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A lawyer advising Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants the FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine.
Before vaccines were available in 1955, polio caused 15,000 cases of paralysis in the US each year.
The US eliminated the disease in 1979, but unvaccinated travelers can still carry polio in.
Some health experts are concerned that polio could make a comeback in the US if the government revokes approval for the vaccine.
That’s what lawyer Aaron Siri petitioned to the FDA in 2022. His petition is still under review but could get renewed attention if Donald Trump’s nominee for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, is confirmed.
Kennedy has said he doesn’t plan to revoke any vaccines as health secretary. However, he has a close relationship with Siri who represented Kennedy during his presidential campaign.
Moreover, Siri’s polio petition was on behalf of the nonprofit Informed Consent Action Network, whose founder is close to Kennedy, The New York Times reported.
Polio vaccines helped eliminate the disease from the US in 1979.
Before then, in the 1950s specifically, cases of poliovirus ran rampant in the US. Hospitals overflowed with disabled or severely ill patients, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Temu tops 2024 Apple App Store downloads, surpassing TikTok and ChatGPT in popularity.
The Chinese e-commerce app offers big discounts on a wide range of products.
Americans appear to be exploring budget-friendly options through in-app deals.
The App Store favorites of 2024 include social media platforms and one popular AI assistant, but the most downloaded app of the year was Temu.
The Chinese-owned e-commerce app was downloaded more times this year than TikTok, Threads, or ChatGPT, according to Apple. It’s become known for big discounts on various products, from tech gadgets to apparel.
Temu, owned by PDD Holdings, is particularly popular among Gen Z consumers in the US. Gen Zers between 18 and 24 downloaded it 42 million times during the first 10 months of 2024, according to the app analytics firm Appfigures, which pulled data from iOS and Android users.
The e-commerce giant launched in the US in 2022 and has had a meteoric rise since then. PDD Holdings’ third-quarter sales grew 44% to $14.2 billion from the same period in 2023, according to exchange rates on September 30.
It has invested millions to market to American shoppers. Three Temu ads aired during the Super Bowl, where one 30-second clip during the highly-viewed game can cost $7 million.
With Donald Trump threatening high tariffs on Chinese goods, Temu’s popularity could be at risk if it resorts to raising prices to offset a possible 60% levy on its products.
Apps from retailers Amazon, Shein, and McDonald’s also made the Apple App Store’s top 20 most-downloaded list this year — indicating that consumers were on the hunt for a deal across categories.
McDonald’s has found success in using targeted in-app promotions to build loyalty among its customers.
The chain’s head of US restaurants said earlier this year that loyalty customers visit 15% more often and spend nearly twice as much as non-loyalty customers, with loyalty platform sales expected to hit $45 billion by 2027.
Amazon, for its part, has sought to capitalize on Temu and Shein’s low-price appeal with a new Haul section, which is also an app-only shopping experience.
As former Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan was fond of saying, « The best offers are in the app. »
Holiday school vacations can be difficult for working parents.
Experts would like to see more flexible work schedules and four-day workweeks.
Year-round schooling could also help alleviate pressure, they say.
Even before November started, I was stressed about the number of days my kids had off over the coming two months. There was Veterans Day, Thanksgiving break, winter holidays, and even a teacher in-service day thrown in for good measure. Then, my first grader missed 10 days of school due to pneumonia, and my fifth grader was struck with a stomach bug.
My husband and I are both self-employed, so with some wrangling, we were able to create a schedule that allowed us to meet our deadlines despite the kids being home seemingly constantly.
We’re lucky to be able to do that. And still, I kept thinking, « There must be a better way. » So, I reached out to four experts on the workplace, policy, and sociology to see how we can better align the schedules of working parents and kids. Here’s what they envision.
Make flexible work policies the norm
Courtney Murphy, founder and CEO of WorkWell People Solutions, would like to see flexible work arrangements become the norm. She says they not only benefit parents and others with family obligations — they also serve employers by increasing productivity and job satisfaction while reducing burnout.
« The ideal scenario for working parents combines hybrid work with flexible hours, focusing on outcomes rather than time spent, » Murphy said. « The key is to shift from managing employees’ time to managing their work, holding them accountable for results rather than hours logged. »
A sample policy might say something like, « Employees are empowered to manage their work schedule to meet both personal and professional responsibilities, provided all job duties are fulfilled, and team collaboration is maintained. Regular communication and coordination with managers about scheduling is expected. » If set work hours are important, the company could add, « Official operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Employees should align with these where practical. »
This approach would be tricker for service professionals, but Murphy said « creative solutions like automated services during peak family times, staggered schedules, or job-sharing could provide the necessary flexibility » for those parents too.
In her ideal scenario, students would complete their education during four longer school days, which better aligns with parents’ traditional 9-5 work schedules. Some employers are already pivoting to a four-day workweek, and those that are unable to could offer remote work where possible, she said.
Melissa Loble, chief academic officer at Instructure, an education technology company, would also like to see a four-day academic week, with an optional fifth day with a more flexible structure.
On that day, students « could engage in sports activities, work-study, internships, or other types of activities that can be coordinated through the school. »
This approach would provide supervision during the workday while also giving « students a ‘breather’ day where they feel less pressure from the hectic school day and pursue their non-academic pursuits, » Loble added.
Choose year-round school
Margaret M. Quinlan, a professor and director of Health & Medical Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has a two-part solution: year-round schooling and remote work after 2 p.m.
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A flexible afternoon schedule « would maximize quality time with family while still fulfilling work responsibilities, » Quinlan said. It would also be handy for parents like her who need to take their kids to many therapy appointments in the afternoons.
She added that the US could also pivot to a shorter summer break, following countries like Australia and Japan.
In addition to reducing the challenge of finding and paying for summer childcare, « This would minimize summer learning loss and ensure that kids have access to nutritious meals and care during these breaks, » Quinlan said.
Ongoing drone interest has led Ring users to use the « Neighbors » forum to discuss possible sightings.
Some users shared frustration on Reddit about the influx of posts on the app unrelated to home security.
The unidentified sightings have been reported since mid-November across the East Coast.
The « mystery drones » over the East Coast have sparked concern from local residents, some of whom are flocking to neighborhood surveillance apps to post about the topic.
Owners of Amazon-owned Ring video doorbells have taken to the accompanying app, which sends motion alerts, to discuss the possible drone activity in the app’s « Neighbors » section.
Typically, Ring’s forum is used to share information about lost pets, wildlife sightings, or stolen packages — activities happening on the ground. However, some are now using the forum to discuss what’s happening in the sky above their homes.
The posts have ranged from written reports of drone sightings to shared videos showing light movements in the sky and footage of plane-like objects.
« Multiple drones spotted flying over Mount Laurel in Countryside Farms just off Church road, » wrote one Ring user in New Jersey earlier this month, posting footage showing an aircraft with blinking lights.
Another Ring user in Union City, New Jersey, posted footage over the weekend of lights seeming to streak across the clouds. « Looks like the old club days when they used to put lights in the sky, but these are different, » the person wrote.
Other Ring users have also posted video footage online captured by their doorbell cameras, though it wasn’t clear if the footage showed unidentified aircraft or simply time-lapses of the moon.
« It has become something that pops up everywhere — on my Ring sightings, on the Neighbor’s function, constantly, constantly, constantly, people saying that they are seeing drones out there, » said « Squawk Box » co-anchor Becky Quick on Monday.
Ring declined to comment on the forum discussions.
People on Citizen, a neighborhood safety app, joined the conversation and posted footage of suspected drones on the platform. The company behind the app encouraged its users to livestream drone-related footage « to alert the community and protect the world. »
🚨#BREAKING | Report of Four Drones Heading Eastbound Above Belt Parkway
Police have received a report of 3 to 4 drones over the Belt Parkway. When incidents happen near you, you can go live on #CitizenApp to alert the community and protect the world.
Not everyone is eager to join the discussions. Some have taken to Reddit to complain about the amount of drone talk taking place in Ring’s community forum.
One Reddit user questioned if the Ring App was « the new Facebook for useless posts, » and complained about the amount of drone speculation. Others echoed similar sentiments, expressing annoyance at the free-wheeling nature of the discussions and an increase in their app notifications.
« I had over 100 ring neighbor notifications last night because people thought it would be funny to troll about a (fake) helicopter flying in our area. Like over 100 troll posts… about helicopters, » one user commented on the Reddit post. « I officially turned off the notifications when I woke up. »
Many of the forum posts aren’t showing videos captured by Ring’s video doorbells but rather videos users uploaded that were captured elsewhere, such as from smartphones. And in the age of generative AI video tools and editing software, it can be difficult to tell what’s real — and what the footage is actually showing.
The White House has said many of the drone sightings are likely crewed aircraft that are operating lawfully. It has also said that it doesn’t believe the drone sightings are a public safety threat.
However, the FBI and Homeland Security have both said they want more authority to deal with drones. An FBI official said that the drone investigation is « limited in scope » and that pending counter-UAS legislation could expand their legal power in implementing counter methods.
Reports of the drone sightings have been ongoing across the East Coast since mid-November. The mystery has mostly been centered on New Jersey sightings, where drones have reportedly been seen above military facilities and critical infrastructure sites.
The « Wicked » movie covers act one of the original musical’s plot.
The film is part of a two-part franchise, with the sequel set for release on November 21, 2025.
Here’s what we know about « Wicked: For Good, » including the cast and potential plot.
The cinematic debut of « Wicked » is already as long as the Broadway original, but only covers half of the show’s plot. A second movie is coming in November 2025 to complete the story.
The director of ‘Wicked’ and its sequel, Jon M. Chu, announced in April 2022 that the film adaptation would be split into two movies released in 2024 and 2025.
This remains true even as Universal is marketing the movie as « Wicked, » instead of « Wicked Part One. » Warner Bros., the studio behind the release, also used this tactic with box office hits « Dune » and « It. »
« Wicked, » the musical, is the second-highest-grossing Broadway show ever. The plot follows the origin story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, a character from « The Wizard of Oz. »
The movie version stars Ariana Grande, Cynthia Eviro, and Michelle Yeoh. « Wicked » competed with another double-hitter, « Gladiator 2, » for the top box office spot.
Although recent cinema adaptions of stage musicals like « Cats » and Steven Spielberg’s « West Side Story » haven’t had box-office success, « Wicked » is primed to join the billion-dollar club. Deadline predicted a $80 million plus opening, and higher first-day ticket pre-sales than « Inside Out 2, » which brought in over $1 billion in ticket sales in 2024.
Marc Platt, who produced the « Wicked » movie and stage production, said he initially intended for the story to be a film but changed his mind after speaking to Stephen Schwartz, who composed the music and lyrics for the stage musical.
« I waited a very long time to make the movie, » Platt said at the movie’s London premiere where Business Insider was in attendance. Now, fans will have to wait even longer, until November 21, 2025, for the second part of « Wicked, » titled « Wicked: For Good. »
Both parts of ‘Wicked’ were filmed together
Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible in « Wicked. »
Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures
The cast, director, and crew have all shared reasons for splitting « Wicked » into two films.
Both Chu and Platt have said in interviews that they didn’t want to cram or cut songs or characters to fit the story into one movie.
Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, told Entertainment Weekly in February that the split allowed more space to develop her character’s friendship and rivalry with Glinda the Good Witch, played by Grande.
A fan newsletter, « The Schwartz Scene, » reported that composer Schwartz said there had to be a break after « Defying Gravity, » the final song in the musical’s first act.
« We found it very difficult to get past ‘Defying Gravity’ without a break, » he said. « That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic. »
In 2023, Schwartz told the now-defunct site, The Messenger, that the second part will include new original songs written for the film.
« The storytelling required it, and therefore they were created—the intention was that they were organic and not imposed on the movie, » he said.
Both parts of « Wicked » were filmed simultaneously and all the stars from the first film will return in the sequel. This also makes it unlikely the sequel could be delayed by production issues and should arrive on schedule next November.
‘Wicked: For Good’ will likely cover the second act of the Broadway musical
Erivo and Grande will reprise their roles in part two.
Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures
Spoilers ahead for « Wicked, » the Broadway musical and the film.
The sequel’s title is named after the act two song « For Good, » performed by Elphaba and Glinda.
The first movie adapts the first act of the Broadway musical, explaining how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch.
Though Elphaba grew up being bullied and mistreated for her green skin and magical powers, she is desperate to prove she can be good and become like everyone else.
She and her younger sister Nessarose end up at Shiz University, a magical school in the world of Oz, but Elphaba is forced to share a room with a self-absorbed student called Galinda.
The pair bicker and fight until they become friends. At the same time, both women fall for Prince Fiyero Tiggular, and Elphaba learns that someone is trying to cage Oz’s animals and stop them from speaking.
Later in the film, Elphaba is invited to meet The Wizard of Oz, its ruler, and brings along Galinda, who now goes by Glinda.
They learn that the wizard is a con man and that he and Madame Morrible, a magic professor at Shiz, are behind the conspiracy against the talking animals.
They want to use Elphaba’s powers to help their plot because she is Oz’s chosen one, not the Wizard — she can read a special book of spells called the Grimmerie.
But Elphaba steals the book instead and leaves Emerald City, leaving behind Glinda, who still believes in the Wizard.
The second film will cover the second act, set a few years after the first. In this act, the story connects back to the plot of « The Wizard of Oz, » which viewers might be more familiar with from the 1939 film.
Glinda and Madame Morrible are part of the Wizard’s administration, and Fiyero is head of a hunting squad for Elphaba.
Nessarose has become a cruel governor of Munchkinland and earned the title of the Wicked Witch of the East.
Elphaba, now known as the Wicked Witch of the West, tries to do good for the animals and people of Oz, but her magic and actions continue to harm her loved ones.
When her sister is crushed and killed by Dorothy’s house, she vows to become truly wicked. This establishes her character as the witch depicted in « The Wizard of Oz » book and film.
There are no new characters in Act Two, except Dorothy, who is normally not played by a character onstage. There has been no casting announcement to suggest Dorothy will have a larger role in the second film.
My hometown of Victoria, British Columbia, is known for many things — quaint architecture, a temperate climate, stunning gardens, and being the backdrop for hundreds of Hallmark holiday movies.
When I moved back after years of « big-city life » in Toronto, it felt like I was living out the plot of a Hallmark movie.
While Victoria is charming and picturesque, there’s so much more to the city than what’s captured for the small screen.
Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security told reporters over the weekend that they were still investigating the events but had no evidence the aircraft posed a threat to the publicor was connected to a foreign adversary.
A mystery drone seen at night over New York on December 12.
Grant Parpan/Newsday RM via Getty Images
The uncertainty and contradictions, plus a social media rumor mill, have prompted some people to point to every moving object in the sky as a possible drone sighting.
But not everything flying overhead is an anomaly. National security officials have repeatedly stressed that many of the reported drone sightings are « actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. »
This points to commercial, military, or general aviation aircraft, and there are free, public ways to check for yourself.
Many airplanes can be spotted using FAA data
The Federal Aviation Administration handles 45,000 flights every day, with some 5,400 commercial planes flying in the sky at once during peak travel times.
Most commercial planes can be tracked via free websites like FlightAware and Flightradar24 because they use FAA data. With these tools, you can confidently say the Boeing and Airbus planes that take off from the highly congested New York City airports every day aren’t more mystery drones.
For example, on the FlightAware or Flightradar24 website or app, you can search for New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, airport code « EWR, » to see all of the planes overhead.
The websites also provide data like aircraft type, location, speed, altitude, and operator.
A screenshot showing Flightradar24 data of an American Airlines flight that took off from Newark on Monday.
You can also spot a commercial plane based on where it’s flying, as airliners use specific flight paths when heading into and out of NYC.
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A large number of them fly along the New Jersey coast, so if you see low-altitude flashing lights in the night sky heading northbound, for example, it’s quite likely a passenger airplane landing.
Flight paths can differ depending on the route and winds, but flight-tracking websites can give you the best idea of what’s flying overhead.
Federal regulations prevent commercial and recreational drones from operating too close to an airport or flying higher than 400 feet unless authorized.
Some hidden aircraft can be tracked via ADS-B Exchange
Using flight paths and tracking websites doesn’t eliminate all of the potential aircraft that could be flying overhead — it simply identifies an aircraft as an airliner.
However, people can use a free website called ADS-B Exchange to filter for military and private aircraft that are blocked from websites that use FAA data.
A screenshot of the ADS-B Exchange website showing aircraft using FAA programs to block their data from FlightAware and Flightradar24.
Still, military aircraft, including drones, can turn off their ADS-B software to maintain stealth or secrecy, meaning they can’t be seen using free and public websites. Drones with sinister motives — the kinds officials have said they aren’t concerned about with these sightings — assumably also would not use public transponders.
Many general aviation aircraft used for personal use — some of which are smaller, fly much slower, and could be mistaken for a drone or unidentified aircraft — are also not equipped with ADS-B and could be another unidentifiable object in the night sky.
Drones are quieter, with similar but different lighting
Nearly 800,000 commercial and recreational drones are registered with the FAA. There are a few easy ways to visually distinguish a drone from an airplane.
Most drones and airplanes both have four lights — though lighting on a drone will usually be in a square pattern, while an airplane has lights on both wings, the nose, and the tail.
The aircraft lights on a Frontier Airbus aircraft flying at night.
Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Most drones will also have red or white anti-collision lights for use at night, though many will be red and green for easier operation. The wing lights on airplanes are also red and green.
Observers can use sound and movement as indicators if lighting doesn’t help identify an airplane.
Drones commonly hover or whip quickly in different directions, which are not characteristics of airplanes. Drones also usually emit a buzz or hum noise from their rotors, while passenger aircraft engines have a distinctively louder sound.
Former FBI supervisory special agent Tom Adams told CNN on Friday that some of these reported drones could be people flying their own drones to hype up coverage. He added the sightings may have a simple answer.
« I can tell you from my firsthand experience conducting operations for the FBI, as well as investigations into the suspected sighting of drones at critical infrastructure, it was fairly common for planets, crewed aircraft, and even low Earth orbit satellites to be misidentified as drones at night, » Adams said.
Reid Hoffman said there’s a « greater than 50% chance » he’ll receive retaliation for backing Kamala Harris.
The LinkedIn cofounder made the remarks on an episode of « The Diary of a CEO » podcast.
Hoffman was one of the vice president’s most prominent Silicon Valley business supporters.
Reid Hoffman, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder and outspoken Democrat, said he thinks it’s likely that he will face retaliation from President-elect Donald Trump for supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
« I think that there’s a greater than 50% chance that there will be repercussions from a misdirection and corruption of the institutions of state to respond to my having tried to help Harris get elected, » Hoffman said on an episode of « The Diary of a CEO » podcast that aired on Monday.
Hoffman said that he hopes any retaliation from Trump would be fairly tame, naming possibilities like IRS audits or phone calls from the incoming president trying to hurt his business prospects.
« It could get much worse, but I don’t really want to speculate on it because I don’t want to give anybody any ideas, » he said.
Any repercussions would, he added, be « undemocratic and un-American. »
Regardless, Hoffman said that he has no plans to leave the United States.
Nearly 90 top business executives — including Hoffman — signed a letter endorsing Harris’ candidacy ahead of the general election, touting her plan to expand tax deductions for small businesses. The letter said that Harris’ White House bid was « the best way to support the continued strength, security, and reliability of our democracy and economy. »
Hoffman was also part of a cohort of business leaders who put together an initiative to get right-leaning swing voters onboard with Harris’ candidacy by stressing her pro-business stances.
On the podcast, Hoffman said he’d spoken to fellow billionaires during the campaign who applauded his political actions but declined to partake themselves for fear of getting « penalized » if Trump won.
« Part of the reason why I think less people were public about it this cycle was because President Trump was threatening personal and political retaliation, and so you had to have a certain degree of courage to stand up — and courage in the public area, » he said.
Since winning a second term, Trump has put several Silicon Valley business leaders in prominent roles, from Department of Government Efficiency co-head Elon Musk to newly minted AI and crypto czar David Sacks.
Despite his dislike for Trump and many of his policies, Hoffman said that some of the president-elect’s deregulation efforts could broadly benefit entrepreneurs.
« I think they’re going to reduce regulation across the board for all entrepreneurs, so I think that’s helpful for entrepreneurship, » he said.
Representatives for Hoffman and Trump did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Maine catches 90% of America’s lobsters, but its waters are warming faster than nearly all of Earth’s oceans. For years, many have worried that these temperatures will collapse the state’s lobster population. But will that actually happen? And could fishermen’s venture into seaweed help the industry adapt?
Every year, celebrities try to capitalize on the holiday season by releasing festive music.
Singers like Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, and Michael Bublé managed to perfect the cheesy art form.
Others, like Taylor Swift, CeeLo Green, and Sia, released forgettable or cringeworthy Christmas albums.
The Christmas album is one of music’s most storied and cheesy traditions.
While some celebrities have perfected the seasonal art form — either by reviving old classics or putting their own spin on the festive genre — others would’ve been better off leaving it alone.
Our six favorite and six least favorite examples are cataloged below, with each batch listed in chronological order.
