• After visiting all 63 major US national parks, I think some are best experienced in the fall.
• In many of the parks, the fall months bring fewer crowds and cooler weather.
• In my opinion, the fall is the best time to visit parks like Acadia and Cuyahoga Valley.

Summer is winding down, but that doesn’t mean national park adventures have to end. In fact, many of the 63 major US national parks are at their best during the shoulder seasons.

After visiting every single park solo, I’m often asked which ones are best to visit in autumn.

Whether you’re chasing vibrant foliage or simply cooler, less-crowded days, these six national parks truly shine this time of year.

Acadia National Park offers stunning fall foliage.

Acadia National Park in Maine is famous for its vibrant fall colors, with bright maple and oak trees scattered across its gorgeous, rugged coastline and forested hiking trails.

Although the park can definitely get crowded this time of year — especially at spots like the Cadillac Mountain summit (where you’ll need a timed-entry reservation) and Jordan Pond — I think the views are worth it.

Even a short hike or drive through the park offers a classic New England autumnal experience, and a visit is definitely something I’d recommend putting on your travel bucket list.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the perfect fall escape.

In my opinion, Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a hidden gem for fall colors.

The forests along the Cuyahoga River are great for leaf peeping, and I find that the rolling hills remain peaceful even when the park is busy.

Popular trails like the Brandywine Gorge Loop to Brandywine Falls and the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath offer classic autumnal views, but there are tons of quieter spots that allow visitors to enjoy the foliage without the crowds.

Cool, crisp air and vibrant scenery make it a perfect fall escape that’s easily accessible from the Cleveland area.

Rocky Mountain National Park offers stunning views.

Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park is always gorgeous — but in my opinion, it’s especially beautiful in the fall.

By mid-September, the tall aspen trees in the park turn a brilliant gold, standing out against the high mountain peaks. Walking around Bear Lake is one of my favorite ways to take in the fall foliage.

Just keep in mind that if you’re visiting the park through mid-October, timed-entry reservations are required for certain parts of the day.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park feels magical in the fall months.

In my opinion, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is located in North Carolina and Tennessee, is one of the best spots in the country for fall color.

The park is home to over 100 species of native trees, and the foliage season lasts for weeks, from late September in the higher elevations to early November in the valleys. By October, the mountains turn into rolling waves of red, orange, and gold.

Scenic drives on Kuwohi Road bring spectacular views, and a hike on the Alum Cave Trail puts you right in the middle of the color.

Plus, cooler temperatures make fall an especially magical time to explore the most-visited US national park.

The fall months are the perfect time to experience Grand Canyon National Park.

Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park is stunning at any time of the year, but I really love visiting in the fall, when cooler temperatures make hiking and sightseeing a little more comfortable.

Although parts of the North Rim are closed due to flash floods, the popular South Rim remains fully open and ready for visitors. It offers classic views of the canyon’s layered cliffs and dramatic sunsets.

I’ve even found that popular viewpoints, like Mather Point and Desert View, are less crowded than they are in the summer.

Plus, trails like South Kaibab allow you to explore the canyon without the peak-season heat that can make hiking there dangerous.

Grand Teton National Park is the perfect place to take in nature.

Fall in Grand Teton National Park is spectacular, as the aspens and cottonwoods turn gold against the classic jagged mountain peaks.

In addition to the beautiful foliage, the wildlife is also very active — you might spot elk or moose grazing in the meadows.

Overall, September and October are great times to visit this Wyoming park, as these months typically bring cooler weather and smaller crowds.

This story was originally published on September 10, 2025, and most recently updated on September 14, 2026.

• Oracle started a new round of layoffs on Monday as costs related to its data center buildout mount.
• Severance includes 4 weeks’ base salary plus 1 week per year of employment.
• That appears less generous than severance policies at Oracle’s peer companies that BI recently reviewed.

Oracle is offering recently laid-off employees four weeks of severance and an additional week per year of service, according to documents viewed by Business Insider.

The latest documents did not state Oracle’s maximum severance, but the company’s standard pay plan, as reported by Business Insider in March, capped severance at 26 weeks. That package stated: “four weeks of base salary for your first year of employment, plus one week’s salary for each additional year of employment, based on your most recent hire date, up to a combined maximum of 26 weeks of base salary.”

Oracle did not respond to a request for comment.

Oracle started a new round of layoffs on Monday, confirming Business Insider’s recent reporting that the company had drawn up plans to reduce payroll as it racks up billions in debt to fund AI infrastructure.

“After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change,” copies of the latest layoff notification email stated. “As a result, today is your last working day.”

Oracle’s severance package appears less generous than those offered by its Big Tech peers.

Salesforce’s standard policy offers up to 30 weeks of severance pay, with a minimum of 9 or 13 weeks based on role, plus an additional 3 weeks of service per year.

Microsoft offered employees in its latest round of layoffs this summer up to 39 weeks’ base pay, with a minimum of 60 days and one or two additional weeks per six months of service, depending on seniority.

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• WalletHub ranked the states with the highest and lowest vaccination rates in the US.
• The analysis examined vaccination rates among children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly.
• Vermont had the highest vaccination rate in the US, while Mississippi had the lowest.

The likelihood of experiencing a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak has much to do with where you live.

A September report from the personal finance website WalletHub analyzed US vaccination rates across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, using data from the US Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, IBTimes, Kaiser Family Foundation, and ProCon.org.

The analysis examined vaccination rates among children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly, as well as differences in access and other factors that influence vaccination rates. WalletHub then scored each state and DC through a weighted average across all metrics.

New England states made up the top 5 and had among the highest flu shot rates, while Mississippi ranked last. The data comes as flu season enters full swing and measles outbreaks continue across the US.

CDC data show that fewer than 44% of people in the US aged 6 months and older received a flu shot during the 2024-2025 season, compared with roughly 52% in 2020-2021. About 51 million people caught the flu that year, with about 710,000 people hospitalized due to complications and 45,000 dying from it.

As of February 2026, an estimated 47% of adults got the flu shot for the 2025-2026 season.

Measles vaccination rates are also lower than a few years ago. Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and other states have reported measles outbreaks and rising case numbers.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said anti-vaccination rhetoric and skepticism toward vaccination benefits since COVID-19 have contributed to lower vaccination rates.

“Seeing as being anti-vaccination has become trendy in some circles, and misinformation is all over the internet, it’s more crucial now than ever to spread awareness of the benefits of vaccines and make sure as many people as possible receive potentially life-saving immunizations,” he said.

Still, some diseases, like smallpox, have been completely eradicated, thanks to widespread vaccinations. Lupo said the states that vaccinate the most people “provide the safest environments when it comes to public health” and have a lower likelihood of outbreaks.

Here are the states with the highest and lowest vaccination rates nationwide.

10. Washington

Score: 66.75

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 13

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 7

9. Minnesota

Score: 66.78

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 24

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 6

8. Virginia

Score: 67.75

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 7

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 17

7. Wisconsin

Score: 68.55

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 18

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 8

6. Pennsylvania

Score: 68.60

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 6

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 15

5. Maine

Score: 69.04

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 17

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 2

4. Rhode Island

Score: 69.16

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 4

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 18

3. New Hampshire

Score: 73.67

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 5

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 2

2. Massachusetts

Score: 80.63

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 1

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 4

1. Vermont

Score: 84.77

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 2

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 1

41. Florida

Score: 47.44

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 27

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 48

42. Idaho

Score: 46.92

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 38

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 40

43. Tennessee

Score: 46.80

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 42

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 43

44. Kentucky

Score: 45.93

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 45

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 32

45. Nevada

Score: 42.53

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 35

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 49

46. Texas

Score: 37.95

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 47

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 42

47. Wyoming

Score: 37.79

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 48

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 44

48. Alaska

Score: 35.15

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 49

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 34

49. Alabama

Score: 34.43

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 43

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 50

50. Oklahoma

Score: 34.18

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 50

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 38

51. Mississippi

Score: 17.54

Children and Teenagers Immunization Rates Rank: 51

Adult & Elderly Vaccination Rates Rank: 51

• CBS News is building anticipation for “60 Minutes” as it relaunches under Bari Weiss.
• Weiss and top producer Nick Bilton brought back longtime correspondents and landed Ross Douthat.
• Read the full memo the newsroom leaders sent to staff celebrating the show’s relaunch.

CBS News is getting employees hyped about the first full season of “60 Minutes” under top editor Bari Weiss, months after a string of high-profile exits.

“We don’t often send notes to the whole newsroom. But today calls for it. It’s a big moment for 60 Minutes and CBS,” newsroom leaders, including Weiss, wrote about the new “60 Minutes” season in a memo sent to staffers on Sunday.

The memo teases an interview — that “everyone has been chasing” — with a US Air Force officer who was rescued from Iran in April.

The 59th season of “60 Minutes” will have 10 regular contributors, including five correspondents: Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Jon Wertheim, Norah O’Donnell, and Ross Douthat, who joined CBS from The New York Times in July.

“60 Minutes” is kicking off its highly anticipated season following a turbulent early-summer stretch for the storied news program.

Lead producer Nick Bilton, who was handpicked by Weiss in May, started his tenure by firing longtime correspondent Scott Pelley after a noisy confrontation in front of “60 Minutes” staffers.

Pelley had publicly questioned Bilton’s qualifications, pressed his new boss on why fellow correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were let go, and accused Weiss of “murdering” the iconic Sunday night telecast while trying to “kill” CBS News.

Weiss later addressed the firing, telling staffers she’s “only interested in working in a newsroom that is built on trust and mutual respect.” Bilton told “60 Minutes” employees that his first week had been “a trying and difficult few days.”

Veteran correspondents Whitaker, Wertheim, and Stahl — who’s been with “60” since 1991 — decided to return to the program, saying that they “don’t want to see 60 Minutes die.” They said they’re “working to build trust” with Bilton and “heard all the right things” in his memo.

“If we can continue doing the work that made this show what it is — committing acts of independent, fearless journalism and storytelling — we’re here for it. If not, we leave,” Stahl, Whitaker, and Wertheim wrote in their memo.

Read the full memo sent to CBS News staffers here:

All —

We don’t often send notes to the whole newsroom. But today calls for it. It’s a big moment for 60 Minutes and CBS.

Ahead of our premiere, we wanted to congratulate the team on the launch of what will be an exciting season—and to thank everyone across the CBS newsroom.
Tonight’s episode is a powerful start with three original, revelatory stories that showcase 60 at its best. We begin with the interview everyone has been chasing. Then, a hidden camera investigation and a profile of a NFL superteam’s wunderkind coach. We also have a cameo from one of our new correspondents on the story of our time: AI.

We are deeply thankful to everyone across CBS News for the support over this summer. That especially goes for social, digital, graphics, marketing, and, above all, the investigative unit.

Last but not least: You’ve probably seen the great “It’s Time” campaign everywhere. That push continues through tonight’s game. We’d be grateful if you can spread the word to your friends and followers by sharing these promos today.

This is just the start and there’s so much more to come. See you tonight at 7:30pm!

Nick, Bari, and Tom

• Turns out humanity has nothing to worry about.
• Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale said Sunday the world “is going to be alright, guys.”
• His comments came as top AI leaders warn that advanced systems could pose grave risks.

Everything’s fine! Take it from the cofounder of Palantir.

In an X post on Saturday, Joe Lonsdale brushed aside the salient worry that advanced AI systems could cause mass human extinction, a concern that numerous engineers and leaders from frontier AI labs have raised in recent days and weeks.

“The world is going to be alright, guys,” Lonsdale said. “Leaders have big responsibilities and challenges ahead, but it doesn’t help to scare everyone. We are on top of it.”

That’s unlikely enough to calm the nerves of a human population that’s been repeatedly told that AI could take control and do all manner of untoward things, including taking everyone’s jobs.

After Anthropic engineer Jacob Coxon quit the company this week and issued dire warnings that frontier AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are “gambling with our lives,” numerous leaders echoed his concern in posts and essays.

On Saturday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in a blog post that AI swarms could soon take over the entire internet. He called for more stringent safety regulations and a global, coordinated slowdown on AI development.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis, and Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue all said they agreed with Amodei.

Lonsdale? Not so much.

Lonsdale is a famously conservative contrarian. He founded the University of Austin in 2021 alongside now-CBS News editor Bari Weiss, which counts “the unhindered pursuit of truth without cancel culture” as one of its core principles.

“It’s not as much about the politics as it was about being contrarian. I’ve always relished standing out from the crowd, standing up and disagreeing with everyone,” he once told Business Insider in a 2017 interview.

The company he helped found and later left, Palantir, builds AI software that helps governments and corporations analyze large amounts of data. The company has several lucrative contracts with the US government. It credited 93% year-over-year revenue growth in Q2 to companies purchasing its enterprise software.

In his weekend take that everything’s going to be just fine, Lonsdale appears aligned with President Donald Trump. The president has repeatedly scoffed at AI doomerism, emphasizing the need to stay ahead of China in the AI race.

In Ireland on Sunday, Trump said AI leaders who have issued warnings about the tech’s potential for misuse are “bringing up things that won’t happen.”

“Whoever wins with AI wins,” the president told reporters.

• Camila Valim spent two decades in corporate marketing before becoming a consultant.
• Valim spent eight months job hunting after her latest contract ended and landed only two interviews.
• As a single mom, Valim started delivering food by e-bike while pursuing her next career move.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Camila Valim. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I spent two decades in corporate as head of marketing for an entertainment group. I left that job due to burnout. I pivoted to becoming a professional organizer and started a successful Instagram account and business.

Then I got divorced five years ago and had to return to the corporate world.

I went back to what I knew, working as a marketing consultant. My contract ended eight months ago. I expected it, but the job search to find a new marketing client has been tough.

I’ve only had 2 interviews

In eight months, I’ve only had two interviews. I’ve been carrying my whole household as a single parent and sole provider for two kids, ages 9 and 12.

I got very far in an interview process a few weeks ago for a head of brand and communications position. It felt like my last lifeline. I told myself, “OK, when I get this job, I’ll be able to keep my lifestyle as it is; I won’t have to sell my house.” I was picking my kids up at school when I got the call that they loved me, but someone else got the job.

I knew then I had to make really serious decisions and take steps that weren’t going to be fun.

My food delivery job is flexible

A cousin suggested I do meal deliveries on my e-bike while I searched for a new corporate job.

The process was very quick, and I got approved to deliver in no time. It’s flexible and fits with my single-parent schedule. I can be there for my kids, still look for a job in corporate, and create content and rebuild my organizing business at once.

I’ve learned a lot on the bike, such as punctuality in a way I’ve never had to deal with before. I’m bringing food and smiles to people at their doors, and I love the freedom of being on the bike. It’s a rush, and it gives me time to think. I have lots of insights and ideas on the bike.

The freedom has helped me create healthy space in my mind and take my creativity places it hasn’t been before. For example, while on the bike, I had the idea to print out my story and CV and hand them out to people. I deliver to a lot of people who work for big businesses.

I will take income in any form I can get and do whatever it takes. I’m working on growing my Instagram account again. I know I have to sell my house, but I’m grateful I have it as a backup plan to put more money on the table to put food on the table.

I think people recognize themselves in me

This is a bridge for me until my house sells. I cannot live off of delivering food, and I am still pursuing the next chapter of my career.

I posted an Instagram reel about how this is not how I saw life at 45. It went viral. It has almost 900,000 views. I think it went viral because I was refusing to feel ashamed, and I hopefully gave other people permission to stop feeling ashamed, too.

I expected it to resonate with women, but it resonated with men as well. I have women and men messaging me, saying they’ve never told anyone they’re in the same position. I think that tells you how much silence there is around this for everyone.