In my opinion, Quoddy Head in Maine is one of the best US state parks to visit.
Emily Hart
After visiting all 50 states, some of my favorite places to explore are state parks.
I think Dead Horse Point State Park deserves just as much recognition as Utah’s national parks.
I also love traveling to Anza-Borrego Desert in California and Ecola State Park in Oregon.
National parks are often celebrated as “America’s Best Idea,” safeguarding the country’s most breathtaking and unique landscapes.
Yet, even after exploring all 63 US national parks, some of my favorite places to explore are outside the National Park System.
State parks may not often enjoy the same level of recognition as their national counterparts, but many are equally — if not more — stunning.
After traveling to all 50 states and visiting hundreds of state parks, these are the ones that left the greatest impression on me.
Hawaii’s ‘Akaka Falls State Park is a must-visit.
MNStudio/Shutterstock
The Big Island of Hawaii is home to the gorgeous ‘Akaka Falls State Park. Named for the dramatic 442-foot ‘Akaka Falls waterfall, the park is a must-visit in the area.
The small park packs a big punch, with a short trail through lush tropical greenery leading to the picturesque falls.
Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah is near two popular national parks.
Emily Hart
Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah is less than 30 miles from Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. However, in my opinion, it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
The park is home to an overlook with a breathtaking view of the Colorado River, which sits 2,000 feet below the rim.
Hike, bike, or camp at this International Dark Sky Park for dramatic views of the river and the surrounding canyons.
Anza-Borrego Desert is California’s biggest state park.
Sumiko Scott/Getty Images
California is an outdoor-lovers paradise, with nine major national parks (the most of any US state) and 280 state-park units. However, its largest state park is one you may not have heard of: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
The 600,000-acre park in Southern California, famed for its wildflower blooms, has a mix of desert landscapes, rugged mountains, palm oases, and sweeping vistas.
After you’re done exploring the park, head to the nearby Galleta Meadows to find 130 large metal sculptures created by artist Ricardo Breceda.
Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire is home to gorgeous views.
Emily Hart
Franconia Notch State Park is in the heart of the White Mountains, with scenic drives, challenging hikes, and gorgeous photo opportunities.
I love hiking through the popular Flume Gorge, a natural chasm that extends 800 feet, with boardwalks snaking through granite cliffs, moss-covered walls, and cascading waterfalls.
I recommend visiting in the fall to hike the popular Artist’s Bluff Trail and enjoy the vibrant fall foliage.
Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is truly incredible.
Madeleine Deaton/Shutterstock
In my opinion, Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada is the very definition of “otherworldly.” It’s located about an hour northeast of Las Vegas and is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park.
Valley of Fire, named for its stunning red-sandstone formations, is an amazing destination for a scenic drive, gorgeous photo opportunities, hiking, and camping.
Visiting Oregon’s Ecola State Park feels like stepping into a fairytale.
Emily Hart
The Oregon Coast is one of my favorite places in the country, and Ecola State Park is a big reason I love the area so much.
The coastal park offers some of the most iconic views of the rugged Oregon coastline, including Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock.
Driving into this park, which is surrounded by temperate rainforest, feels like being transported into a fairytale.
For a low-key day, I recommend visiting the beach or picnicking in the park. If you’re in the mood to hike, some of my favorite trails include Clatsop Loop and Indian Beach.
Maine’s Quoddy Head State Park is home to the easternmost point of the contiguous US.
Emily Hart
I’ve visited all 50 states, but Maine is one of my favorite places to travel to. I particularly love the DownEast area of coastal communities, where Quoddy Head State Park is located.
The park is home to the iconic West Quoddy Head Light, which is the easternmost point of the contiguous US.
I recommend spending time hiking along the Coastal Trail and keeping a lookout for whales.
This story was originally published on January 29, 2025, and most recently updated on November 20, 2025.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years.
The two traded barbs during Trump’s first term but became political allies during the 2024 election.
After a public fallout, Musk and Trump’s feud appears to be thawing.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump appear to be back on after an on-again, off-again relationship over the years.
The world’s richest person and the two-time president of the United States weren’t always close, but became singularpolitical allies, with Musk calling himself “first buddy” following Trump’s 2024victory and donating more than $200 million toward pro-Trump super PACs.
At the beginning of Trump’s second term, Musk was frequently seen on the president’s side and served as the de facto head of theWhite House DOGE office.
In June 2025, Trump and Musk’s relationship blew up after Musk criticized Trump’s signature “Big Beautiful Bill.” Musk even threatened to start his own political party. Trump threatened to “destroy” Musk’s companies.
Tensions have cooled since then. Musk and Trump shook hands at Charlie Cook’s memorial service in September, a reunion that Musk and the White House proudly shared on social media.In October 2025, Trump said he now had a “good” relationship with Musk.
“I like Elon, I’ve always liked him,” Trump said.
Here’s how the two billionaires reached this point.
November 2016: Musk says Trump is ‘not the right guy’ for the job
“I feel a bit stronger that he is not the right guy. He doesn’t seem to have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States,” Musk said.
The billionaire added that Hillary Clinton’s economic and environmental policies were the “right ones.”
December 2016: Musk appointed to Trump’s advisory councils
Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated his feud with Elon Musk in a series of Truth Social posts belittling the billionaire.
Evan Vucci/AP Photo
After he won the presidency, Trump appointed Musk to two economic advisory councils, along with other business leaders like then Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.
Musk received criticism for working with the controversial president, but he defended his choice by saying he was using the position to lobby for better environmental and immigration policies.
“You have to give him credit,” the former president said, referring to Tesla becoming more valuable than Ford and General Motors. “He’s also doing the rockets. He likes rockets. And he’s doing good at rockets too, by the way.”
Trump called Musk “one of our great geniuses” and likened him to Thomas Edison.
May 2020: Trump backs up Musk in feud with California’s COVID-19 rules
Elon Musk meets Donald Trump at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 30, 2020.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
As the pandemic gripped the US in early 2020, Musk clashed with California public-health officials who forced Tesla to temporarily shut down its factory there. Trump voiced his support for Musk.
“California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW,” Trump tweeted in May 2020. “It can be done Fast & Safely!”
“Thank you!” Musk replied.
May 2022: Musk says he would reinstate Trump’s Twitter account
Musk called the ban a “morally bad decision” and “foolish to the extreme” in an interview with the Financial Times. Twitter kicked Trump off its platform following the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
The Tesla billionaire has called himself a “free speech absolutist,” and one of his key goals for taking Twitter private was to loosen content moderation.
July 2022: Trump calls Musk a ‘bullshit artist’
Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a “Save America” in Anchorage, Alaska on July 9, 2022
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
In July 2022, Trump took aim at Musk, saying the businessman voted for him but later denied it.
“You know [Musk] said the other day ‘Oh, I’ve never voted for a Republican,'” Trump said during a Saturday rally in Anchorage, Alaska. “I said ‘I didn’t know that.’ He told me he voted for me. So he’s another bullshit artist.”
Days later, Musk tweeted that Trump’s claim was “not true.”
July 2022: Musk says Trump shouldn’t run again
Elon Musk co-founded PayPal after his startup X.com merged with Peter Thiel’s Confinity.
“I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset. Dems should also call off the attack – don’t make it so that Trump’s only way to survive is to regain the Presidency,” he tweeted.
He continued: “Do we really want a bull in a china shop situation every single day!? Also, I think the legal maximum age for start of Presidential term should be 69.” Trump is 76 years old.
July 2022: Trump lashes out
Former President Donald Trump gives the keynote address at the Faith and Freedom Coalition during their annual conference on June 17, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Seth Herald/Getty Images
Soon after, Trump went on the offensive, posting a lengthy attack on Musk on Truth Social.
“When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it’s electric cars that don’t drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere, without which subsidies he’d be worthless, and telling me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, ‘drop to your knees and beg,’ and he would have done it,” Trump said in a post that criticized two of Musk’s ventures, Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.
“Lmaooo,” Musk responded on Twitter.
October 2022: Trump cheers Musk’s Twitter deal but says he won’t return
Following Musk’s official purchase of Twitter in October 2022, Trump applauded the deal.
“I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country,” he said. He added that he likes Truth Social better than other platforms, echoing comments from earlier this year in which he ruled out a return to Twitter.
Musk later joked about the potential of welcoming the former president back to his newly acquired platform.
“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if Trump is coming back on this platform, Twitter would be minting money!,” the Tesla CEO tweeted in October 2022.
May 2023: Musk hosts Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ glitchy debut
Musk and other right-leaning voices in Silicon Valley initially supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis ended 2022 as Trump’s best-positioned primary challenger. In November 2022, as DeSantis was skyrocketing to acclaim, Musk said he would endorse him. In March 2023, after enduring Trump’s attacks for months, DeSantis prepared to make history by formally announcing his candidacy in an interview on Twitter.
The initial few minutes were a glitchy disaster. Trump and his allies ruthlessly mocked DeSantis’ “Space” with Musk and venture capitalist David Sachs. DeSantis’ interview later proceeded, but his campaign was dogged for days with negative headlines.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks into his phone as his livestreams a visit to the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, Texas.
John Moore/Getty Images
September 2023: A Trump-style border wall is needed, Musk says
Musk live-streamed a visit to the US-Mexico border on Twitter, which he had rebranded as “X.” Musk offered his support for one of Trump’s signature immigration policies.
“We actually do need a wall and we need to require people to have some shred of evidence to claim asylum to enter, as everyone is doing that,” Musk wrote on X. “It’s a hack that you can literally Google to know exactly what to say! Will find out more when I visit Eagle Pass maybe as soon as tomorrow.”
March 2024: Trump tries to woo Musk, but the billionaire says he won’t give him money.
Trump tried to woo Musk during a meeting at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort. According to The New York Times, Trump met with Musk and a few other GOP megadonors when the former president’s campaign was particularly cash-strapped. After the Times published its report, Musk said he would not be “donating money to either candidate for US President.”
July 2024: Musk endorses Trump after the former president is shot
Musk said he “fully endorsed” Trump after the former president was shot during a political rally ahead of the Republican National Convention. Musk’s endorsement marked a major turning point in his yearslong political evolution from an Obama voter. Days later, it would come to light that Musk pressed Trump to select Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate.
Trump announced Vance as his vice presidential pick at the Republican National Convention.
The ticket, Musk wrote on X, “resounds with victory.”
August 2024: Trump joins Musk for a highly anticipated interview
Trump, who ended the Republican National Convention primed for victory, stumbled after Biden abruptly dropped out of the 2024 race. He and his allies have struggled to attack Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic presidential nominee.
Amid Harris’ early media blitz, Trump joined Musk on a two-hour livestream on X that garnered an audience of over 1 million listeners. The conversation covered topics ranging from a retelling of Trump’s assassination attempt to illegal immigration to Musk’s potential role with a government efficiency commission.
In August, Trump began to suggest that he “certainly would” consider adding Musk to his Cabinet or an advisory role. The Tesla CEO responded by tweeting an AI-generated photo of himself on a podium emblazoned with the acronym “D.O.G.E”—Department of Government Efficiency.
“I am willing to serve,” he wrote above the image.
September 2024: Musk says he’s ready to serve if Trump gives him an advisory role
In September 2024, Trump softened the possibility that Musk might join his Cabinet suggestion of Musk joining his Cabinet. However, he also said that Musk could “consult with the country” and help give “some very good ideas.”
Musk later expressed enthusiasm about the news.
“I can’t wait. There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go,” he wrote on X.
He later added that he “looked forward to serving” the country and would be willing to do with without any pay, title, or recognition.
October 2024: Musk speaks at Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania
Elon Musk spoke at Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Musk joined Trump onstage during the former president’s rally, hosted on October 5 in the same location where Trump survived an assassination attempt in July 2024. Musk sported an all-black “Make America Great Again” cap and briefly addressed the crowd, saying that voter turnout for Trump this year was essential or “this will be the last election.”
“President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution,” Musk said. “He must win to preserve democracy in America.”
The next day, Musk’s America PAC announced that it would offer $47 to each person who refers registered voters residing in swing states to sign a petition “in support for the First and Second Amendments.”
By October, the PAC had reportedly already spent over $80 million on the election, with over $8.2 million spread across 18 competitive House races for the GOP.
The Tesla CEO later told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he might face “vengeance” if Trump loses the election.
November 2024: Trump wins the presidency and names Musk his administration
President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have been nearly inseparable since the election, going to social and political events together.
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Musk was by Trump’s side on election night at Mar-a-Lago, helping celebrate his victory.
Nearly a week after his 2024 presidential election win, Trump announced that Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy were chosen to lead a newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (or DOGE, as Musk liked to call it, in reference to the meme-inspired cryptocurrency Dogecoin).
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pay the way for my Administration to dismantle the Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.
Outside of administrative duties,Musk’s presence at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club was so constant that Trump joked he couldn’t “get rid of him.”
The pair’s close relationship grew into a more personal friendship. Musk was seen attending Trump’s Thanksgiving dinner and on the golf course with Trump and his grandchildren, where Kai Trump said he achieved “uncle status.”
December 2024: Trump reaffirms he will be the next President, not Musk
Trump dismissed concerns that Musk would be running the country, adding in a barb that the billionaire couldn’t even be in charge if he wanted to, since he was born in South Africa.
“No, he’s not going to be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said in December 2024. “And I’m safe. You know why? He can’t be? He wasn’t born in this country.”
Trump’s comments came after Musk flexed his influence to help shut down a bipartisan emergency spending bill earlier that month. Some Republicans questioned why Trump hadn’t been more active in derailing the bill, and Democrats baited the President-elect on social media with posts about Musk “calling the shots” and taking on the role of a “shadow president.
January 2025: Musk and fellow billionaires celebrate Trump’s inauguration
Elon Musk spoke onstage during an inauguration event at Capital One Arena.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Trump was sworn into office on January 20. Several tech leaders were in attendance, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Google’s Sundar Pichai. The “first buddy” was also front and center for Trump’s inauguration.
Musk took the stage to celebrate at an inauguration event at the Capital One Arena, where he sparked accusations over a gesture he made that some said resembled a Nazi salute. Musk denied the allegations.
“Hopefully, people realize I’m not a Nazi. Just to be clear, I’m not a Nazi,” he said during an interview with Joe Rogan.
February 2025: The White House says Musk isn’t running DOGE
Elon Musk is undoubtedly the face of DOGE. It remains clear who exactly is running it.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Though Musk quickly became the face of the DOGE effort, White House court filings said he had “no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself.”
In the February 2025 filing, Musk was described as a senior advisor to Trump with “no greater authority than other senior White House advisors.” Officials also called him a “special government employee.”
Trump told reporters they can call Musk “whatever you want.”
The White House later named Amy Gleason, who previously worked for US Digital Service, as the acting DOGE administrator.
March 2025: Trump buys a Tesla and calls out protesters
Trump and Musk sit inside a red Tesla Model S in front of the White House.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Musk’s companies struggled to escape the almost daily DOGE-related news cycles.
In March, Trump stepped in to defend Musk’s electric car company, with Teslas on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump later wrote that he’d purchased a Tesla to show support for Musk.
“The Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for,” he wrote on Truth Social.
April 2025: Musk announces he’s stepping back from DOGE
Elon Musk said DOGE isn’t going anywhere and may run through the end of Trump’s term in 2028.
Samuel Corum via Getty Images
Three months into DOGE’s mission to reshape the federal workforce, Musk announced that he would be stepping back from the effort. He broke the news during an underwhelming Tesla earnings call, where earnings per share were down 71% year over year.
“Starting next month, I will be allocating far more of my time to Tesla,” Musk said during the call. He added that “the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency” had been completed.
At the time, Musk said he would keep spending one or two days each week on governmental duties, so long as Trump wanted him to do so.
May 2025: Musk says he’ll be spending less on politics, criticizes the Republican agenda, and announces he’s leaving government for good
Elon Musk gave a video interview at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday.
Bloomberg
By May 2025, Musk started to step back from his overall political activity. The world’s richest person also said he had “done enough” in terms of political contributions.
Musk told a reporter that he “probably did spend a bit too much time on politics,” and that he’d “reduced that significantly in recent weeks.”
His retreat didn’t last long. Musk took a decidedly more critical tone regarding the overall Republican agenda. In an interview with CBS in late May, he said he wasn’t pleased with Trump and House Republicans’ “big beautiful” spending bill.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said.
On May 28, 2025, Musk cut ties with DOGE and the Trump administration. Under federal law, special government employees can’t serve more than 130 days a year. Musk left shortly before that deadline.
June 2025: Musk and Trump escalate attacks, after Tesla CEO delivers sharp rebuke against the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Musk spoke out against Trump’s spending bill.
ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP via Getty Images
Days after stepping away from his job in the White House, Musk delivered his harshest criticism yet of the GOP spending proposal called the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk wrote on X on June 3. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Musk began to dig up old tweets from Trump, including one where the president said in 2013, “I cannot believe the Republicans are extending the debt ceiling—I am a Republican & I am embarrassed!”
Musk quote-tweeted it with the message, “Wise words,” taking a dig at Trump’s very different stance on the debt ceiling today.
Trump first shot back with a softer/more diplomatic response, saying that the CEO and he “had a great relationship,” but he wasn’t sure if it would continue.
The tone soon took a sharp turn after Trump threatened on the same day to terminate the federal contracts that Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, rely on, and Musk began to take credit for Trump’s 2024 electoral victory.
In response to Trump’s threat to cancel the government contracts, Musk said on X that he’d immediately decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which provides NASA transport to and from the International Space Station.
Trump and Musk continued their back-and-forth throughout the month.
“He’s a smart guy. And he actually went and campaigned with me and this and that,” Trump told Fox News in late June. “But he got a little bit upset, and that wasn’t appropriate.”
“They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” Musk wrote on X.
July 2025: Trump threatens Musk but later says he wants his companies to do well
Trump discusses Elon Musk outside the White House.
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
Trump responded on July 1 on Truth Social, suggesting that DOGE could be turned on its former chief.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE,” he wrote.
Musk followed up with more posts on X proclaiming his opposition to the spending bill.
Trump responded on Truth Social that he was “saddened” to see Musk go “completely ‘off the rails,'” essentially becoming a “TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.” Trump added that third political parties have never succeeded.
Late in the month, Trump said that even though his signature domestic plan slashes EV subsidies, he’s not out to hurt Musk’s bottom line.
“Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon’s companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large-scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is not so! I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before!”
Trump’s statement came a day after the White House appeared to suggest that federal agencies shouldn’t contract with Musk’s xAI.
September 2025: Trump and Musk reunite to remember a conservative icon
Trump and Musk reunited at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service that was held at the Arizona Cardinal’s stadium in Arizona.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
Trump and Musk were seen for the first time since their public falling out at the memorial service for conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and a host of other top White House officials joined together in Arizona to pay tribute to Kirk, who was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Musk and the White House later posted photos of the meet-up on X.
Trump said that Musk came over “to say hello.”
“I thought it was nice, he came over, we had a little conversation,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after the memorial service. “We had a very good relationship but it was nice that he came over. “
Musk had previously said that the White House had invited him to an exclusive dinner for tech CEOs but was unable to attend.
October 2025: Trump gives a relationship status update
Trump said he and Musk had a “good” relationship and called their brief feud “a stupid moment.”
“He had a bad spell, he had a bad period. He had a bad moment,” Trump told reporters when asked about their relationship. “It was a stupid moment in his life, very stupid. I’m sure he’d tell you that. But I like Elon, and I suspect I always will.”
The Tesla CEO still has beefs elsewhere. In late October, Musk called Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy a “dummy” amid a spat over who would lead NASA.
November 2025: Musk attended a White House dinner
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salma and Elon Musk at the US-Saudi Investment Forum.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Trump invited Musk to attend a dinner at the White House with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November. The event marks Musk’s first public appearance at the White House since stepping back from the DOGE office in May 2025.
The guest list for the dinner included prominent CEOs such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Musk shared a photo of the event on X, which included himself, Trump, the crown prince, and Huang.
“I would like to thank President Trump for all he has done for America and the world,” Musk wrote.
One day after the dinner, Trump joked about Musk in a speech at the US-Saudi Investment Forum.
“You’re so lucky I’m with you, Elon. I’ll tell you. Has he ever thanked me properly?” Trump said.
Felix Wallis, 23, is a research engineer for an AI startup.
Courtesy of Felix Wallis
Felix Wallis landed a research engineer job at an AI startup right after graduating from college.
Instead of mass-applying for roles, he focused on demonstrating interest in startups he liked.
He got his first internship by coding a fix and posting it on the company’s Facebook group.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Felix Wallis, 23, a research engineer from London, who works at Artificial Societies. His education, internship, and employment have been verified by Business Insider. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.
It can be challenging to secure a job in AI the traditional way — writing cover letters, blanket-applying for roles, and hoping for the best.
I thought it would be far more straightforward to find a company I was genuinely interested in and personalize my approach — either by building or improving a tool for them, or developing a relationship with senior people at the company.
That strategy helped me land an AI internship while I was still in college, and ultimately led to me securing a full-time job as a research engineer at the AI startup Artificial Societies, which I joined immediately after completing my postgraduate degree.
My coding journey started with a Christmas present
When I was about 10, my parents gave me a Raspberry Pi for Christmas, which came pre-installed with Python. It was the start of my coding journey.
My parents weren’t keen on me playing computer games, but I wanted to play them so badly that I decided to make my own. That, they supported. I started with small Python projects, although I eventually realized it was a terrible language for making games. I moved on to playing around with machine learning, which I’d read about online.
What kept me going was a desire to solve problems I faced as a student, like how to share notes with other pupils. I learned everything from YouTube, the Q&A website for programmers Stack Overflow, and the wider internet.
AI’s hype felt justified
At high school in London, I was interested in both math and politics, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to pursue as a career. I had this boring notion of going into finance or investment banking until I came across an undergraduate degree at University College London that combined social and data sciences. It was the perfect course for me.
I started at UCL in 2021 and, during the academic year, did as many internships as possible, mostly in tech and AI. There was a lot of hype around AI, but I felt it was justified. Every day, I was seeing new use cases emerging, and it seemed like an exciting time for young people to be part of what felt like a dot-com-era-style boom.
While at university, I came across a company called CoLoop, which used AI to synthesize research material into PDFs. I was struggling to read all the articles for my course, and the summarization tool was a real problem-solver. I used it a lot.
When they made a change to the user interface that I didn’t like in 2022, I wrote some code to fix it and shared it on GitHub. I shared the post on CoLoop’s Facebook group, and the founder ended up seeing it. It got me an internship that summer, because I think it demonstrated how interested I was in the product.
Felix Wallis, 23, works at Artificial Societies.
Courtesy of Felix Wallis
At CoLoop, I met fellow intern James He, a student at the University of Cambridge. We ended up co-authoring an academic paper in 2023, which was published in the British Journal of Psychology. The paper explored whether large groups of AI chatbots could mimic collective human behavior.
The idea — that thousands of chatbots could form communities that interact and communicate like humans — formed the basis of Artificial Societies, a company James cofounded in 2024.
At the time, I had started a one-year master’s degree in social data science at the University of Oxford. I spent about 10 weeks perfecting my 1,000-word application for it and didn’t apply for anything else.
The course taught me about natural language processing, quantitative text analysis, and the application of machine learning — all essential for understanding how today’s AI products actually work. Once you grasp the mechanisms, you begin to see ways to improve them.
Throughout my postgraduate studies, I stayed in touch with James. After I graduated, he invited me for a trial with his team. If it didn’t work out, I planned to apply for roles at other AI startups and larger companies, like Mistral and Anthropic. In September, Artificial Societies hired me as a research engineer, where I build AI models, the infrastructure to support them, and run simulations.
My advice: find a startup you’re passionate about and demonstrate your interest
My advice for other graduates seeking jobs in AI is to focus on products you genuinely like in the startup space. Everyone will say they want to work at OpenAI or Google, but if you can find a specific startup that really speaks to you, it’s easier to demonstrate your interest.
You can show that enthusiasm by proposing a new feature, building a small tool for their product, or simply engaging with their user community. It could lead to an internship, like it did for me. Even if it doesn’t turn into a full-time role, you’ll meet like-minded people who might one day found a company and offer you a job down the line.
You can’t fake interest or passion — and proving you have them is, in my experience, the best way to get hired.
Melania Trump has style hits and misses as first lady
Kevin Dietsch – Pool/Getty Images/AP
Melania Trump’s style has been closely watched since she became first lady.
Her best first lady looks mix her personal style with a professional edge.
Melania Trump has also worn some controversial outfits over the years.
Melania Trump has been showing a new side of her style in her second tenure as first lady.
She returned to the White House in January, striking a markedly different, more subdued tone with her attire than when President Donald Trump first took office in 2017.
Since becoming first lady, Melania Trump’s style has often been a source of attention, as some of her outfits have been controversial.
Melania Trump paid homage to Jackie Kennedy when she debuted as first lady.
Donald and Melania Trump on Inauguration Day 2017.
Kevin Dietsch – Pool/Getty Images
Ralph Lauren Collection designed the knee-length, powder-blue dress Melania wore to Trump’s inauguration in 2017, as well as the coordinating shrug and gloves she wore with the look.
She accessorized the outfit with pearl earrings and blue, pointed-toe heels.
Her custom gown for the 2017 inaugural balls featured standout three-dimensional detailing.
Donald and Melania Trump at the 2017 Inauguration Ball 2017.
Kevin Dietsch – Pool/Getty Images
Hervé Pierre custom-designed Melania’s off-the-shoulder dress for the inaugural ball.
The cream dress had an A-line silhouette, a thigh-high slit on one side, and three-dimensional fabric that curved across the bodice. A thin red belt cinched at the waist for a pop of color.
The dress felt high-fashion, connecting the first lady to her past as a model as she stepped into a new role.
Melania’s outfit for a visit to Texas in August 2017 got attention online.
Donald and Melania Trump in Texas in August 2017.
JIM WATSON / AFP / Getty Images
In August 2017, the Trumps visited Corpus Christi, Texas, following Hurricane Harvey to assess recovery efforts.
The pair wore casual attire, with Melania arriving in a white button-down, black jeans, and sneakers. She also added a black baseball hat to her look that said “FLOTUS,” first lady of the United States, on the front.
Melania’s outfit quickly became a source of social-media chatter. Some said her hat called attention to her in the wake of the natural disaster, while others praised her casual outfit.
Her suit for a Canadian state visit in October 2017 was more fitting for the occasion.
Donald and Melania Trump with Justin and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau in October 2017.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
When greeting Justin and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau at the White House in October 2017, Melania wore a gray pinstripe suit instead of a dress.
The suit featured high-waisted pants, and she paired it with a white button-down and an untied black tie. The outfit was unexpected for a first lady, offering a fun style moment.
The president and first lady had a rare matching moment in April 2018, wearing coordinating striped looks.
Donald and Melania Trump at Mar-a-Lago in April 2018.
Mandel NGAN / AFP / Getty Images
In April 2018, the Trumps hosted Japan’s prime minister at the time, Shinzo Abe, and his wife, Akie Abe, at Mar-a-Lago, during which the first lady wore an off-the-shoulder dress from Carolina Herrera.
The dress was covered in black and white stripes, with thicker black stripes on the bodice and the pattern reversed on the midi-length skirt.
She added white heels to her look, and Trump wore a navy and white striped tie that matched his wife’s look. The coordinating outfits were an atypical but welcome choice for the couple.
The same month, Melania stunned in a black minidress and coordinating coat.
The Trumps, President Macron, and his wife at the White House in April 2018.
Al Drago/Getty Images
Melania greeted President Macron of France and his wife, Brigitte, in a black minidress and black pumps at the White House.
The standout feature of her outfit was a Givenchy tuxedo cape, which added a flair of personality to the otherwise simple look.
The semi-sheer dress she wore to a state dinner for the Macrons during the same trip was a little too busy.
Donald and Melania Trump at the White House in April 2018.
Alex Edelman-Pool/Getty Images
The first lady changed into a silver Chanel dress for the dinner.
Most of the form-fitting dress was covered in textured fabric, while the top of the bodice and bottom of the skirt were made of a sheer, black fabric adorned with silver embellishments.
The fabrics didn’t blend well, making the dress look too busy. It would have been a better look without the sheer fabric.
In June 2018, Melania received backlash for wearing a jacket that said, “I really don’t care, do u?”
Melania Trump in June 2018.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
In June 2018, Melania visited an immigration facility in McAllen, Texas, where children were living, wearing a green Zara jacket that said “I really don’t care, do u?” on the back.
Critics said the jacket was insensitive to wear for the visit, critiquing both the first lady and the president for the fashion faux pas.
Melania’s former aide, Stephanie Grisham, wrote in her book “I’ll Take Your Questions Now” that the president yelled at Melania for wearing the jacket, though Trump and the first lady both said she wore it to send a message to the left-wing media.
A different bow would have improved her dress for an Independence Day celebration in July 2018.
Melania and Donald Trump in July 2018.
Alex Edelman/Getty Images
Melania wore a floor-length wrap dress from Ralph Lauren to celebrate Independence Day 2018.
The blue-and-white gingham dress was fun and festive for the holiday, but the oversize red belt tied at her waist overwhelmed the look.
If the first lady had swapped the bow for a thinner belt, her dress would have been more effective.
Melania’s suit for a trip to Egypt in October 2018 also raised some eyebrows.
Melania Trump in October 2018.
Tarek Wajeh/picture alliance via Getty Images
Melania posed for photos in front of pyramids in Egypt wearing cream trousers, a white blouse, a black tie, and a sand-colored Ralph Lauren blazer. A white-and-black boater hat completed the look.
The outfit may have been innocuously stylish in a different venue, but some social-media users thought the outfit looked similar to one worn by “Raiders of the Lost Ark” villain René Belloq during his visit to the pyramids in the film.
It wasn’t the first time Melania faced criticism for one of her outfits on her visit to Africa. During her tour of the pyramids and the Great Sphinx, Melania told reporters, “I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear,” following backlash for wearing a white pith helmet.
“You know what? We just completed an amazing trip,” she added. “We went to Ghana, we went to Malawi, we went to Kenya, here we are in Egypt. I want to talk about my trip, not what I wear.”
Brown pants weren’t a great choice for Melania’s evening arrival at the White House in December 2018.
Donald and Melania Trump in December 2018.
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images
Donald and Melania Trump arrived at the White House on the evening of December 27, holding hands as they walked across the lawn.
While the president was in a suit, Melania wore a green jacket, light-brown pants, and matching shoes.
The pants might have been a better choice for a daytime look, as it was difficult for some to tell if the first lady was even wearing bottoms at first glance in the dark. The addition of sunglasses to her nighttime look was also an odd choice.
Melania’s outfit would have worked better during the day or with different pants.
In April 2019, Melania rocked a stylish polka-dot dress.
Donald and Melania Trump at the White House in April 2019.
Xinhua/Ting Shen/Getty Images
In April 2019, the first lady was photographed at the White House in a black-and-white polka-dot dress designed by Alessandra Rich.
The high-neck dress was cinched at the waist with a black belt, coordinating with the dots on the dress, and it hit her mid-calf.
Melania wore a cream coat over her shoulders and her signature sunglasses, adding glamour to the feminine look.
Gloves brought an elegant touch to her look for a June 2019 state dinner in the UK.
Melania Trump and Prince Charles in June 2019.
VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
During a visit to the UK, Melania attended a state dinner with the royal family in a Dior gown.
A layer of semi-sheer fabric covered the gown’s scooped neckline, forming points on the top of the bodice before transitioning into white fabric. The dress hugged her figure before flaring slightly at her waist.
Melania wore white, elbow-length gloves with the dress. The look was fitting for dining with royalty.
She appeared to take a page out of Kate Middleton’s fashion book when she and the president hosted the royals for dinner during the same trip.
Donald and Melania Trump in June 2019.
CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Ahead of a dinner at Winfield House, where the American ambassador to the UK lives, Melania was photographed in a red Givenchy gown.
Melania’s yellow and pink outfit in December 2019 was almost too colorful.
Donald and Melania Trump in December 2019.
Victoria Jones/Getty Images
During another visit to the UK in December 2019, Melania stepped out in a high-neck, cape coat from Valentino. The coat was mustard yellow, and Melania paired it with a pink dress and coordinating pumps.
The jacket was a big statement in and of itself, so the look would have been more effective if the first lady had worn a more neutral color with it than bright pink.
Melania’s black-and-white look for the Daytona 500 in February 2020 was stylish.
Donald and Melania Trump at the Daytona 500 in February 2020.
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Melania’s black Dior sundress was fairly simple. The midi-length dress featured a V-neckline and a white, dotted pattern.
The white lace belt from Alaïa and white Christian Louboutin pumps she wore with the dress made the look cohesive, and she also added sunglasses to the outfit.
The look balanced Melania’s personal style and traditional first lady attire.
A pink dress Melania wore during the virtual Republican National Convention in August 2020 would have been better without the bow detailing.
Donald and Melania Trump in August 2020.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Melania appeared alongside Trump in a hot-pink midi-dress from Jason Wu at the 2020 RNC.
The dress featured a boat neckline and a flared skirt, and two black bows sat on the waistline, which appeared to be cinched with elastic. Melania wore black pumps with the dress.
The bows on the dress could have been chic, but they looked a bit crumpled throughout the night, particularly because they sat atop the ruched waistline and contrasted so heavily with the pink fabric. The dress would have been a better fit if there had been just one or no bows on the waistline.
She wore a pleated dress at the 2020 RNC, but the green color felt out of place.
Donald and Melania Trump in August 2020.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Melania wore a cape dress to close out the RNC, choosing a neon-green piece from Valentino.
The ankle-length, high-neck dress was covered in vertical pleats and featured two swaths of fabric flowing out from her shoulders like a cape. She added a thin pink belt and pink pumps to the outfit.
The silhouette was beautiful, but the green color was an odd choice for the RNC. Vanity Fair reported that it allowed social-media users to easily make memes out of the outfit using green screen technology.
If she had worn the dress in a different color, Melania’s look would have been a slam dunk.
In November 2020, Melania wore a gingham coat that featured a stylish, built-in scarf.
The loose-fitting coat featured an off-center line of buttons, and the collar formed a scarf that wrapped around one of Melania’s shoulders. Quarter-length sleeves showed off the first lady’s black gloves, just as the knee-length hem spotlighted her black boots from Alaïa.
The look was effortlessly chic.
Melania’s final outfit as first lady in January 2021 offered a full-circle moment.
Donald and Melania Trump in January 2021.
ALEX EDELMAN / AFP / Getty Images
When Trump left office in January 2021, Melania chose to wear an all-black outfit.
She paired a form-fitting Dolce & Gabbana dress with a cropped Chanel coat, gloves, Christian Louboutin pumps, and dark sunglasses.
The look seemed to nod to Jackie Kennedy, just as her first outfit as first lady did. However, the darker hues spoke to the more somber tone of the day for the Trumps.
When she returned to the White House on January 20, Melania set a new tone as first lady.
Melania Trump and Donald Trump on Inauguration Day 2025.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Rather than wearing another pastel look to mark the beginning of her husband’s second term as president, Melania donned navy and white for the 2025 inauguration.
Adam Lippes designed her coat, which she paired with a white scarf, navy pumps, and a custom boater-style hat from Eric Javits. Boater hats are typically worn in summer, but the wool piece Melania wore offered a winter version.
Although the hat got some negative attention online as people compared it to the one the Hamburglar or V in “V For Vendetta” wore, Melania’s inaugural outfit was a savvy choice. The look set a serious tone, blending professional style with Melania’s personal taste.
Melania also managed to pull attention from Trump with the look, which was a feat considering how many eyes he had on him throughout the day.
And her custom dress for the 2025 inaugural balls had a modern edge.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the 2025 Inaugural Ball.
Jim WATSON / AFP
Melania opted for another custom Hervé Pierre dress for the 2025 inaugural balls, arriving in a black-and-white dress that felt like a continuation of the fashion story she started with the look she wore during the day.
The strapless dress had an off-the-shoulder neckline, and a zig-zag of black fabric adorned the bodice before framing a slit on one side of the skirt.
A coordinating choker with a brooch completed the stylish gown.
Melania’s trench coat for the 2025 Easter celebration went against tradition.
The Trumps at the 2025 Easter celebration at the White House.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Traditionally, Easter fashion calls for pastel tones and festive prints like gingham, allowing people to have fun with their outfits.
However, Melania arrived at the 2025 Easter Egg Roll at the White House in a simple cream trench coat from Mackage and heels designed by Roger Vivier.
The subdued look was a shift from Melania’s more colorful outfits for previous Easter celebrations at the White House. Likewise, Mackage, a brand founded and headquartered in Canada, was a surprising choice for the first lady, given the ongoing trade dispute between the US and its northern neighbor.
Later that month, the first lady wisely chose an outfit made by Italian designers for Pope Francis’ funeral.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump at Pope Francis’ funeral in April 2025.
Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images
Melania joined her husband at Pope Francis’ funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
She wore a black coatdress designed by Dolce & Gabbana for the occasion, as well as lace gloves and a lace veil from the fashion house.
Wearing an Italian designer was fitting for the occasion since the Catholic Church is based in the country, though Melania also favors Dolce & Gabbana when she isn’t in Italy.
Melania wore a pretty yet pricey dress to see “Les Misérables” at the Kennedy Center in June.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump at The Kennedy Center in June 2025.
Shannon Finney/Getty Images
Melania chose a $3,900 Bottega Veneta dress for the show.
The dress had an asymmetrical neckline and gold detailing on the shoulder and waist. Melania paired the designer gown with silver and gold Christian Louboutin pumps.
The dress was pretty, but Melania’s black and white looks for Trump’s second term are starting to feel a bit repetitive. A pop of color could have made the dress stand out more.
A few days later, she wore an American designer for the US Army’s 250th anniversary parade.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC on June 14, 2025. Trump’s long-held dream of a parade will come true as nearly 7,000 troops plus dozens of tanks and helicopters rumble through the capital in an event officially marking the 250th anniversary of the US army.
DOUG MILLS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Melania appeared alongside Trump at the US Army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington, DC, wearing another suit from Adam Lippes.
Both her $2,490 jacket and $1,190 skirt were cream-colored, with a subtle navy pinstripe pattern. The double-breasted jacket and pencil skirt had a looser, relaxed fit.
Blue Christian Louboutin heels completed the ensemble.
Melania wore another stylish striped look at a meeting at the White House in September.
Melania Trump attends a meeting at the White House in September 2025.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
On September 4, Melania attended a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education.
She wore a soft gray linen suit that featured white pinstripes. The jacket was oversized, and the pants were wide-legged. The first lady added structure to the look with a fitted white T-shirt and a white belt.
Stilettos completed the chic menswear look.
The bright yellow dress she wore to a state banquet at Windsor Castle was memorable, but it looked slightly out of place at a dinner with royals.
Queen Camilla, King Charles, Donald Trump, and Melania Trump at St George’s Hall for a state banquet.
Doug Mills/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.
On September 16, the president and first lady arrived in the UK for a state visit. The following evening, they attended a state banquet with King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and other members of the royal family.
Melania wore a bright yellow dress designed by Carolina Herrera to the dinner. The dress had an off-the-shoulder neckline, a column skirt, and a slit on the side. She added even more color to the ensemble with a wide, purple belt and bright green, dangly earrings.
It was nice to see Melania add some color to her wardrobe in 2025, but the bright hue and belt made the dress look a bit too casual for the event. The silhouette was pretty, but the first lady may have been better off wearing the gown in a more subdued color.
Later the same month, Melania wore a chic white suit, but a different top could have improved it.
President Donald Trump and Melania Trump arrive at the White House in September 2025.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
On September 23, Melania accompanied the president on a visit to the UN General Assembly, wearing a white blazer and tailored pants from Dolce & Gabbana.
The suit was a strong choice, as the contrast of the long blazer and cropped pants felt professional and chic, and the cream Christian Louboutin shoes she paired with the look were stylish, too.
However, the camel-colored blouse from Max Mara that she wore with the suit was almost too close to Melania’s skin tone. The look would have popped more with a different colored shirt.
Melania could have worn a more festive look for the 2025 Halloween celebration at the White House.
President Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the White House on Halloween 2025.
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
When the president and first lady passed out candy at the White House on Halloween, neither opted to wear a costume. Instead, Melania donned a wool coat from Marni, which nodded to the holiday with orange trim on the collar, pockets, and lining.
She wore the khaki-colored coat buttoned to the collar, and it cinched at her waist with a thick belt — one of her go-to silhouettes. She paired the coat with taupe Manolo Blahnik heels.
While the orange aspects of the look had a subtle Halloween feel, the outfit just didn’t feel festive enough for the holiday, especially when compared to the plethora of decorations covering the White House for the event. Melania would have made a stronger statement in a full orange coat or a black and orange look.
For dinner at the White House in November 2025, Melania chose an elegant green gown.
Melania Trump at the White House in November 2025.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
On November 18, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, dined at the White House during his visit to the US.
Melania donned a $3,350 Elie Saab dress for the occasion. The deep-green dress featured a strapless neckline, and ruching on both the bodice and the skirt added texture. A slit broke up the floor-length skirt, and Melania completed the look with black heels and sparkly earrings.
Every bit of Melania’s look seemed designed to welcome Crown Prince Mohammed. The dress was similar in color to Saudi Arabia’s national flag, seeming to nod to the nation. Plus, in November 2024, Elie Saab marked 45 years of his brand with “1001 Seasons of Elie Saab,” a massive fashion show held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Satya Nadella thinks Microsoft needs a reboot for AI just like it did in the early cloud days.
Nadella tapped a new advisor to “rethink the new economics of AI,” according to an internal memo.
This advisor previously helped force a cultural reckoning at Microsoft when cloud computing emerged.
Satya Nadella believes Microsoft needs to completely rethink its business model for the AI era, and he’s turning to an executive who influenced the company’s cloud reboot 15 years ago.
Nadella tapped Rolf Harms as an advisor on AI economics to help with the ambitious plan, according to a memo the CEO sent top Microsoft executives this month.
Harms wrote the white paper “Economics of the Cloud” in 2010 that helped force a cultural reckoning at Microsoft and pave the way for the company’s cloud-computing success.
“We need to rapidly rethink the new economics of AI across the company — just as we once did with the cloud,” Nadella wrote this month in his message, a copy of which was obtained by Business Insider. “This platform shift is all about building a new AI factory and family of Copilots and agents that drive diffusion and usage across the full stack.”
The dynamics were similar in the early days of the cloud. Back then, big tech companies spent heavily to build data centers even though the payoff was uncertain, as some observers worried whether customers would adopt the new technology.
The 2010 missive Harms coauthored “had profound impact on how we completely rethought our business models,” Nadella wrote in the early November memo to Microsoft executives.
The white paper was considered a watershed moment in cloud computing, and helped make the case for Microsoft’s investments by crunching the numbers to show why customers would eventually use large-scale cloud services to save money despite concerns about security and availability.
At the time, people at Microsoft complained to Harms that he was “throwing bombshells into their org,” according to Nadella.
“His response was, ‘they’re already there, I’m just helping you find them,'” Nadella wrote. “And this is the same mindset we need to take today as our business becomes much more capital and knowledge intensive.”
AI will require a similar reboot, the CEO wrote, and he’s expanding Harms’ role to include working closely with Nadella and Microsoft’s top executives, advising them on how to adapt to the new economics of AI, from infrastructure to platform technology and applications.
Harms was a director of corporate strategy when he coauthored the 2010 paper. Business Insider featured him in a 2021 article on the power players helping Microsoft with AI.
Now Harms works under Cloud + AI boss Scott Guthrie as a corporate vice president. Harms will continue to report to Guthrie.
Harms’ “new scope will extend beyond AI Infra as we take a new approach and gain a clear understanding of how existing categories will be transformed and new categories will be birthed as we navigate this shift,” according to Nadella’s memo.
Microsoft did not comment when asked about the memo.
BLS said it could not collect household data from the Current Population Survey, “which is not able to be retroactively collected.” That information is central to the monthly jobs report and is used to calculate the unemployment rate.
The collection period for November 2025 data will also be extended, BLS announced, and extra processing time will be added. The Bureau will now release data on December 16, rather than the originally scheduled December 5. That report will also include data on job creation in October from the business establishment survey.
This means that the Federal Reserve will not have access to the most timely jobs data before its last meeting of the year on December 9 and 10. The Fed relies on monthly unemployment and job vacancy data to make decisions, and the last full jobs report was released in early September.
The Bureau is releasing the September jobs report on November 20, after delaying publication during the shutdown.
Following BLS’ announcement, CME Fed Watch’s prediction of a hold in the December meeting rose from roughly 50% to 66%.
The Bureau also said that it will not publish a separate Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for September, but will include that data in the October report scheduled to be released December 9.
The government shutdown lasted for a record 43 days, impacting funding and operations across all agencies.