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• The past few years have seen a surge in activity from ISIS-K, the terror group's Afghanistan branch.
• Once limited to the country, ISIS-K has now emerged as a broader threat to other regions.
• Its strengthening can be attributed to a lack of US military pressure and a more distracted Taliban.

In the years since the US and its NATO allies left Afghanistan, a particularly violent branch of the Islamic State terror group has grown stronger.

ISIS-K was once relatively restricted to the country, with limited influence beyond its borders. But it has since expanded and is now responsible for deadly attacks farther away from its home base, including a bloody massacre at a Moscow concert hall last month.

Under the loose watch of a second Taliban government, the terror group has found space to develop and thrive, while also enjoying the absence of the military forces that used to be a thorn in its side, a former top US commander said.

"It doesn't take very long for these organizations to rise up and become more capable," retired Gen. Joseph Votel, who oversaw military operations in the Middle East in the 2010s, told Business Insider.

ISIS-K, also known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Provence, is the notorious terror group's Afghanistan affiliate. It emerged in 2015 shortly after the organization declared a caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

During the first few years of its existence, ISIS-K attacks were mainly confined to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group has a bitter rivalry with the Taliban, due to sectarian differences, and has fought against the militants, as well as US and Afghan forces.

In the months leading up to the Afghan government's collapse in August 2021, ISIS-K launched dozens of attacks. But the group gained the most global attention just days before the last US troops left Kabul after a suicide bombing at the airport killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 American service members.

A 'galvanizing element' for ISIS-K

Since the US withdrawal, experts say there has been an overall surge in ISIS-K activity. The first year under the Taliban's rule saw a sharp uptick in terror attacks inside Afghanistan. But that trend has changed in recent months; attacks inside the country declined while attacks beyond its borders have increased.

Both the American departure and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has "energized" ISIS-K, Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think tank, told BI.

ISIS-K saw an opportunity to go after the militants, their sworn enemies, and make them look bad, projecting an image to the Afghan people that the Taliban are incapable of restoring peace and security. Their return to power, in effect, "has been a galvanizing element for ISIS-K," Kugelman said, "and that's why they've been scaling up attacks."

The Taliban have attempted to combat ISIS-K over the last few years and have managed to find some success degrading the group internally. But the militants now also have more responsibilities to which they are diverting resources and effort — leaving gaps in their territorial governance and oversight. Thus, the conditions inside Afghanistan have awarded the terror group space to develop a greater capacity to stage external attacks.

The lack of a US military presence inside Afghanistan is also a major factor in how ISIS-K has managed to become more influential. Without constant pressure, "these organizations have an ability to regenerate themselves," said Votel, who served as the commander of US Central Command, or CENTCOM, from 2016 to 2019.

"That's the concern" with ISIS-K right now, he said.

'A global threat in very little time'

Prior to August 2021, the US had a wide range of tools at its disposal that it could use to fight ISIS-K and keep pressure on the terrorists as its adversary — the Taliban — did the same.

Washington had significant intelligence capabilities on the ground and the ability to conduct kinetic strikes against the terror group, while also advising and assisting Afghan forces in conducting key operations. But this "mowing-the-grass" approach to counterterrorism, Votel said, has since paved way for a stronger and more resilient ISIS-K that's focused on projecting its influence elsewhere.

"We had a lot of flexibility in terms of how we were trying to go after [ISIS-K] and put pressure on them in a variety of ways," he said. Now, "we're seeing their ability to project beyond the borders of Afghanistan and go do things in other areas."

ISIS-K has long been behind attacks in its immediate neighborhood, in places like Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia. Earlier this year, for instance, a twin suicide bombing in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman killed nearly 100 people who had gathered to mark the fourth anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's assassination at the hands of a US drone strike.

The terror group has also been linked to planned attacks in Europe. Then, in March, gunmen stormed a Moscow concert hall and set fire to the facility, killing more than 140 people. The shocking carnage, which was built upon ISIS-K's longstanding grievances with Russia, underscored its ability to strike far beyond the region that it was meant to focus on as a branch of the Islamic State.

"It has been able to project a global threat in very little time," Kugelman said, adding that it seems like out of nowhere, just over the last year or so, ISIS-K has "started to be linked to all of these attacks outside of Afghanistan."

'We don't have much on the ground to help'

The US has closely monitored ISIS-K in the years since the deadly Kabul airport bombing, with officials routinely warning that the terror group continues to pose a significant threat.

Gen. Michael Kurilla, the current CENTCOM commander, told lawmakers in March that ISIS-K could strike US or Western interests abroad with little to no warning in a matter of months — reiterating similar remarks he delivered the year prior.

Days after the Moscow attack, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said the Biden administration is "very vigilant in monitoring ISIS-K activity, such to the point that the US was able to warn Russia of an imminent attack ahead of time.

"Because we're watching it very, very closely, we don't see any sort of credible threat by ISIS to the American homeland," Kirby told reporters, adding that it's "not something we're taking for granted."

Without boots on the ground in Afghanistan, options are fairly limited to combating ISIS-K. The White House has previously backed an over-the-horizon targeting strategy that relies on surveillance systems to hunt down terrorists and kill them in drone strikes, but there doesn't appear to be evidence that such a strategy has worked.

"ISIS-K is on the upswing right now," Votel said. "And we don't have much on the ground to help reduce that risk that this organization poses."

The US still has the ability to gather meaningful intelligence in the region, although Votel said these capabilities are likely diminished from what they previously were. But it's very important, he stressed, that the US continues to dedicate resources toward the threat and make it a priority.

One way for the US to do this is to work with regional partners around Afghanistan, such as Pakistan or states in Central Asia, to increase collaboration and the exchange of information with regard to violent extremism, Votel said. Another method would be for lawmakers to reauthorize a powerful surveillance tool known as Section 702, which is set to expire later this month.

As US and partner forces continue to battle ISIS with great effect in Iraq and Syria, the terror group's Afghanistan affiliate remains a loose cannon of sorts. And as they continue to recruit from around the world, the threat is clearly enough to keep Washington on its toes.

"The fact that ISIS-K has shown not only the will but also the capacity to target Americans — that in and of itself, I think, is reason for concern for the perspective of US policymakers," Kugelman said, "and a good reason why it's important not to take our eye off the ball, so to speak, when it comes to this threat."

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• TikTok creator Erin McGoff recently shared her top job interview tip: "Look really hot."
• Studies have shown more attractive people are considered better at a job.
• Despite existing laws against bias, "pretty privilege" persists and influences workplace decisions.

A TikTok creator who makes life and career advice content gave her top tip for job interviews in a recent video.

"Look really hot," she said.

Erin McGoff, who has 2.8 million followers, explained this is because of the "halo effect," a psychological phenomenon where positive impressions of a person influence one's opinion of them.

For example, it means that people will assume that someone conventionally attractive is also intelligent and kind.

"It's deeply embedded in human nature and something that everybody is guilty of, whether they know it or not," McGoff said.

"Pretty privilege" is a real thing in job interviews. A 2021 study from researchers at the University of Buffalo found that attractive people "are more likely to get hired, receive better evaluations, and get paid more."

Researchers used data from 300 video interviews and concluded that more attractive individuals had a greater sense of "power" and thus were considered more hireable.

Numerous studies have also found that good-looking people tend to earn more money and are put forward more often for promotions.

Robert I. Gosseen, a labor and employment attorney, told Business Insider that even with multiple laws in place to protect people against bias, "discrimination based on appearance persists."

"These laws protect against bias, but attractiveness and image often unfairly influence workplace decisions," he said.

"There is little probability of new legislation — on any level — that will infringe on employers' right to hire or retain individuals whom they deem attractive and to shun the unattractive."

We don't live in an ideal world

McGoff told BI that in her video, she didn't mean that people should "look sexy" in a job interview. She said that dressing up and looking your best just means putting "your best foot forward."

"I always say, have them think you're as put together as you look," she said. "Because in psychology, there is so much evidence to back this up. It's just factual. It's not something that we should shy away from."

Humans like to look at other "pretty humans," she said, and this has been true throughout history.

There are two sides to this. The unfair side is that some people are born beautiful. People who naturally fall into the cultural ideals of beauty and have "pretty privilege" from the get-go.

The other side, McGoff said, is there are things you can change that give you an advantage that some people choose not to or simply aren't aware of.

"Like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, ironing your clothes," she said. "Just like things that everybody has control over that a lot of people just don't do because they don't really understand the importance of it."

McGoff said she always looks at situations from two angles: how things should be and how things are.

Women shouldn't be expected to wear makeup to a job interview, for example. It's an unfair pressure and expense they face that men don't have to think about.

However, some hiring managers may pick up on a fresh face and perceive it as not making an effort.

McGoff advises treating an interview "like a first date."

"Just try to look good," she said. "And if that means curling your hair, not wearing makeup, or whatever that means for you, then do it."

While looks may matter to a degree, Christian Lovell, a career expert at SoFi, told BI it's important to differentiate between appearance and professionalism.

"Your natural looks or 'level of attractiveness' is out of your control and can be extremely subjective," she said. "But your level of professionalism and preparation is 100% within your control. "

Presenting oneself professionally is less about meeting subjective beauty standards, she said, and more about "demonstrating respect and showing that you are prepared for the interview."

Beware of red flags

Sebastian Morgan, a senior career coach at CV Genius, told BI that even if someone appears neat, wears jewelry, has nice hair and clothes, and puts in as much effort as possible, a recruiter may still judge their natural looks due to bias.

This is often the case in client-facing roles, he said, such as sales, PR, and media.

"What some may consider to be 'pretty privilege,' others will see a candidate's natural features as an important factor in addition to their skills and ability to bring results during the interview process," he said.

Recruiters should recognize that unconscious bias can influence their hiring decisions, he added, and make an effort to mitigate them.

McGoff said overall, it's just a good idea to advocate for yourself when walking into a job interview, and making an effort in the way that suits you. After all, it's just as important the company is the right fit for you, and a recruiter who is obsessed with someone's looks may indicate a toxic work environment.

"If a job doesn't hire you because they think that you should be wearing mascara, then yeah, that's a red flag," she said. "I'm glad you found that out earlier rather than later."

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• JPMorgan reported first-quarter earnings on Friday that were ahead of Wall Street's expectations.
• The banking giant grew revenue by 9% and net income by 6%.
• CEO Jamie Dimon, however, rang the alarm on a troubled global geopolitical environment.

JPMorgan reported first-quarter earnings on Friday that surpassed Wall Street's expectations, as CEO Jamie Dimon rang the alarm once again on a deeply worrying geopolitical backdrop.

America's biggest bank posted a 9% year-on-year rise in revenue to $41.9 billion, which helped to drive its net income up 6% to $13.4 billion. Earnings per share were $4.44, ahead of AlphaSense's consensus estimate of $4.14.

"We remain alert to a number of significant uncertain forces," Dimon said in the earnings release. First, the global landscape is unsettling – terrible wars and violence continue to cause suffering, and geopolitical tensions are growing."

"Second, there seems to be a large number of persistent inflationary pressures, which may likely continue. And finally, we have never truly experienced the full effect of quantitative tightening on this scale."

In his annual letter to JPMorgan shareholders, Dimon voiced similar concerns, published earlier this week. In it, he warned about wars raging and international tensions rising, and cautioned investors may be too complacent about the threats posed by inflation, interest rates, and recession.

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• BlackRock reported first-quarter earnings on Friday.
• Assets under management grew by 15% in 12 months to a record $10.5 trillion.
• The world's largest asset manager cited big net inflows of client cash and a strong market.

BlackRock's assets under management surged 15% year-on-year to a record $10.5 trillion in the first quarter, as more people trusted the company to put their cash to work and markets performed well.

The Wall Street titan grew its AUM by $1.4 trillion in 12 months, its first-quarter earnings revealed on Friday. The increase reflected a big net inflow of client funds and a positive market backdrop.

BlackRock's revenue increased 11% to $4.7 billion, which helped boost its operating income by 18% to $1.7 billion. Its management also bought back $375 million worth of stock and hiked the quarterly dividend by 2% to $5.10 a share.

Investors celebrated the strong showing by pushing BlackRock shares up as much as 3% in premarket trading to around $807. The stock was virtually flat for the year at Thursday's close.

"BlackRock's momentum continues to build," CEO Larry Fink said in the earnings release. 

"Organic asset and base fee growth accelerated into the end of the quarter, and first quarter long-term net inflows of $76 billion already represent nearly 40% of full year 2023 levels." 

Indeed, BlackRock's net inflows were $76 billion in the first quarter versus $183 billion in all of 2023. The large inflow isn't too surprising as market sentiment has been largely solid this year, which has helped to push stocks and other assets to record highs.

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• After graduating from Stanford, Jaime Muñoz moved to Chicago for a dream fintech job.
• He worried about leaving the Silicon Valley startup hub behind, but felt the risk could pay off. 
• He said the hardest part was losing proximity to his close-knit family in California.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Jaime Muñoz, 30, about moving to Chicago for a dream job after finishing his MBA at Stanford. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I arrived in Chicago in July 2022, feeling optimistic.

I'd never lived outside California before and saw this as an opportunity to venture out on my own — a fresh start.

I'd accepted a new job opportunity as a strategy and operations lead for a financial technology company. I interned for a company called Bridge Money during my MBA at Stanford. They mentioned they had a potential role for me, but it would be in Chicago.

I was already considering other options in California, where I would be close to my family. I wanted to work at a fintech company, and this opportunity with Bridge Money was the exact type of role I wanted.

I thought, "This is what I was looking for, so what's stopping me?" I saw it as a high-risk but high-reward opportunity. After some hard conversations with family and friends, I made the move.

I worried I'd isolate myself from my network and Silicon Valley by moving

I initially questioned whether Chicago was the right city for me.

I didn't know anyone there. Most of my Stanford classmates were staying in the Bay Area after graduation. Part of the value of getting an MBA is the network you form, and I wondered if moving would be detrimental to that because I was isolating myself.

I'd heard that Chicago was becoming more of a startup hub but not on the same level as Silicon Valley.

I'd always played it safe and thought about security when it came to jobs. I wanted to be the first in my family to be well-off. I don't want to worry about retirement, and I want to provide for my future kids and pass down the wealth that I accumulate.

I did some research on how some of the richest people built their wealth. Many of them mentioned getting in early at a company, being one of the first employees, and having equity.

I was offered another role as a senior strategy consultant with Accenture, based out of the San Francisco office. The offer included the option to buy shares of their stock, but I preferred the idea of having shares allocated to me at an early-stage startup. Bridge Money offered me the possibility of an equity grant — if all went well at the company, my equity would increase in value.

I felt I would be a speck of dust in a huge company at Accenture. I'd already worked there from 2015 to 2020 as a strategy analyst and senior strategy consultant. There were multiple levels of seniority above me. At Bridge Money, I was one of the first 10 full-time hires. Only the CMO and CEO are above me, so I'm making more decisions by myself. I think I made the right choice because I've learned so much about myself.

Moving to Chicago was lonely, even though I was on my A-game at the office

Since I'd interned with Bridge Money for two years before starting the job, I felt prepared for the role. Most days in the office, I was on my A-game, making big decisions and collaborating with teammates.

However, I wasn't prepared for the mental challenges of relocating, such as dealing with loneliness.

I have a very close-knit family in California. We lived in an eight-person household — myself, my three siblings, my parents, and two grandparents. I also have 15 first cousins on my mom's side there.

I was always around family members, but in Chicago, I was shopping and sightseeing by myself.

Eating alone was one of the most crushing experiences for me. At restaurants, I'd sometimes make reservations for one because I wanted to leave my apartment. The tables around me would have at least two people sitting on them, and it felt isolating.

I tried hanging out with coworkers. They tried to integrate me into their friendship group, and I was grateful, but it felt a bit like I was intruding.

I also dated to meet people, but those relationships often wouldn't progress, and it made me feel even lonelier.

I eventually started making friends through social media. I'd been building a following on TikTok, and when I announced that I'd moved to Chicago on the app, my inbox was flooded with people welcoming me. I started grabbing coffee with people, and now, all of my friends here are creators.

I'm further from family, but I'm working toward my goal of building generational wealth

I prefer Chicago as a place to San Francisco. Everyone's a tech bro in San Francisco, but I meet people from diverse professions here. It's also more affordable.

The biggest cost has been losing the proximity to my family. I've felt guilty that I'm being selfish and only thinking of my career instead of them.

But I also think I'm building generational wealth and making decisions that can help my current and future family. I'm working hard to save money, and I hope I can retire my parents and buy them a house.

Moving to Chicago is probably the biggest risk I've ever taken. There wasn't an immediate payoff, but we're getting there.

It's been liberating and has allowed me to focus on and prioritize myself.

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• Humane's Ai Pin received some harsh reviews, sparking a response from its designer on X. 
• Head of product engineering, Ken Kocienda, said people are jumping on the "skepticism bandwagon."
• The device has been described by some critics as "unfinished" and "not that useful." 

Humane's Ai Pin designer quickly defended the device after it was hit with several savage reviews.

The tiny machine is essentially a wearable smart device that lacks a screen. It already had some rough critiques after Humane started shipping the product this week.

Ken Kocienda, head of product engineering at Humane, fought back against critics in a lengthy X post on Thursday.

He said, "I feel that today's social media landscape encourages hot takes… and the spicier the better! Indeed, it's so easy to find people online who are willing to jump on the skepticism bandwagon to gape at the same things you're pointing at and poke holes in every little detail."

Kocienda said he uses the product "all the time" to ask questions and conduct web searches, but admitted that it can be "frustrating sometimes," just like his laptop and smartphone.

In what appeared to be an attempt to manage user expectations, he added, "There is no perfect product. The Ai Pin form factor is wonderful, and our new Ai operating system is a wonderful new landscape to explore, but it's not magic. Expect the same kind of ups and downs as your other tech."

The company has touted the device as a way for consumers to reduce their dependence on smartphones and an alternative to "typing away at a keyboard or scrolling away on a screen."

The idea of reducing screen time has attracted much attention recently, so there could certainly be a market for compact wearables that keep people connected without the need for a physical screen.

But a lot of techies don't seem convinced by this particular device.

The Verge was left unimpressed and described the product as "thoroughly unfinished" and "totally broken" in its review. It added that it wouldn't recommend anyone to spend $699 on it and pay $24 for its monthly subscription.

MrMobile, a YouTuber and tech reviewer, said it just "doesn't do enough yet."

Wired slammed it as "not that useful," while Engadget likened it to "giving someone a spork when they asked for a knife and fork: good enough to get by, but not a perfect replacement."

But Ray Wong, the deputy editor of tech reviews and guides at Inverse, thinks the hot takes are wrong. In an X post, he said, "The narrative of a new product needing to 'kill' or 'replace' another product with similar functionality is tired."

He added, "That's not how reality works. Laptops didn't kill desktops. Foldables haven't killed bar phones. Smartwatches haven't killed phones. Headsets aren't gonna kill laptops, desktops, smartphones, tablets, or w/e."

A New York Times reviewer also said he liked the "chic aesthetic" and concept of the pin, although he was critical about other aspects.

Humane didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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• Some restaurants are connecting callers to an AI voice service to place DoorDash and Uber Eats orders.
• Voice AI company Kea takes customers' orders in phone calls and sends them to delivery aggregators.
• Many people now place delivery orders online, but Kea's founder says restaurants sometimes struggle to handle phone orders.

A new voice AI service means diners can place delivery orders with services like DoorDash and Uber Eats via phone call.

Rather than having to order on an app or website, customers calling restaurants that use a product developed by Kea, a voice AI company, can simply say what they want to order. Kea then sends their order to a delivery aggregator.

"It's so much better and easier to just say something and have it done versus let me download an app, let me add everything to the cart, let me customize it, let me add my credit card to it, and then press all those buttons," Adam Ahmad, Kea's CEO and founder, told Business Insider.

Before the app revolution, restaurants relied on phone calls for delivery orders. In 2023, more than 85% of Domino's US sales were made digitally. But there are still use cases for ordering by phone rather than using a website or app, Ahmad said.

"They're maybe driving the kids back from school and it just makes sense to hit that call button," he said, describing it as a "30-second interaction."

When customers call to order delivery from a restaurant that uses Kea's service, they'll be linked to the voice AI, which restaurants can choose from a variety of accents. The AI guides them through the transactions, including suggesting add-ons and recommending items they got in previous orders, Ahmad said.

You can hear an example of how the software works on Kea's website.

"It's not like Siri or Alexa where it's kind of stopping you and making you repeat yourself," he said. "It's very fluid in its interaction."

And if the AI has problems understanding the customer – or vice versa – they can be transferred to a Kea human agent who'll complete the order, Ahmad said. About a quarter of calls made to Kea are transferred to its human agents, Ahmad said.

Kea told BI that it had agents in nine countries but that the majority were based in the US.

Kea uses an algorithm developed by Olo to determine which delivery services are available nearby and choose the best one for each customer based on the cost and estimated time of arrival, Ahmad said. The delivery platforms that Kea can refer orders to are DoorDash, Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub, and Favor, Ahmad said.

"We'll upsell them throughout the call and then at the very end of the call, they have the option to leave a tip for the driver," Ahmad said. "And at that time, an ETA is provided to them and the order gets placed directly into the system."

Customers don't need to have the delivery provider's app to use Kea's service, Ahmad said. They'd still be sent a link to track their driver, he said.

"We're not, of course, the delivery provider – we're sort of just processing the voice order," Ahmad said.

Ahmad incorporated Kea back in 2018, "before this whole large language model craze," he said. The new delivery-service tie-in aside, Kea has operated a so-called "cashier in the cloud" service for years, which takes pickup orders and answers basic questions like opening hours when customers ring restaurants, Ahmad said.

Kea said that the pizza chains it worked with — which it said it couldn't name due to NDAs — were already using the AI delivery function. It plans to offer the service to its other restaurants later this month, it said. Kea takes a percentage of the orders it takes for restaurants.

Chains that Kea works with include Wayback Burger, Newk's Eatery, and California Fish Grill. Kea declined to say how many restaurants it operated in, but said it was "in the hundreds."

"A lot of them are high volume takeout places, pizza places," Ahmad said. "These are folks that have three to five phone lines at their restaurants and they simply cannot answer all the calls at once. It's just way too cumbersome. And so we're really focusing on those brands first, the ones that just have a lot of incoming phone traffic and ultimately helping them with answering every single phone call versus putting people on hold."

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• Russian soldiers want to get injured as they see it as the only way to go home, Ukraine said.
• It said Russia's death toll has convinced soldiers they have no chance of surviving.
• "Therefore, the invaders dream of being injured," Ukraine's National Resistance Center said.

Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine now see getting injured as their only chance to leave the front lines and go home to see their families, according to Ukraine.

Ukraine's National Resistance Center said that many Russian soldiers have lost hope that they will be given time away from the front, as Russia doesn't have enough soldiers there.

"Therefore, the invaders dream of being injured," it said.

"In this way, there is a chance to start work in a place of permanent dislocation, and then, if you are lucky, to escape. There are simply no other options to get a 'vacation' and see relatives," it added.

The National Resistance Center, part of Ukraine's military dedicated to teaching civilians how to fight back, said Russia's high death toll had convinced soldiers that they had no hope of surviving and going home.

"The invaders are convinced that injury is an option not only to rest, but also to simply survive," it said. "After all, they lost countless soldiers on the battlefield."

Ukraine is also experiencing its own issues with allowing soldiers to leave the front lines.

Ukraine's parliament this week scrapped demobilization plans that would have given soldiers who spent long periods on the front the opportunity to go home on rotation.

Ukraine, which has a much smaller population than Russia, has struggled with manpower shortages, and some soldiers said their units have only become smaller, as people leave with injuries or are killed, and few fresh recruits arrive.

Earlier this year, Oleksandr, a battalion commander, told the Washington Post that Ukrainian infantry were being kept in their posts for too long.

"They need to be replaced by someone," he said.

Reports from earlier in the fighting have pointed to Russian soldiers deliberately injuring themselves.

A Russian paratrooper who fought in Ukraine said in August 2022 that some troops shot themselves in the leg to try to get away and also to get a $50,000 payout.

Audio published by Ukraine in 2022 supposedly showed a Russian soldier in Ukraine telling his mother in a phone call that his superior had shot himself to get out of fighting.

The wives of some Russian soldiers have also accused the country of keeping their men at the front lines indefinitely.

Many Russian soldiers have been sent to Ukraine with little training.

Captured soldiers and Western intelligence also point to Russia using tactics that don't prioritize keeping soldiers alive, including using "meat wave" tactics to try to overwhelm Ukrainian forces.

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• The NFL will play two nationally televised games on Christmas this year.
• Previously, the NFL avoided games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but the TV ratings were huge.
• This move could lead to more mid-week games, potentially increasing revenue for the NFL.

The NFL is already deeply entwined with Thanksgiving, and now it wants to be a bigger part of Christmas.

The NFL announced in March that it will play two nationally televised games on Christmas this year.

While the league has played games on December 25 before, this year is unusual because the holiday falls on a Wednesday, a day the league typically avoids. And, after 2024, the NFL will have had the same number of games on Christmas in the last two years as it did between 1973 and 2003. If that trajectory continues, NFL games on Christmas could be an annual tradition moving forward, and the move could have a huge impact on how millions of Americans spend the holiday.

Previously, the NFL only played on Christmas when it fell on one of the traditional days for NFL games — Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The NFL typically avoids games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to avoid short-week scenarios where teams don't have enough rest between games and might be at a higher risk of injury.

But the TV ratings for past Christmas games were huge.

The NFL put up massive TV numbers on Christmas

The NFL's three Christmas games in 2023 averaged 29.2 million viewers, according to CBS, which broadcasts the game. Those featured some of the most popular teams in the league — and Taylor Swift — including the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Las Vegas Raiders, and the eventual Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs.

The 2023 Christmas games were three of the 19 most-watched programs on TV last year, according to Nielsen. However, they still trailed the Turkey Day games as those averaged 33 million viewers and had two of the top seven TV programs of the year.

Without knowing yet which teams will be playing in the games and their time slots, it is difficult to predict how big they will compare to last Christmas' and Thanksgiving games, said Jon Lewis, founder of the sports media news and information site Sports Media Watch.

"I do think viewership should remain elevated, but last year was a particularly good stroke of luck with the matchups," Lewis told Business Insider.

If the NFL is the big winner on Christmas, it will come at the expense of the NBA, which has long been the main annual sports draw on the holiday, with games featuring the best teams and many of the most popular players.

However, the NBA games are not nearly as popular in US households on the holidays compared to the NFL, and the gap is widening. In 2023, the five NBA games played on Christmas averaged 2.9 million viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That was down 30% from 2022.

The NFL won't stop at Christmas

With the NFL breaking from the tradition of avoiding Tuesday and Wednesday games, it not only could mean games on Christmas every year, but it could also be the first step in leading to more mid-week games.

More mid-week national TV games were an idea the league seemed to start warming up to last year.

In March 2023, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told the media that short-week games do not lead to more injuries. He referenced the league's success in moving games to non-traditional days due to COVID-19 outbreaks on teams in 2020, including one game that was moved to a Wednesday.

"My instinct meshes with what Roger Goodell said when he invoked what happened during the pandemic," Mike Florio, NBC's NFL analyst, said on "Pro Football Talk" following Goodell's comments in 2023. "In five to 10 years, they are going to be playing games on Tuesday night and Wednesday night every week."

If the NFL schedules more games, it could lead to more income for the league.

ESPN, which will air 21 national games in 2024, pays the league $2.7 billion annually. On the other hand, CBS aired 107 games in 2023, but only six were national TV games. That network pays the NFL $2.1 billion a year.

In total, the NFL is paid about $10 billion a year for TV deals with CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and Amazon.

While additional games could lead to more revenue, Lewis is skeptical that the Christmas games will draw bigger audiences than the Thanksgiving matches.

"I don't see Christmas overtaking Thanksgiving anytime soon, as the latter remains a comfortably bigger draw," Lewis said.

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• For many, retirement is synonymous with bad health, loneliness, and the end of life.
• The switch from a career to retirement can be a psychological hurdle for many, boomers admit.
• But these five retirees told Business Insider about why people's perceptions of retirement are wrong.

Helen Brown had worked hard for her career.

She worked in computer science — a notoriously difficult industry for women in the 90s — while battling chronic fatigue and migraines. Last year, Brown's illnesses meant the 60-year-old had to step back from work.

"Trying to be a woman in the computing world was not easy," Brown told Business Insider. At 60, she still felt at the top of her game and enjoyed her work, "I wanted to feel valued because it had been such a struggle. And then to have to give it up…"

For many, retirement is still synonymous with loneliness, boredom, and, to put it frankly, death.

Five boomers who spoke to Business Insider about their retirement say those stereotypes are far from the truth for most older people. Though the change in routine can be challenging and health concerns are never far, they say retirement is pretty great.

Getting over the psychological hurdle

The retired boomers told BI that transitioning from working to retirement can be difficult.

Feeling a loss of identity is common among new retirees as their daily lives and responsibilities change. Around 28% of retired people have depression, according to a review of eleven recent medical studies on the topic. Compared to 5% of adults globally who suffer from depression, per a report by the WHO.

Retirees adjusting to a new way of life have the added concern that their savings may not suffice as the economy changes or if unforeseen health problems arise.

Brown said she initially felt lost when she entered retirement. But she applied the same lessons she learned while battling her illness: "You can either give up or say, 'Right, I'll show you.'"

Brown created a timetable so that she didn't slide into her feelings. Her day starts with a few hours of studying through the Open University, then watercolors, yoga, gardening, or walking the dog, and finally, playing computer games with her husband in the evening.

Clive Hook, 65, also experienced an initial shock when he retired in late 2019.

He'd spent his career traveling for work, leading a "quasi-rockstar existence" running leadership courses for major companies. Slowing down in retirement meant losing the personal driver and luxurious trips and returning to domesticity.

Hook told BI that the complete loss of structure was the toughest change. It left him and his wife feeling purposeless.

"Not having a real reason to do anything. It was really hard," Hook said. "We got to a point where we didn't know what day of the week it was. It made us feel useless."

He decided to explore things that brought him joy. Hook joined a choir and, within the year, found himself busy with choir committees, charitable causes, and learning three languages. He also teaches leadership to NHS nurses rather than CEOs.

There's a misconception that life becomes boring in retirement, Hook told BI. In fact, life is so busy that it feels like a full-time job.

Retirement is for reveling

For Jackie Harrison, retirement has lived up to her high expectations: "I thought it was going to be a holiday and it has."

Harrison had worked as a librarian until she was 65 and happily retired in 2018. Now, she goes on holiday three times a year, visits family, practices tai chi and yoga, walks for around two hours daily, and goes to the gym.

"It's just the freedom of being able to do what we want and not having to do things we don't want," Harrison said of people in retirement.

Sandra Falconer, a retired teacher in her mid-70s, agrees.

"It's the freedom. The freedom of not having to go to meetings, not having to do the rush hour dash."

Falconer told BI she revels in saying no to anything she no longer wants to do. She retired from teaching at 63 but continued part-time work for five years. The former teacher was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2014 but still practices tai chi and has joined several local projects.

Falconer, who never had much time for writing as a teacher, is now a member of a poetry collective highlighting poverty and injustice and has been shortlisted for a literary prize.

Others told BI that retirement has given them the space to discover themselves in a way they hadn't had time to while working.

"It's almost like going back into childhood again with that sort of discovery," said Helen Brown. "There's a weight off your shoulders, not having to be at work and to go through that sort of stress."

Boomers have to battle ageism and stereotypes

Though they're enjoying life, the boomers who spoke to BI said misconceptions and stereotypes about retirement can be damaging.

"In other cultures, as you get older, you get wiser. In our culture, as you get older, you get more stupid," Clive Hook lamented.

Some have been shouted at in the street by teenagers; others said their skills are constantly underestimated, or they feel like they're sidelined by health services.

"Kick that into touch, mate, because that view that you have in your head is outdated," snaps back Kathy Feest, a boomer with an advocatory spirit and no time for stereotypes.

Sandra Falconer believes the media and people's own fears of growing old are to blame for negative stereotypes. The danger is that some will just accept the label; Falconer added, "If you treat somebody as if they're invisible, they begin to feel as if they are."

"I have never accepted stereotypes. In fact, underneath this jumper, I'm wearing a T-shirt that one of my daughters bought me that says, assuming that I'm just a little old lady was your first mistake."

Attitude is key to a successful retirement

Kathy Feest was forced into retirement at a younger age than expected after a boat accident left her spine shattered. She was 54.

"I wasn't ready to quit. I was too young," Feest told BI. After rebuilding her life, Feest has run courses to help others find their way through retirement.

People often claim there's nothing they want to do, but Feest said finding a purpose and pursuing it in retirement is crucial."You really do know. You're just covering it up in one way or another. And you don't get off the hook just because you have osteoarthritis." She said people must actively search for what they want out of life.

"It's a misconception that it's the end of life. It's the beginning of a new phase of life."

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