• I manage responsibilities for my children while helping care for my aging mother.
• Alzheimer’s adds anticipatory grief to an already overwhelming mental load.
• I’ve found support from other women facing the same multigenerational caregiving squeeze.

My daughter had just turned 7 years old. Her one request was that we host a birthday party at our house. My husband and I agreed and started preparing. Like many parents, we needed a little help managing the moving pieces. I asked my mother if she wouldn’t mind watching my oldest daughter and our dog during the party.

My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2025. She still lives independently, with support, but loves seeing her granddaughters. She agreed, and we decided I would drop off my daughter and my dog with her before the party.

When I opened the door to my mom’s apartment, I immediately realized something was wrong. She was lying on the floor, unable to get up. I quickly called 911 and let my husband know that I would not be returning for my daughter’s party. Thankfully, after more than 12 hours in the emergency room, my mom was able to return home.

But I was crushed by guilt. I had missed my younger daughter’s party, and the experience of seeing my mom so debilitated was deeply upsetting for my older daughter to witness.

The ‘sandwich generation’ doesn’t capture the pressure I feel

People often call this the “sandwich generation“: adults caught between raising children and caring for their aging parents. But increasingly, I have heard another phrase that feels more accurate: the “panini generation.”

A sandwich is stacked neatly. But my life often feels like it is being pressed from every side, under heat, with very little room to move. For those of us raising children while caring for parents, moments like this are not rare interruptions. They are part of the reality we are constantly trying to manage.

Alzheimer’s makes caregiving feel impossible to compartmentalize

Firsthand experience has taught me that Alzheimer’s intensifies that pressure in ways that are hard to fully grasp until you live it. It is a progressive disease that requires increasing supervision. It brings emotional strain, not just from the physical demands of care, but from memory loss and personality changes that reshape relationships over time. Losing my mother bit by bit is heart-wrenching. And it unfolds over years, adding a layer of anticipatory grief and emotional strain on top of one of the most demanding periods of my life as a mother and a professional.

While this reality affects families broadly, women often bear the brunt. We carry the majority of Alzheimer’s caregiving responsibilities, while also facing a higher lifetime risk of developing the disease ourselves. That dual reality makes this not just a caregiving issue, but a personal health issue.

The women who join me in this “panini generation” are simultaneously managing careers and financial responsibilities, raising children, caring for aging parents, and navigating midlife health changes that can impact their own brain health. We are the stabilizing force across generations, often at a cost that isn’t visible in the moment.

Caregivers often face reduced income or career disruption, rising out-of-pocket care costs, and competing priorities between children, parents, and their own long-term security. One particularly difficult piece for me is the intense mental load that comes with being the command center for everyone: organizing doctors’ visits, medications, finances, transportation, and social engagements. I am everyone’s emergency contact, if and when something goes wrong.

My mom is still herself

Nearly two years into my mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, she’s still herself — sharp in so many ways, funny, and stubborn. But caregiving has become a bigger part of my life, and I know that will only continue to grow. What has helped me navigate that uncertainty is finding community with other women who are carrying many of the same responsibilities — caring for aging parents while raising children, managing careers, and trying to remain present for the people they love.

There is comfort in being understood without having to explain, but there is also urgency in realizing just how many of the women I’ve met along the way are stretched thin by systems that were never designed for this reality. Workplaces have not kept pace with long-term, multigenerational caregiving. Community resources remain limited. And proactive brain health education, especially during midlife, is still inadequate.

The women I have met throughout this journey remind me that no caregiver should have to reach a breaking point before finding support.

Catherine Patterson is the acting Chief Operating Officer of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.

• Dollar General is adding more $1 items to its stores, executives said Thursday.
• The dollar store chain plans to increase its $1 selection by 40% in time for the holidays.
• Dollar General is doubling down on the price point after second-quarter sales success

Dollar General is doubling down on the $1 price point.

A selection of 600 items priced at $1 each, which the chain calls “Value Valley,” had comparable sales growth of 16% during the company’s second quarter — a much faster clip than broader same-store sales growth of 3.5%, it said on Thursday.

In total, Dollar General stocks about 2,000 items that cost $1 each. It expects to grow that number by 40% in the second half of 2026 in time for the holiday shopping season, COO Emily Taylor said on the retailer’s earnings call.

Expect that selection to grow “even more so into 2027,” CEO Todd Vasos said. “We have got real plans to expand that $1 price point to offer even more value for the consumer,” he added.

Dollar stores used to be true to their name, with everything on their shelves priced at $1. Inflation has changed that, though: In 2021, Dollar Tree raised prices on most items to $1.25 and has since experimented with items priced at several dollars each.

That’s a different direction than Dollar General appears to be taking, said Arielle Feger, a senior analyst at EMARKETER, Business Insider’s sister company.

While Dollar General has long sold items that cost well over $1 each, many of those items are food and other consumables that draw people into the store, Feger said. The chain began adding freezers stocked with food items priced at $1 each to its stores earlier this year, Vasos said on the company’s last earnings call in June.

Dollar Tree’s $1 item selection, by contrast, skews more toward discretionary items, such as home decor and toys.

Dollar General’s strategy is similar to the classic grocery store strategy of selling eggs and milk as cheaply as possible — even at a loss, potentially — to boost overall sales, Feger said.

“It gets people in the door, and it gets them to continue to come back,” she said.

That strategy is particularly meaningful to customers who are trying to save money, Vasos said on Thursday’s earnings call.

Dollar General’s average customer is “still gainfully employed” and “is seeing some gains in her income levels,” the CEO said. But inflation and rising gas prices this year have offset that income gain, Vasos said, leading many customers to visit its stores more often and buy less each trip.

By expanding its selection of $1 items, Dollar General will likely continue to attract customers, Feger said.

“Consumers are habitual,” she said. “We go to the same places, we expect the same things.”

Do you have a story idea about Dollar General or Dollar Tree? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.

• OpenAI issued a stark cybersecurity warning on Thursday.
• The AI giant wrote in an open letter that “AI-enabled cyber attacks” will become more widespread.
• More than 100 organizations, including Anthropic, joined OpenAI’s call for collective action.

OpenAI says there’s a “limited window to strengthen cyber defenses.”

More than 100 organizations joined OpenAI in an open letter calling for companies and governments to strengthen cybersecurity defenses before it’s too late. Of particular note, rival Anthropic is one of the signatories, a sign that even the two biggest AI companies can find common ground.

“In the coming months, AI-enabled cyber attacks will become far more widespread and sophisticated as models around the world become increasingly capable,” the company wrote in an open letter. “The companies and public services our communities depend on—from hospitals to water treatment plants to the infrastructure that powers the internet—are at risk.”

The letter comes as OpenAI continues to disclose information about how rogue agents broke out of what was presumed to be a secure testing environment before hacking into Hugging Face in search of answers to cheat on internal testing. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had portrayed the breach as a watershed moment.

“This is the first security incident that I have felt very viscerally,” Altman said during a recent interview.

The letter lays out suggestions for organizations, cybersecurity companies, governments, and frontier AI companies. The recommendations include calling on governments to better fund cyber defense, asking cybersecurity companies to share “threat intelligence and tested playbooks,” and urging AI labs to “share tools, playbooks, and credible threat assessments” with those who need it the most.

“We call on leaders across industry and government to bring the full weight of their technology, resources, and expertise to this effort,” the letter reads. “Put cyber-capable AI in the hands of defenders, starting with the teams protecting essential services.”

Other notable tech signatories include Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Cisco, IBM, and CrowdStrike. Hugging Face, the victim of OpenAI’s breach, also signed. A number of notable companies are also part of the group, including Citi, General Motors, Visa, Capitol One, Mastercard, and Citadel.

You can read the full open letter here.

• I got to interview Dolly Parton multiple times, and we mostly spoke about food.
• Parton shared her tip for making the best mac and cheese and scrambled eggs.
• She also revealed what she loved cooking for her husband and ordering from Taco Bell.

After I interviewed Dolly Parton for the first time, I made her cornbread for my family. It was the first thing my dad mentioned when I shared the news that she had died on Tuesday.

“I remember her cornbread,” he replied. “Food brings back good memories with people.”

Maybe that’s why I’ve spent the last day thinking so much about the Dolly dishes I’ve made over the years, and all the things she taught me about cooking during our interviews.

It only seemed right to compile them all in one place in honor of the queen of country music.

Dolly Parton typically kept her recipes simple, but she loved to include a special ingredient

Parton told me that she loved whipping up “mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a big ol’ hunk of cornbread” for her goddaughter Miley Cyrus, so I asked if she had any tips for making cornbread at home.

Her secret: bacon grease.

“When I make my things from scratch at home, I put a little bit of salt and pepper and bacon grease in the dough,” she said. “That is very Southern.”

Parton also surprised me when she revealed that she made her mac and cheese with fried apples dusted with cinnamon. She came up with the dish one night when she didn’t have a lot of supplies in the fridge.

“I just remember I got my macaroni out, and of course I cooked that with the butter and two or three different types of cheeses — a lot of shredded cheddar cheese, and I used some Velveeta,” she added. “And I just remember having some fried apples that had come out of another order of food from somewhere, and I thought, ‘Well, there’s some apples! That’s a great taste combination.'”

Parton also had a more classic mac and cheese recipe, which you can find here.

Parton’s hack for making scrambled eggs is also easy to replicate

When I asked Parton how to make a great plate of scrambled eggs, she told me that all you need is a little bit of water.

“Somebody told me this one, and it works,” she said. “When you crack your eggs in the bowl, put a few drops of ice water. That makes them fluffier — it really does!”

Parton also recommended using bacon grease in a scramble. She loved her bacon grease!

Parton wrote a cookbook with her sister, Rachel Parton George

When I last spoke with Parton in 2023, she told me she was about to release “Good Lookin’ Cookin'” with her sister.

“We both love to cook, and we grew up eating and cooking the things that mama used to cook,” Parton said. “We get in the kitchen all the time and come up with new recipes.”

“Good Lookin’ Cookin’,” which came out in September 2024, is divided into 12 sections, each representing a month of the year. My favorite is the Thanksgiving chapter, where Parton and her sister shared their recipes for Southern staples.

Here are their recipes for sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes.

Parton believed fried chicken was the one dish everyone should learn how to make for a successful marriage

Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, were married for more than 50 years. Naturally, I had to ask if she had a dish that was good for marriage.

“I think everybody should really know how to make good fried chicken,” she told me. “I love good fried chicken with coleslaw.”

“Make sure your batter is good, add some flour and some pepper and salt,” she continued. “I put a little extra pepper on mine. And then you just dunk it in your oil or grease, whatever you cook with.”

Parton told me she loved cooking for Dean, who died in 2025. She’d whip up French toast with bacon or gravy and biscuits for breakfast, while dinner could be chicken and dumplings (“My specialty,” she said) or pork chops with green peas and mashed potatoes.

“I just cook whatever comes to mind and whatever I’m in the mood for,” she said. “I can cook any of it!”

When Parton wasn’t cooking, she loved going through fast-food drive-thrus. Taco Bell was a favorite.

Before my first interview with Parton, I had unearthed a quote where she talked about enjoying Taco Bell with Dean. So when we got to chat, I asked for her usual order.

“Well, I like soft-shell tacos. I like the others, but they fall apart so bad, especially if you’re riding around,” she said. “And I get an order of rice and beans, and I get mild sauce. But they used to make a little Mexican pizza, which is also good.”

“They took it away, actually, and the fans are still really angry,” I told her. “Do you think they should bring it back?”

“I think they should!” Parton said. “I think they should!”

Three months later, Taco Bell announced the Mexican Pizza was coming back, and Parton participated in a musical to celebrate its return.

I still consider this union one of my greatest contributions to the world.

• I’m a longtime Disney World fan, but last summer, I visited Dollywood for the first time.
• The park in Tennessee was cheap, had few crowds, and had great snacks.
• Dollywood pleasantly surprised me and taught me about Dolly Parton’s lasting legacy.

Disney World has long been my dream vacation.

Since I was a kid, I’ve loved heading down to Florida and spending time in the parks, jumping on some of my favorite rides like “Soarin'” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Last summer, I decided to switch it up. I’ve heard great things about Dollywood in Tennessee, but I was unsure if it would be worth the trip.

After talking with a few friends, we decided to bite the bullet and book the trip. I was pleasantly surprised and learned a lot about Dolly Parton herself.

A year later, I’m still dreaming about my day in the park, and now with Dolly’s passing, I’m eager to get back to the place that celebrates the musical legend.

I’ve long been a fan of her music, so I was excited when the grand entrance welcomed me into the Dolly-verse.

The buildings at the front of the park housed theaters, shops, and restaurants. It was my first indication that Dollywood was about to transport me into the icon’s world.

I was impressed by the cheap ticket prices.

Before I even arrived in Tennessee, I realized the biggest difference between Dollywood and Disney: the price.

I’m used to spending $150 or more for a ticket to Disney World.

For this trip, I paid just $99 for admission to two parks — Dollywood and Splash Country. It was well worth it.

My first stop at the park was the Dolly Experience: Songteller, a museum about the singer’s life.

Walking through a museum while at an amusement park was a new experience, but it set the tone for the rest of the day.

This wasn’t an amusement park set around an IP of movies and TV shows. It was a place to celebrate Dolly Parton’s life.

I remember this museum the most a year later because it taught me just how influential the singer really was.

Exploring an amusement park dedicated to a single celebrity was unique and fun.

Dollywood is focused on Dolly Parton — her childhood, her music, and her other achievements. This helped the park feel cohesive and completely immersive.

From the moment you enter the park, you explore different parts of Dolly’s life. I entered replicas of her childhood home and schoolhouse. The whole park is a celebration of her hometown: the Smoky Mountain region.

I wasn’t expecting much from the rides at Dollywood, but there was plenty to do.

As someone who hates roller coasters, I was always hesitant when I saw the list of rides at Dollywood. There were a lot of roller coasters, and I am decidedly not a thrill seeker.

Even though I only went on a few rides, they were comparable to some of my favorites at other theme parks. Plus, there were plenty of shows to keep me busy throughout the day.

Dollywood’s cinnamon bread changed me.

Disney’s frozen treat, Dole Whip, is iconic, and I certainly missed it while in Tennessee, but Dollywood arguably had something better: cinnamon bread.

Throughout the park, you could smell the warm scent of cinnamon all day long.

When I finally got my hands on a loaf, I instantly melted. The fluffy dough was the perfect treat in the middle of the day.

Dollywood wasn’t as crowded as I expected.

Thankfully, Dollywood wasn’t impossible to maneuver. Even though it was July, the park was not packed, so I felt more relaxed. It was easy to move around. Lines for rides were manageable, too; none of them exceeded 45 minutes.

That meant I got to immerse myself in all aspects of the park and learn more about the musician.

Pigeon Forge also had so much to offer.

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is a tourist town, and I loved visiting. It’s filled with every activity you can imagine: mini golf, go-karting, dinner shows, shopping, carnivals, and world-class restaurants.

I stayed on Margaritaville Island in Pigeon Forge and loved being close to the stores and restaurants. The view of the Ferris wheel from the hotel pool was also great.

My first visit to Dollywood far exceeded my expectations.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first booked my trip to Dollywood, but I was pleasantly surprised at every turn.

Dollywood was a great vacation spot because of its rides, immersive theme, and food.

It’s also the perfect place to celebrate the life of Dolly Parton — something I’m hopeful to do again in the future.

• Dolly Parton’s letter to Eminem shows the power of a thoughtful, unexpected note.
• Networking is strongest when it isn’t transactional, workplace observers told Business Insider.
• The best connectors share attention and make it less about themselves.

Beyond her 9-to-5 as a performer and prolific songwriter, Dolly Parton was also a master of connection.

That was clear in a letter she sent Eminem, whose given name is Marshall Mathers, following his 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In a post on X on Tuesday following Parton’s death at age 80, the rapper wrote that Parton’s words had an impact on him, in part because “she definitely didn’t have to take the time to do it.”

“Even for a kid who mostly listened to rap music, she was an icon,” Eminem said, saying that the two never got a chance to meet.

In the letter he posted, Parton offered praise while acknowledging that she didn’t know much about rap. “I’ve come to know that you are the very best at it,” she wrote. Parton added that she had long felt an “unexplained connection” to him.

Parton closed the single-paragraph message by encouraging Eminem to keep working and reminding him that he touched people “in ways you don’t even know.”

‘Be a joy in someone else’s inbox’

Her note to the Detroit musician, decades younger than her, offered a useful lesson in networking: A thoughtful message doesn’t have to take much time — or come with a request.

“Often when we think about networking, we think about, ‘What can we get from someone else?’ said Molly Beck, head of marketing at the software firm uStudio, and author of the book “Reach Out.” Yet it’s usually most effective when it’s not asking for something, she said.

“You can simply try to be a joy in someone else’s inbox,” Beck said.

That is a point people often miss about networking, said Peter Banko, CEO of healthcare system Baystate Health and author of the leadership book “The Necessary Goodbye.”

“Networking is not about sending your résumé or conducting a transaction. It’s having a relationship with another person,” he said.

Parton made other similar gestures throughout her career. After Three 6 Mafia beat her for the Academy Award for best original song in 2006, she sent the hip-hop group from her home state a congratulatory note. “I’m just glad that the Oscar came back to Tennessee one way or another,” she wrote, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The power of a thoughtful note

The letter to Eminem shows how a small gesture can have an enduring impact, said Dorie Clark, a communication coach and author of the book “The Long Game.”

As people become more successful, networking should become less about their own advancement and more about helping others, she said.

“The most successful networkers are the people who realize when you are successful, you need to steadily make it less and less about yourself,” she said.

Clark said that asking people questions, being kind to them, inviting them in, and sharing the spotlight is ultimately good for both sides.

“That will do more for your brand than any amount of overt self-promotion will ever do,” she said.

Even for someone as famous as Eminem, whose music came from a world far from Parton’s country-music base, that kind of gesture had an impact, Clark said.

“She felt a kinship with him and knew that it would be meaningful to him to receive a word of encouragement,” she said. “She was right, because he kept it and shared it years later.”