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When Matsukane Imai was a child, summer meant escaping the bustle of Tokyo and heading to his family’s traditional home in Okaya, a quiet city in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.He remembers those days filled with simple joys, like digging in the dirt in search of insects, watching fireflies over the rice paddies, and playing with fireworks. Matsukane Imai and his mother, Machiko, turned their centuries-old Japanese home into a guesthouse. Matsukane Imai. Even his mother, Machiko Imai, now in her seventies, recalls spending her childhood at the two-story house, where the upper floor was once used for cultivating silkworms and weaving…

Federal workers could face layoffs if Republican and Democratic lawmakers can’t make headway on talks to end the government shutdown, a top White House economic advisor said Sunday.”I think that if the President decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere, then there will start to be layoffs,” Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”The shutdown began on October 1 after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a plan to fund the federal government beyond September 30. Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, the funding bill requires 60 votes in…

2025-10-05T16:44:23Z Share Facebook Email X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky WhatsApp Copy link lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. TikTok closed its Los Angeles offices after receiving a series of online threats. The Culver City police department said it made an arrest related to the threats on Friday. One TikTok staffer described the experience as “really scary.” TikTok closed its Los Angeles offices on Thursday and Friday after…

A person wearing an outfit inspired by The Eras Tour poses in front of “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” posters at an AMC theater to celebrate the release of Taylor Swift’s new album “The Life of a Showgirl” in New York City, U.S., Oct. 3, 2025. Kylie Cooper | ReutersTaylor Swift gave the box office a boost this weekend.In partnership with AMC, the singer-songwriter brought a 90-minute movie to cinemas for one weekend only to celebrate the release of her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”The three-day event tallied an estimated $33 million domestically, the biggest album…

I was lying under a cabana in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, working on my computer. My two children were playing in the sand 10 feet away from me. It was at that moment that I realized that I had “made it.”An overwhelming sense of pride swelled inside me, but almost immediately, it was followed by guilt. I was proud of everything that I had accomplished, but I felt guilty about surpassing my family.Being the first in anything is a huge accomplishment, but it comes with responsibilities that are often invisible. I’m trying to move past these difficult feelings.My education and…

My father-in-law, Frank Noble from Porepunkah, Australia, was 55 years old when he retired.Frank, now 87, said that given his time again, he would still choose to retire young.Over the past few decades, he’s found pleasure in gardening, golfing, and going to the gym. He’s told me he has no regrets about stopping work early. (In Australia, the average retirement age is closer to 65.)However, his early retirement, though successful, made me realize I don’t want to travel the same road. As I head toward my 50s, retiring early just doesn’t appeal to me or align with my goals and…

It could soon be harder to finance your professional or graduate degree program.President Donald Trump’s Department of Education concluded its first week of negotiations on its plan to overhaul student-loan repayment on Friday. The discussions centered on Trump’s changes to student loans, which he signed into law in his “big beautiful” spending bill. These included creating new income-driven repayment plans and placing new caps on borrowing.The latter topic was a central focus of negotiations. The department proposed eliminating the Grad PLUS loan program, which allows graduate and professional students to borrow up to the full cost of attendance. In addition,…

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, where we round up some of our top stories and take you inside our newsroom. One Big Tech worker earned $600,000 last year — but only half of that came from her main job. She made $302,000 from a side hustle she only spends five hours a week on.Also, be sure to sign up for Business Insider’s upcoming markets newsletter First Trade, led by Joe Ciolli.On the agenda today:But first: I read your Costco feedback.If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider’s app here.This week’s dispatchA Costco revolt Talia Lakritz/BI…

On any given day at 8:45 a.m., I would roll out of bed and make the five-foot commute to the kitchen to brew coffee. I’d throw on loungewear, wake up my laptop, and join my first meeting of the day.People would talk on the screen, but my attention was elsewhere: an open browser of TikTok air fryer recipes or livestreams of the latest news. My plan was always to do the bare minimum.I was quiet quitting, my own little protest.I’d prioritized my career for years and felt burned outSix years before my revolt began, I was 22 and landed a…

Fans tuning into the premiere of “Saturday Night Live” are likely accustomed to the comedy sketch show’s unapologetic approach to political satire.Cast members have mocked everyone from former US President Barack Obama to Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Donald Trump, who once called the show “unwatchable,” has been the subject of many sketches.The late-night show landscape, however, is more perilous this time around.Last month, ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after Kimmel joked about Trump’s response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.The suspension came after Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Kimmel and suggested the network should take…