Actor-Jane-Seymour-75-explains-why-she-and-her-partner.jpeg

Actor Jane Seymour, 75, explains why she and her partner celebrate their relationship every month

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Jane Seymour says dating in her 70s has changed how often she celebrates milestones.

Speaking to Business Insider on Wednesday as part of her partnership with The Body Firm, Seymour said she believes a good relationship can have a positive impact on health.

“For me, I have absolutely found my perfect match in John Zambetti. August 4th will be our third anniversary of living together, being together,” the former Bond girl said.

Seymour has been dating Zambetti, a doctor and musician, since 2023 after they met through their children. She is a mother of six, including stepchildren, and has been married four times previously.

“It’s very sweet. He celebrates every month on the fourth because he says that we are living dog years at our age, and waiting a year to celebrate is a waste of time,” she said.

Even though both of them have busy careers, they still find time for each other.

“That’s what’s really lovely, to have someone that is so supportive,” Seymour said, adding that he often takes photos and videos for her, which end up on her Instagram.

Being at the same life stage helps them relate to each other better, she said.

“I mean, he will understand if my back tweaks out or if I am coughing or have a cold or whatever, and I’m there for him if whatever aging process he’s going through,” she said. “And we have a sense of humor about it. We’re in it together.”

For Seymour, that playfulness is a big part of what makes the relationship work.

“We have a lot of fun, and I would say having a great relationship is the icing on the cake,” Seymour said.

She has spoken about their relationship in previous interviews. In October, Seymour told Hello Magazine they decided it was “safer” to celebrate every month since they met in their 70s.

“So every month, on the fourth, he sends me roses, wherever I am, whatever’s going on. We’re just so grateful for every minute we have together,” she said.




Source link

More-student-loan-forgiveness-is-here-You-have-one-month-to.jpeg

More student-loan forgiveness is here. You have one month to opt out.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Some student-loan borrowers are getting an early Valentine’s Day gift from the Department of Education.

Earlier this week, another batch of borrowers who have completed at least 20 years of payments on an income-driven repayment plan received emails from the department with the subject line: “You’re eligible to have your student loan(s) discharged.”

The email, which multiple borrowers shared with Business Insider, said that the department will “work with your loan servicer to process your IDR discharge over the next several months.” Borrowers do not need to take any action to receive the relief; however, those who wish to opt out of the relief have to contact their servicer by March 5 to specify that they do not want the discharge.

Borrowers might choose to opt out of the relief to avoid state tax liability, the email said. Doing so would require them to continue paying back their loans.

After the March opt-out date, the department will send borrowers’ information to their servicers, and the servicer will notify the borrower once the relief has been processed. The email said that most borrowers will see the relief processed within two weeks, but it could take more time for some borrowers.

Why student-loan borrowers are getting debt relief

This student-loan forgiveness comes after the expiration of 2021 provision from the American Rescue Plan that made forgiveness tax-free. Borrowers who become eligible for relief after January 1, 2026, could be hit with thousands of dollars in taxes. However, the Department of Education previously said that it will consider the date a borrower reached their payment threshold as the date of the relief, so even if they were part of the latest batch of emails, if they completed their last payment in 2025, they should not face additional taxes.

The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on how borrowers can confirm their tax status on the latest loan forgiveness. However, the borrower’s servicer would typically notify the borrower of the relief’s effective date.

The student-loan industry overall is facing significant changes in the coming months. Beginning in July, the department will begin implementing its repayment overhaul, which President Donald Trump signed into law as part of his “big beautiful” spending legislation. It includes new income-driven repayment plans and borrowing caps for advanced degrees. Borrowers who enroll in the new plans would have longer timelines to forgiveness and could face higher monthly payments.

The department has maintained that its goal is to simplify repayment and ensure that borrowers do not take out student loans they cannot afford to repay.

“We have a clear path forward to fulfill the President’s promise of making higher education more affordable and ensuring that every professional in America—from teachers and nurses to physicians and clergy—can pursue their careers without taking on debt they may never be able to repay,” Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a recent statement.

Have a story to share? Contact this reporter at asheffey@businessinsider.com.




Source link

I-joined-a-decluttering-challenge-and-got-rid-of-496.jpeg

I joined a decluttering challenge and got rid of 496 items in a month. I made a point to not throw anything in the trash.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mesha Griffith, the author of The Bedtime Mantra. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I’m a children’s book author and mom. One day, I looked around the house and said, “We have too much stuff.”

I got the idea to declutter for 30 days and get rid of 496 items from The Minimalists podcast. You have to get rid of one thing on the first day, two on the second day, three on the third, and so on.

We started it in 2021. My husband and I, along with some extended family, would do a group text at the beginning of the year and say, “Here’s what I’m going to get rid of,” and send pictures back and forth to hold each other accountable.

I decided to share the challenge with my Instagram followers. I posted my first decluttering challenge in January 2025, and then I did the second one in December 2025. Someone said I should draw a random number every day for the December challenge, and I had to purge however many items the number said, which turned out to be the perfect way to gamify it — and to hold myself accountable to post consistently on social media.

Even though I had done this before, I had plenty to sort through

All of our stuff was once money, and I just started seeing everything as dollar signs. One day, I added everything up I was getting rid of that day and how much I originally spent on it, and it was $400.

I’m more aware of the things I’m buying and bringing into my house, but even we have clutter. For example, we collect so much paper. I threw away three expired insurance cards. I threw away instruction manuals. You can find the PDFs online.

The comments section became a community

Every day since this went viral with my decluttering videos, I have had people waiting to see what number I’d pull the next day. I didn’t want to let those people down. People even began doing their own challenge alongside me. It was more exciting to me that other people were inspired by my little challenge.

In the beginning, I’d get a lot of comments asking me whether I’d count this or that item, or how many items something like a Tupperware with a lid counted for.

I’d tell them not to focus on that — it counts because it’s causing you anxiety, stress, or agitation.

I was even intentional about how I got rid of stuff

Throwing stuff away was never an option. I had time, energy, and mental capacity to try to find new homes for as much stuff as I could.

I’d resell on Facebook Marketplace, but it would need to go quickly. I didn’t want to have a box of unsold stuff at the end of the month. If it didn’t sell quickly, I’d take it to the thrift store, the free pantry, or other places. For example, I took towels, sheets, and blankets to the Columbus Humane Society, and I took building supplies and working appliances to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.

I don’t think I’ll do any more decluttering challenges for myself this year. I feel like I’ve run out of things to get rid of, but I would love to help either a family member or a friend declutter their home.




Source link

International-travel-to-the-US-keeps-sliding-Visits-fell-for.jpeg

International travel to the US keeps sliding. Visits fell for the 8th straight month.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

The US isn’t the tourist destination it once was.

Visits to the US by international travelers declined for the eighth straight month in December, according to data released earlier this month by the National Travel and Tourism Office.

In 2025, visits to the US were down among 10 of the top 20 overseas tourist-generating countries, including India, Germany, and South Korea.

The decline is a sustained blow to the travel and tourism industries, which in 2024 supported more than 15 million jobs, and generated about $1.3 trillion in economic output — including $181 billion from inbound international travel.

Major tourism hubs like Las Vegas are seeing widespread layoffs due to the downturn, forcing workers to get creative with their career pivots. Business Insider reported earlier this month that laid-off hospitality workers contributed to a 55% increase in dancer auditions at a Las Vegas strip club compared to the prior six months.

It doesn’t appear the travel bug has gone anywhere — just that international tourists are avoiding the US.

In Australia, for example, overseas arrivals and departures data released Friday by the country’s Bureau of Statistics shows that international travel returned to pre-pandemic levels just before the lockdowns began in 2020. Australians travelling to Canada rose 4% in the last year, 10% more visited India, and visits by Australians to China and Japan rose 20% and 21%, respectively, but 3.2% fewer booked a trip to the US.

Fewer Canadian travelers are visiting the US, as well, opting instead to go further south to Mexico, Business Insider reported last April.

Complicating demand were ongoing trade frictions, tariff battles, and geopolitical unease, which helped fuel grass-roots boycotts of US goods and, in some cases, changes in travel plans.

European travel firms and analysts pointed to tariff-driven consumer backlash and growing anti-American sentiment as factors that contributed to early-year softness in bookings, even as demand showed signs of rebounding later in the summer.

Domestic travel has helped cushion the blow so far, with the US Travel Association projecting that domestic leisure travel was forecast to grow 1.9% to $895 billion in 2025.

However, if international visitors continue to stay away, destinations that depend on overseas spending — from iconic tourism cities to national parks — could feel growing pressure as the US heads into a high-stakes stretch of global events in 2026 and beyond.




Source link