President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose 100% tariffs on all Canadian goods and products exported to the US should Ottawa make a trade deal with China.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whom he called “Governor Carney,” against making a “drop off” deal with Beijing or face the levies.
“If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” Trump wrote.
“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” he added.
Carney made an official visit to China last week — the first by a Canadian leader since 2017 — meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss economic and trade opportunities between the two countries.
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In a joint statement following the meeting, Ottawa and Beijing said they had committed to expanding bilateral trade and investment, as well as building cooperation in areas such as energy and agriculture.
Carney also announced that Canada would now allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into the Canadian market on the “most-favoured-nation tariff rate of 6.1%.” In return, he said Canada expected China to lower tariffs on Canadian canola seed to around 15% by March 1.
Trump had initially said that the deal was what Carney “should be doing” and that it was “a good thing for him to sign a trade deal.”
Trump’s changing tone comes days after Carney delivered an impassioned speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he opined on the changing face of global politics since Trump’s election.
“We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney, who did not explicitly name Trump, said, adding that “middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”
Trump did not miss the opportunity to snap back at Carney during his own speech at Davos, saying the prime minister “wasn’t so grateful.”
“Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” he added.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Katarina Polonska, a relationship scientist and coach who will be inheriting her childhood home in Slovakia. Vancouver-based Polonska, 36, said the home needs a lot of work, and it may not be worth managing renovations from abroad. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m going to be inheriting my childhood home where I was born. I love it, and it’s very precious to me. But I don’t have any right to it yet.
It’s mostly used as a family holiday home, but ultimately when my mother passes, it’s going to be given to me.
My mother owns it, and there’s no plan to sell it — the value of the home isn’t very high, in fairness. It’s a two-bedroom, one-bathroom. It’s not worth much at all; maybe $80,000 CAD. I don’t think the money would go very far in Canada.
Also, selling it would require a lot of renovations. It’s very old school and needs a lot of TLC, and my mother doesn’t live in Slovakia, she lives in England. So from her perspective, she’s thinking, “Why would I invest 30,000 or 50,000 euros (about $35,245 or $58,742) in a property that I go to a few times a year max? What’s the point?”
She also knows it would to be really complicated to sell it from abroad, having to navigate viewings and trusting realtors and all of this stuff.
The reality is, I’m going to own this foreign property when she passes.
My husband is in a similar situation with a Barbados property
My husband is also waiting to inherit. His mother inherited a property in Barbados from her parents, though she never lived in Barbados.
His mother had to wait to take over the Barbados property, and by the time she took it over, it had declined a little bit and there are always complications with it.
Polonska and her husband.
Courtesy of Katarina Polonska
I’ve actually never seen it myself, but I know that there’s a lot of work to be done with the house. But his mother has been holding onto it saying, “You can inherit it and you and Kat can enjoy it.”
But he’s like, “We don’t go to Barbados enough.” It’s just more hassle having to manage and protect a property when you’re not physically in the country.
I think from my perspective, because I’m naive about it, I’m like, keep it, it’d be really nice to have it. But his argument is that the place isn’t in the area of Barbados that I would necessarily want to go to.
He’s really wary. He doesn’t want to be managing the property and he would rather sell it and then distribute the money within his family.
So we both know that there’s going to be this new responsibility on our heads and, candidly, I think life is difficult enough as it is.
The home in Slovakia needs so much work that I probably can’t rent it out as-is
I’m not going to rent the Slovakia home out because it’s from, like, the 1980s. It’s not been renovated. It’s ancient; the wallpaper’s faded.
While Slovakia is kind of an up-and-coming country from a tourism perspective, I don’t think anyone would want to stay in this place as an Airbnb unless it was literally advertised as a historical relic: “Come stay in this ancient old-school apartment!”
Polonska’s property in Slovakia.
Courtesy of Katarina Polonska
My husband and I have talked about how we’re probably going to have to renovate it. We know that at some point, we’re probably going to have to take a couple of months to be there physically to renovate it. But when is that going to happen? We both work, and getting to Slovakia is like a 20-hour journey from here.
I think, more realistically, we could just keep the place and treat it as a little getaway to escape to. There is really lovely nature nearby and I don’t have any other properties, so there is merit psychologically to knowing that there is a place that’s home, even if it is halfway across the world.
There needs to be more dialogue between parents and children about inheritances
When it comes to inheriting property, I think there needs to be more dialogue between the parent and the child of, “What do you actually want to do?”
I think a lot of parents have this assumption that leaving a kid the property is the ultimate goal; we’ve made it, we’ve paid off the mortgage, we have this home, and now the kid gets it. Those days are kind of gone.
We don’t live in a world where everyone grows up and lives in the same town or city as their parents. We live in a really global economy. People are moving, people are more transient, and the world has become smaller. It’s also become a lot more expensive, and home ownership isn’t what it used to be.
Parents need to recognize that the world we’re in is very different, and Millennials are not an anxious generation for no reason. We have a lot of stresses. It makes more sense to have a dialogue with your kid around what they want.
I wish parents would ask, “What do you want? Where are you at with your life, and what kind of inheritance makes sense?”
Is it, in fact, a lump sum of cash, because maybe you’re a busy entrepreneur and you don’t have time to sell? Maybe you actually would prefer the parent to sell, which is annoying for the parents, but maybe the kid would prefer that.
Thank you for the inheritance — that’s very generous. But I think quite a lot of kids would probably say it’s not worth it. Either enjoy the money, mom and dad, or cash out, downsize, and just give us a down payment or something.
That’s what I’d heard countless times about visiting Las Vegas before making the trip myself. I’d always wanted to go, if only to have that once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Turns out, one time wasn’t enough. I’ve been five times now, and I have no doubt there will be a sixth. The nightlife and gambling aren’t what keep me coming back, though.
These days, I skip the casinos and explore nature instead — and one of my favorite places is about 45 minutes outside the city: Valley of Fire State Park.
There was no turning back once I found a side of Vegas I didn’t know I was missing
Valley of Fire has some incredible sandstone formations.
Erin Sanchez
In 2013, I went to Vegas to celebrate surviving grad school with a couple of friends.
Being first-timers, we wanted to see everything the Las Vegas Strip had to offer. About 28,000 steps and a midday shoe change later, we felt we’d seen all we could in a single day.
That first trip was a whirlwind of neon lights and shirtless men dancing on tabletops (they don’t call it “Sin City” for nothing). It was fun, but I wondered if there was even more to experience in the area beyond the sensory overload of the Strip.
Flying into Las Vegas from Seattle, I’d noticed the rugged, desert mountains surrounding the city. Those same mountain ranges also caught my eye from the mayhem of the Strip.
A couple of years later, when I returned to the city with my husband, I’d finally get to see them up close.
Valley of Fire State Park looks otherworldly.
Erin Sanchez
After a day on the Strip, the two of us decided to get out of the city and visit the Valley of Fire. We didn’t know much about the park, but the impressive Google images and proximity were enough to convince us to check it out.
We rented a car, then headed northeast of Las Vegas and found ourselves in a sea of sand and rocky red outcroppings within an hour.
After paying a small entry fee, the booth attendant gave us a detailed map and tips for avoiding heatstroke. Then, we spent the entire day exploring the geologic wonders of the Mojave Desert.
We even spotted markings on some of the rocks in Valley of Fire State Park.
Erin Sanchez
The 40,000-acre recreation area had awe-inspiring sandstone formations, ancient petroglyphs, and hiking trails with Instagram-worthy photo ops around every corner.
Besides roaming the richly saturated — often gravity-defying — petrified sand dunes, we also spotted lizards scurrying across the trails and hordes of adorable ground squirrels in the picnic areas.
Out here, I didn’t hear the constant dinging from slot machines, the mashup of strangers’ conversations, or the evangelists along the Strip admonishing passersby through megaphones.
I found everything I was looking for in a weekend getaway: sun, serenity, and spectacular scenery. Now I make it a point to escape to the Valley of Fire whenever I visit Las Vegas.
Vegas can be the perfect getaway, though maybe not in the way you might expect
I’ve now visited the Valley of Fire State Park several times.
Erin Sanchez
One time in Vegas might be enough for some people, but not for me.
In addition to offering endless food and entertainment options, the city has no shortage of beautiful nearby spots for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers.
For those of us on the West Coast, Vegas is the perfect destination for a quick trip. It’s just a short flight away, and you can find great deals on resorts, especially when you travel during the less crowded summer and winter months.
If you’re looking to add more than Valley of Fire State Park to your desert itinerary, you can also easily make day trips to places like the Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon.
And as for whether I’m already planning my next trip — you can bet on it.
Bruno Mars accepts the Best Duo/Group of the Year award onstage at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 22, 2022.
Rich Fury/Getty Images
There are only 13 artists in Billboard history who have topped the Hot 100 at least 10 times.
Bruno Mars scored his 10th No. 1 hit in January 2026 with “I Just Might.”
The Beatles have the most No. 1 songs ever (20), followed closely by Mariah Carey (19).
Throughout music history, there have been plenty of record-breaking songs, albums, and acts. These 13, however, have seen the most success on the Billboard Hot 100, which is widely considered to be the definitive ranking of best-selling songs in the US.
Keep scrolling to see the elite tier of singles artists, listed from least to most No. 1 hits.
8 (tie). Bruno Mars — 10
Bruno Mars.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for SelvaRey
Mars earned his 10th No. 1 single — and his first song to debut at No. 1 — in January 2026 with “I Just Might.”
This comes 16 years after his first chart-topper, “Nothin’ on You,” in May 2016. Then came: “Just the Way You Are” also in 2010, “Grenade” in 2011, “Locked Out of Heaven” in 2012, “When I Was Your Man” in 2013, “Uptown Funk!” in 2015, “That’s What I Like” in 2017, “Leave the Door Open” in 2021, and “Die With a Smile” in 2025.
8 (tie). Stevie Wonder — 10
Stevie Wonder performing at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards.
CBS/Getty Images
In 1963, at just 13 years old, Stevie Wonder earned his first No. 1 song with “Fingertips.” He was the youngest artist ever to top the chart.
Throughout his illustrious career, Wonder has added nine more hits to the list: “Superstition” in 1972, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” in 1973, “You Haven’t Done Nothin'” in 1974, “I Wish” in 1976, “Sir Duke” in 1977, “Ebony and Ivory” in 1982, “I Just Called to Say I Love You” in 1984, and both “Part-Time Lover” and “That’s What Friends Are For” in 1985.
8 (tie). Janet Jackson — 10
Janet Jackson performs at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
Janet Jackson’s reign on the Hot 100 began with 1986’s “When I Think of You,” which topped the chart when she was 20 years old.
Next came 1989’s “Miss You Much,” 1990’s “Escapade,” “Black Cat,” and “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” 1993’s “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Again,” 1997’s “Together Again,” 2000’s “Doesn’t Really Matter,” and 2001’s “All for You.”
Jackson is the rare artist to claim the No. 1 spot in three different decades, like Stevie Wonder.
7. Whitney Houston — 11
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Whitney Houston had no shortage of iconic songs, but she earned her first No. 1 with “Saving All My Love for You” in 1985. That same year, she also put “How Will I Know” in the top spot.
Over the next decade, Houston collected nine more chart-toppers: “The Greatest Love of All” in 1986; “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” and “So Emotional” in 1987; “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” in 1988; “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “All the Man That I Need” in 1990; “I Will Always Love You” in 1992; and “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” in 1995.
6 (tie). Madonna — 12
Christopher Polk / Getty Images
Madonna has been topping the charts for decades, and it all began with “Like a Virgin” in 1984.
She followed up with “Crazy for You” in 1985 before she scored three No. 1 hits in 1986 alone: “Live to Tell,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” and “Open Your Heart.”
The so-called “Queen of Pop” added to her collection with “Who’s That Girl” in 1987, “Like a Prayer” in 1989, “Vogue” and “Justify My Love” in 1990, “This Used to Be My Playground” in 1992, “Take a Bow” in 1994, and “Music” in 2000.
6 (tie). The Supremes — 12
AP
The Supremes are known as one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, earning 12 No. 1 hits in half as many years.
In the mid-’60s, the trio released a string of five singles that all went to No. 1 on the chart: “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” and “Come See About Me” in 1964, then “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “Back in My Arms Again” in 1965.
They continued to dominate the decade with a flood of hits: “I Hear a Symphony,” also in 1965; “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” in 1966; “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone” and “The Happening” in 1967; “Love Child” in 1968; and “Someday We’ll Be Together” in 1969.
5 (tie). Michael Jackson — 13
JUNE 25: Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1986.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage via Getty Images
Michael Jackson began appearing on the charts as a child with The Jackson 5, but after he struck out on his own, the so-called “King of Pop” racked up more hits than any solo artist at the time.
Perhaps most impressively, five out of his 13 No. 1 songs came from the same album (“Bad”), setting a record that remains unbroken. (It was tied in 2011 by Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.”)
Jackson’s first chart-topper was “Ben” in 1972 when he was 14 years old. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You” both took the top spot in 1979, followed by “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Say Say Say” in 1983; “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Bad,” and “The Way You Make Me Feel” in 1987; “Man in the Mirror” and “Dirty Diana” in 1988; and “Black or White” in 1993.
He capped his collection with “You Are Not Alone” in 1995, which also became the first song in history to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
5 (tie). Drake — 13
Drake performs in 2017.
Ross Gilmore/Getty Images
Drake is one of the most dominant artists of the streaming era, racking up 13 chart-topping singles to date — the vast majority at breakneck speed in a seven-year period.
The rapper notched his first No. 1 hit thanks to Rihanna when their collaboration, “What’s My Name,” reigned atop the chart in 2010.
In 2016, Drake topped the chart again as a featured artist on Rihanna’s song “Work.” Later that year, “One Dance” became his first solo hit to ascend to first place.
He notched three No. 1 hits in 2018 with “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” and “In My Feelings,” followed by “Toosie Slide” in 2020; “What’s Next” and “Way 2 Sexy” in 2021; “Wait for U” and “Jimmy Cooks” in 2022; and “Slime You Out” and “First Person Shooter” in 2023.
Nine of those songs arrived in the chart’s top spot, making Drake the artist with the most No. 1 song debuts in history.
5 (tie). Taylor Swift — 13
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona.
John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift’s first No. 1 hit was “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” in 2012. It was released as the lead single from Swift’s fourth album, “Red.”
Swift’s fifth album, “1989,” spawned three No. 1 singles: “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” in 2014, followed by the “Bad Blood” remix featuring Kendrick Lamar in 2015.
“Look What You Made Me Do” became her fifth chart leader in 2017, followed by “Cardigan” and “Willow” in 2020.
In 2021, Swift launched her series of rerecorded albums, sending an extended version of an old deep cut, “All Too Well,” to the top of the chart. At 10 minutes and 13 seconds, it’s the longest No. 1 hit in Billboard history.
Swift’s 2022 single “Anti-Hero” became her longest-running No. 1 hit, reigning atop the chart for eight weeks.
In 2023, Swift notched her milestone 10th leader with “Cruel Summer,” fueled by the success of the Eras Tour. Shortly after, “Is It Over Now?” and “Fortnight” joined the ranks.
“The Fate of Ophelia,” the lead single from “The Life of a Showgirl,” became Swift’s 13th chart-topper after setting a new single-week streaming record on Spotify. Notably, Swift is credited as the lead cowriter on all of her No. 1 songs.
4. Rihanna — 14
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
In the span of just 14 years, Rihanna earned 14 No. 1 songs, starting with “SOS” in 2006 when she was still a teenager.
Next came “Umbrella” in 2007; “Take a Bow,” “Live Your Life,” and “Disturbia” in 2008; “Rude Boy,” “Love the Way You Lie,” “Only Girl (In the World),” and “What’s My Name” in 2010; “S&M” and “We Found Love” in 2011; “Diamonds” in 2012; “The Monster” in 2013; and finally “Work” in 2016, the lead single from her most recent album, “Anti.”
3. Elvis Presley — 18
Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special on June 27, 1968.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Technically, some of Elvis Presley’s career predated the Hot 100, which was launched in 1958. But he topped its predecessor, the pop chart, and the Hot 100 a combined total of 18 times.
In 1956, his No. 1 singles were: “Heartbreak Hotel,” “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog,” and “Love Me Tender.”
The next year, 1957, he released the chart-toppers “Too Much,” “All Shook Up,” “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear,” and “Jailhouse Rock.”
In 1958, there was “Don’t” and “Hard Headed Woman,” while in 1959, there was “A Big Hunk o’ Love.”
The ’60s were slower for the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He had the No. 1s “Stuck on You,” “Now or Never,’ and “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” in 1960; “Surrender” in 1961; “Good Luck Charm” in 1962; and his final No. 1, “Suspicious Minds,” in 1969.
2. Mariah Carey — 19
Mariah Carey performs at Wembley Arena in 1996.
Mark Baker/Sony Music Archive via Getty Images
In terms of No. 1 songs, Mariah Carey is the second-best-selling artist of all time, the best-selling solo artist of all time, and the best-selling female artist of all time.
Her first No. 1 hit was also her debut single, 1990’s “Vision of Love.” Her next four singles would also top the chart: “Love Takes Time” in 1990, followed by “Someday,” “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” and “Emotions” in 1991.
Then came a veritable feast of hit songs: “I’ll Be There” in 1992; “Dreamlover” and “Hero” in 1993; “Fantasy” and “One Sweet Day” in 1995; “Always Be My Baby” in 1996; “Honey” in 1997; “My All” in 1998; “Heartbreaker” in 1999; “Thank God I Found You” in 2000; “We Belong Together” and “Don’t Forget About Us” in 2005; and “Touch My Body” in 2008.
In 2020, she became the first and only artist in history to top the Billboard Hot 100 in four different decades, thanks to the longevity of her 1994 holiday single “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
1. The Beatles — 20
The Beatles perform in November 1963.
Getty Images
The Beatles still reign supreme with the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and the most No. 1 songs on the Hot 100, earning 20 in just eight years.
In chronological order, the British band topped the chart with “Love Me Do” in 1962; “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in 1963; “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” and “I Feel Fine” in 1964; “Eight Days a Week,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Help!,” “Yesterday,” and “We Can Work It Out” in 1965; “Paperback Writer” in 1966; “Penny Lane” “All You Need Is Love,” and “Hello, Goodbye” in 1967; “Hey Jude” in 1968; “Get Back” and “Something” in 1969; and “Let It Be” and “The Long and Winding Road” in 1970.
The band’s most recent song, “Now and Then,” peaked at No. 7 on the chart and won best rock performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Zina Malas, 24, who lives in Beirut. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
When I visited Canada as a 5-year-old, it was the dream.
I was born and raised in Lebanon, and grew up fearing I’d get kidnapped in the streets or a random bomb would fall on me. After war broke out in 2006, our family moved to Canada to escape.
I loved it. There were nice parks, and “exotic” activities like ice skating.
After a few months, my family went back to Lebanon, where I did my undergrad.
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Malas loved living in Canada as a child.
Courtesy of Zina Malas
In 2022, at 21, I moved to Canada alone.
Three years in, I had struggled to find a job or save money, and began feeling very depressed, so I moved back to Lebanon.
I’d still advise others to try relocating abroad, but living in Canada just didn’t work for me.
I grew desperate to leave Lebanon
Living in Lebanon was a struggle. I felt like I’d lost my youth and was desperate to leave, even if I had to work a minimum wage job.
My time spent studying media and communication at the American University of Beirut was disrupted by a national revolution that started in fall 2019, COVID, and the Beirut explosion in August 2020.
I already had friends in Montreal and Canadian citizenship through one of my parents, so I headed to Canada and gave myself three months to find a job.
I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to find a job in Canada
Even though my Montreal friends warned me that finding a job wouldn’t be easy, I didn’t think it would be that hard.
They were right. It was absolutely horrendous.
In Lebanon, where I had some jobs during my studies, I experienced less competition for work. I was used to sending my application to a potential employer, DM’ing the company on Instagram, and having an interview the next day. But in Canada, I applied for roles across marketing, social media, and business development, which I felt I had the skills for, but didn’t land any.
Some recruiters told me I didn’t have the right experience. I’m not sure if it was because my experience was Lebanese or not Canadian, but it felt like people were treating me like I had no professional history.
Job hunting was difficult for Malas.
Courtesy of Zina Malas
I also struggled to understand interviewers who spoke Québécois French, a dialect used in Montreal. I went to a French school in Lebanon, so I’m fluent, but I couldn’t for the life of me understand this particular accent, which lost me opportunities.
After applying for what I’d estimate were at least 200 jobs, I connected with a Lebanese HR rep who saw my résumé and gave me the chance to interview for a content manager role. After roughly three months of searching,it became my first job in Canada.
I stayed at the company for 1.5 years, and then moved into tech sales at a different company for a few months.
The cost of living and isolation in Canada drove me to leave
In Lebanon, the work culture was generally less formal. I could show up late to work in a random outfit and no one would say anything. We could have disorganized files and communicate with team members over Whatsapp. It was friendly and laid-back.
In Canada, things were more organized. I knew exactly what my tasks were, and was given proper equipment. I remember being shocked when I was given a MacBook and phone number for work.
My compensation in Canada was good compared with what I could make in Lebanon. I had a nice life, a nice apartment, and ate well. But with the cost of rent, bills, and groceries, I feel like I wasn’t saving much, and was basically living paycheck to paycheck. It’s one of the reasons I left.
Malas struggled to make new friends in Canada.
Courtesy of Zina Malas
Another reason was how hard it was to meet new people, and my mental health suffered as a result. Canadian culture is highly individualistic, which is hugely different to the Middle East. In Lebanon, if I go out with one friend to a restaurant, I’ll end up meeting 10 new people. If I tried to talk to people in Canada while I was out, conversations would end abruptly. If my roommate didn’t have friends, with whom I was thankfully able to have a lot of fun, I probably would have been completely alone.
I imagined I’d meet so many new people and have the time of my life, but my expectations weren’t met. Plus, I couldn’t deal with the cold weather.
In September 2025, I went home.
I’m running my own business in Lebanon now, and I’m happier
I’m currently running my own company, Tawlé Consultancy, which helps businesses in the MENA region who are declining or feel stuck. I started it in Canada, but working on it from the West felt weird, as though I was righteously telling people what to do from a distance. Now, I can sit with people, help them come up with new ideas, and feel like I’m making a valuable impact.
Malas runs her own company in Lebanon
Courtesy of Zina Malas
I’ve noticed many people my age in Lebanon are also trying to build their own thing. Our generation has been through a lot, and we’re trying to figure things out and establish ourselves. When I go to coffee shops, I see so many founders around me. It’s very inspiring.
Being in a stable country like Canada eased my mind, as I wasn’t worried about my physical safety, and it helped me deal with the trauma I experienced in Lebanon.
But I’m happier living in Lebanon. I’ve realized I’m too Lebanese to live anywhere else.
Do you have a story to share about moving abroad and deciding to come home again? Contact this reporter at ccheong@businessinsider.com
Authorities have found that some funding to combat homelessness in California has instead ended up in Greece.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has accused Alexander Soofer, manager of LA-based housing organization Abundant Blessing, of “a years-long scheme to defraud the City and County of Los Angeles and other public entities providing funding for homeless housing.”
According to a complaint filed on Friday, while paying his staff “minimal wages” and feeding residents at his housing sites “ramen noodles, canned beans, and breakfast bars,” Sooferpocketed at least $10 million “through bank accounts associated with other businesses in his and his wife’s names” for personal expenses after “fraudulently obtaining” $23 million in public funding.
Federal officials said that between 2018 and 2025, Soofer’s organization received more than $5 million directly from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and over $17 million through other nonprofits.
Investigators found Soofer’s misuse of funds includes $47,000 in luxury home purchases from stores like Restoration Hardware, $15,000 at Hermès, $15,000 at Chanel, $1,000 for cosmetic dermatology, and $4,500 for a four-night stay at the Wynn Las Vegas.
Authorities said they have yet to determine what Soofer bought at Chanel, but listed his purchases at Hermès as including a $1,250 pair of men’s Paris calf-skin loafers, a $910 pair of women’s Chypre sandals, a $455 Chevaux en Symetrie tie, and a $2,450 men’s trotting jacket.
The same Hermes trotting vest that the authorities listed in the photo section of the complaint.
Screenshot
In addition to luxury brands, the complaint said there is at least one property under his name associated with the misappropriated funds. That property in question is located in Greece and relates to “a $475,000 check issued from an Abundant Blessings bank account.”
The case against Soofer feeds into concerns that California’s efforts to combat homelessness may be ineffective and inconsistent despite large spending. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, as of 2024, the state had over 187,000 homeless people, representing about 24% of the nation’s total.
State Auditor Grant Parks wrote in a 2024 report to Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers that, when his department analyzed five housing programs that received approximately $13.7 billion in combined funding, only two were “likely cost-effective.”
Parks also added in the report that, between fiscal years 2018-2023, California cities lacked reliable data to track cost efficiency and outcomes needed to fully understand why the problem didn’t improve, despite the billions spent by more than 30 housing programs.
The attorney’s office of the Central District of California referred Business Insider to the press release and did not comment further. An attorney for Soofer and the Governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amazon employees are doing what Big Tech workers often do when they’re anxious about layoffs: making memes.
The company is expected to cut thousands more corporate roles as soon as next week, Business Insider reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. This coming round would mark another wave of mass layoffs at Amazon in just a few months, following the roughly 14,000 jobs eliminated in October.
In the absence of official companywide communication, workers have been trying to ease tension in an internal Slack channel with more than 26,000 employees who joined by posting memes and jokes, which Business Insider viewed.
The focus of their snark? Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos’ famous “two-pizza rule,” originally designed to keep meetings lean and productive. The rule was simple: never have a meeting so large that two pizzas couldn’t feed the entire group.
As the company continues to thin its ranks, employees are using the same logic to point out just how much leaner their teams are about to become.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
One meme showed a single, thin sliver of pizza with the caption “how we feed two pizza teams.”
Another image featured two Amazon Web Services-branded pizza boxes, with the caption “did someone say 2 pizza team?” The meme is a nod to the company’s cloud division, where many of the cuts are expected to land.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that could be completely fed with just two reasonably sized pizzas until you were still hungry very frugal,” one employee wrote in the Slack channel. “Increasing ‘span-of-control’ for managers seems to be the new rage.”
Others wondered if two Costco pizzas would be considered “reasonably sized.”
“I was thinking more like Domino’s Large pizzas,” another employee wrote.
The pizza jokes weren’t the only coping mechanism. Employees also shared non-pizza memes.
One riffed on the rumored timing, splashing “JANUARY 27TH” over the scene from “The Shining” showing Jack Nicholson’s character smashing through a door with an ax and “AWS” over his face.
Another meme used the “panik/kalm” template to mock corporate buzzwords. It shows an error message about email not working, presumably because the employee was laid off, with the words “Mail not working (have I become Nimble?!)”, referring to CEO Andy Jassy’s 2025 remarks about cutting jobs to stay nimble.
Other posts leaned into the dread of the unknown: one meme laid out a checklist for employees for January 27: “able to login,” “mail and Slack works,” and “no random HR meeting in calendar.”
Another simply captured the vibe in all caps: “I don’t know what will happen on 27 Jan and at this point I’m too afraid to ask.”
Amazon isn’t the first tech giant to see a nervous workforce poke fun at its internal culture. In 2023, Google employees flooded the company’s internal message boards with memes mocking its lavish developer conference, which came months after it laid off 12,000 employees.
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Enterprise is the latest company caught in the crosshairs of anti-ICE protests.
A video showing protesters lined up outside of a Minnesota Enterprise Rent-A-Car location went viral earlier this week on TikTok, part of an “Ice out Enterprise” protest campaign.
Organizers encouraged participants to disrupt Enterprise’s operations by reserving rental cars and then canceling the bookings shortly before pickup — a tactic they say is designed to draw attention and strain vehicle availability that could be utilized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
“Enterprise is renting cars to ICE agents and profiting from the violence that agents are bringing to our communities,” Minnesota organizers associated with the Sunrise Movement, a progressive climate and social justice advocacy group, posted on social media. The post asked protestors to “please be polite to employees when you contact them.”
An Enterprise employee working the counter at one of the rental car company’s Saint Paul, Minnesota, locations confirmed to Business Insider on Friday that protesters had been calling the store. The employee declined to comment further, citing the company’s media policy.
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“I’ve called and told them I was disappointed that they were collaborating with ICE,” a commenter on Instagram said.
“They answered the phone super quickly,” another added. “I was told a complaint would be logged right away.”
The viral video, which was posted on Thursday, had more than 323,000 views on TikTok as of publication. It shows a line of demonstrators holding signs reading “No cars for ICE” and “Cancel ICE contracts now.”
It’s unclear if Enterprise has any contract with ICE. Enterprise did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The effort is part of a “week of actions” in Minnesota leading up to a “business blackout” on Friday to protest ICE’s presence in the state. The Sunrise and Sunrise Twin Cities groups didn’t respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
“Anti-ICE leftists are now booking and canceling car reservations at Enterprise to protest them renting cars to ICE,” wrote Chaya Raichik, who operates the popular Libs of TikTik account on X, in a post with more than 208,000 views.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Business Insider in a statement that “dangerous” protest efforts had led to a rise in violence against ICE officers. “ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities with the utmost professionalism,” she said.
Enterprise is the latest major corporation to face consumer pressure as immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota has drawn widespread protest.
Earlier this month, Hilton removed a franchisee from its portfolio after a video that purported to show a hotel employee refusing to provide immigration enforcement officers rooms.
In a statement, the hotel chain criticized the operator and said its corporate policy was to make all locations “a welcoming place for all” and that it does “not discriminate against any individuals or agencies.”
Minneapolis-based Target has also faced heat from activists who accused the retailer of cooperating with immigration officials. The retailer denied those claims an internal memo obtained by Business Insider.
“Target does not have cooperative agreements with any immigration enforcement agency,” human resources chief Melissa Kremer wrote to employees. “We’re listening and working to de-escalate where possible.”
Enterprise, which runs around two dozen locations in the Twin Cities, is still facing calls from Minnesota-based protestors.
Picture this: You’ve just received a text from Taylor Swift.
It’s easy to imagine her missives resembling her famously personal song lyrics. Something honest and vulnerable, like, “I just wanted you to know that this is me trying,” or tender, like, “I don’t wanna miss you like this. Come back, be here,” or even sassy, like, “Good thing I like my friends canceled.”
Well, thanks to a slew of newly unsealed court documents, we now have evidence that’s not far from the truth.
“I think I’m just exhausted in every avenue of my life,” Swift seemingly wrote to her friend Blake Lively in December 2024. “You don’t need to apologize. Just come back please.” Earlier that year, Swift apparently praised her longtime friend’s tenacity: “No one. Should ever. Get into a war of wills with you.”
Several text messages between Swift and Lively were recently made public amid Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni, her director and costar on the hit 2024 movie “It Ends with Us.” These particular texts presumably became relevant to the lawsuit because Baldoni’s name was mentioned (or alluded to, as when Lively wrote to Swift about “this doofus director of my movie”). In some cases, they speak to Lively’s state of mind while the two actors were filming “It Ends With Us,” and amid the breakdown of Lively and Baldoni’s working relationship.
Despite these nuggets of insight, however, some of the most interesting details of Lively’s conversations with Swift are the ones that offer a unique glimpse into Swift’s writerly craft.
Swift is already renowned for her lyricism. The same week these texts were unsealed, she became the youngest woman ever to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame — in her very first year of eligibility, no less. But these texts reveal a less polished, less reputation-conscious version of Swift’s communication style.
Blake Lively and Taylor Swift seen together in New York City in 2023.
Gotham/GC Images
According to these court documents, Lively texted Swift on December 4, 2024, shortly before the end of the Eras Tour, to temperature-check their friendship. Lively and Swift have been close friends for years (Swift is the godmother to Lively’s children), but the actor felt that something in their dynamic had shifted.
“Hey, just checking in,” Lively wrote to Swift. “I have no reason to ask, but I donno, l’ve been feeling like I should… is everything OK?”
Lively went on to say she felt like a “bad friend lately,” that she didn’t want to come across as “needy and awkward,” but her gut (and her husband, Ryan Reynolds) told her to reach out anyway. “I always want the opportunity to be a better friend if there’s something I unintentionally did,” she wrote.
If you’ve ever gone through a rough patch with a loved one, then this brand of ambient, unsettled anxiety will surely feel familiar. It’s really hard to communicate complex emotions, especially when an important relationship is at stake, and the conversation isn’t face-to-face.
Luckily, written communication of complex emotions is exactly Swift’s forte.
“I feel really bad saying anything about this because your texts have been so nice in their intent but your last few… it’s felt like I was reading a mass corporate email sent to 200 employees,” Swift replied in part. “You said the word ‘we’ like 18 times. And it feels awful to be in any way critical of any way you process what you’ve been going through but I just kinda miss my funny, dark, normal-speaking friend who talks to me as herself, not like. A plural unit.”
She added: “I know you feel attacked from all sides for ridiculous reasons so you’re feeling like you have to overly explain things or be overly nice or whatever but. It’s me! That’s just caused a little distance.”
Swift’s response is exactly what I’d hope to receive from a friend in that position: open-hearted and generous, yet firm and forthright. She doesn’t treat Lively with kid gloves, nor does she pile on. Instead, she validates her friend’s anxiety, clarifies her own perspective, and reinforces their bond.
Over the past two decades, Swift has built an empire by making fans feel like her friends, writing songs that sound like heart-to-hearts. It’s oddly comforting to know that Swift writes to her actual friends with the same attention to detail.
Cinque Terre is one of my favorite cities — or, more accurately, my favorite collection of five villages.
Nestled along the Italian Riviera, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are accessible only by train, ferry, or foot.
Each has a distinct style, and hikers flock to this region to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Vernazza, my favorite village, is the gem of this region. I love wandering the cobbled streets to shop, snack, and explore. You can also visit the Castello Doria or the church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia.
In the summer months, tourists sunbathe on the beaches of Monterosso or take a dip in the sea. For a history lesson, visit the remains of Castello Fieschi or the Church of St John the Baptist and the Capuchin Monastery.
In Manarola, take some time to watch locals cliff-jump into the marina. I also suggest taking a wine tour through the town to sample some local specialties. Be sure to try Sciacchetrà, a sweet but strong dessert wine produced in Cinque Terre.
Riomaggiore is also home to a castle and churches dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The center of the town is great for wandering, shopping, and eating.
Corniglia is probably the quietest of the five villages. There, climb the Lardarina staircase for beautiful views of the coastline or take a boat tour to fully enjoy the area’s beauty.
