biden's climate policies, it's hard to make predictions without knowing the scope of the Supreme Court's ruling.
"Lawyers will try to characterize these rules as stretching EPA authority," Doniger said.
Meanwhile, he added, administrative lawyers have been preparing for this very scenario at the Supreme Court. Biden's EPA hasn't relied on the Chevron doctrine to defend its climate rules.
That's a departure from the Obama years, when the EPA cited the Chevron doctrine in its attempt to set the first limits on carbon emissions from power plants. Lengthy court battles ensued, and the Trump administration ultimately shelved the plan.
In 2010, Disney began releasing live-action remakes of some of its classic animated films in earnest.
While most were successful at the box office, their artistic value has been questioned.
In almost every case, the original animated film is superior to its live-action remake.
Remaking animated films or TV shows in live-action is only becoming more frequent in Hollywood — just look at shows like "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "One Piece," and "Cowboy Bebop."
But the studio that has done this most successfully — and most frequently — is Disney. There have been 17 live-action remakes or reimaginings of its classic animated films, give or take a few additional sequels.
While not all of them have been well-reviewed — and, arguably, they're mediocre at best — most of these movies made a lot of money at the box office. For example, "Beauty and the Beast," "Alice in Wonderland," "Aladdin," and "The Lion King" all crossed the $1 billion mark, according to Box Office Mojo.
Here are all 17 live-action remakes, ranked from worst to best — in our opinion.
"Alice in Wonderland" has aged poorly, from its star to its aesthetic.
"Alice Through the Looking Glass."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
It's been 14 years since "Alice in Wonderland" was released in 2010. Since then, director Tim Burton has only become less beloved by audiences ("Wednesday" on Netflix aside). His whimsical goth vision ages this movie — everything sort of looks like it came straight out of Hot Topic.
Additionally, Johnny Depp's performance as the Mad Hatter, which was grating at the time, now feels harder to watch after his myriad controversies.
This movie did make over $1 billion worldwide (enough to justify an even worse sequel in 2016, "Alice Through the Looking Glass"), but we venture to say if you turned this on now, you'd barely make it to Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Point-blank, "Pinocchio" is scary to look at.
"Pinocchio."
Disney+
The less we say about this 2022 movie, the better. Pinocchio, the character, has veered so far into the uncanny valley that it's hard to look at him. Add in a new (and unnecessary) seagull, aggressively voiced by Lorraine Bracco, the sanitation of the original movie's intentionally horrific Pleasure Island sequence, and some bad CGI … and this movie is just a dud.
It went straight to Disney+, so we'll never know how successful it actually was with audiences.
It doesn't help that a superior adaptation of the fairytale this is based on was released the same year: "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio." If you want to watch a talking puppet, we'd recommend you stick to that version.
You might not even remember that the 2010 film "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" exists.
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
This is a loose adaptation, but we're counting it. It's based on a segment from the 1940 anthology film "Fantasia" and its 1999 sequel, "Fantasia 2000." In the original short, Mickey Mouse plays an impatient apprentice who is sick of doing chores and decides to steal his master's magic hat, to disastrous effect.
The 2010 live-action version stars Nicolas Cage as the wizened sorcerer, while Jay Baruchel takes on the role of the apprentice.
This movie's main issue is that it's forgettable. It suffers from being, above all else, boring. It has very 2010 action and special effects, and as a result, made $215 million against a $150 million budget, the Los Angeles Times reported.
This movie is also part of why director Jon Turteltaub and Cage never made "National Treasure 3" — at least according to Cage's 2022 interview with GQ — and we'll never be over it.
There's no reason for a "Dumbo" remake.
"Dumbo."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Was anyone desperate for a remake of the 1941 original "Dumbo," which has very questionable racial politics, a harrowing scene in which Dumbo, a baby elephant, gets drunk and hallucinates, and not much else? We think not.
The 2019 remake, once again directed by Tim Burton, pretty much does away with all of that. There are no crows, no Timothy Q. Mouse, or any talking animals at all — Dumbo is silent. Instead, the action is moved to entirely new human characters, who are all forgettable.
That's this movie's biggest sin — it doesn't justify its existence at all. And judging by its poor box-office numbers, audiences weren't sure what to think of it, either.
"Lady and the Tramp" is just fine.
"Lady and the Tramp."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The original "Lady and the Tramp" from 1955 is another example of Disney's problematic past coming back to bite it. "The Siamese Cat Song," sung by cats Si and Am, is so racist that Disney added a disclaimer to the beginning of the film on Disney+.
So, the 2019 remake, which went straight to the streaming service, gets points for fixing that by adding two new cats, Devon and Rex.
Besides that, there's not much else to say about this live-action/CGI hybrid. Unlike "The Lion King" remake, Lady, Tramp, Jock, Trusty, Peg, etc., are played by real dogs and aren't just photorealistic creations. But we'd argue it's just not as fun to see two real dogs doing the famous spaghetti kiss.
"101 Dalmatian’s" saving grace is Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil.
"101 Dalmatians."
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
This 1996 remake was the first true live-action adaptation of a Disney movie. We're not exactly sure why this remake of the 1961 animated film was Disney's first attempt, but we like it: It updates the setting to modern-day London, switching Roger from a composer to a video game designer.
Glenn Close's deliciously unhinged performance as Cruella is what elevates this movie — it's probably why we got a Cruella prequel 25 years later.
This was a box-office success — grossing $320 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo — and spawned a 2000 sequel, "102 Dalmatians." Only Close returned from the main cast.
"Maleficent" stars Angelina Jolie as the evil witch from "Sleeping Beauty."
"Maleficent."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Instead of making a straight-up remake of 1959's "Sleeping Beauty," Disney took a different approach with 2014's "Maleficent."
Rather than centering on Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty, this film is the story of Maleficent, who is only seen as an evil sorceress in the original. This movie gives her a backstory and a relationship with Aurora's father, Stefan.
While this sounds good in theory, "Maleficent" is perfectly average. Angelina Jolie gives it her all as Maleficent, but the special effects are dated, and the story isn't memorable.
It took five years for a sequel to come out ("Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"), and by then, the momentum from the financial success of "Maleficent" had apparently slowed.
"Peter Pan & Wendy" proves that we should probably cool it on "Peter Pan" for a while.
"Peter Pan & Wendy."
Disney+
Did you even know a live-action remake of "Peter Pan" starring Jude Law as Captain Hook, Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell, and Jim Gaffigan as Mr. Smee was released on Disney+ in 2023?
It's a pity, because this movie is relatively OK. Law is locked in as Captain Hook, and director David Lowery showcases his talent for sweeping landscapes (as seen in "The Green Knight") in his version of Never Land.
Unfortunately, though, this movie just … isn't that interesting.
"Peter Pan" as a story might be cursed — "Hook" is only good if you have nostalgia goggles on; 2003's "Peter Pan" was a flop; "Pan" stars a white woman, Rooney Mara, as the Native American character Tiger Lily; and this adaptation is barely remembered.
Give these characters a break, Hollywood.
Making the characters in "The Lion King" photorealistic takes all the joy out of the film.
Instead, we were forced to sit through some of the most iconic musical sequences in Disney history, like "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," "Hakuna Matata," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," and "Be Prepared," being sung by photorealistic animals who can't emote, in a relatively colorless virtual desert.
Part of the magic of animation is that you can make the animals do anything you want — that's why we love the 1994 original so much.
We'll always be thankful that we got Beyoncé's "The Lion King: The Gift" companion album out of this movie, but that's it.
"Beauty and the Beast" has one major flaw.
"Beauty and the Beast."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
"Beauty and the Beast," released in 2017, was the first of Disney's new wave of live-action remakes. As a result, it was graded on a curve at the time and made $1.2 billion, per Box Office Mojo.
But if you go back and watch this movie seven years later, you might notice something: Emma Watson, for all her charm, is simply not a great singer. And Paige O'Hara, who voiced Belle in the 1991 original, has one of the clearest voices in all of Disney's history.
There are a few other issues with this movie — it's so long, adds unneeded backstory, switches the amazing Beast song from the Broadway adaptation ("I Can't Love Her") in favor of the boring "Evermore," the underwhelming "exclusively gay moment" — but our biggest problem is Belle.
"Aladdin" is slightly better, but still nowhere near the original.
"Aladdin."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
"Aladdin," released in 2019, also made $1 billion around the world. In this case, we have no qualms with Mena Massoud or Naomi Scott, who play Aladdin and Jasmine wonderfully.
Who we can't whole-heartedly support is Will Smith, who plays the Genie. Simply put, no one is competing with Robin Williams' iconic performance in the 1992 original. It's a tour-de-force, one of the best voiceover performances ever.
Smith was never going to be able to compete, and the off-putting design of his character and his rap-singing did him no favors.
Also, this movie was, for some reason, directed by Guy Ritchie. Ritchie is known for his action films, and he tried to inject as much action as he could into "Aladdin." But we'd argue this movie doesn't need it! It's a fairy tale about a street urchin falling in love with a princess!
"The Little Mermaid" is good, but not great.
"The Little Mermaid."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Halle Bailey was a perfect choice for Ariel. She has an amazing voice, plays the physical comedy of voiceless Ariel well, and has solid chemistry with Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric. Melissa McCarthy also turns in a solid performance as Ursula.
What prevents this movie from being truly fun to watch is all the underwater stuff. Everything looks so fake and lifeless. The colors aren't bright enough, and we've once again run into the "Lion King"/"Lady and the Tramp" problem: Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle can't show any emotions on their faces. That's a shame when compared with the 1989 original where Sebastian, especially, is hilarious in his exasperation and anxiety.
Plus, the new songs are so obviously written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (see "The Scuttlebutt") that they don't mesh well with Howard Ashman's originals.
"Mulan" removed the musical numbers and is better for it.
"Mulan."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
"Mulan" is the live-action remake that was released during the pandemic, so we'll never know how it would have fared at the box office.
But we're betting it would have done well. "Mulan" is a true action movie, which fits well with the subject matter, as Mulan secretly takes her father's place in the Chinese army.
The 1998 original film has some of the best Disney songs ("Reflection," "I'll Make a Man Out of You," "Honor to Us All"), but the remake wisely removes them, as the tonal shift from hilarious songs to gritty action would be too jarring. Instead, the songs are subtly worked into the score.
We also like the addition of Xianniang, a witch who identifies with Mulan's feelings that she doesn't belong. Mulan has no female friends at all in the original, and while these two aren't friends, there's a kinship and respect between the two.
"Cruella" is bolstered by the lead performances of Emma Stone and Emma Thompson.
"Cruella."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
While a prequel establishing why Cruella de Vil hates Dalmatians so much doesn't sound fun, we'd recommend watching "Cruella."
First of all, she actually doesn't hate Dalmatians — she kind of likes them. Does that make sense with the character's future? Not really, but it is fun to watch Stone commit so deeply to the 1970s English punk scene.
Her on-screen nemesis, Baroness von Hellman, as played by Emma Thompson, is a campy delight.
Stone's performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination and a sequel is in the works. We're excited.
"The Jungle Book" benefits from having a human character amidst all the animals.
"The Jungle Book."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Jon Favreau directed both 2016's "The Jungle Book" and 2019's "The Lion King," but seemingly learned the wrong lessons from "The Jungle Book."
Mowgli, the lone human character in the film, gives viewers a face to center them as he explores a jungle filled with familiar voices like Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Christopher Walken as King Louie and Idris Elba as Shere Khan.
The remake added beautiful effects and exciting action. And — spoiler alert — it also changed the ending so Mowgli could remain in the jungle with his friends.
"Christopher Robin" is a sweet movie that can be enjoyed by anyone.
"Christopher Robin."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Maybe we're cheating a little bit since 2018's "Christopher Robin" isn't a specific remake of any "Winnie the Pooh" film but instead, a semi-sequel that brings Pooh and friends out of the Hundred Acre Wood into the real world, but this movie is too good to leave out.
In it, Ewan McGregor plays a grown-up Christopher Robin who has left his friends Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, and Owl behind. By chance, he reunites with them and is reminded of the important things in life.
It is always a joy to hang out with Winnie the Pooh, and a disillusioned adult returning to their fun-loving ways is a story Disney does so well, like in "Mary Poppins."
Additionally, the score for this movie rocks. It's so perfectly paired with the film.
The best Disney live-action remake is "Cinderella."
"Cinderella."
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Maybe this is because we just don't think the original "Cinderella" from 1950 is that good. Yes, "Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boo" is a banger, and the animation of Cinderella's dress turning from a ripped-up rag to a shimmering princess-worthy ball gown is beautiful, but that's really it.
The prince is barely a character, the other songs aren't that memorable, and Cinderella herself has little personality besides being sweet.
The 2015 "Cinderella" rectifies all that. Ella, as played by Lily James, is kind, funny, and has a very strong sense of right and wrong, while Prince Kit, played by a very blue-eyed Richard Madden, gets an arc and a loving relationship with his dad.
The famous blue ball gown is also one of the rare pieces of Disney iconography that looks just as beautiful in real life. We must also mention Cate Blanchett as a fully committed Lady Tremaine and Helena Bonham Carter as the dotty Fairy Godmother.
We'd go as far as to say that "Cinderella," at least for now, is the only true Disney remake worth your time.
Last year's job cuts weren't the end of layoffs. Further reductions have begun in 2024.
Companies like Tesla, Google, Microsoft, Nike, and Amazon have announced plans for cuts this year.
See the full list of corporations reducing their worker numbers in 2024.
A slew of companies across the tech, media, finance, and retail industries made significant cuts to staff in 2023. Tech titans like IBM, Google, Microsoft, finance giants like Goldman Sachs, and manufacturers like Dow all announced layoffs.
This year is looking grim too. And it's only May.
Nearly 40% of business leaders surveyed by ResumeBuilder think layoffs are likely at their companies this year, and about half say their companies will implement a hiring freeze. ResumeBuilder talked to about 900 leaders at organizations with more than 10 employees. Half of those surveyed cited concerns about a recession as a reason.
Here are the dozens of companies with job cuts planned or already underway in 2024.
Nike's up-to-$2 billion cost-cutting plan will involve severances.
Athletic retailer Nike will be making reductions to staffing as part of a cost-cutting initiative.
CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Nike announced its cost-cutting plans in a December 2023 earnings call, discussing a slow growth in sales. The call subsequently resulted in Nike's stock plunging.
"We are seeing indications of more cautious consumer behavior around the world," Nike Chief Financial Officer Matt Friend said in December.
Google laid off hundreds more workers in 2024.
Google confirmed the layoffs to Business Insider in an email.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
On January 10, Google laid off hundreds of workers in its central engineering division and members of its hardware teams — including those working on its voice-activated assistant.
In an email to some affected employees, the company encouraged them to consider applying for open positions at Google if they want to remain employed. According to the email, April 9 will be the last day for those unable to secure a new position.
The tech giant laid off thousands throughout 2023, beginning with a 6% reduction of its global workforce (about 12,000 people) last January.
Discord is laying off 170 employees.
Jason Citron said rapid growth was to blame for the cuts.
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Discord employees learned about the layoffs in an all-hands meeting and a memo sent by CEO Jason Citron in early January.
"We grew quickly and expanded our workforce even faster, increasing by 5x since 2020," Citron said in the memo. "As a result, we took on more projects and became less efficient in how we operated."
In August 2023, Discord reduced its headcount by 4%. According to CNBC, the company was valued at $15 billion in 2021.
Citi will cut 20,000 from its staff as part of its corporate overhaul.
CEO Jane Fraser has been vocal about the necessity for restructuring at Citigroup.
Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images
The layoffs announced in January are part of a larger Citigroup initiative to restructure the business and could leave the company with a remaining head count of 180,000 — excluding its Mexico operations.
In an earnings call that month, the bank said that layoffs could save the company up to $2.5 billion after it suffered a "very disappointing" final quarter last year.
Amazon-owned Twitch also announced job cuts.
Twitch is cutting more than 500 positions.
NurPhoto/Getty Images
Twitch announced on January 10 that it would cut 500 jobs, affecting over a third of the employees at the live-streaming company.
CEO Dan Clancy announced the layoffs in a memo, telling staff that while the company has tried to cut costs, the operation is "meaningfully" bigger than necessary.
"As you all know, we have worked hard over the last year to run our business as sustainably as possible," Clancy wrote. "Unfortunately, we still have work to do to rightsize our company and I regret having to share that we are taking the painful step to reduce our headcount by just over 500 people across Twitch."
BlackRock is planning to cut 3% of its staff.
BlackRock expects to lay off 3% of its workforce.
Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress
Larry Fink, BlackRock's chief executive, and Rob Kapito, the firm's president, announced in January that the layoffs would affect around 600 people from its workforce of about 20,000.
However, the company has plans to expand in other areas to support growth in its overseas markets.
"As we prepare for 2024 and this very exciting but distinctly different landscape, businesses across the firm have developed plans to reallocate resources," the company leaders said in a memo.
Rent the Runway is slashing 10% of its corporate jobs as part of a restructuring.
Rent the Runway is laying off a few dozen people in its corporate workforce.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
In the fashion company's January announcement, COO and president Anushka Salinas said she will also be leaving the firm, Fast Company reported.
Unity Software is eliminating 25% of its workforce.
Unity Software plans to cut roughly 1,800 jobs.
Sutro Software
Around 1,800 jobs at the video game software company will be affected by the layoffs announced, Reuters reported in January.
eBay is cutting 1,000 jobs.
eBay wants to become "more nimble."
ullstein bild Dtl/ Getty
In a January 23 memo, CEO Jamie Iannone told employees that the eBay layoffs will affect about 9% of the company's workforce.
Iannone told employees that layoffs were necessary as the company's "overall headcount and expenses have outpaced the growth of our business."
The company also plans to scale back on contractors.
Microsoft is reducing its headcount by 1,900 at Activision, Xbox, and ZeniMax.
Microsoft is being challenged by the FTC on its planned purchase of Activision Blizzard
SOPA/Getty Images
In late January, nearly three months after Microsoft acquired video game firm Activision Blizzard, the company announced layoffs in its gaming divisions. The layoffs mostly affect employees at Activision Blizzard.
"As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in a memo obtained by The Verge.
The cuts followed a wave of cuts at the cloud giant last year. In 2023, Marc Benioff's company laid off about 10% of its total workforce — or roughly 7,000 jobs. The CEO said the company over-hired during the pandemic.
Flexport lays off 15% of its workers.
Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen returned to the company in September.
Sam Barnes/Sportsfile for Collision via Getty Images
In late January, the US logistics startup laid off 15% of its staff which is around 400 workers.
The move came after Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen initiated a 20% reduction of its workforce of an estimated 2,600 employees in October.
Flexport kicked off 2024 with the announcement that it raised $260 million from Shopify and made "massive progress toward returning Flexport to profitability."
iRobot is laying off around 350 employees and founder Colin Angle will step down as chairman and CEO.
iRobot's executive vice president and chief legal officer Glen Weinstein has been appointed interim CEO upon Angle's exit from the company.
Kimberly White/Getty Images
The company behind the Roomba Vacuum announced layoffs in late January around the same time Amazon decided not to go through with its proposed acquisition of the company, the Associated Press reported.
UPS will cut 12,000 jobs in 2024.
UPS CEO Carol Tomé told investors that the company will reduce its headcount by 12,000 by the end of 2024.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The UPS layoffs will affect 14% of the company's 85,000 managers and could save the company $1 billion in 2024, UPS CEO Carol Tomé said during a January earnings call.
Paypal CEO Alex Chriss announced the company would lay off 9% of its workforce.
PayPal announced layoffs at the end of January.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Announced in late January, this round of layoffs will affect about 2,500 employees at the payment processing company.
"We are doing this to right-size our business, allowing us to move with the speed needed to deliver for our customers and drive profitable growth," CEO Alex Chriss wrote in a January memo. "At the same time, we will continue to invest in areas of the business we believe will create and accelerate growth."
Okta is cutting roughly 7% of its workforce.
Okta announced a restructuring plan at the start of February.
SOPA Images/ Getty
The digital-access-management company announced its plans for a "restructuring plan intended to improve operating efficiencies and strengthen the Company's commitment to profitable growth" in an SEC filing in February.
The cuts will impact roughly 400 employees.
Okta CEO Todd McKinnon told staff in a memo that "costs are still too high," CNBC reported.
Snap has announced more layoffs.
Snap has announced another round of job cuts.
Snapchat, Tyler Le/Insider
The company behind Snapchat announced in February that it's reducing its global workforce by 10%, according to an SEC filing.
Estée Lauder said it will eliminate up to 3,100 positions.
Between 1,600 and 3,100 jobs will be eliminated from the company.
Reuters
The cosmetics company announced in February that it would be cutting 3% to 5% of its roles as part of a restructuring plan.
Estee Lauder reportedly employed about 62,000 employees around the world as of June 30, 2023.
DocuSign is eliminating roughly 6% of its workforce as part of a restructuring plan.
The electronic signature company is cutting 6% of its workforce.
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
The electronic signature company said in an SEC filing in February that most of the cuts will be in its sales and marketing divisions.
Zoom is slashing 150 jobs.
Videoconferencing company Zoom laid off 1,300 people last February.
Kena Betancur
The latest reduction announced in February amounts to about 2% of its workforce.
Paramount Global is laying off 800 employees days after record-breaking Super Bowl.
CEO Bob Bakish sent a note informing employees of layoffs on Tuesday.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP
In February, Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish sent a memo to employees announcing that 800 jobs — about 3% of its workforce — were being cut.
Deadline obtained the memo less than a month after reporting plans for layoffs at Paramount. The announcement comes on the heels of Super Bowl LVIII reaching record-high viewership across CBS, Paramount+, and Nickelodeon, and Univision.
Morgan Stanley is trimming its wealth management division by hundreds of staffers.
The layoffs mark one of the first major moves by newly-installed CEO Ted Pick.
Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Morgan Stanley is laying off several hundred employees in its wealth-management division, the Wall Street Journal reported in February, representing roughly 1% of the team.
The wealth-management division has seen some slowdown in recent months, with net new assets down by about 8% from a year ago. The layoffs mark the first major move by newly-installed CEO Ted Pick, who took the reins from James Gorman on January 1.
Cisco slashes more than 4,000 jobs amid corporate tech sales slowdown.
The cuts comprised 5% of the networking company's workforce.
REUTERS/Mike Blake
In February, networking company Cisco announced it was slashing 5% of its workforce, or upwards of 4,000 jobs, Bloomberg reported.
The company said it was restructuring after an industry-wide pullback in corporate tech spending — which execs said they expect to continue through the first half of the year.
Expedia Group is cutting more than 8% of its workforce.
Peter Kern, CEO of Expedia Group
Business Wire
Cutbacks part of an operational review at online travel giant Expedia Group are expected to impact 1,500 roles this year, a company spokesperson told BI.
The company's product and technology division is set to be the worst hit, a report from GeekWire said, citing an internal memo CEO Peter Kern sent to employees in late February.
"While this review will result in the elimination of some roles, it also allows the company to invest in core strategic areas for growth," the spokesperson said.
"Consultation with local employee representatives, where applicable, will occur before making any final decisions," they added.
Sony is laying off 900 workers
The tech company is slashing 900 workers from its workforce.
NurPhoto/Getty Images
The cuts at Sony Interactive Entertainment swept through its game-making teams at PlayStation Studios.
Insomniac Games, which developed the hit Spider-Man video game series, as well as Naughty Dog, the developers behind Sony's flagship 'The Last of Us' video games' were hit by the cuts, the company announced on February 27.
All of PlayStation's London studio will be shuttered, according to the proposal.
"Delivering and sustaining social, online experiences – allowing PlayStation gamers to explore our worlds in different ways – as well as launching games on additional devices such as PC and Mobile, requires a different approach and different resources," PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst wrote.
Hulst added that some games in development will be shut down, though he didn't say which ones.
In early February, Sony said it missed its target for selling PlayStation 5 consoles. The earnings report sent shares tumbling and the company's stock lost about $10 billion in value.
Bumble is slashing 30% of its workforce
Lidiane Jones, CEO of Bumble.
Eugene Gologursky/Stringer/Gr
On February 27, the dating app company announced that it would be reducing its staff due to "future strategic priorities" for its business, per a statement.
The cuts will impact about 30% of its about 1,200 person workforce or about 350 roles, a representative for Bumble told BI by email.
"We are taking significant and decisive actions that ensure our customers remain at the center of everything we do as we relaunch Bumble App, transform our organization and accelerate our product roadmap," Bumble Inc CEO Lidiane Jones said in a statement.
Electronic Arts is reducing its workforce by 5%
Electronic Arts is cutting hundreds of jobs.
Getty Images
Electronic Arts is laying off about 670 workers, equating to 5% of its workforce, Bloomberg reported in late February.
The gaming firm axed two mobile games earlier in February, which it described as a difficult decision in a statement issued to GamesIndustry.biz.
CEO Andrew Wilson reportedly told employees in a memo that it would be "moving away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry."
Wilson also said in the memo that the cuts came as a result of shifting customer needs and a refocusing of the company, Bloomberg reported.
IBM cutting staff in marketing and communications
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said last year that he could easily see 30% of the company's staff getting replaced by AI and automation over the coming five years.
Sajjad Hussain/Getty Images
IBM's chief communications officer Jonathan Adashek told employees on March 12 that it would be cutting staff, CNBC reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
An IBM spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement that the cuts follow a broader workforce action the company announced during its earnings call in January.
"In 4Q earnings earlier this year, IBM disclosed a workforce rebalancing charge that would represent a very low single-digit percentage of IBM's global workforce, and we expect to exit 2024 at roughly the same level of employment as we entered with," they said.
IBM has also been clear about the impact of AI on its workforce. Last May, IBM's CEO Arvind Krishna said the company expected to pause hiring on roles that could be replaced by AI, especially in areas like human resources and other non-consumer-facing departments.
"I could easily see 30% of that getting replaced by AI and automation over a five-year period," Krishna told Bloomberg at the time.
Stellantis is slashing 400 white-collar jobs
Stellantis is cutting 400 jobs.
Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
On March 22, the owner of Jeep and Dodge announced it's laying off employees on its engineering, technology, and software teams in an effort to cut costs, CNBC reported.
Workers learned they were being let go through video calls after the car company ordered them to work remotely for the day. The cuts are set to occur on March 31.
Amazon is laying off hundreds in its cloud division in yet another round of cuts this year
The cuts follow several rounds of layoffs at Amazon last year.
The reduction will impact employees on the sales and marketing team and those working on tech for its retail stores, Bloomberg reported.
"We've identified a few targeted areas of the organization we need to streamline in order to continue focusing our efforts on the key strategic areas that we believe will deliver maximum impact," an Amazon spokesperson told Bloomberg.
On March 26, Amazon announced another round of job cuts after the company said it was slashing 'several hundred' jobs at its Prime Video and MGM Studios divisions earlier this year to refocus on more profitable products.
"We've identified opportunities to reduce or discontinue investments in certain areas while increasing our investment and focus on content and product initiatives that deliver the most impact," Mike Hopkins, SVP of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, told employees in January.
This year's cuts follow the largest staff layoff in the company's history. In 2023, the tech giant laid off 18,000 workers.
Apple has cut over 600 employees in California
The cuts follow Apple's decision to withdraw from two major projects.
The cuts follow Apple's decision to withdraw from its car and smartwatch display projects.
The tech giant filed a series of notices to comply with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification program. One of the addresses was linked to a new display development office, while the others were for the company's EV effort, Bloomberg reported.
Apple officially shut down its decadelong EV project in February. At the time, Bloomberg reported that some employees would move to generative AI, but others would be laid off.
Bloomberg noted that the layoffs were likely an undercount of the full scope of staff cuts, as Apple had staff working on these projects in other locations.
Representatives for Apple did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal business hours.
Tesla is laying off over 10% of its workforce
Impacted employees were notified Sunday night that they were being terminated, effective immediately.
JOHN THYS / Getty
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent a memo to employees Sunday, April 14, at nearly midnight in California, informing them of the company's plan to cut over 10% of its global workforce.
In his companywide memo, Musk cited "duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas" as the reason behind the reductions.
An email sent to terminated employees obtained by BI read: "Effective now, you will not need to perform any further work and therefore will no longer have access to Tesla systems and physical locations."
On April 29, Musk reportedly sent an email stating the need for more layoffs at Tesla. He also announced the departure of two executives and said that their reports would also be let go. Six known Tesla executives have left the company since layoffs began in April.
Grand Theft Auto 6 publisher Take-Two Interactive is reducing its workforce by 5%
Take-Two Interactive is slated to cut around 600 roles this year.
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, said on April 16 that it would be "eliminating several projects" and reducing its workforce by about 5%.
The move — a part of its larger "cost reduction program" — will cost the video game publisher up to $200 million. It's expected to be completed by December 31.
As of March 2023, the company said it employed approximately 11,580 full-time workers.
Peloton is reducing its staff by 15% as the CEO steps down as well
Barry McCarthy served as the CEO of Peloton for just over two years.
Getty/Ilya S. Savenok
Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy is stepping down, the company announced May 2. Along with his departure, the fitness company is also laying off about 400 workers.
McCarthy is leaving his role just two years after replacing John Foley as CEO and president in 2022. Peloton said the changes are expected to reduce annual expenses by over $200 million by the end of fiscal 2025 as part of a larger restructuring plan.
Microsoft-owned Xbox is cutting more jobs
Xbox employees can opt to take voluntary severance packages.
INA FASSBENDER/Getty Images
Xbox is offering some employees voluntary severance packages in May after shutting three units and absorbing a fourth earlier in the month. Microsoft had already made cuts to the division at the start of 2024.
According to Bloomberg, the offers were extended to producers, quality assurance testers, and more staff at Xbox-owned ZeniMax. Others across the Xbox organization were told that more cuts are coming.
Xbox president Matt Booty told staff in a May 8 town hall that the studio closures are part of an effort to free up more resources, Bloomberg reported.
Indeed is cutting 1,000 workers after laying off 2,200 a year ago
Indeed draws more than 250 million people from around the world each month, making it the largest job site.
CEO Chris Hyams took responsibility for "how we got here" in a memo in May but said the company is not yet set up for growth after last year's global hiring slowdown caused multiple quarters of declining sales.
Hyams said the latest cuts will be more concentrated in the US and primarily affect R&D and Go-to-Market teams. That's in contrast to last year's across-the-board reduction of 2,200 workers.
Walmart is axing hundreds of corporate jobs
A Walmart storefront in the US.
Kena Betancur/VIEWpress via Getty Images
Retail giant Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs and asking remote employees to come to work, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Workers in smaller offices, such as those in Dallas, Atlanta, and Toronto, are also being asked to move to central locations like Walmart's corporate headquarters in Arkansas or those in New Jersey or California, the Journal reported.
Under Armour is slashing an unspecified number of jobs, incurring $22 million in severance costs
An Under Armour retail store.
Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Under Armour confirmed it was conducting layoffs in its quarterly earnings report, which was released May 16.
The company said it will pay out employee severance and benefits expenses of roughly $15 million in cash-related and $7 million in non-cash charges this year related to a restructuring plan, with close to half of that occurring in the current fiscal quarter.
"This is not where I envisaged Under Armour playing at this point in our journey," CEO Kevin Plank told investors on the company's full-year earnings call. "That said, we'll use this turbulence to reconstitute our brand and business, giving athletes, retail customers and shareholders bigger and better reasons to care about and believe in Under Armour's potential."
Pixar cuts about 175 people in pivot back to feature films
"Inside Out," a 2015 film, is one of Pixar's many hits.
Disney/Pixar
Disney's Pixar Animation Studios is cutting 175 people, about 14% of its staff, Reuters reported.
The cuts started on May 21 as the studio returns to its focus on feature-length movies. Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who was axed in 2022, had increased staff across studios to create more content for the company's streaming service, Disney+.
Pixar cut 75 jobs last year, Reuters previously reported, part of a larger restructuring across Disney.
Lucid Motors is slashing around 400 jobs.
Lucid Motors will cut about 6% of its workforce.
John Keeble/Getty Images
In a regulatory filing, Lucid Motors said it would lay off about 400 employees as part of a restructuring plan that should be complete by the end of the third quarter.
"I'm confident Lucid will deliver the world's best SUV and dramatically expand our total addressable market, but we aren't generating revenue from the program yet," CEO Peter Rawlinson said in an email to employees obtained by TechCrunch.
The cuts come ahead of Lucid's launch of its first electric SUV later this year. It comes over a year after the California-based company laid off 1,300 employees, TechCrunch previously reported.
Walgreens is planning store closures that could lead to job cuts
Walgreens didn't say how many job cuts its store closures could lead to.
Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Drugstore chain Walgreens is planning to close unprofitable stores over the next three years, according to the Wall Street Journal.
CEO Tim Wentworth told the Journal that Walgreens hoped to limit job cuts by reassigning staff at closing stores to other locations. Walgreens is reviewing about one-quarter of its 8,600 US stores as it decides which to shutter, he said.
Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani spent more money in May than in previous months, bankruptcy records show.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photos
Randy Giuliani is dropping coin on polyester ties and pizza, bankruptcy records show.
Unfortunately for his creditors, he's spending more money than in previous months.
Some of the financial disclosures that Giuliani prepared himself don't add up.
Now we know what it looks like when Rudy Giuliani tightens his belt.
The former New York City mayor disclosed excruciating details of his financial life with a series of bankruptcy court filings this week, detailing a month of his income and spending.
Unfortunately for Giuliani's creditors looking to satisfy his $153 million in debt, he spent more in May — the month covered in the disclosures — than in previous months.
The most eye-popping expenses include pricy restaurant bills while he evaded being served a criminal indictment for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona. They also include quite a few Amazon purchases, including cheap ties and "deep bronze" tanning lotion.
Giuliani earned $61,717 in income in May and spent about $33,000. The spending is thousands of dollars higher than in previous months, which creditors have already complained is irresponsibly excessive.
For the first time, Giuliani disclosed the financial details of Giuliani Communications, the company he owns that produces his video livestreams on social media.
It, too, is operating in the red — especially since his radio show was canceled last month.
In response to questions about her work for Giuliani Communications, Maria Ryan, the company's president, discussed theories about coronavirus vaccines and said she was "very disappointed" in Business Insider.
Giuliani has an Amazon habit
Giuliani's largest expense is the $12,000 monthly maintenance fee for his New York City co-op, which Giuliani is trying to sell. The 80-year-old with no dependents also seems to spend hundreds of dollars each month on groceries.
Several of the exhibits included in Tuesday's cache of filings detail Giuliani's spending on Amazon. To compile them, Giuliani appeared to take photos of his laptop showing each Amazon order and then added them to a black-and-white PDF before submitting them to court.
To provide the Amazon records, Rudy Giuliani appears to have taken photos of his laptop.
US Bankruptcy Court
They show expenses you would expect from a social media vlogger, including a tripod and USB cables.
They also include personal items, socks, and a lot of neckties. As for coffee, Giuliani appears to be fond of illy, but at that point he hadn't yet launched his own brand, Rudy's Coffee.
On May 7, Giuliani spent $22.98 on a 6-pack of "Men's Necktie Classic Silk Tie Woven Jacquard Neck Ties," which comprised a filibuster-proof majority of the nine ties he ordered from Amazon that month.
"The ties aren't silk, but I expected that to be a lie, so it was kind of baked in to the price," one Amazon reviewer wrote.
Photos on the Amazon listing do not show a fabric composition tag. A tag in a photo for another tie from the same brand on eBay says it's made from 100% polyester. Listings for other ties from the same brand on AliExpress and Shein show they are made from 100% polyester.
That comes to a very good deal of less than $4 per tie. But it's not clear why Giuliani, who has worked at the highest levels of politics and law — he was a personal attorney to Donald Trump during his presidency and served as the US Attorney in Manhattan — needed new ties.
Giuliani ordered a lot of ties online.
US Bankruptcy Court
Giuliani also spent about $13 on a 6-ounce bottle of "Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Moisturizer + Bronzer, Self Tanner, Deep Bronze, for Natural-Looking Tan."
Giuliani ordered a "deep bronze" tanning lotion from Amazon.
US Bankruptcy Court
Giuliani's financial statements also show multiple Amazon purchases in the $3-10 range, appearing to show he purchased movies or TV episodes for streaming. The documents filed to court don't disclose what he watched.
While Giuliani was evading service for a criminal indictment from Arizona on election interference charges — he was eventually served on May 17 and posted a $10,000 bond — he racked up pricey restaurant bills in West Palm Beach, where he owns a condominium apartment. For dinner on May 9, he dropped $167 at a restaurant called Bricktop's. The next day, $113 for a meal at City Pizza. And the day after that, another $119 at the Italian joint Bice.
Mysteriously, Giuliani — who, again, has no dependents — appears to have two different bills each marked as a "Telephone expense." His AT&T bill is $228, and he pays Verizon $256 per month.
Some numbers don't add up
Much to the consternation of creditors, retirement funds such as Individual Retirement Accounts are generally protected from bankruptcy proceedings. But creditors accuse Giuliani of using money from it irresponsibly.
For the first time, Giuliani disclosed that his IRA at Citi — which forms the bulk of his net worth — had a balance of about $2.5 million in 2022.
But the numbers in a table he provided in a Tuesday filing showing its disbursements don't seem to add up.
According to the filing, Giuliani withdrew $1.8 million from the account between 2022 and 2023.
That should have left him with a balance of about $700,000 at the start of 2024, when he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But Citi bank documents filed to court show a balance of over $1 million.
Rudy Giuliani outside a federal courthouse in Washington, DC, during the defamation trial brought by Wandrea Moss and Ruby Freeman.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
It's not clear what caused the discrepancy. Neither Giuliani's spokesperson nor his bankruptcy lawyers immediately responded to a request for comment.
In previous filings, lawyers for Giuliani said he withdrew heavily from his retirement account over the past several years to build up Giuliani Communications, the company that produces his video blogs, where he discusses politics.
Giuliani's vlogging company is operating in the red
Balance of Nature, a vitamin supplements company, was Giuliani Communications' biggest sponsor in May, paying the company $11,500.
Newsmax, which hosts one of Giuliani's shows, paid $8,300 that month. And he made another $2,200 from X, formerly known as Twitter, where he livestreams.
Giuliani's biggest payment came from WABC, the New York radio station owned by Republican billionaire and grocery store mogul John Catsimatidis, which paid him $15,000 per month.
That income is now gone. The station dropped Giuliani in that month after he continued to push false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
On a monthly basis, Giuliani Communications appears to spend more money than it makes — even before the WABC cancellation.
Giuliani pays himself $45,000 each month, exceeding the company's combined income (Giuliani Communications had about $200,000 left on its balance sheet in May).
He also pays $10,000 per month to Maria Ryan, Giuliani's reported girlfriend. Ryan serves as the company's president and recently brokered a deal with a coffee company to sell "Rudy's Coffee."
In an email to Business Insider responding to a question about her salary, Ryan, who previously worked in healthcare administration, said she took a reduced salary to work for Giuliani and said "there are people who still do not know the truth about the origins of Covid 19."
"I took a large pay cut to join Giuliani Communications," she wrote. "I did it because as an American 🇺🇸 I saw the censorship during the pandemic."
"I am very disappointed in you. There are no real journalists left," she added later in her email. "You are attacking me why? Because I am President of Giuliani communications."
Rudy Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy to settle $153 million in debt.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
The filings come at a perilous time for Giuliani. The federal bankruptcy judge overseeing his case is considering whether to appoint a bankruptcy trustee, who would be able to control his financial life without encumbrance.
The bankruptcy process has halted them from enforcing the judgment and seizing his assets outright. Giuliani's lawyers have asked the bankruptcy judge to hit the pause button on the Chapter 11 process while he pursues appeals in the defamation litigation.
"Unbelievably, Mr. Giuliani continues to spend state, party, and judicial resources in pursuit of an appeal that would be fully briefed by now had he himself not chosen to seek chapter 11 reorganization instead," lawyers for the Georgia workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, wrote in a letter filed to court Wednesday. "This is one more demonstration among many that Mr. Giuliani cannot be trusted to manage his own bankruptcy."
Giuliani's lawyers have said he's struggling to pay for an accountant to put together the monthly bankruptcy reports, which has led to hiccups in past filings.
Earlier filings were compiled by Joseph Ricci, an accountant whose firm was paid $4,000 by Giuliani Communications in May. Ricci has since declined to work on the banruptcy, Giuliani's lawyers have said.
The most recent reports name Giuliani himself as the party "responsible" for compiling them.
One of Giuliani's monthly expenses includes Merry Maids, a home cleaning service. Giuliani paid $195, which is pretty good for a 2,200-square-foot 3-bedroom apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Confusingly, Giuliani was billed twice for the service on the same day, on May 3, which illustrates why it's always a good idea to double-check your bills.