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<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/layoffs-sweeping-us-these-are-companies-making-cuts-2024">Recent layoffs</a> at Meta are a sign that some employers are willing to make recurring cutbacks.</li><li>That's a change from a prior "big cuts" mentality.</li></ul>The hashtag affixed to Andy Welfle's LinkedIn photo says it all: #sickofthisshit.Welfle wrote earlier this month that he was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/awelfle_seems-like-ive-been-seeing-a-lot-of-these-activity-7249852142998413312-kQaT/">laid off from Microsoft</a> after only nine months. Before that, he'd also spent nine months at Cruise — before being laid off.His dual layoffs might have been worse than what many others experienced, but Welfle is hardly alone in getting hit by what appears to be some employers' penchant for regular layoffs, particularly in Silicon Valley.One of the latest examples comes from Meta, which said Wednesday it was rejigging some of its biggest businesses. The changes mean <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-reorganized-major-businesses-eliminated-roles-whatsapp-instagram-reality-labs-2024-10">lost jobs at Instagram</a>, Reality Labs, and WhatsApp.It wasn't clear how many roles were eliminated. A Meta spokesperson told Business Insider on Wednesday that the company was looking for other positions for affected workers.After shedding workers in sweeping layoffs in late 2022 and early 2023, many tech companies are adopting a more methodical, department-by-department approach to making cuts. Major firms, from Google to Amazon to Microsoft, have announced <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/layoffs-sweeping-us-these-are-companies-making-cuts-2024">sizable reductions</a> followed by more modest trimming.Take Google. The tech giant's parent company, Alphabet, began 2023 by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-ceo-says-more-layoffs-to-come-2024-1">cutting some 12,000</a> jobs, or about 6% of its workforce. It has followed that large cut with smaller reductions this year.Art Zeile, CEO of the tech career marketplace Dice, told BI that some of the biggest companies in the industry have determined that certain departments aren't sufficiently profitable any longer. As a result, companies need to redirect resources to growth areas like artificial intelligence."It is a shifting of bets," he said. This routine trimming of jobs here and there is the new normal — for now, Zeile said.Unsurprisingly, even with growth in some areas, the drip-drip of reductions in the last couple of years appears to be making some tech workers nervous. In a new <a target="_blank" href="https://www.indeed.com/lead/tapping-into-todays-tech-talent">survey from Indeed</a>, 40% of respondents said they expected to be hit if their company conducted layoffs. Seven in 10 said they would start looking to other employers if their company made layoffs.Indeed surveyed more than 1,100 US tech workers from early to late June.<h2 id="45b631ca-a979-402e-84e9-cacd8e6e300f">A costly decision</h2>Linsey Fagan, senior talent strategy advisor at Indeed, told BI that most of the recurring layoffs are in tech. That's likely because many companies in the industry grew so fast during the pandemic and are still making adjustments.But those recurring cuts don't come without costs, Fagan said."It's definitely not a sustainable strategy," she said.Fagan noted that employee sentiment starts to drop before a layoff as workers suspect cuts are coming. Then, after the layoffs are made, workers' feelings about the company — and a CEO's acumen — take "a long-term dive," she said."When you look at a business trying to come back from that — if they're continuously laying off, it simply can't happen," Fagan said.Even smaller-scale layoffs can make workers jittery, she said. Fagan also noted that the rise of technologies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-threaten-jobs-of-coders-who-dont-shift-their-focus-2024-9">generative AI</a> and the threat of layoffs are pushing many in tech to want to build their skills.In a departure from the past, tech workers looking for jobs on Indeed are now more likely to apply to staffing firms, which might offer temporary gigs, or to areas like healthcare than to tech firms, she said.Fagan said some tech workers are drawn to the flexibility that contingent or part-time roles can offer. Yet, ultimately, she said, tech is the #1 industry tech workers historically want to work in.However, "they're just not feeling that stability right now," Fagan said.<h2 id="b104b21a-d3c7-4c4c-8f96-abe4129a39ac">Why they do it</h2>Some companies' penchant for undergoing regular nips and tucks could be because Wall Street often celebrates that type of trimming.At Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg was "beautifully rewarded" by the market for making cuts, Dice's Zeile said, noting the rise in the company's stock price.Beyond what investors might cheer, the tech giants are also getting older and no longer in growth mode, when their aim was often to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-new-normal-constant-layoffs-job-cuts-google-amazon-meta-2024-1">snap up workers</a>. Hence, many companies made cuts following the rush of hiring during the pandemic.Since then, some bosses have been looking to trim the size of their organizations and otherwise make improvements. Zuckerberg famously declared that 2023 would be the company's <a target="_blank" href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/03/mark-zuckerberg-meta-year-of-efficiency/">"year of efficiency</a>." He also said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-firms-laying-off-employees-again-efficiency-amazon-google-2024-1">the directive</a> would become an ongoing feature, not a bug.<h2 id="f4238de0-992d-4404-9264-eec504b4387b">It's not all bad news for tech jobs</h2>Zeile said that investors will eventually look to tech companies to do more than boost profits by trimming costs and want to see a return to growth. He said that's when <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/finding-job-awful-right-now-drop-in-openings-tough-search-2024-9">hiring will pick up</a> broadly because companies might have many areas <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-meta-big-tech-companies-rehire-workers-employees-laid-off-2023-9">in need of workers</a>.For now, a company like Meta might be cutting in some areas, but it's growing elsewhere, Zeile said."Meta is actually on a tear right now. They're just no longer hiring VR engineers. They are hiring AI engineers, so they've actually boosted their hiring," he said.Indeed's Fagan said a sign that the tech industry might be closer to stabilizing is that after declining for several years, job postings in areas like software development have remained flat in recent months, though they're still 30% below 2020 levels. Of course, that means there are fewer opportunities for laid-off workers. Still, she said, it's also an indication that companies are being careful not to hire too many people."It's not like they're going out and massively hiring and then doing layoffs," Fagan said.For his part, Welfle, who was laid off from Microsoft, wrote on LinkedIn that he's looking for a content design role — maybe with a smaller company. He also said some of his recent feelings are similar to those he experienced after his prior layoff in December."I'm having a hard time disentangling my sense of value and self-worth from my identity as a corporate worker. But I'll definitely be reflecting on that, and finding gentler, more sustainable ways to exist in a capitalist society," he wrote.Do you have something to share about what you're seeing in the workplace or in your job search? Business Insider would like to hear from you. Email our workplace team from a nonwork device at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:thegrind@businessinsider.com">thegrind@businessinsider.com</a> with your story, or ask for one of our reporter's Signal numbers.

Meta layoffs are the latest sign that constant job cuts are the new Big Tech normal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The biggest money managers on Wall Street are shedding billions in stocks for this one tax strategy.</li><li>Tax-loss harvesting allows investors to offset capital gains taxes by selling securities at a loss.</li></ul>It's officially stock-selling season, according to Bank of America.Institutional investors usually increase their selling activity towards the end of the year, and this year was no exception. Bank of America's clients alone sold $1.3 billion in US equities last week. The bank reported that institutional selling activity was 80% higher this October than the historical average.What's the reason behind these elevated levels of security selling? The answer is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tax-savings-strategy-offset-gains-income-loss-harvesting-morgan-stanley-2024-10">tax-loss harvesting</a>.Tax-loss harvesting has long been a strategy of Wall Street and the wealthy to reduce their tax bills. They do this by selling underperforming investments for a loss to offset capital gains taxes on other investments sold at a profit. As a result, taxes are only paid on the net profit.You can replicate this strategy in your own portfolio, too. Below are some tips and tricks on how to use it to reduce your taxes, according to Jere Doyle, estate planning strategist at BNY Wealth.<h2 id="68a94438-775f-431a-954e-0e5b2d8dcb75">How tax-loss harvesting works</h2>Investors might look to rebalance some portfolio positions as the end of the year approaches. For example, after this year's incredible runup in tech stocks, some investors might be looking to sell their positions to realize their gains and diversify their holdings.That's where tax-loss harvesting comes in. If you're selling Nvidia stock with a $10,000 gain, you can pair that with a sale of another asset with a $10,000 loss to avoid paying capital gains taxes.You can also front-load your losses, according to Doyle. If you sell one asset at a $10,000 gain and another at a $15,000 loss, you can use up to $3,000 of the loss to offset other ordinary income — and carry forward the remaining $2,000 to subsequent years.Tax-loss harvesting can be especially advantageous in today's environment, according to Doyle.The market has been experiencing heightened volatility from factors such as mega-cap earnings and the election.This environment creates big winners and losers, giving investors plenty of opportunity to recognize losses. Investors shouldn't be scared of pullbacks in a volatile market. Instead, take advantage of price dips in the market to sell losing securities and lower your tax bill.<h2 id="c83964ce-4da2-4126-a044-a3769347944b">Tax-loss harvesting tips and tricks</h2>There are a few things to consider before using a tax-loss harvesting strategy.First, investors should be aware of the wash-sale rule. The wash-sale rule states that if you sell a security at a loss and buy the same or "substantially identical" security in a 30-day timeframe before or after the sale, you cannot use the loss for income tax purposes.Sometimes, people forget about this rule. "They made the mistake of repurchasing those same assets within that 61-day period, and they lose the deductibility of loss," Doyle said.If you want to sell a security at a loss but still want exposure to a specific area of the market, you can use the proceeds of the sale to purchase a similar, but not substantially identical, asset. However, the IRS hasn't provided a clear definition of what constitutes a substantially identical asset, so investors should approach this with caution. Or, you could double down on the asset more than 30 days before selling at a loss.Another piece of advice Doyle: try to match your gains and losses.It might be tempting to record a larger loss than gain to carry it over in subsequent years, but it might not be worth taking the loss if you don't plan to use it for tax-harvesting purposes in the near future."Given the time value of money, those long-term capital gain losses lose their value over a period of time," Doyle said. A $2,000 loss today will be worth less carried over many years in the future — in that case, it would be more advantageous to just record the loss in the future. In other words, don't incur excessive losses today just to be able to use them in the future.Lastly, Doyle recommends thinking through this strategy carefully to make sure it's a good fit for your current portfolio."From an investment point of view, it may not make sense. Maybe the securities you have at a loss are going to bounce back later on. Maybe the securities you're selling at a gain have future appreciation left," Doyle said.Investors should keep in mind that tax-loss harvesting isn't a one-size-fits-all strategy — but if you do have gains and the losses to offset them, the end of the tax year might be a good time to think about implementing this plan.

Bank of America's clients are selling stocks 80% more than normal to use this strategy that allows you to avoid capital gains taxes on big returns

Above-normal rainfall is expected during the 2024 southwest <keyword id="6358301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon" source="Orion">monsoon</keyword> season over most parts of <keyword id="19897710" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="south-Asia" source="keywords">south Asia</keyword>, the South Asian <keyword id="21481676" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-outlook" source="keywords">Climate Outlook</keyword> Forum said on Tuesday. The forecast follows the prediction of above-normal rain in the monsoon season in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> on the back of favourable <keyword id="20146476" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="La-Nina" source="keywords">La Nina</keyword> conditions, expected to set in by August-September. "Above normal rainfall is most likely during the 2024 southwest monsoon season (June-September) over most parts of south Asia, except some areas over northern, eastern, and northeastern parts of the region, where below-normal rainfall is most likely," the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF) said. Above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted over most parts of south Asia during the season, except a few areas over the southeastern part of the region where normal temperatures are most likely. This regional climate outlook for the 2024 southwest monsoon season has been developed by all nine National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of south Asia with support from international experts at the 28th session of SASCOF-28, conducted online. SASCOF said moderate <keyword id="19949878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="El-Nino" source="keywords">El Nino</keyword> conditions are prevailing at present. ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) neutral conditions are expected in the first half of the monsoon season. Thereafter, La Nina conditions may set in by the second half. El Nino conditions -- periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean -- are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina conditions -- the antithesis of El Nino -- are the dominant factor in the likelihood of "above-normal" rainfall during the monsoon season, DS Pai, a senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told PTI. Positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions, favourable for the Indian monsoon, are predicted in the later part of the season. Additionally, the snow cover in the northern hemisphere is low. The northern hemisphere winter and spring snow cover extent generally have an inverse relationship with the subsequent southwest <keyword id="20575709" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon-rainfall" source="keywords">monsoon rainfall</keyword> over south Asia. Earlier this month, the IMD said the seasonal rainfall in India will be on the higher side of 'above-normal' and pegged it at 106 per cent of the long-period average (87 cm). SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/mahindra-xuv-3xo-compact-suv-launched-in-india-starting-at-7-49-lakh/slidelist/109715525.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/mahindra-xuv-3xo-compact-suv-launched-in-india-starting-at-7-49-lakh/slidelist/109715525.cms" target="_blank">Mahindra XUV 3XO compact SUV launched in India starting at ₹7.49 lakh</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109723620.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109723620.cms" target="_blank">Upcoming cars and two-wheelers launching in India in May 2024</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109682003.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-may-2024/slidelist/109682003.cms" target="_blank">Upcoming smartphones launching in India in May 2024</a>

Above-normal monsoon rainfall predicted in south Asia

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This couple takes guests on eight-day-long luxury yacht trips priced at $34,000 per trip.</li><li>They work intense 16-hour days, cooking and cleaning, and are also tour guides and on-board entertainers.</li></ul>British couple Lily Davison and Nik Dorward are the faces that'll greet you when you board the <a target="_blank" href="https://sailinglocation.com/">Sailing Location</a>, a private luxury yacht that takes passengers around the Bahamas for $34,000 per trip.Davison, who <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/meet-below-deck-med-season-8s-new-stew-lily-davison">starred</a> in the eighth season of "Below Deck Med," a reality show about staff who work on luxury yachts and serve demanding clients, now works primarily as the private chef on board Sailing Location.But because it is a two-person crew working a 55-foot yacht, the couple wears multiple hats. They do everything from cleaning and steering the boat to acting as tour guides and taking their guests snorkeling and spearfishing.It's a demanding job: The couple works 16-hour days for 18 weeks a year. But they say it tops all the other hospitality jobs they've held.<h2 id="f485548c-97c6-4328-b5cf-ff7f2f156258">Life working on board a luxury yacht</h2><div type="image" title="An aerial view of the Sailing Location yacht." height="2962" width="5272" msid="112188162" hostid="261" sizebytes="1693882"></div>The crew takes guests on <a target="_blank" href="https://sailinglocation.com/location">eight-day trips</a> in the Bahamas, starting from Nassau, New Providence, to the Exumas islands.They do two trips a month during their sailing season, which lasts nine months from November to July.Dorward started working on the yacht in April 2022. Davison joined him in October that year, and they started dating shortly after.Their yacht has a maximum capacity of eight guests, who are housed in four guest rooms — a large queen owner's suite and three queen guest suites.The yacht also has a large upper deck, a lounging area, an open kitchen, and a convertible saloon area, which can be opened for 180-degree open-air dining.Davison, 25, told BI that the couple steers the yacht to the Bahamas' most "Instagrammable" locations.<div type="image" title="Swimming pigs of the Exumas islands." height="700" width="933" msid="112188166" hostid="261" sizebytes="87756"></div>These include sights like Pablo Escobar's sunken plane at Norman's Cay, swimming with nurse sharks at Compass Cay, seeing the filming location of James Bond's "Thunderball" in Staniel Cay, and feeding the Exumas' iconic swimming pigs.A large chunk of their clientele is American, given Nassau's proximity to Florida.<h2 id="cbd04469-9163-4c73-8905-8a34fb36da1f">Long days for the two-men crew</h2><div type="image" title="An interior view of the Sailing Location yacht." height="4016" width="6016" msid="112188161" hostid="261" sizebytes="1473716"></div>The duo wakes up at 6:30 a.m. every day before their guests rise. The first task on Davison's schedule is to prepare a hot meal for them as soon as they are up.Being a private chef on a yacht in remote islands means she must thoroughly prepare in the days before each voyage. She gets her guests' dietary requirements and other food specifications in advance, which allows her to plan the meals."We go to the most remote islands you could probably ever go to, and so we have to buy everything before," Davison said. "I plan my list and literally triple-check it because once we're at sea, there is really no place to get anything."<div type="image" title="A meal by Davison on board the Sailing Location yacht." height="4016" width="6016" msid="112187905" hostid="261" sizebytes="1064948"></div>After breakfast is done, she clears it down and sets the table with Dorward's help. She then jumps straight into preparing lunch, followed by a snack, dessert, and dinner. Besides cooking and steering, the two also work hard to keep their guests entertained."We take people snorkeling probably twice a day," Dorward, 32, said. "We'll do wakeboarding and tubing off the boat, and take them spear fishing."<div type="image" title="Lily Davison and Nik Dorward in the Bahamas." height="2962" width="5272" msid="112188170" hostid="261" sizebytes="1734930"></div>Even after it's dark and their duties are winding down, Davison said she tries to keep things interactive with the guests by hosting game nights "just to make sure everyone's having a great time."They normally work until 9 p.m. when their guests retire to their suites, but Davison said they are technically on call 24 hours a day, for eight days straight.<h2 id="7959b948-818b-418a-92f6-3a5d61fe88ed">Tops other hospitality jobs</h2><div type="image" title="A coconut drink served on board Sailing Location." height="4016" width="6016" msid="112188167" hostid="261" sizebytes="711886"></div>Before getting the yacht job, the couple both worked in several hospitality gigs, from teaching sailing to working in the food and beverage industry.But they say that working on board the Sailing Location is the best hospitality job they've had despite the long hours and strenuous work.For one, their living expenses are low, because on the boat, they don't need to pay rent.They do need to pay for their own food and drinks, which they estimate comes to around $500 a month per person.Dorward told BI that being on the yacht is a great job "if you can take the hit of being away from people like your family."And they haven't had any nightmare guests, Davison said, unlike when she was on "Below Deck Med.""One of the guests was so drunk he came into our cabins all the time when we were trying to sleep," Davison said.<div type="image" title="Nik Dorward and Lily Davison aboard the Sailing Location yacht." height="2962" width="5272" msid="112188168" hostid="261" sizebytes="2089592"></div>But mostly, the experience of being on the yacht itself is rewarding, Davison said."I love it because yet to be on the water all the time, and you're basically living on a beautiful boat and in a beautiful place," she said.

An ex-'Below Deck Med' cast member now crews a private luxury yacht in the Bahamas with her boyfriend. They work 16-hour days, but say it's the best hospitality job they've ever had.       

<ul class="summary-list"><li>While many experts don't see inflation getting back to normal just yet, it could in a year or two.</li><li>Consumer price inflation has been mostly slowing this year.</li></ul>Inflation has been one of the biggest pain points in the economy for the last couple years, but the end may be in sight.Some experts see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-consumer-price-index-economic-outlook-food-gas-prices-october-2023-11">inflation</a> as measured by the Consumer Price Index being around 2% — the Fed's target year-over-year rate of price growth — by some time in 2024.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/consumer-price-index">Consumer Price Index</a> increased 3.2% year over year in October, far below the incredibly high 9.1% year-over-year increase in June 2022. October's increase is also a lower year-over-year rise than August's and September's.Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 4.0% in October from October 2022. That increase is not only just under the 4.1% increase in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-economic-outlook-cpi-consumer-price-index-september-data-report-2023-10">September</a>, but it's the smallest rise since September 2021."Slower consumer demand, reduced housing rents, lower profit margins, easing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pay-raise-wages-inflation-recession-federal-reserve-rate-hikes-2023-11">wage growth </a>and restrictive monetary policy represent the ideal disinflationary combo heading into 2024," Gregory Daco, EY's chief economist, said in recent commentary."We foresee headline and core CPI inflation around 2.2% y/y in Q4 2024," Daco said in his commentary.David Kelly, chief global strategist of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, had similar thoughts in his commentary after the release of the CPI report on Tuesday."Overall, this report confirms that CPI inflation remains on a track to fall to close to 2% year-over-year by the fourth quarter of 2024 and that consumption deflator inflation still looks likely to fall below the Fed's 2% target over the same time frame," Kelly said.An <a target="_blank" href="https://think.ing.com/articles/us-inflation-2-percent-could-soon-head-into-sight/">article</a> from ING's James Knightley before the new CPI data was published said "we forecast headline inflation to be in a 2-2.5% range from April onwards with core CPI testing 2% in the second quarter."Still, the third quarter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/economic-indicator-survey-inflation-october-2023/">Bankrate</a> Economic Indicator Survey of experts and economists done in September found 41% said getting to the target inflation rate won't be the case "until at some point by the end of 2025," as stated by Sarah Foster's reporting for Bankrate on the results.And the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/fomcprojtabl20230920.pdf">Fed's Summary of Economic Projections</a> from September showed that the central bank's key decision makers predicted 2.5% inflation in their preferred Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index measure at the end of 2024, 2.2% for 2025, and 2.0% for 2026.The year-over-year increases in the PCE Price Index for July, August, and September were all the same at 3.4%.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/the-us-economy-is-on-its-final-descent-to-a-soft-landing.html">Goldman Sachs article</a> also said "the hard part of the inflation fight looks over" and that core "inflation is on track to fall further in 2024."Core PCE growth was 3.7% year over year this September. Goldman Sachs forecasts that measure is expected to cool off and see a 2.4% year-over-year increase in December 2024.Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, said at a policy panel earlier this month that the Federal Open Market Committee "is committed to achieving a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation down to 2% over time; we are not confident that we have achieved such a stance.""If it becomes appropriate to tighten policy further, we will not hesitate to do so," Powell said. "We will continue to move carefully, however, allowing us to address both the risk of being misled by a few good months of data, and the risk of overtightening."People are still feeling inflation's impact even if it has cooled off.Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate, recently told Business Insider based on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/biden-economy-and-personal-finances-survey/#insights">Bankrate survey results</a> of US adults that half of them feel their financial situation has worsened from where it stood in November 2020.Hamrick said while there are things in the economy indicating strength, "there are many things that undermine confidence of consumers and business.""It's been an ongoing theme where I'm talking to people about data, even talking to non-journalists about data, and I think some people have a hard time extracting where the negative tone is originating," Hamrick said. "I think this survey, because cost of living is essentially the number one irritant where people are saying that's the primary thing that's substantially worse over the last three years, it ends up being that inflation is obviously the reason."

Here's when market experts think inflation will get back to normal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The unemployment rate increased to 3.9% in October.</li><li>The labor market added 150,000 jobs in October after 297,000 jobs added in September.</li></ul>The US economy added 150,000 jobs in October, based on nonfarm payroll employment growth from the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/ces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> or BLS. That's less than September's revised <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-unemployment-rate-labor-market-september-report-2023-10">job growth</a> of 297,000. The previous estimate for September was 336,000 nonfarm payrolls added. August's growth was also revised from 227,000 to 165,000, per Friday's news release from BLS."Over a year ago, President Biden said that once we transitioned from what were then the extremely high monthly jobs numbers — it was like 500,000 at the time — to something closer to 150,000, it would be a sign that we were moving into the next phase of recovery," acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su told Insider. "And that's exactly what this number is. This report shows the resilience of that initial recovery at a sustainable rate."October's increase was below the <a href="https://www.investing.com/economic-calendar/nonfarm-payrolls-227" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> of 180,000."On the surface it was a weak headline payroll number, but most economists and markets are willing to look past that 150,000 number," Aaron Terrazas, chief economist at Glassdoor, told Insider. "It was exactly in line with the expectations."After two straight months of an unemployment rate at 3.8%, the unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9%. That's just above the <a href="https://www.investing.com/economic-calendar/unemployment-rate-300" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> of 3.8%.Wage growth slowed. Average hourly earnings increased by 0.2% from September to October, following month-over-month increases of 0.3%. Average hourly earnings increased by 4.1% from October last year to October this year, following year-over-year increases of around 4.3% in recent months. These earnings stood at $34.00 in October.The labor force participation rate was 62.7% in October, similar to the 62.8% seen previously. The employment-population ratio was 60.2%, just below the 60.4% seen during the past few months.Compared to other major industries that saw a one-month employment decline in October, manufacturing saw the largest drop. Employment in this industry fell by 35,000. Employment in motor vehicles and parts saw a drop of around 33,000, which can partly be attributed to strike activity per the news release from BLS. Some of the industries that saw job growth from September to October included healthcare, construction, and leisure and hospitality.Nick Bunker, economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Insider after the release of the jobs report that the headline nonfarm payroll growth was "quite strong" and solid given the "current level of unemployment and the aging of the population.""When you add back in the workers who were on strike and the effects there, that's still very robust job gains," Bunker said.Bunker added that things are "still settling down a little bit" like wage growth for instance."The household survey did have some troubling signs," Bunker said, noting the uptick in the unemployment rate "which is the highest we've seen since the beginning of 2022.""Maybe some of that is strike effect with some workers who might've been on temporary layoff, but it's hard to tell," Bunker said.<a href="https://www.bls.gov/jlt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Job openings data</a> released earlier this week by BLS showed there were 9.6 million job openings in September, about the same as August. There were also about 3.7 million quits in September and August.Bunker said in commentary about the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report earlier this week that while it was "a bit boring," it was boring "in the best possible way."Bunker noted elevated job openings, "both quitting and hiring have plateaued at healthy levels similar to what we saw before the pandemic," and the low layoff rate, which was 1.0% in September. "The labor market has cooled off from its 2021 highs, but demand for workers is no longer dropping off," Bunker said. "But with labor supply still growing, this continued high level of demand won't necessarily push up inflation and draw the Federal Reserve's ire."The Fed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rates-cut-wont-happen-anytime-soon-federal-reserve-inflation-2023-11">decided this week to hold rates</a> steady with a pause in interest rate hikes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted in a press conference on Wednesday that economic data is showing resilience in the economy. "I think it is still a story of how strong the jobs market has held up, despite all of these headwinds," Terrazas said. "I don't think it's going to ease any fears that this is just going to mean more upward pressure on interest rates."Consumer Price Index data showed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-inflation-economy-cpi-august-data-2023-9">inflation was up 3.7%</a> in September from a year ago, the same percent increase as in August. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gdp-recession-outlook-economy-gross-domestic-product-third-quarter-2023-10">Gross domestic product</a> also rose at an annualized rate of 4.9% in the third quarter, based on the advance estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That's the fastest pace in around two years. And employers are still looking to hire people — with 5.9 million hires in September. "We are attentive to recent data showing the resilience of economic growth and demand for labor," Powell said. "Evidence of growth persistently above potential, or that tightness in the labor market is no longer easing, could put further progress on inflation at risk and could warrant further tightening of monetary policy.""The labor market remains tight, but supply and demand conditions continue to come into better balance," Powell said.Nonfarm payroll employment is one important <a href="https://www.nber.org/research/business-cycle-dating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economic indicator</a> of whether there's a recession. Some consumers, investors, and others are worried a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/layoffs-unemployment-recession-economy-crash-jobs-bond-investor-jeff-gundlach-2023-11">recession</a> might happen. The Conference Board believes that a recession will occur next year."Consumer fears of an impending recession remain elevated, consistent with the short and shallow economic contraction we anticipate for the first half of 2024," stated a <a href="https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release from The Conference Board</a>.

Job growth slowed in October as the economy settled into a new normal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Transportation Security Administration screened over 2.5 million air travelers on Sunday.</li><li>The week's numbers still lag behind 2019 passenger volumes, and high airfares and inflation may be to blame.</li></ul>The Thanksgiving holiday was a busy week for travel, but crowds were <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">still below pre-pandemic levels</a>. Before the pandemic reshaped the aviation industry as we know it, Thanksgiving was the US' busiest holiday for air travel. In fact, the US Transportation Security Administration <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2019/12/05/tsa-screened-record-breaking-number-thanksgiving-holiday-travelers">screened</a> over 2.8 million passengers on December 1, 2019 — the Sunday after Thanksgiving — and it was the most the agency had ever seen in its history.However, 2020 proved to be a risky year for flying due to COVID, and the TSA <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">saw</a> record-low numbers as millions of people opted to stay home. In 2021, travel started to rebound with passenger numbers reaching the millions, and the trend has continued into 2022 as volumes break pandemic records.TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA_Northeast/status/1597217253560553473?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet">posted</a> on Twitter Monday that the agency screened 2,560,623 travelers on Sunday, marking "the highest checkpoint volume since the start of the pandemic."Airlines knew it would be a busy week as travel agency Hopper <a href="https://media.hopper.com/articles/thanksgiving-travel-2022-outlook-report">estimated</a> 25 million seats would be flying over the holiday. United Airlines told Insider that it flew more than 476,000 customers on Sunday, and the Thanksgiving holiday period was the carrier's third-busiest behind 2018 and 2019.Despite the travel optimism, passenger numbers are still lower than in 2019. Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Insider that volumes were down 2.4% compared to 2021, and high airfare and the state of the economy may be to blame."Some people may have looked at the airfares and decided to drive to their destination because the fares were simply too expensive," he explained. "And we can't ignore the unstable economy and inflation which has sent the cost of everyday goods soaring and has eaten into many people's discretionary budgets, leaving them less money to travel by air."<a href="https://media.hopper.com/research/2022-holiday-travel-outlook">According to Hopper</a>, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/thanksgiving-air-travel-costs-more-and-might-get-more-expensive-2022-10">2022 average airfare from November 20 to November 24</a> was $350 for roundtrip domestic flights. This is a 43% increase <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-are-booking-christmas-thanksgiving-travel-already-2021-5">compared</a> to 2021, and 22% higher than in 2019.Over previous holiday weekends, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/memorial-day-weekend-travel-airlines-cancel-4500-flights-and-counting-2022-5">Memorial Day</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-than-1000-flights-canceled-across-fourth-of-july-weekend-2022-7">Fourth of July</a>, carriers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/weather-and-staffing-shortages-flight-cancellations-2022-6">canceled or delayed thousands of flights</a>, blaming staffing shortages, weather, and air traffic control for the chaos. However, <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/flightaware/viz/AirlineCancellationDelayUpdate/USAirlineCancellationsDelays">according to FlightAware data</a>, United only canceled 47 flights from Monday through Sunday. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines canceled 31, Southwest Airlines canceled 24, and American Airlines only canceled 13.Although the historically unreliable holiday flight operations may have scared people away from flying over Thanksgiving, Harteveldt told Insider the successful week is a win for US carriers."Airlines have a responsibility to their customers and to their employees to operate the schedules as close to on time as they can in order to help rebuild trust in the air transportation network," he said. "And I think it helps that the Department of Transportation has been so vocal." Harteveldt noted Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has put pressure on carriers to perform, especially with the agency's newly <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">published</a> airline <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dot-airline-customer-service-dashboard-shows-cancellation-delay-policies-meals-2022-9">customer service dashboard</a>."They have to continue to operate reliably during the next few weeks, during the Christmas and New Year's period, and throughout 2023 and beyond," Harteveldt told Insider.

Thanksgiving travel was still below pre-pandemic levels and it proves air travel isn't back to normal yet

<ul class="summary-list"><li>There's no such thing as a normal type of vulva because there are so many different sizes and shapes.</li><li>The symmetry and shape of your vulva largely depend on the size of your labia and clitoris.</li></ul>If you've ever taken a peek at your vulva — the outer part of a person with a vagina's genitals that includes the vagina, labia, and clitoris — and wondered if yours is normal, you're not alone. "The truth is a lot of women don't like their vaginas. One in seven women have considered getting labiaplasty, which basically is trimming and tucking the vulva and tightening up the entrance," says <a href="http://www.drsherry.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sherry Ross</a>, MD, OB-GYN and a women's health expert with her own private practice. In fact, a 2017 report by the <a href="https://www.surgery.org/sites/default/files/ASAPS-Stats2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank</a> showed that labiaplasties increased by 213% from 2012-2017, indicating that more and more people were seeking cosmetic procedures to alter their vagina's appearance. It's important to note that everyone has a unique and different type of vulva, says Ross. And unless it's causing you discomfort, there's no reason to be ashamed of what it looks like or to undergo expensive surgery to reshape it. While there's no set number of vulva "types," there are many variations in the size, symmetry and color of a person's labia (or lips) and clitoris. Here's what your vulva might look like and why it's totally normal. <h2>Is my vagina "normal"?</h2>Each vagina is unique and specific to every person. So there's not necessarily a "normal" vagina shape or standard way your vagina should look. "You know the saying, 'No two snowflakes are exactly alike?' Well, the expression could just as easily refer to the vulva and vagina," says Ross. "The labia, or lips — which is where most of the issues are for the majority of female patients — vary from person to person. In fact, even the separate parts of the same vagina are not exactly the same ... this is completely normal; different is normal," says Ross. Pubic hair is also a normal part of having a vagina. Most <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-your-vagina-changes-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people</a> develop pubic hair on the area surrounding their vagina. <h2>Vagina anatomy 101 </h2><ul><li>Vulva: The outer part of your vagina is called <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/sexual-and-reproductive-anatomy/what-are-parts-female-sexual-anatomy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">your vulva</a>. This contains the vaginal lips (labia), urethra, vagina opening, and clitoris, among other anatomy.</li><li>Mons Pubis: The<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/sexual-and-reproductive-anatomy/what-are-parts-female-sexual-anatomy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> mound that sits above your vulva</a> (i.e the front of your vagina) is your mons pubis.</li><li>Labia majora: These are part of the <a href="https://www.nva.org/learnpatient/gynecological-anatomy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outer lips of your vagina</a> and are usually pink, red, or brownish in color.</li><li>Labia minora: The inner folds of the vagina that sit inside of the labia majora.</li><li>Clitoris: A small bundle of nerves that sits at the top of your vagina, above your urethra, and can vary in size. Though you can't see it, the nerves that make up the clitoris actually extend farther than what you<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/sexual-and-reproductive-anatomy/what-are-parts-female-sexual-anatomy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> can see to the back and sides of the vagina.</a></li><li>Clitorial hood: The clitorial hood is the small fleshy covering above the clitoris</li><li>Urethra: This is a <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/sexual-and-reproductive-anatomy/what-are-parts-female-sexual-anatomy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small hole underneath your clitoris</a> where your urine comes out of when you pee.</li><li>Vaginal opening: This opening sits in between your labia majora and minora and below your clitoris and urethra.</li></ul><h2>7 vagina variations that might resemble your own</h2>Despite what you may find on the internet, there are technically no set "types" of vaginas. "No two are the same nor symmetrical. All vulva's vary in size, shape, color, fullness and texture. The clitoral hood and size of the clitoris also vary in appearance in size, shape, and fullness," says Ross. Some common variations in shape, size, and color of your vagina might look like the following examples.<h3>Asymmetrical labia <div type="image" title="labia asymmetrical" height="1876" width="2501" msid="100533778" hostid="261" sizebytes="42620"></div></h3>Your vagina may have asymmetrical lips (meaning one of your labia is larger or smaller than the other). This is incredibly normal and nothing to be concerned about. Think about how one of your eyes is usually smaller than the other: the same concept applies to the vagina, says Ross. <h3>Small labia</h3><div type="image" title="small labia" height="1875" width="2501" msid="100533781" hostid="261" sizebytes="67610"></div>You might notice your labia are tucked into your vulva or your outer vaginal lips are larger and cover your labia minora. <h3>Big outer and inner labia </h3><div type="image" title="large outer and inner labia" height="1876" width="2501" msid="100533783" hostid="261" sizebytes="24816"></div>You may have labia that are larger or puffier in size. It's normal to have your labia go past your vulva and stick out. You might find that some underwear like thongs don't offer the kind of support you need. <h3>Outer labia that sticks out more</h3><div type="image" title="outer labia stick out" height="1876" width="2501" msid="100533786" hostid="261" sizebytes="32012"></div>You may have outer labia lips that are small or shorter, which show your labia minora and majora more. <h3>Inner labia that sticks out more </h3><div type="image" title="inner labia stick out" height="1876" width="2501" msid="100533788" hostid="261" sizebytes="20932"></div>You may have a vagina where your inner labia stick out more or are longer. <h3>Big or small clitoris</h3><div type="image" title="big clitoris" height="1876" width="2501" msid="100533789" hostid="261" sizebytes="18200"></div>Your clitoris might be larger or more sensitive than another persons or visa versa. According to<a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/sexual-and-reproductive-anatomy/what-are-parts-female-sexual-anatomy"> Planned Parenthood</a>, clitorises can range from the "size of a small pea to the size of your thumb." <h3>A vagina that isn't pink</h3><div type="image" title="not pink" height="1876" width="2501" msid="100533790" hostid="261" sizebytes="50806"></div>You may also find that your <a href="https://youngwomenshealth.org/2019/01/24/vagina-and-butt-cheek-dark-and-itchy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vagina varies in color.</a> Not all vaginas are pink. Some are brown or on the redder side, which depends on a number of factors including hormones, skin tone, blood flow and more. It's also not abnormal to see some discoloration in the skin surrounding your vagina. However,<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/yeast-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20378999" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> bright red skin </a>or a rash could indicate there's something amiss like a yeast infection. Note: The Australian non-profit Women's Health Victoria has a "<a href="http://www.labialibrary.org.au/photo-gallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Labia Library</a>" where you can check out real medical photos of different kinds of labia. <h2>Why do so many people want to change their vaginas?</h2>A number of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931365/#R11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">studies</a> have pointed to porn, ads, and other unrealistic media representations of vaginas as a potential cause for people's <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4796748/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dissatisfaction</a> with their vaginas. Ross agrees, saying that porn is a potential explanation on why some feel like their vaginas are "abnormal" or "ugly." A 2015 analysis of 480 women found that 40.7% of the women interviewed said that they had some qualm with their vagina, including issues with the length and color of their labia. "Porn and social media has created vaginal insecurity which has helped move vaginal rejuvenation to the forefront," says Ross. <h2>How to change your vaginal shape </h2>While you shouldn't be ashamed of the look and size of your vagina, there are options to change its appearance if that's what you prefer. These might include: <ul><li>The size or shape of your labia may cause some discomfort during sports or other activities.</li><li>Your labia are noticeable enough in clothing that you personally want to alter its appearance. </li></ul>"The primary procedure … is called a labiaplasty. A trained plastic surgeon or gynecologist can perform this simple outpatient procedure, and the results can be life-changing," says Ross. However, according to Ross, this surgery can cause some complications like painful scarring or discomfort during sex. Ross also recommends getting a second or third opinion before you opt for surgery.What's the cost: A <a href="https://womenswellnessinstitute.com/how-much-does-labiaplasty-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labiaplasty</a> can cost between $3,000 and $8,500 depending on the doctor and what your specific procedure will entail. Sometimes insurance will cover it and sometimes not - you may want to check on your particular insurance coverage. "As always, it's important to have a candid talk with your doctor and maintain realistic expectations," says Ross.<h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>The media, including porn and social media, might make you feel like your vagina isn't normal or desirable. Everyone's vagina is different and can range in color, shape, and symmetry. So there's no "perfect" or "normal" way for your vagina to look. You may also find your vagina changes with age. "Just like any other part of your body with skin glands and hair follicles, the appearance of the vagina is affected by the aging process and how well you care for it," says Ross. Regardless, some people may want to have surgery or other procedures. A surgical procedure called a labiaplasty can reduce the length and appearance of your labia, but it comes with its own risks and a hefty price tag.

7 types of vaginas and why yours is totally normal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mortgage rates could fall as low as 4.75% next year, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee.</li><li>Lower rates could be a positive for consumers and "re-liquify" banks, he told CNBC.</li></ul>Mortgage rates could fall more than 200 basis points next year as the Federal Reserve slashes borrowing costs, boosting US consumers and banks, according to Fundstrat's head of research Tom Lee.In an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tij-60NMBN4&amp;ab_channel=CNBCTelevision">CNBC</a> on Wednesday, Lee predicted mortgage rates could fall to around 4.75%-5.2% next year. The 30-year fixed rate is currently around 6.95%, according to Freddie Mac data, down from a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-market-crash-1980s-style-recession-mortgage-rates-wells-fargo-2023-10">high of around 8% in October</a>."That 200-basis-point drop in mortgage rates we know would stimulate the consumer and re-liquify regional bank balance sheets, which is an earning story too," he added, noting that would be a normal spread compared to the current 10-year yield. Markets are eagerly anticipating the Fed to slash interest rates sometime next year, and rate cut expectations have already started to lower borrowing costs across the economy. The 10-year Treasury yield has tumbled below 3.9% after hitting 5% two months ago, bringing down mortgage rates and other borrowing costs.Most real estate experts only see a slight dip in mortgage rates next year. Redfin, for instance, is forecasting <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/housing-market-outlook-2024-home-price-forecast-rebound-rates-redfin-2023-12">mortgage rates to hover around 6.6% by the end of 2024</a>. Still, falling rates are likely to jump start home sales activity, real estate economists say, after high rates sidelined prospective home buyers from the market for most of the past year. And that could end up being a boon for lenders and corporate earnings overall, Lee said.Meanwhile, banks have been under pressure from the Fed's aggressive tightening cycle. In fact, a <a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w31970/w31970.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">new working paper</a> from researchers at USC, Columbia, Stanford, and Northwestern estimated that commercial real estate sector is at risk of seeing its biggest crash since 2008, and that could <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/commercial-real-estate-crash-bank-losses-interest-rates-2024-2023-12?mrfhud=true">slam US banks with up to $160 billion in losses</a>.

Mortgage rates could fall below 5% next year, emboldening US consumers and allowing banks to 're-liquify,' Fundstrat's Tom Lee says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Inflation will see an intense drop, according to Pantheon's chief economist Ian Shepherdson.</li><li>He pointed to easing price pressures, even as wage inflation is slow to return to normal.</li></ul>Prices are set to see an intense drop, and inflation could fall below the Federal Reserve's 2% target by mid-next year, according to Pantheon's chief economist Ian Shepherdson."We are becoming increasingly worried that inflation will fall below the target by the middle of next year," Shepherdson said in a note on Tuesday.He pointed to pandemic-related drivers of inflation, like rents, consumer spending, corporate profits as well as energy and food prices, that are now reversing. Over the last quarter, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/rent-prices-drops-cities-vacancies-housing-apartments-economy-mortgage-inflation-2023-4?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">rents have begun to plunge</a> in key areas of the housing market. Americans are now beginning to <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stocks-american-consumer-spending-stop-fed-interest-rates-analysts-2023-3">pull back on spending</a> as inflation bites into savings, and corporations have faced major earnings pressure amid rising prices and interest rates. And while <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-prices-inflation-soaring-corporate-greed-profits-margins-wages-jobs-2023-4">wages appear to still be on the rise</a>, the slowdown in the other price pressures should bring inflation lower soon, Shepherdson said. "We expect intense downward pressure on inflation from non-labor costs sources," Shepherdson said, adding that wage growth would eventually slow as well. "[The Fed] will be able to respond to the weakness of the economy by cutting rates before long, even if the contemporaneous labor costs data are stronger than they would tolerate in the medium term."Inflation has already been on the downtrend since mid-2022, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-price-growth-us-cpi-consumer-price-index-report-march-2023-4">the consumer price index inflation up 5%</a> in March, as the Fed hiked interest rates over 1,700% in the past year.Markets are pricing in an 83% chance that the Fed will pause rate hikes at its next policy meeting in June, and a 33% chance the central bank could begin to cut rates in July, per the <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html?redirect=/trading/interest-rates/countdown-to-fomc.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CME FedWatch tool</a>. The Fed dialing back interest rates is expected to be bullish for equities, with Fundstrat's Tom Lee predicting as much as a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-bull-rally-falling-inflation-investing-fed-rates-2023-1">25% rally if the Fed pauses rates later this year</a>.

Inflation will see an intense drop and could fall below 2% by mid-2024, Pantheon Macroeconomics says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US daily COVID-19 cases need to fall below 10,000 to get "a degree of normality," Dr. <keyword id="11933279" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fauci" source="Orion">Fauci</keyword> said. </li><li>The US recorded more than 80,000 cases per day over the past week, Johns Hopkins data shows.</li></ul>For the US to get back to "a degree of normality" the number of new daily COVID-19 infections must drop by at least 70,000, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-says-every-adult-should-get-booster-shot-when-eligible-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Anthony Fauci,</a> President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor, has warned.Fauci told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/16/dr-fauci-says-us-covid-cases-need-to-fall-below-10000-a-day-to-get-to-a-degree-of-normality.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC</a> on Tuesday that if new daily cases fall "well below 10,000, I think that would be a level that I think would be acceptable to us to get back to a degree of normality."The US recorded about 85,000 cases per day on average in the week to Wednesday, <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> data shows. The number of new US daily infections hasn't dipped below 10,000 since March 2020, <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-cases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Oxford University's Our World in Data</a>.Fauci said that case numbers leveling above 80,000 showed the country had "really bad control" over the pandemic, per <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/16/dr-fauci-says-us-covid-cases-need-to-fall-below-10000-a-day-to-get-to-a-degree-of-normality.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC.</a> The US could be "in for some trouble" heading into winter if people didn't take precautions, he said.Fauci told CNBC that cases might need to fall as low as 3,300 before the US gets control of the virus. He cautioned that his figures were estimates, not "definitive statements."In a separate interview on Monday, Fauci told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/the-news-with-shepard-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"The News with Shepard Smith"</a> that getting to 80,000 cases per day was "predictable" when about 60 million Americans eligible for a COVID-19 shot remained unvaccinated. "And those eligible to be boosted, go get boosted," Fauci added, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02249-2/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing data from Israel</a> that suggested boosters reduce the risk of severe COVID-19. Fauci urged people to get vaccinated, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-says-every-adult-should-get-booster-shot-when-eligible-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have a booster when eligible</a>, and wear a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-fully-vaccinated-people-can-spread-delta-variant-2021-7?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mask indoors</a> when they don't know if others are vaccinated. But there's no reason not to avoid "a typical" Christmas or Thanksgiving with close friends if you're all vaccinated, he said.

Fauci says COVID-19 cases need to fall below 10,000 per day for a 'degree of normality,' as daily cases reach 85,000

<ul class="summary-list"><li>There's nothing unusual about having a kink — some evidence suggests half the population has one.</li><li>A few examples of kinks include bondage, impact play aka spanking, discipline, and role play. </li></ul>As any pleasure-seeker or social scroller knows, a kink isn't just a knot in your neck. It also refers to your <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-your-sexual-fantasies-say-about-you2020-7">sexual preferences</a>."A kink is a sexual interest that is outside of the ordinary," says certified sex educator Javay Frye-Nekrasova, founder of <a href="https://themillennialsexpert.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Millennial Sexpert</a> and educator with <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovehoney.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lovehoney</a>. Of course, what qualifies as ordinary sex — or <a href="https://www.insider.com/pleasure-kink-shame-what-is-vanilla-sex-2021-3">vanilla sex</a> — varies by person, as well as cultural context, and so does what qualifies as <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/kinky-sex-positions">kinky</a>. "It's entirely subjective," Frye-Nekrasova says. Some individuals might say they have a <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/doggy-style-sex-position">doggy style</a> kink because they like to hit it from the back, for instance. Meanwhile, others might say they're kinky because whips and chains excite them. Still, about <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289368254_The_Prevalence_of_Paraphilic_Interests_and_Behaviors_in_the_General_Population_A_Provincial_Survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">half the population</a> reports having interest in at least one non-vanilla sex act. Note, however, that a kink is different from a fetish. While a kink expresses an interest in a sexual act, "a fetish is a fixation on an object or body part for sexual gratification," Frye-Nekrasova says. To put it simply, a kink is something you do to get turned on, while a fetish is a thing you need to get turned on. Semantics of kink versus fetish aside, there's no shortage of things people might be into in the bedroom (or, uh, dungeon). Below, kink educators explain 20 of the most common kinks, outlining why someone might think it's hot and sharing tips for your own sexperiments. <h2>1. Age gap </h2>An age-gap kink is a kink for role play where adult-aged folks act out, and are turned on by, fantasies that involve a difference in ages, says sex educator Searah Deysach, owner of <a href="http://www.early2bed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early to Bed</a>, an education-focused sex shop in Chicago. For instance, one partner might play "baby" and put on a diaper, while the other plays "Mommy" or "Daddy" — this dynamic in particular is known as "daddy dominant–baby girl." One partner might also pretend to be a college-aged student, while another pretends to be a professor. "It's important to note that an age gap kink involves consenting adults (not children) pretending to be younger than they really are," Deysach says. Any illicit contact or conversations with minors is a felony. <h2>2. Bondage</h2>Bondage is the B in "<a href="https://www.insider.com/myths-about-bdsm-according-to-kink-specialists-2020-2">BDSM</a>." In full, "the acronym stands for bondage, discipline/dominance, submission/sadism, and masochism," Deysach says. At its most distilled, "an individual interested in bondage when they are interested in being restrained or restricted, or restraining or restricting their partner," says Lisa Finn, a sex educator with sex-toy emporium <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.babeland.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Babeland</a>. Bondage can involve anything from ropes and ribbons to zip-ties and saran wrap, and it may appeal to folks for a variety of reasons. "Some people like the aesthetic of a restrained body, others like the sensation of the bondage material on their skin, and others like the way it reinstates power dynamics," Finn says. <h2>3. Cock and ball torture</h2>Cock and ball torture, sometimes known simply as CBT (not to be confused with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/cognitive-behavioral-therapy">cognitive behavioral therapy</a>), is a fetish marked by the desire to have pain inflicted on your own penis or testicles — or the desire to inflict said pain. "This pain can be achieved through pulling, stretching, or even stepping on one's bits," Deysach says. CBT may also involve the use of cock cages, urethral sounding, genital flogging, and more, and she says. <h2>4. Cuckolding </h2>Someone has a <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-conservative-men-are-attracted-to-cuckolding-sex-kinks-2020-9">cuckolding</a> kink when they enjoy watching their partner have sex with other people — either in the same room, or via Facetime or video, Deysach says. Historically, the term was used specifically to refer to married men who wanted to watch their wives have sex with other men, but according to Deysach, the term can be applied to folks of any gender, sexuality, or marital status. "The thrill of watching your lover have sex with another person is something that folks across the gender spectrum can find exciting and kinky," Deysach says.Typically, when someone uses the term cuckold, it implies that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-people-are-turned-on-by-humiliation-2015-3">humiliation</a> is involved, she says. For some people, the act of watching a partner have sex with someone else — for instance, someone with a larger penis or more sexual skills — is humiliating, and it's this emotional sensation that turns them on. "But for others it can be a more open term just to refer to the thrill of watching your lover partner with another while you sit on the sidelines," she says. Note: Unlike a <a href="https://www.insider.com/prepare-for-first-threesome-establish-boundaries-group-sex-advice-2021-6">threesome</a>, a cuckolding scene would have one person sitting on the sidelines.<h2>5. Discipline </h2>According to Finn, discipline is a form of roleplay where certain acts are framed as "corrective" or as "punishment." This kink often involves a more dominant partner setting rules or expectations for a more submissive partner— and if the more submissive partner breaks those rules, there are consequences, Finn says. These consequences can include physical acts like spanking or other impact play or mental and emotional acts like humiliation or testing their partner, according to Finn. To be super-duper clear: "Disciplinary play is a form of roleplay — it shouldn't actually be used as a way to resolve conflict with real-world repercussions," Finn says. <h2>6. Dominance </h2>The D in BDSM can also stand for "dominance."Dominance is the act of <a href="https://www.insider.com/dominatrix-control-bdsm-heal-sexual-trauma-2023-2">consensually taking control</a> or holding the power in a scene or sexual dynamic with their partner, Finn says. While a dominant partner plays the role of "Large and In Charge," the submissive partner should still always have autonomy over the situation, Finn says. For instance, they may negotiate the scene before play and use safewords and gestures throughout. <h2>7. Erotic asphyxiation</h2>Erotic asphyxiation, AKA breath play, is the act of controlling how much access you have to oxygen for the sake of power, play, and pleasure. "When someone is choking you, they could seriously hurt you, even kill you," says sex educator <a href="https://www.zacharyzane.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zachary Zane</a>, author of "<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fp%2Fbooks%2Fboyslut-a-memoir-and-manifesto-zachary-zane%2F18699333%3Fean%3D9781419764714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto</a>" and sex expert for <a href="https://momentumforhim.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Momentum Intimacy</a>. This involves an element of absolute submission to that partner, he says. Many people also enjoy the physical sensations often associated with being deprived of air, such as tingling, a spreading warmth, and quickened heart rate. "There's a high many people experience from it when they do finally get a gulp of air," he says. Note: Erotic asphyxiation can be explored during solo sex, too. Here, the act is known as autoerotic asphyxiation. <h2>8. Foot fetish </h2>A <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/foot-fetish">foot fetish</a> is marked by a sexual interest in feet, which can be the entirety of the foot or focused specifically on the toes, arch of the foot, or ankle. Some people are turned on by servicing feet, Frye-Nekrasova says, which can be accomplished with a <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/fitness/best-foot-massager">foot massage</a> or at-home pedicure, for instance. Other people are turned on by the idea of doing something "dirty" — feet, after all, are usually the part of the body that touches the ground and dirt beneath. "There are so many ways to incorporate feet into your sex life," Frye-Nekrasova says. Some people like to give a footjob, which is essentially a handjob with your feet, she says. "Meanwhile, other people enjoy the sensation of having their toes sucked, or sucking," she says. Quick tip: Use <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-pick-the-best-lube-lubricant-sex-expert-advice-2021-1">lube</a> or <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/best-body-oil">massage oil</a> while giving a footjob to increase the sensation of slide.<h2>9. Hentai</h2>"Hentai refers to a specific type of Japanese illustration that often depicts overtly sexual scenes and scenarios," Deysach says. A popular porn genre, hentai erotica often features tentacled beings, monsters, and other-worldly creatures. "There is often an element of force and control associated with hentai porn," Zane says. For instance, hentai-inspired fantasy could involve an octopus forcing all of its tentacles inside the receiver's hole(s). <h2>10. Impact play</h2>Impact play is the broad name for sex that involves the use of hands, paddles, whips, flogs, or crops on a partner's meatiest, or most nerve-dense, parts. "Impact types of play can involve light playful actions or more serious and painful sensations," Deysach says. Depending on what the consenting parties have agreed to, the impact can be a form of punishment or just delivered as part of sensational play. For some people, for instance, a light smack on the bum while riding their partner's dick or <a href="https://www.insider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-strap-ons-2020-10">dildo</a> is adequate. Meanwhile, someone else might want to be smacked with a paddle hard enough that it leaves marks. Important: "If you do plan on hitting someone, be sure you get educated about doing it safely," Deysach says. <h2>11. Knismolagnia</h2>The word 'knismolagnia' may bring to mind mystery meat, but it's actually the name for a tickling fetish. Folks with this fetish are turned on by the sensation of being tickled by anything from human fingers and feathers, to vibrators or electrical stimulation toys. In some instances, the person being tickled is also tied down, but not always, Finn says. "A tickling fetish is unique because someone is smiling and laughing while they're being tickled, even though it is uncomfortable and intense. There really isn't any other kink where your body responds to discomfort with a reflexive laugh," Zane says. So generally, tickling is considered a more "playful" kink, though it can be very intense. <h2>12. Lactation </h2>Being very into a lover's body fluids is quite common — and for some people, <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/parenting/how-is-breast-milk-made">breast milk</a> is one of those fluids. "Some people find the miraculousness of the human body's ability to create milk arousing. Other people are turned on by the rarity of the experience, since lactation generally only happens after a baby is born," Frye-Nekrasova says. According to Frye-Nekrasova, a lactation kink may also be tied to an age gap or age play kink, where someone feels aroused at the thought of pretending to be a breast-fed baby once again. Note: Lactation kink is separate from a human cow kink, which doesn't just eroticize milk production. This kink also eroticizes the idea of being dehumanized, forcefully impregnated, and used as a milk machine.<h2>13. Masochism </h2>The M in BDSM and the complement to sadism, "masochism is the act of erotic enjoyment in experiencing pain, humiliation, or intense sensation, " Finn says. The mental or physical pain associated with masochism can be delivered by yourself or by a partner, they say. Note: When with a partner, this pain is always delivered consensually. Non-consensual pain is abuse, not BDSM.<h2>14. Pregnancy</h2>Even though penis-in-vagina intercourse is (usually) required for an individual to become <a href="https://www.insider.com/didnt-know-how-pregnancy-changes-you-until-i-got-pregnant-2022-8">pregnant</a>, there's still stigma around pregnant people being sexual, Deysach says. According to Deysach, some people are aroused by that stigma and feel naughty when they're turned on by pregnant folks. "Other people might have had a particularly electric sexual experience with someone who was pregnant and now mentally associate pregnancy and hot sex," she says. <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-breeding-kink-pregnancy-fetish">Pregnancy kinks</a> can also include the eroticization of lactation, darkened nipples, swollen ankles, or any other signs and symptoms of pregnancy, she says. <h2>15. Role play</h2>Role play is a common kink that involves pretending to be someone other than who you really are. "There are lots of reasons why someone might want to try role playing — for some people, it's as simple as a desire to try something new and infuse a little excitement into their sex life," Deysach says.According to Deysach, shedding your day-to-day persona and "becoming" someone else can be a way to let go and enjoy sex more. "It can be a thrill and it can be a comfort," Deysach says.<h2>16. Sensation play</h2>Sensation play is the broad name for types of touch that involve stimulating your nerve endings in unique ways. Sensation play can be done by experimenting with different temperatures — for instance, with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/home/best-places-to-buy-candles">candles</a>, wax, or ice cubes, Finn says. It can also be explored by teasing your nerves with tools like Wartenberg wheels, feather ticklers, or electrical stimulation wands, they say. <h2>17. Tentacles</h2>A tentacle kink refers to someone being turned on by the idea of being penetrated or otherwise sexually engaging with tentacles or creatures that have tentacles, Deysach says. For some people, the eroticism comes from the slipperiness or the tactile idea of a tentacle, she says. "For others the tentacle fantasy is connected to fantasies of being restrained by or being 'forced' into sexual situations by an otherworldly creature," she says.Note: As a quick scroll through retailers like Early To Bed, <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?postID=63f8f209930554455b7ed68c&amp;site=in&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodvibes.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Good Vibrations</a>, or Babeland will make clear, the sex toy industry is exploding right now with dildos shaped like tentacles. "This kink seems to be on the rise as more toys designed to help people explore the kink become available," says Deysach. <h2>18. Urethral sounding </h2>"Sounding is a sexual practice of inserting metal rods into the urethra," says sociologist and clinical sexologist Sarah Melancon with <a href="http://sextoycollective.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sex Toy Collective</a>. Medical term: The urethra is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to outside of the body. While urethral sounding can be performed on anyone with a urethra, it's most commonly performed on the penis. The head of the penis is incredibly nerve-dense, and stimulating those nerves through urethral stimulation can be pleasurable for some people. Plus, if you go deep enough you can touch the prostate, which may, in some cases, lead to a prostate orgasm. <h2>19. Voyeurism </h2>Voyeurism is a fetish where you get sexual gratification by watching other people engage in sex. It's considered a complement to exhibitionism, where you find it arousing to have sex while other people watch. Ethically and legally speaking, this kink can get tricky. "Folks spying on others without consent is a crime," Deysach says. However, it's possible to set up consensual scenarios where you observe others having sex, she says. Consensual voyeurism could include attending sex parties, kink festivals, hiring a cam girl, or paying multiple sex workers. <h2>20. Wax play</h2>Sure, you've heard of lighting candles to set a mood — but wax play goes beyond creating an ambiance. Wax play is a type of sensation play that involves dripping wax onto your partner, or having it dripped onto you. Some people are into wax play because it feels like dancing with danger, others are into it because the heat of the wax feels erotic when juxtaposed to the cool air of the bedroom. <h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Sex, no matter where it falls on the vanilla to kinky spectrum, is designed to bring pleasure — and that holds true whether sex is solo, partnered, or multi-partnered. Adding elements of kink can be a wonderful way to infuse even more pleasure, intimacy, and spice into your sexy time.Just be sure you and any potential partner(s) you're exploring your kinks with prioritize consent, <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/how-important-is-sex-in-a-relationship">communication</a>, and education over all else. "Before you try any kink, it's best to educate yourself on how to explore that kink safely," Finn says.In a partnered setting, you also want to communicate about your individual limits and boundaries before getting down and dirty. Then, communicate from start to fireworks, they say. Communication, after all, is a prerequisite for pleasure.

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