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• The GOP’s House Freedom Caucus is pushing back against a Senate deal to fund DHS and pay TSA workers.
• The Senate voted to move forward on a DHS funding bill that excludes funding for immigration operations.
• Now, TSA worker pay remains uncertain as the House GOP says no ICE funding is a no-go.

The era of American travel chaos might not come to a close anytime soon, as a potential deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security — and Transportation Security Administration workers’ paychecks — appears to be falling apart.

Republican members of the House’s Freedom Caucus are signaling they won’t move forward with a proposal to fund DHS, potentially lengthening a shutdown that began on February 14.

Early Friday morning, the Senate voted to move forward with a proposal to end the partial shutdown that’s currently preventing TSA workers from getting paid. The Senate-approved proposal excludes funding for immigration operations and came as Congress prepared to depart on a scheduled recess Friday evening. For that legislation to become law — and get TSA workers paid — it needs to be passed by the House.

“Could the Senate be any more lazy than to send to us a bill that doesn’t do the job and then leave town?” Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas and member of the House Freedom Caucus, said at a press conference. “So we’re going to stand up and say no to that. We’re going to send back a bill that’s responsible to the American people.”

It’s another setback in a partial shutdown that’s left TSA workers with two missing paychecks and American travelers stuck in hourslong lines at airports across the country. Hundreds of TSA workers have quit, and thousands have called out as they go without pay.

President Donald Trump has taken direct action to ease those paycheck woes, signing an executive order on Friday that directs the Secretary of Homeland Security “to use funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations to provide TSA employees with the compensation and benefits that would have accrued to them if not for the Democrat-led DHS shutdown.” Trump’s executive order said that he has determined that “current circumstances constitute an emergency situation” that compromises the country’s security.

House Freedom Caucus members have said they want to add ICE and Border Patrol funding back into a spending package, measures that the Senate-passed package omitted. House Republicans have also eyed a 60-day stopgap funding measure, which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said would be “dead on arrival in the Senate, and Republicans know it.”

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

Do you wake up from that same nightmare in a cold sweat, worried about whether you’re going to be replaced at work by the breakdancing restaurant robot? Do you fear getting a calendar invite from your manager, with an HR rep added and — for some reason — Sam Altman?

No? Just me? Well, we might have some help for those fears: a quiz!

It is reasonable — healthy, even — to feel anxiety about what the near future will look like as AI increasingly shapes more of our lives. Underneath conversations about AI — whether they’re hopeful, skeptical, or fearful — is one big question: Is my job going to be replaced by AI?

We vibe-coded a simple quiz, loosely based on a database covering what skills and tasks are needed in hundreds of jobs maintained by the US Department of Labor, that will help you figure out how AI-proof your job is — and what you can do to help mitigate your risk.

Click here for our full methodology.

Here’s the quiz:

For example, I, Katie, am a journalist (a role that doesn’t require formal credentials) who doesn’t manage anyone, and I scored a 68 on the quiz. That puts me in the yellow risk zone. My editor, who does manage people, got a 66. The higher the number, the more your job is potentially exposed to AI. Much to consider.

• I didn’t plan to have a big family, but it became the center of my life.
• I raised my kids mostly on my own after my husband left our family.
• Now that they’re grown and scattered, I miss the chaos of our daily life.

I didn’t plan to have 5 children. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to get married.

I envisioned a life modeled after my childhood heroine, Mary Richards, the fictional associate producer at WJM-TV, played by Mary Tyler Moore. Yes, I was the girl who stayed in her dorm room on Saturday nights to watch each episode. That served me well because I did work for several years in television and eventually landed in Hollywood.

That’s where I met my husband, a recently resettled Cambodian refugee who worked with me on translating a film. We got married a year later, and I got pregnant just about immediately.

Of my 5 children, all but 2 were surprises

I was not expecting to be expecting so quickly. But pregnancy did not upend our plans to move cross-country and resettle in Boston.

I was six months along when we drove the 3,000 miles from California to Massachusetts. My enduring memory of the journey happened on our third day in the restroom of a McDonald’s in Texas on Prom Night. These cute teens were touching up their makeup when I entered and immediately vomited into a sink. Instead of acting horrified, they were sweet and sympathetic to my condition. I’ll never forget that.

Three months later, I gave birth to my first son, and it was love at first sight. When he was 2, we started talking about having another child. I was unaware that I was already pregnant. When my period didn’t stop, I found out I’d lost that baby that I didn’t even know existed. Within a few months, I was pregnant again and at week 12 lost that pregnancy as well.

Undeterred, we tried one more time and conceived our second son, the only one of our four biological children who was planned.

It was easy to get pregnant

I got pregnant again and delivered my third son just a year later.

I loved these three boys, but I really wanted a daughter, too. We adopted a baby girl who came to us at 6 months through the foster care system, and then I thought we were done.

I gave away all the baby clothes and equipment and settled into raising four kids. My husband had a different idea: leaving our family to create a new one. Wracked with guilt for abandoning us, he returned, and I got pregnant again. I was 42 and reeling from the emotional roller coaster of my broken marriage.

It took the full nine months to come to terms with having another child. I can still recall the look of disbelief on my oldest son’s face when we told him he’d have another sibling.

My kids made it easy to parent them

When my youngest was 8 months old, my husband left for good. I told the kids that even if he asked to return, I would not welcome him back.

During much of our time together, I felt like a married single mother. Now I was one in earnest, but I relished the role and loved managing our big household. I credit my children with making the job easier.

They were a united front, supporting each other and me. Those with driver’s licenses would ferry the younger ones to their various activities. The more mature boys would cook, clean, and even do laundry. It was a blissful existence despite the circumstances until they started leaving for college.

Now that they’re adults, I miss the chaos

Two enrolled in schools within five miles of home, and two chose campuses in California. With fewer visits home, I sold our house and moved west, too, knowing the youngest would eventually be resettled in California.

I envisioned replicating our large family gatherings with my adult kids, but that’s not happening nearly as often as I’d like. Although four of them are now on the West Coast, only one lives nearby. My son, who’s the father of my two grandchildren, is in New York.

Since the pandemic, the whole family has only gathered together once for my youngest son’s wedding. Although I meet up with them and their partners in their personal pods whenever I can, we don’t bring the whole tribe together often enough.

I miss the energy, the noise, and the intensity. I loved the constant activity. I even loved the mess.

That’s all gone now, which is why I tell young couples contemplating having large families that this day will come for them, too. While they may enjoy the controlled chaos of raising a lot of children, one day those kids will disperse, and it won’t be simple to maintain the bonds we work so hard to forge when they’re young.

Sometimes I think that if I had only one child, this time of life would be easier, but that’s not true. I love the whole lot of them and can’t imagine life without this crowd.

• Oura CEO Tom Hale said he sometimes observes employees in Slack.
• When he sees “great work,” he comments directly on it, he says.
• Hale said lurking in employee Slack rooms has helped create a culture where ideas flow freely.

Leadership styles vary widely from CEO to CEO. Some are highly visible and communicative, earning trust through memos, town halls, and motivational messaging, while others take a quieter approach, building credibility through observation.

Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, said he leans toward a quieter leadership style, especially in times when he can’t connect with employees in person.

He said he often lurks in employee Slack channels, for instance, without actively participating.

“So, I can’t drop by your office, but you know what I can do, I can kind of lurk in your Slack chat, and if I see some really great work, I’m going to comment directly right on that,” he said on a recent episode of Sequoia Capital’s podcast.

He suggested it could be a lesson for executives, too. Paying attention to work across all levels of the company and occasionally chiming in— whether to say “that’s a really good idea” or “have you considered this”— helped create a culture where ideas can move more freely, he said.

Communication is a two-way street, and Hale said employees would sometimes even challenge him. “Creating a non-hierarchical culture that’s not bound by time, or geography, or role is really powerful,” he added.

Oura, the maker of the eponymous health-tracking ring, launched in 2013 and has since become a subtle Silicon Valley fashion statement. The company now employs over 900 people. In October, it reached an $11 billion valuation, after raising $900 million in Series E funding.

Hale stepped into the role of CEO in 2022, bringing with him more than two decades of experience in the tech industry. He began his career at graphics and software company Macromedia, and stayed on after Adobe acquired it in 2005. He later held roles at Second Life maker Linden Lab, HomeAway, and Momentive-AI, the parent company of SurveyMonkey, before joining Oura.

Oura did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• I lived in Italy for eight years, and I still go back every summer to visit family and enjoy Europe.
• I wish I could go even more often, but it’s not always possible to hop on an international flight.
• Luckily, I’ve found cities in California, Michigan, and Florida that feel like Italy to me.

When I was in college, studying abroad in Italy was a no-brainer. My great-grandparents are from a tiny village just outside Modena, and I was curious about my heritage.

Something that took me by surprise, though, was the realization that I didn’t want to leave.

After my semester ended, I lived and worked in Rome throughout my early 20s. Eventually, I moved back to the US and became an Italian teacher.

Although I now live in Chicago, Italy still feels like my second home: I make a point to spend summers there, mainly so my daughter can bond with her nonna.

As lucky as I am to visit Italy every year, I still wish I could go more often. Thankfully, I’ve discovered a handful of places across the US that capture the energy of my favorite Italian regions.

These cities offer Americans a slice of Italian culture, minus the hourslong flight overseas — and help quench my insatiable thirst for Italy with soul-stirring food, wine, history, and charm.

Catalina Island’s hidden coves and crystalline waters feel like Capri.

Located off the coast of southern California, Catalina Island is about 22 miles long. It’s easily accessible via ferry service, which operates out of three ports near Los Angeles.

When I first visited Catalina Island, I was awed by the dramatic shorelines, crystal-clear waters, and hidden coves. I felt like I was back on Capri.

I hiked to the top of the Garden to Sky trail, catching panoramic views that felt straight out of a Mediterranean postcard. Then, I soaked up the sunshine at Descanso Beach while sipping a chilled glass of prosecco.

Florida is home to Coral Gables, a city that always reminds me of Lake Como.

With its glamorous Mediterranean-style architecture, lush gardens, and waterfront estates, Coral Gables feels like Florida’s answer to Italy’s Lake Como.

The Italian Renaissance-inspired Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, built in the early 1900s, reminds me of the grand villas that line Como’s shores.

If you plan your own visit, don’t forget to check out the Venetian Pool — this public swimming spot was carved from a coral rock quarry, and (true to its name) feels straight out of Italy.

Chicago and Milan are “sister cities,” and it’s easy to see why.

It’s no surprise to me that my hometown of Chicago and the metropolis of Milan are officially sister cities. Both feature vibrant street art, designer boutiques, and — unsurprisingly, maybe — delicious Italian food.

I always recommend that tourists plan a trip to coincide with the Randolph Street Market, a pop-up vintage extravaganza. You can also explore Chicago’s dynamic mural scene with a street art tour.

Finally, Chicago’s pizza is as hearty and rich as any slices you’d find in Italy. You can’t leave my hometown without trying our legendary deep dish.

For a classic experience, head to Giordano’s. The stuffed pizza here is a masterpiece of cheese and sauce wrapped in a golden crust.

Sonoma bears an uncanny resemblance to Tuscany.

The first time I visited Sonoma, California, I was struck by how much it resembled the Tuscan countryside, from the golden hills to rustic farmhouses.

When I found myself gathered around a long wooden table at Pedroncelli Winery, surrounded by laughter, clinking glasses, and the comforting scent of fresh herbs and olive oil, I felt wrapped in the same warmth and magic of the Italian countryside.

Perhaps the most obvious similarity, though, is the locals’ deep appreciation for wine. You can even immerse yourself in vineyard life by staying at one of the several wineries that offer accommodations.

Venice Beach in California feels just like the Italian city of the same name.

Venice Beach’s bohemian vibe and canals are an almost-perfect replica of Venice, Italy.

Developed in 1905, the canals of this coastal Los Angeles neighborhood were designed to look like those in Venice. Whenever I stroll along the picturesque bridges and waterfront homes, I almost feel like I’m in Italy … all that’s missing are the gondolas.

Frankenmuth, Michigan, reminds me of the Italian Dolomites.

This Michigan city’s Alpine-style buildings, hearty cuisine, and cozy charm really resemble the Dolomites in northeastern Italy.

Moments like browsing handcrafted wooden ornaments at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland (the world’s largest Christmas store), enjoying a traditional Alpine feast, and setting off on a riverboat cruise on the Cass River made me feel like I was celebrating Natale — or Christmas — in Europe.

This story was originally published on August 18, 2025, and most recently updated on March 26, 2026.

The government shutdown has created a TSA shortfall, resulting in long lines at airport security checkpoints across the US.