32 Iconic Outfits From ’90s Movies

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The 1990s were a great time for film, no doubt — just look at the 100 best movies of the ’90s for proof — but it was also an unforgettable decade for fashion. Iconic ‘90s movie characters from Cher Horowitz to Mia Wallace to The Dude strutted into cinema history with their enviable wardrobes packed with cropped plaid cords, chic button-downs, cozy knit sweaters, and more, changing not only how people looked onscreen but how we all dressed in real life. From great ‘90s sci-fi movies like The Matrix and The Fifth Element to hilarious ’90s comedies like But I’m A Cheerleader and B.A.P.S., these 32 fashionable flicks served up the decade’s most iconic movie outfits.(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)Cher’s Plaid Set From CluelessAlicia Silverstone’s Cher has been sparking closet envy ever since we saw her computer whip up the perfect outfit combination in the first scenes of Clueless. And her sunshine-yellow plaid suit, paired with a Collie-esque faux-fur backpack and her best accessory of all — equally stylish BFF Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash), of course — is as instantly iconic as her trademark rebuttal of “As if!”(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)Tyler Durden’s Leather Jacket From Fight ClubWe won’t spoil that mind-blowing plot twist — though the film has been out for decades at this point — but we will say that Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden sure packs a punch in the style department. Throughout the 1999 David Fincher flick, the Fight Club character routinely sports a uniform comprised of a wide-lapeled red leather jacket, a patterned button-down and a pair of scarlet-lensed sunglasses. It’s a fit so cool, it’s almost too good to be true.(Image credit: Touchstone Pictures)If you’re going to make an impression at your high school reunion, coordinating metallic mini-dresses is certainly the way to do it. After shedding their Post-it-inventing businesswomen blazers, besties Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) make their grand reentrance in ensembles entirely their own: a set of super-shiny, dance-friendly frocks in bubblegum pink and baby blue. Just think of the style moments a Romy and Michele sequel could bring!(Image credit: Touchstone Pictures)Vivian’s Crimson Opera Dress From Pretty WomanThere are many memorable fashion moments in the Julia Roberts classic Pretty Woman, from the $20 white-and-blue call girl outfit we first meet Vivian Ward in, to the pretty, polka-dotted number she later wears to polo. (Heck, the movie pretty much perfected the shopping montage!) But no look was as significant as the stunning red carpet-worth gown the character wears to attend a performance of La Traviata at the San Francisco Opera alongside Richard Gere’s Edward Lewis.(Image credit: MGM)The Desert Denim From Thelma & LouiseIf you’re going to be on the run from the law — in self-defense or otherwise — you might as well look great doing it. And road-tripping pals Thelma Dickinson (Geena Davis) and Louise Sawyer (Susan Sarandon) certainly do in the boundary-breaking Ridley Scott drama Thelma & Louise, which sees the two Arkansas women dash and dart away from police in dusty dungarees, sleeveless tops, ripped neckerchiefs and cowgirl hats. If being stylish was a crime, consider these two guilty.(Image credit: Warner Bros)Neo’s Trench Coat From The MatrixFrom Casablanca to Kill Bill, the trench coat is a cinematic fashion staple, but nowhere has it looked cooler than when worn by Keanu Reeves as computer hacker Neo in the sci-fi masterpiece The Matrix. Per Dazed, the iconic black trench the character sports throughout the futuristic franchise was crafted by costume designer Kym Barrett with traditional Chinese robes and clergy garb in mind. Whatever the sartorial inspiration, the outcome was truly otherworldly.Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News(Image credit: Miramax)Mia’s Bob and Button-Down From Pulp FictionProof that simple doesn’t mean snooze-worthy where style is concerned, mob wife Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman, in her breakthrough role) twisted her way into cultural iconography with her blunt brunette bob, crisp white button-down and perpetually lit cigarette in Quentin Tarantino’s best movie, Pulp Fiction. Costume designer Betsy Heimann reportedly modeled Mia’s signature look after silent film stars and French New Wave figures.(Image credit: Universal)The Cheer Squad Uniforms From Bring It OnThe Rancho Carne Toros in San Diego and the East Compton Clovers in Los Angeles may have been rivals on the cheer mat, but they were equals where fashion is concerned. In their peppy, contrasting red and green uniforms, the cheerleading squads led by captains Torrance (Kirsten Dunst) and Isis (Gabrielle Union) looked surprisingly sophisticated while performing their high-flying routines. And the looks are still relevant these decades later — Union even sweetly broke out her old Clovers uniform as a fun movie-themed Halloween costume alongside her daughter.(Image credit: New Line Cinema)The Orange and Blue Tuxes From Dumb and DumberTalk about not adhering to a black-tie dress code! Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) made quite a bold fashion statement when they showed up to a formal fundraising event in a bright-orange and powder-blue tuxedo, respectively, in the classic Farrelly Brothers comedy Dumb and Dumber. They’re simultaneously some of the best (in terms of funniness) and worst (in terms of fashion) suits ever put to celluloid.(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)The Goth Schoolgirl Garb From The CraftThe Power of Four, indeed. Each of the witchy teens at the center of the ’90s cult hit The Craft — played by Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True — was a style goddess in her own right. But together they made quite a mystical impression with their schoolgirl style edged up with a touch of the occult, from their gothic choker necklaces to their lace-up black boots. Our wardrobes invoke thee!(Image credit:  TriStar Pictures)Catherine’s White Turtleneck Dress From Basic InstinctFunnily enough, Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone believed that nobody would care about what femme fatale Catherine Tramell was wearing during an otherwise straightforward interrogation scene. “The movie was a thriller and we were stopping the action to watch me sit still in a chair, so I thought the possibility of anybody giving two s—ts about it was zero,” the actress revealed to InStyle. How wrong she was — that leggy white dress and cashmere Hermès throw helped create one of the most infamous and controversial scenes in movie history, thanks to yet another style choice: her lack of undergarments.(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)Janet Jackson’s Hat and Hoops From Poetic Justice On stage, on screen, on the street — Janet Jackson is a veritable style icon wherever she goes. And the music legend certainly lived up to that sartorial greatness in the 1993 romantic drama Poetic Justice as the Los Angeles-based poet-hairdresser Justice, memorably accessorized with hoop earrings and a pageboy cap to go with her still-en-vogue ensemble of baggy high-waisted jeans and a black crop top.(Image credit: Gaumont)Leeloo’s Orange Suspenders From The Fifth ElementAs a famous model-turned-actress, Milla Jovovich could pull off any costume, even ridiculous outfits from movies set in the future. Her iconic role as Leeloo in the 1997 sci-fi favorite The Fifth Element is certainly proof: the character famously wears rubber neon-orange suspenders — as citrus-bright as her dyed hair — with a ribbed crop top and gold disco pants, all designed by the one and only Jean-Paul Gaultier.(Image credit: PolyGram)The Dude’s Sweater From The Big LebowskiThe original Westerly men’s cardigan by Pendleton Woolen Mills debuted all the way back in 1974, but it become immortalized when the lambswool sweater was worn by Jeff Lebowski. a.k.a. The Dude, in The Coen Brothers’ classic The Big Lebowski. The garment became so popular thanks to the groovy Jeff Bridges character that the brand permanently brought the cardigan back in stock. Style abides!(Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox)Juliet’s Angel Wings From Romeo + JulietBaz Luhrmann’s magnetic, modernized Romeo + Juliet adaptation was packed with flamboyant reimaginings of the Shakespearean classic, particularly in the costume department. The most famous example, no doubt, is the ballroom scene that brings together our titular star-crossed lovers (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes), with Danes’ Juliet looking positively ethereal in a chaste white dress and angel’s wings. Nineties-era DiCaprio dressed as a literal knight in shining armor isn’t too shabby, either.(Image credit: Universal Pictures)Ellie Sattler’s Safari Styles From Jurassic ParkFew people could make digging through dinosaur poop look fashionable, and Laura Dern is one of them. For much of the 1993 Steven Spielberg-helmed action flick, Dern’s beloved Jurassic Park heroine Dr. Ellie Sattler is durably decked out in a salmon-colored shirt tied in a knot over a blue tank, a pair of khaki shorts and some jungle-ready work boots. Dern paid homage to that very outfit when she reprised the iconic character three decades later in Jurassic World Dominion.(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)Kathryn’s Power Suit From Cruel IntentionsAny other high schooler parading around uptown Manhattan in a power suit would look foolish, but not Cruel Intentions’ Kathryn Merteuil. Formidably played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, the merciless mean girl made being bad look good in a sleek Dolce & Gabbana suit, with a custom skintight corset hidden underneath and a rosary necklace filled with, well, not holy water. The only thing sharper than that tailoring? Kathryn’s manipulative edge.(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)Josie’s First Day-Of-School Feathers From Never Been KissedIf you’re a 20-something newspaper reporter trying to go undercover as a high school student to research for a story, maybe wearing a feather boa to homeroom isn’t the best move. Sure, Josie Geller’s all-white get-up — worn in one of the best Drew Barrymore romantic comedies, Never Been Kissed — was nonsensical, especially paired with a giant lemon-printed tot in place of a traditional backpack, but overall, it was definitely rufus!(Image credit: Universal Pictures)Wooderson’s White Tee and ‘Stache From Dazed & ConfusedFew film breakthroughs have been as indelible as Matthew McConaughey in the Richard Linklater-directed coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused. One of McConaughey’s best roles, his Texan townie David Wooderson wasn’t just iconic because of his one-liners (including that infamous “Alright, alright, alright” drawl) but also because of his authentic ’70s digs: a tight Ted Nugent T-shirt tucked into salmon-pink pants, capped off with a groovy mustache and that easy McConaughey smile.(Image credit: New Line Cinema)Nisi and Mickey’s Super-Shiny Coats From B.A.P.S.Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (the late Natalie Desselle) — a.k.a. the “Black American Princesses” at the focus of the cultish 1997 buddy comedy B.A.P.S. —know that a good outfit means serving looks from head to toe. Put together by Oscar-winning costume director Ruth E. Carter, those incredible sky-high hairdos are matched with heavily lacquered outerwear in tropical tangerine and animal print, plus heaps of gold jewelry and a fresh set of acrylic nails.(Image credit: Warner Bros.)Corey’s Rex Manning Day Outfit From Empire RecordsThe ’90s cult favorite Empire Records takes place over the course of one day in the lives of a plucky group of record store employees. But it’s no ordinary day: it’s Rex Manning Day when the childhood crush of staffer Corey Mason (played by Liv Tyler) — washed-up pop star Rex Manning (Maxwell Caulfield) — comes in for an album-signing event. Of course, that means Corey wants to look her best and she sure does, in a soft blue mohair sweater, plaid skirt and combat boots that, per Elle, were the actress’s own.(Image credit: Lionsgate Films)The Pink Camp Uniforms From But I’m a CheerleaderOne of the best and most satirical teen rom-coms out there, But I’m a Cheerleader stars Natasha Lyonne as Megan Bloomfield, a high school cheerleader whose parents send her to a conversion therapy camp to “cure” her lesbianism. All attendees of True Directions are made to wear campy color-coded uniforms — pale pink for the girls, bright blue for the boys — a hilariously subversive sendup of absurd gender stereotypes. That candy-colored clothing is made sweeter when Megan falls for another queer girl (played by Clea DuVall) in the program.(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)Tupac’s Layered Outerwear From JuiceThe 1992 crime thriller Juice was the feature film debut of rap icon Tupac Shakur, and the rapper made a great big-screen first impression. As Roland Bishop, an aimless Harlem youth walking the chilly, dangerous streets of early-nineties New York City with his friends, Tupac wears a top-notch outerwear uniform — we’re talking sporty crewnecks layered over hoodies and topped with an oversized jean jacket. It may be cold, but Pac always looks cool.(Image credit: Warner Bros.)Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman Suit From Batman ReturnsSuperheroes usually have pretty cool costumes, tricked out with gadgets and gizmos, but for Michelle Pfeiffer, all her Catwoman needed was a skintight latex suit and a simple whip to create a seminal cinematic villain. Beyond being “black and sexy and tight and shiny,” costume designer Mary Vogt revealed to AnOther, the infamous suit shrewdly incorporated silicon stitching to mimic a calico cat. “Since she was moving around at night, it looked really fluid. That costume is all about the light – and of course, all about Michelle.”(Image credit: Warner Bros.)Selena’s Purple Performing Jumpsuit From SelenaJennifer Lopez is a fashion legend in her own right — her famous green Grammy dress literally inspired the invention of Google Images — but in 1997, she had her Golden Globe-nominated breakthrough for portraying another style icon, the late Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, in the music biopic Selena. The titular star had many notable performing outfits throughout her short-lived career, many of which were recreated for the film, but the glittering purple jumpsuit Selena wore while performing at the Houston Astrodome might just be her most unforgettable look.(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)The Spice Force Five Looks From Spice World World-famous pop group, The Spice Girls are known for their individual personas and signature styles, from Victoria Beckham’s “posh” little black dresses to Geri Halliwell’s Union Jack frocks. But in their 1997 musical comedy film Spice World, the gals come together for a true joint slay as the “Spice Force Five,” hamming it up as seriously stylish espionage agents in matching silver fits and, of course, massive platform shoes.(Image credit: Miramax Films)Laney’s Little Red Dress From She’s All ThatSome outfits deserve their own slow-mo moment, and the post-makeover red dress that artsy nerd Laney Boggs (played by Rachael Leigh Cook) wears in the classic ’90s teen flick She’s All That is certainly one of them. “Up until that point her palette was very drab,” costume designer Denise Wingate told Interview Magazine. “That’s why when she comes down the stairs to meet Zach that moment was more about the color than the dress itself.” (Cue the “Kiss Me”!) Not that we don’t love her paint-splattered overalls and bookish eyeglasses, too!(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)The Beach Hats From How Stella Got Her Groove BackAngela Bassett always looks incredible, but especially while on vacation — the tropical costuming in one of the actress’s best movies, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, certainly proves that point. The island-ready looks worn by Bassett’s character Stella Payne and her best friend Delilah (Whoopi Goldberg), complete with fabulous, wide-brimmed beach hats, will make you want to book a trip ASAP.(Image credit: Universal Pictures)Madeline’s Silver Ensemble From Death Becomes HerWhen Hollywood icons like Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Isabella Rossellini come together, you know the fashion moments will be aplenty. The ’90s dark comedy Death Becomes Her is packed with them, like the silky silver jacket that Meryl’s Madeline Ashton character wears while she blasts a hole straight through the stomach of her former friend Helen Sharp (Hawn). The outfit was so iconic that Adele herself wore it while crooning to Streep at one of her Vegas shows.(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)Rose’s Dinner Dress From TitanicIt’s no surprise that, out of its whopping 11 wins, Titanic took home the Oscar for Best Costume Design at the 70th Academy Awards. The ornate lace gown that Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) wears in that romantic scene as she glides down the grand staircase to meet Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) alone was worth the award!(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)The Wonders’ Matching Suits From That Thing You Do!”You guys look great in red, have I told you that?” It’s the go-to compliment from The Wonders’ band manager Mr. White (played by Tom Hanks, who also wrote and directed the movie) in the 1996 musical comedy That Thing You Do! And honestly, he’s right: the matching suits he makes bandmates Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech), Lenny (Steve Zahn), Guy (Tom Everett Scott) and the bass player (Ethan Embry) wear on tour do look great, especially when finished off with some cool sunnies for “Shades” to wear.(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)Dickie’s Italian Wardrobe From The Talented Mr. RipleyIt would be near-impossible to make film heartthrob Jude Law ever look bad, but the classic Riviera-chic stylings that the actor wears as Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley —think striped polo, breezy white trousers, boat-ready loafers and stretches of tanned skin — arguably might be the best he’s ever looked onscreen.

Trumps slaps Colombia with trade, travel restrictions

Travel

Latin American leaders are grappling with how to respond to President Donald Trump’s unilateral demands after he enlisted the military to fly deportees home over the weekend.The U.S. military has a checkered history of intervention in Latin America, and Mexico – which has routinely accepted U.S. charter deportation flights – but appeared to draw a line on the use of a military aircraft.Colombia and Brazil also condemned the conditions in which deportees were returned, including the use of handcuffs, a practice the agency has used in prior administrations. Colombia suspended deportation flights on Sunday.Last week, Mexico refused to accept a deportation flight for the first time in decades. The country refused an Airforce C-17 deportation flight on Thursday, a move first reported by NBC News.Two other Airforce C-17 flights on Friday appeared to take a substantial detour around Mexican airspace to reach Guatemala, said Tom Cartwright, who tracks U.S. deportation flights as a volunteer for immigrant rights group Witness at the Border. The flights – appearing to depart Tucson, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas – veered over the newly renamed “Gulf of America,” flying south across Costa Rica, only to double back north to Guatemala, he said.Trump announced retaliatory measures against Colombia on Sunday, tacking “emergency 25% tariffs” on all goods coming from Colombia. He also said Colombian officials, “allies and supporters” would see their visas revoked and travel to the U.S. banned. U.S. goods and services trade with Colombia totaled an estimated $53.5 billion in 2022, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Of that, about $18.5 billion were Colombian goods exported to the United States. In a statement posted to the Truth Social media site he owns, Trump said, “These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!” The back-and-forth continued Sunday afternoon, with Petro saying he would offer his presidential plane to ensure the “dignified” return of Colombian deportees. Pushing backFollowing the NBC report, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on the social media site X that Mexico had accepted four other deportation flights Thursday.”This comes in addition to unrestricted returns at the land border, the deportation of non-Mexicans, & reinstatement of Remain-in-Mexico,” Leavitt said on X.There were three flights Thursday to Mexico, Cartwright said. All were the customary U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement charters, according to Cartwright.On Sunday, Colombia President Gustavo Petro suspended U.S. deportation flights, saying the Trump administration must first establish a protocol to treat migrants with dignity before he’ll accept the flights.”The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants like criminals,” Petro said in a post on the social media site X.Brazilian officials also demanded that U.S. agents remove handcuffs from a group of deportees flown there Friday by standard ICE charter jet.President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s foreign minister called the practice a sign of “blatant disrespect” for his fellow citizens, Reuters reported.”It’s their way of taking a stand,” said Tony Payan, executive director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University. “Brazil and Colombia can do it more easily, as any tariff threats from Trump would not affect them that much. Mexico had to exercise a greater degree of caution.”The United States cannot unilaterally send deportation flights to foreign countries; it has to establish an agreement with each nation.Some countries have largely refused to accept deportation flights, China and Cuba among them. The U.S. is also unable to return immigrants to countries with which it has no diplomatic ties, including to Venezuela.ICE has historically returned deportees in handcuffs and chains, a practice the agency say is to protect the safety of the crew, agents and migrants on board.(This story has been updated to add new information.)

‘The Girl With The Needle’ Ending Explained & Film Summary: Did Karoline Adopt Erena?

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The distorted, grotesque close-ups in the first few seconds of Magnus von Horn’s The Girl With The Needle have the quality to captivate you immediately. This is not another ‘based on true events’ film that obsesses over details and replication; instead, the focus is on visual language and social commentary. The Girl With The Needle is one of those films that lingers long after the end credits, and Vic Carmen Sonne’s portrayal of Karoline was hauntingly brilliant. It had been months since Karoline had last heard from her husband. She was a worker at a clothing factory, and her single income was not enough to afford the apartment she stayed at. Karoline begged her landlord to give her a few more days to pay back the money she owed, but he was done with her excuses and already had another tenant ready to move in. He helped her find a place she could afford, and she had no choice but to make peace with the squalor and the harsh cold. Life was anything but easy for a working-class Danish woman in the early 20th century. The lack of certainty, affection, and comfort often made survival a challenge, and every time Karoline thought she could finally see a glimmer of hope, she realized she was trapped in darkness.

Spoiler Alert

Who stopped Karoline from performing a self-abortion?

Karoline had begun to develop feelings for Jorgen, the director of the factory where she worked. She had requested a widow supplement, but since the death of her husband hadn’t been confirmed, Jorgen informed her that he could not legally offer her help. He went out of his way to find information on her husband, but it was futile. Taking advantage of Karoline’s vulnerable situation, Jorgen offered her comfort and company. Gradually, they started to secretly meet, and Karoline was over the moon when he gifted her a dress on Christmas. She had recently discovered she was pregnant, and she was hopeful that her life would drastically change once Jorgen married her. But to her surprise, her husband showed up. 

As the First World War came to an end, soldiers finally returned home. Karoline could not recognize Peter; he wore a mask to cover his mangled face as a result of the war. She brought him home, offered him food, but made it very clear that she wanted him out of her life. Something good was finally about to happen in her life, and she refused to let Peter ruin it. In her defense, she’d stopped receiving letters from him and eventually accepted that Peter was killed in action. Karoline’s financial condition did not allow her to be emotional or even accommodating. Marrying Jorgen was the answer to all her problems, but she was too naive to not realize that a baroness would never allow her son to marry a working class woman. Jorgen had told his mother that Karoline was pregnant, and that was why the baroness had invited her home. Karoline assumed they would be discussing their wedding plans, but instead, a doctor entered the room to examine her to confirm whether she was pregnant. The baroness stated clearly that she would not allow her son to marry Karoline. And if he decided to marry against his mother’s wish, she warned Jorgen that he would not receive a single penny from her and would be kicked out of the mansion. Expectedly, Jorgen backed out, and the baroness instructed Karoline to leave. 

Karoline was completely helpless—she not only lost the man she thought would make her life better, but she had also lost her only source of income. She could not imagine raising her child on her own, and after the humiliation she was subjected to, she had developed a bitter feeling towards her unborn child. Karoline walked into a public bath with a large needle in her hand. She attempted to perform an abortion on herself, but she could not stop herself from screaming when the needle poked the inside of her body. A woman came running to help her, and she advised her never to do such a thing. She added that if Karoline decided to give away her baby after birth, she could help with the process. She had clients from high society who could not give birth but wanted to start a family. Dagmar was a bridge between the two parties, and she took a small commission from the mothers to provide their children with a secure future. Karoline felt a little reassured; even if she did not have the money to raise her child, she at least had the option to ensure that her baby was sent off to people who had the means to offer her a secure future. 

Why did Karoline give away her daughter?

When Karoline learned that her husband had joined a circus and him unveiling his face was the final act of the show, she decided to go watch him. At the time, freak shows were quite common, and war veterans who were left otherwise unemployable after they were relieved from their duties ended up joining such troupes. Peter went on stage and removed his mask to reveal his deformed face. The audience flinched and shook their heads in disapproval. When a member of the troupe challenged the audience to touch Peter’s face, Karoline raised her hand. She touched his face, his empty eyeball socket, and kissed him on his lips. That night, she brought Peter home. She had realized they were two lonely souls discarded by society, and only together could their lives be a little better. She sympathized with him and had perhaps realized how insensitive she had been when she was blinded by the possibility of a better future. 

Peter wanted to raise Karoline’s daughter after she gave birth. He believed the child was a gift that Karoline should not give away, and together they could try to make ends meet. But Karoline had made up her mind about handing her daughter over to a foster family. With her limited means, she knew she could not look after her child, and she felt a sense of comfort knowing that her daughter would be looked after and her future would be secured. Moreover, the baby was a constant reminder of her relationship with Jorgen, and it was all too much for her to live with. Karoline handed her baby to Dagmar Overby, the woman from the bath who ran a sweet shop as a cover for her illegal adoption agency. Dagmar reassured Karoline that she was doing the right thing by giving away her baby. Karoline owed Dagmar a percentage of her commission, and since she did not have the money to pay it back, Karoline offered to help the businesswoman. She suggested she take care of the babies before they were sent off to foster homes. Since she was already lactating, she could feed the babies during their time with Dagmar. While Dagmar was initially hesitant about having a wet nurse, she eventually agreed to it. 

What was Dagmar’s secret?

Karoline found a friend and a caregiver in Dagmar, and she was almost inspirational to her. And why not? An older woman living on her own terms without a husband in the 20th century was in itself a rebellious act. On top of that, she had her own store and helped vulnerable women send their children to foster homes for a small price. Karoline thought Dagmar was doing God’s work, and she wanted to help her in any way she could. She was a little apprehensive when Dagmar asked her to breastfeed her seven-year-old daughter, Erena, but Karoline didn’t complain. Dagmar explained that it would be good for her daughter’s health and asked Karoline not to be prudish. She began to feel Dagmar was the only person who truly understood her. Karoline assumed Dagmar too had failed in love, and she knew how difficult it was for a woman to earn a living in a world so unforgiving. She was grateful to Dagmar for providing her with a place to live, food to eat, and a job of sorts. 

Karoline looked at herself with pride when she wore a dress Dagmar had brought her—her life was finally falling into place. Dagmar would often turn to ether to calm her nerves when her clients got too emotional, and gradually Karoline too got addicted to the solution. There were days when Dagmar would simply stay in her bed and sob; she stated that it was not easy to take the children away from their mothers, and sometimes the process overwhelmed her. Karoline and Dagmar went to the cinemas to lighten their mood, and a dose of ether helped them feel better again. Sometimes they were friends, often they were mentor and mentee, and on certain days Dagmar was almost a mother figure to Karoline. In a short span, they had grown extremely close to one another, and when one day Karoline complained about Svendsen, the man Dagmar was seeing, she immediately decided to break up with him. She prioritized her relationship with Karoline over everything else, and she ensured Karoline felt safe in her house. 

When a boy brought a baby for Dagmar, she handed the child to Karoline and asked her to look after the infant until they found a foster home. Karoline showered the baby with motherly affection, and Erena started to experience a fit of jealousy. She demanded to be fed breastmilk, and when Karoline refused to do so, Erena attempted to choke the baby. Karoline slapped across her face, and the very next morning, Dagmar decided to hand the baby over to a foster family. The timing seemed suspiciously coincidental to Karoline, so she followed Dagmar out of the house. Karoline was horrified to see Dagmar Park the pram in an alley and grab the baby by the neck. She choked the helpless infant and dropped the body into a drain. Karoline realized that Dagmar had been lying all along—she was not doing God’s work; she was a serial killer. Dagmar’s character is based on the real Danish 20th century serial killer, Dagmar Overby. The story is mostly dramatized, and it is only the serial killer angle that is based on true events.

Why Did Karoline Adopt Erena?

When Karoline confronted Dagmar, she admitted to killing the infants, including Karoline’s daughter. Karoline was devastated; she could not stop crying, thinking that she was the reason why her child was killed a day after she was born. But Dagmar was not ashamed; she believed the world was a horrible place, and she offered the women a lie that they could hold on to. She was of the opinion that every woman who came to her was in trouble, and the solution she offered was their only option. Dagmar thought she dared to do what her clients could not, and she refused to be ashamed of the lies she told and the murders she committed. While the world was surely a horrible place for those born in squalor and poverty, it was not for Dagmar to decide whether a child should live or die. Perhaps she suffered from a God complex—or perhaps she had simply found a way to make money. Maybe it was her personal experience that made her think that sometimes one was better off without a child. She was alone when she gave birth the first time, and eventually, she birthed five stillborn infants. The pain that came with motherhood had destroyed Dagmar to an extent, and she had convinced herself that she must kill to relieve other women from going through the same emotional turmoil. 

Karoline stayed in bed for the next couple of days. She refused to eat and took drugs to numb her pain. One day, when she was awake, her colleague from the factory, Frida, came with her friend to Dagmar’s. Her friend had decided to give away her infant. Frida wanted to meet Karoline, but after knowing the fate of the child, Karoline refused to see her. Dagmar instructed Karoline to get rid of the baby with her own hands, and when she struggled to do so, Dagmar forced her to strangle the infant. Karoline’s life had turned into a living hell once again; she wanted to escape, but she had nowhere to go. The next day, Frida’s friend wanted her baby back, and when Dagmar did not respond, she brought police over to the apartment. Dagmar tried to cover her tracks, and she expected Karoline to support her. But Karoline decided she would rather die than lie about Dagmar’s business. Karoline jumped out of the apartment window, but even then she survived. 

During The Girl With The Needle’s ending, Karoline decided to reunite with Peter. After everything she had been through, she realized he was the only one who cared about her and would accept her unconditionally. And she was right. Peter comforted her and offered her to stay with him and tour with the circus company. Meanwhile, Dagmar was arrested and was presented at court. She chose to never mention  Karoline and admitted to the murders. When she was asked the reason behind her crimes, she stated that she did what was needed. Dagmar believed that the lies she told were too good to be true, and anyone who would’ve thought about it would’ve realize it was all fabricated. But her clients could not afford to dig deep because their hands were tied, and that was why they had arrived with their newborns at her doorstep. 

In The Girl With The Needle’s ending, Karoline finally adopted Erena. It was perhaps her way of paying Dagmar back; after all, she had supported Karoline during her lowest point in her life. Moreover, Karoline could guess what Erena was going through. They both had lived at the same house, and Erena was aware and perhaps even saw her mother kill the infants. She needed someone who would understand her, and Karoline offered to be her guardian. We don’t know if Dagmar was Erena’s biological child, but she was the only person who mattered to Dagmar, and Karoline wanted to make sure that she was looked after. Karoline might have never forgiven Dagmar for what she had done, but she refused to be ungrateful. Presumably, Karoline, Erena, and Peter created a safe space full of love and acceptance; even though life had left them damaged and scarred, they managed to be the glimmer of hope in each other’s life. I would like to believe Karoline did not follow Dagmar’s footsteps; even though she had been her apprentice, she lacked the madness of her mentor. The Girl With The Needle does not attempt to justify Dagmar; instead, the film focuses on how women were cornered and lacked the medical assistance required to deal with unplanned pregnancy. It also highlights how deceased corpses of infants were often discovered in public places, and after the war, a numbered identification for its citizens was introduced in Denmark, after which it gradually became complicated for people to disappear. 

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Business People: Jake Blumberg moves from Give MN to Itasca Project

Business News

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTJake Blumberg
The Greater MSP Partnership, a St. Paul-based consortium of businesses, universities, cities, counties and philanthropic organizations focused on boosting the Twin Cities economy, announced that Jake Blumberg will become managing director of the Itasca Project effective Feb. 12. Blumberg previously served as executive director of GiveMN, a Minnesota nonprofit donations hub. The Itasca Project is a business alliance focused on strengthening the Minneapolis–St. Paul region. GiveMN has appointed Jenna Ray, the organization’s deputy executive director and chief impact officer, as interim executive director.
CONSTRUCTION
Opus, a Minneapolis-based national commercial real estate developer, announced it has promoted Beth Duyvejonck to executive vice president of construction, overseeing activities in Minneapolis and Des Moines, Iowa. Duyvejonck has been engaged in design-build project management with Opus since 1997.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Holmes Murphy, an Iowa-based insurance brokerage, announced that Brooks Deibele has joined its board of managers. Deibele is senior vice president, employee benefits, in the firm’s Minneapolis office. … Mahoney, a St. Paul-based accounting firm, announced the following promotions: Jake Dalnes and Josh Russell to director; Jennifer Spencer to associate; Shelby Bleeker, human resources generalist; senior associates: Tina Morin, Abigail Hansen, Logan Wolfe and Coby Castner; associate managers: Brett Gauger, Shoal Stejskal and Travis Koester. … Abdo, an Edina-based accounting and advisory firm, announced the promotions of Jodi Bursheim and Geniene Scherer to partner.
HEALTH CARE
Fairview Health Services, a Minneapolis-based metrowide operator of hospitals and clinics, announced the retirement of Richard Ostlund from the board of directors effective in December. In recognition of his service, the board has named Ostlund as Fairview’s first-ever “Emeritus Chair of the Board” and has also dedicated the boardroom in Fairview’s corporate headquarters as the “Richard T. Ostlund Boardroom.”
HONORS
Edina resident Ken Larson, a member of Edina Realty and the Lake Superior Area Realtors, has been awarded the Minnesota Realtors’ 2024 Good Neighbor Award for his work with the Northern Lights Foundation. As part of award, Minnesota Realtors donated $1,000 to the Northern Lights Foundation. Larson founded the foundation in memory of his newborn daughter Nicole, and it supports families with children facing life-threatening illnesses. … The following Minnesota companies were named to Forbes list of “America’s Best Companies” for 2025: Ameriprise Financial, Fastenal, General Mills, SPS Commerce, UnitedHeath and U.S. Bancorp.
LAW
Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben, Minneapolis, announced the following attorney promotions to partner: Matt Barber, Cole Dixon, Aaron Eken, Courtney Lawrence and Ali Sieben. … Maslon, Minneapolis, announced that employment and business litigation attorney Melissa Muro LaMere has rejoined the firm’s Labor & Employment Group effective Jan. 1. She is working out of both California and Minneapolis. … Chestnut Cambronne, Minneapolis, announced the promotion of attorney Phil Krzeski to partner effective Jan. 1. His practice focuses on data breach and privacy class actions. … National law firm Spencer Fane announced that estate-planning attorney Serena O’Neil in its Minneapolis office has been promoted to partner.
MANUFACTURING
Winnebago Industries, an Eden Prairie-based maker of large recreational vehicles, motorhomes and watercraft, announced the appointment of Mike Pack, an executive vice president for Oshkosh Corp., to its board of directors, effective Jan. 8.
OPENINGS
Midas, a national automotive services provider, announced the opening of its 22nd franchise shop in Minnesota, located at 2403 W. Division St. in St. Cloud. The franchise is owned by Stranik Automotive Group and is its 14th Midas franchise. … The Market at Malcolm Yards, a Minneapolis food hall, announced the addition of Eggflip/Sushiflip to its lineup. Flip Koumalasy in the co-owner.
TRAVEL
John Hall’s Alaska, a Lake City, Minn.-based operator of Alaska motorcoach tours, announced the promotions of Elizabeth Hall from chief operating officer to president, and Joe Hall to chief operating officer.
EMAIL ITEMS to [email protected].

Originally Published: January 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM CST

A family business

Business News

“The Senate is not a family business,” posted my friend R. on Facebook, and I found myself nodding at what sounded like the patently obvious truth, which somehow seems to still elude our family-oriented countrymen.

Among the loudest alarms raised by the forthcoming midterm election is the likelihood that, once again, Filipino voters will be choosing people with the same surnames to add to what has become, over the decades, a cozy nest of clans.

It isn’t just the Senate, of course, which is infected with dynastisis. From Congress down to the Sangguniang Kabataan where fledgling politicos learn to tweet, our entire political system has been one big and long-running Family Feud. Husbands, wives and their kids serve as senator, congressman, governor, mayor and councilor with utter shamelessness, claiming a form of manifest destiny contestable only by another family.

It’s gotten so bad that – surprise, surprise – Sen. Robinhood Padilla, last accused of doing little on the job but preening his mustache, filed SB 2730 last July against political dynasties (already in our Constitution, but lacking an enabling law). Citing a Harvard study (which always seems to bear more weight than common sense), Padilla said that political dynasties “persist and reproduce their power over time, undermining the effectiveness of institutional reforms in the process.”

More informatively, Padilla noted that “a dataset of Philippine local elections from 1988 to 2019 showed the number of governors with at least one relative in office (dynasty) increased by almost 39 percentage points, from 41 percent in 1988 to 80 percent in 2019. The dynasty proportion of vice governors rose from 18 percent in 1988 to 68 percent in 2019. The percentage of mayors in the dynasty increased gradually from 26 percent in 1988 to 53 percent in 2019… Political dynasties, in effect, have exhausted resources to attain economic and political dominance while at the same time compromising political competition and undermining accountability… It is time to break the barriers preventing the best and the brightest from serving the Filipino people.”

Tell that to the Philippine Senate which, because it has only 24 members, magnifies the prevalence and persistence of dynastisis even more.

One of the ways the US Senate differs from ours is the way it’s composed, with two senators from each of the 50 US states, which, in their federal system, gives equal weight to giant Texas and tiny Vermont. That should make it highly unlikely for two related people to be in the Senate at the same time, right? Well, sort of. As it turns out, in US history, two pairs of brothers actually served in the Senate together. One pair I’m pretty sure you never heard of – Theodore and Dwight Foster, who simultaneously represented Rhode Island and Massachusetts at the start of the 1800s. The next pairing didn’t happen until more than 150 years later – with Edward and Robert Kennedy representing Massachusetts and New York in the 1960s.

Our Senate puts America’s to shame in that department.

It helps, of course, to be related to a president, or to prepare oneself to be one. By my count, there have been five Aquinos in the Senate – Ninoy, Butz, Tessie, Noynoy and Bam; four Marcoses – Ferdinand, Imelda, Bongbong and Imee; four Estradas – Joseph, Loi, JV and Jinggoy; three Roxases – Manuel, Gerry and Mar; three Osmeñas – Serging, John and Serge; three Laurels – Jose, Sotero and Doy; and two Magsaysays – Gene and Jun. “Cong Dadong” Macapagal never became a senator, but his daughter Gloria did. Fidel Ramos’ contribution to the Senate was his sister Letty.

To these presidential surnames we have to add those of other political families such as the Dioknos, Tañadas, Kalaws, Angaras, Guingonas, Antoninos, Rectos, Pimentels, Revillas, Villars, Cayetanos and possibly Tulfos. The Cebu Osmeñas – John and Sergio Jr. – once served together in the Seventh Congress in the early 1970s; the Cayetanos – Pia and Alan – followed suit in the 14th, in the late 2000s, and the Villars – Cynthia and Mark – in the current 19th.

That’s not to say that some members of these political clans were not deserving or distinguished. Many certainly were – in the right hands, a family tradition of public service sets high standards and expectations. Never mind the ancient Fosters, but I don’t think America minded having Ted and Bobby Kennedy in the Senate, with Ted serving continuously for an astounding 47 years until he died.

They have no term limits in America. We imposed ours in the 1987 Constitution – a well-meaning gesture meant to democratize our legislature, but which backfired and produced exactly what it wanted to avoid. Our political families quickly learned to adjust and do a merry-go-round, ensuring further that one member or other would occupy all spots in the wheel. What developed over the years was less a revitalization of the institution with bright new talents than a pooling and coagulation of old blood.

So rather than an anti-dynasty law which seems to have little chance of passing a House full of dynasties anyway, perhaps we should revisit term limits, so we can retain the services of truly outstanding senators (like Franklin Drilon, for example) for life, rather than punish ourselves by replacing them with inferior siblings and cousins.

There are and have been high-performing senators whom we don’t and shouldn’t mind serving over and over again, politicians with genuine and critical advocacies they have devoted their lives to. Our political history has been fortunate to have seen the likes of such men and women as Senators Claro M. Recto, Jose Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada, Raul Manglapus, Emmanuel Pelaez, Helena Benitez, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Juan Flavier, Rene Saguisag, Miriam Defensor Santiago and Edgardo Angara, just to speak of the departed.

Sadly, our political realities preclude the truly poor from winning a Senate seat, and only extraordinary circumstances like EDSA can lift up capable and virtuous candidates of modest means such as Dr. Juan Flavier and Atty. Rene Saguisag to that exalted position. But their interests can be articulated and defended by men and women with the capacity and quality of mind and spirit to see beyond themselves. These are senators whom we expect to make laws that build a nation, rather than empower and enrich themselves and their progeny even further.

*      *      *

Email me at [email protected] and visit my blog at www.penmanila.ph.

After TikTok, the WiFi router in your home may be next Chinese tech ban target

Technology

Cyber Report

Government officials worry China could use TP-Link routers to launch attacks on U.S. infrastructure and military readiness, as well as collect information on the public from home router systems, and they are pushing for a ban to begin within the next year.
TP-Link routers are among those listed as “best sellers” on Amazon, and data cited by Congress indicates as much as 65 percent of the U.S. router market belongs to the company.
Congressional leaders including Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, an influential House figure in the TikTok ban, say the routers are vulnerable to cybersecurity and cyberespionage aims of the government of the People’s Republic of China.
TP-Link says a separately owned company based in California, and making routers in Vietnam, sells to the U.S. market, but it is cooperating with the U.S. government to prove its technology is safe and secure.

The logo of TP-Link appears on the products of router manufacturer TP-Link in Fuyang, China, on December 19, 2024. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

While the TikTok ban has lawmakers scurrying and chatter about Chinese influence over U.S. tech at a fever pitch, another danger is lurking. One of Amazon’s top-selling router brands, TP-Link, has been under scrutiny by regulators as posing a threat to American infrastructure. Experts worry that China could exploit the routers to launch attacks on critical infrastructure or steal sensitive information.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce last summer, touching off a flurry of investigations and calls for a ban. The letter, which the Wall Street Journal first reported, flagged “unusual vulnerabilities” and required compliance with PRC law as disconcerting. “When combined with the PRC government’s everyday use of SOHO [small office/home office] routers like TP-Link to perpetrate extensive cyberattacks in the United States, it becomes significantly alarming,” the letter stated.

But so far, no action has been taken, and Krishnamoorthi is concerned.
“I am not aware of any plans to get them out,” Krishnamoorthi said. He pointed to the government’s “rip and replace” plan with Huawei network equipment as a precedent that could be followed. The government mandated in 2020 that companies rid themselves of Huawei equipment, which was deemed to pose a national security threat. Efforts to remove the equipment are still ongoing.  
According to data he cited, TP-Link has a 65% share of the U.S. router market, and its success has followed a similar playbook used by China with other technology: make a lot more than they need, export the surplus to undercut the competition, and use the technology to backdoor access or to disrupt.
“I am wondering whether something similar needs to be done, at least in regards to national security agencies, Department of Defense, and Intelligence,” Krishnamoorthi said. “It just doesn’t make sense for the U.S government to be buying the routers.”
The routers were among brands in the market linked to hacks on European officials and the Typhoon Volt attacks.

An Amazon best seller inside our online histories
Krishnamoorthi’s concerns go beyond the federal government. State and local utilities that have them could be vulnerable, he said, as well as people who have the routers at home.
“The PRC has every intent to collect this data on Americans and they will, why give them another backdoor?” Krishnamoorthi said.
Browsing history, and family and employer information, are all at risk.
“I would not buy a TP-Link router, and I would not have that in my home,” he added, and noted that he never had TikTok on his phone.

Ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) participates in the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, in the Cannon House Office Building on February 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. The committee is investigating economic, technological and security competition between the U.S. and China. 
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images News | Getty Images

There are multiple versions of TP-Link routers available on Amazon, with one labeled a “best seller” retailing for $71. Amazon did not respond to questions about whether it planned to pull the routers.
A spokesman for the majority of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, chaired by Moolenar, told CNBC the TP-Link routers pose an espionage risk to Americans because the company is beholden to the Chinese government, who are engaged in a full-scale hacking campaign against the United States and our people. “Because of this, we hope to see TP-link routers banned in the coming year, coupled with programs to replace existing Chinese routers with safe American alternatives.”
TP-Link Technologies has said in response to the accusations that it does not sell router products in the U.S. and denied its routers have any cybersecurity vulnerabilities. TP-Link Systems, which recently built a new headquarters for the U.S. market in Irvine, California, has had operations in the state since 2023, and says it is a separate company with separate ownership, and most of the routers made for the U.S. market come from Vietnam.
“TP-Link Systems is proactively seeking opportunities to engage with the federal government to demonstrate the effectiveness of our security practices and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the American market, American consumers and addressing U.S. national security risks,” the company told the Orange County Business Journal earlier this month.
The People’s Republic of China’s ministry in the United States did not respond to a request for comment.
The problem of unencrypted communication
A consensus on the best way to combat the problem, and enact a ban, remains elusive, given how widespread use of the routers already is within U.S consumer and business markets.
Guy Segal, vice president of corporate development at cybersecurity services company Sygnia, said in addition to TP-Link router prevalence in government institutions, including defense organizations, the company has the majority of the U.S. market in routers for homes and small businesses.
“The pervasiveness of this technology and the potential risks associated with it do present security concerns for users that should be taken seriously, whether at the consumer level or a national security consideration for government entities,” he said.
If a ban is to come, it is more likely going to be spurred by the national security concerns, and the implications the routers could have on military readiness and national security, than the risk to home internet consumers. Segal said if momentum for a ban picks up inside the government, the action would have to be implemented in phases, given the ubiquity of the TP-Link router. The most practical approach would be to start by banning use in the federal and defense sectors.

The letter from the Congressional group to Commerce last summer cited a PRC government that has demonstrated a willingness to sponsor hacking campaigns using PRC-affiliated SOHO routers, “particularly those offered by the world’s largest manufacturer, TP-Link — and consider using its ICTS authorities to properly mitigate this glaring national security issue.” 
Matt Radolec, vice president of incident response and cloud operations at security company Varonis, says that the government is on the right track, and consumers should not ignore the issue even if the threat of a ban on home devices may not be imminent. “Banning routers from certain manufacturers is a sound security decision,” Radolec said. “Consumers, in general, should be aware of the implications to their personal privacy.”
The underlying problem with the TP-Link routers, he said, is unencrypted communication, and it is an issue where the public is underinformed.
“All unencrypted communications on these routers could be compromised, which is worrisome because intra-network communication is often unencrypted for performance’s sake. You’ll get faster internet speeds, but you could be risking your personal data,” Radolec said. 
Even if banking information, for instance, is encrypted, that wouldn’t protect all the unprotected personal data that passes through an unprotected, vulnerable home router.
“It’s time for the general public to be aware of the differences between encrypted and unencrypted communications, and browser and device manufacturers must do a better job informing the public about the privacy risks when you send your data over unencrypted links,” Radolec said. “I think we need to ask ourselves, as consumers, is that something we want to be potentially exposed to?”  

The framing of the shrew: California students photograph mammal never caught on film

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

In a 7,000ft-high marshy spot in the cold, rugged eastern Sierra mountains, two groups of mammals scurried around at night. One was going about their normal nocturnal routine of hunting worms. The other was hoping for a glimpse of an elusive creature: the Mount Lyell shrew, the only known California mammal never photographed alive.The three young student scientists faced a tight timeline. They baited 150 pitfall traps – small cups dug into the earth to catch wandering creatures – with cat food and mealworms and monitored them across a 600ft area, checking each trap every two hours for any signs of their goal. They slept no more than two hours at a time. Shrews have such a fast metabolism that they die in traps quickly, one of the reasons this species had never been photographed or studied live.Despite initial skepticism, they caught five shrews within the first 24 hours, working mostly during the night and early morning. They filmed and photographed the tiny creatures, and clipped tiny flaps of skin from the animals’ ears for genetic testing later to confirm they’d caught the right species.When he held one, Prakrit Jain, a 20-year-old student at University of California, Berkeley, and intern at the California Academy of Sciences, noticed how remarkably small and light the animals were. Less than 4in long, the lightest shrew was just a gram-and-a-half – about the weight of two paper clips. “It was very different from holding a mouse or a hamster,” he says. “These shrews are almost the size of an insect.”First described a century ago, the tiny burrowing animal hadn’t been seen in 20 years – and virtually nothing was known about it. The Mount Lyell shrew lives in a small range in the high Sierra Nevadas, and is considered a species of special concern, due to threats from the climate crisis to their high-altitude homes. But there have been no field studies of the animals, and the only specimens ever gathered have been dead.“It was kind of a crazy idea,” says Vishal Subramnyan, a student at UC Berkeley and a content creator at the California Academy of Sciences. “California is one of the most well-studied places in the world, and yet there’s a mammal species in California that’s never been photographed alive. That was shocking to us.”View image in fullscreenThe 22-year-old teamed up with Jain and his friend Harper Forbes, 22, a student at the University of Arizona. With only a month before the snows arrived in the winter, they had to move fast to put together an expedition. The group received a permit from California’s department of fish and wildlife and headed east from the Berkeley campus in early November. (As high schoolers, Jain and Forbes had previously discovered two new-to-science scorpions in the Bay Area.)Having photos and video of the shrew helps scientists know more about the species – and can help efforts to conserve it. Mammal specimens are often studied as skin or skeleton, or a whole animal preserved in alcohol. While those are useful to preserve animals for future study, they don’t capture the way the animal appears in real life – because the skin loses its shape, and the preserved specimens in alcohol lose the color. “Because we were able to get good photos of a few of these species, it becomes easier to identify these things in the field,” says Jain.Shrews are a group of species that are very overlooked, but there’s an extraordinary diversity within the group, Jain says. “Many, many species of shrew are known from only a single specimen, or only known from a single locality, or have not been seen in decades,” he says. “So if we struggle to find a shrew in a place like California – one of the best studied places in the world – you can only imagine how the shrew diversity of places like south-east Asia and central Africa, for instance, can just be so under-appreciated.”skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionBecause they have such a high metabolism, shrews eat nearly constantly. They can consume their body weight or more of insects every single day – meaning in their habitats, they can have a big impact on small insects. “There’s few other animals I can think of in the ecosystems where shrews live that have a similarly high impact on the insect numbers simply just by consuming them,” Jain says.As the climate warms, the animals are squeezed into a smaller area to maintain their habitat. The shrew probably arrived in California during the last ice age, and as the ice receded it settled into a high mountain area. But studies estimate that 50% to 90% of the Mount Lyell shrew’s habitat will disappear by 2080 – putting the species in serious danger. They are also eaten by larger nocturnal predators such as owls, hawks, snakes and weasels.Photos can not only catalog biodiversity in a rapidly changing planet, they can also help the public understand and foster a connection with an animal. “If we look at the extinction crisis and the types of animals it’s impacting, a lot of animals are disappearing without any documentation,” says Subramnyan. “An animal like the Mount Lyell shrew, if it was not photographed or researched, could have just quietly disappeared due to climate change, and we’d have no idea about it at all.”

Vice President JD Vance reveals Big Tech ‘very much on notice’ after CEO’s inaugural donations

Technology

Vice President JD Vance said during an interview on Sunday that Big Tech was still “on notice” when pressed on the various tech CEOs’ presence at President Trump’s inauguration, as well as the million dollar donations the group collectively gave to the inaugural events.”The richest men in the world were at that Capitol on Inauguration Day. Heads of Amazon, Google, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. In August, you told us Google and Facebook are too big. ‘We ought to take the Teddy Roosevelt approach. Break ’em up. Don’t let them control what people are allowed to say.’ They’ve now donated to the Trump inauguration. Are you still going to break up Big Tech?” CBS News’ Margaret Brennan asked Vance, before noting the seating arrangements on Inauguration Day.Brennan’s question comes as the presence of major tech CEOs stirred up reaction from several in the media, such as MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. These CEOs included Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai and X’s Elon Musk. “We believe fundamentally that Big Tech does have too much power, and there are two ways they can go about this. They can either respect Americans’ constitutional rights — they can stop engaging in censorship, and if they don’t, you can be absolutely sure that Donald Trump’s leadership is not going to look too kindly on them,” Vance said.  Vice President JD Vance said Sudnay that Big Tech was “still on notice,” despite their donations to President Trump’s inaugural festivities. (Screenshot/CBS)Brennan followed up by asking if the CEOs were still on notice.”They’re very much on notice,” Vance responded.BILLIONAIRES COZY UP TO TRUMP WITH SEVEN FIGURE INAUGURAL DONATIONS AFTER PAST FEUDS WITH PRESIDENTThe major donations and presence at Trump’s inauguration marked a major departure for Big Tech, which largely imposed a temporary ban on Trump’s public profiles in 2020 via their social media platforms. These companies have also become more critical of the Biden administration, voicing displeasure with the White House’s attempts at oversight.Zuckerberg specifically announced that Facebook and Instagram would be ending their fact-checking mechanism and using a community notes system going forward.  Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai stand before the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.  (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREThe group’s presence at Trump’s inauguration was seen as important, as CNN’s Jake Tapper lamented on Monday that the U.S. was about to “enter an era of deepfakes, and all sorts of misinformation and the degree to which those five gentlemen play a role or do not play a role, will be pivotal in terms of where the American people are four years from now, in terms of understanding what is true and what is false.”Vance also seemed to argue that the tech CEOs’ presence at Trump’s inauguration was not all that relevant, noting that many people in attendance did not donate to the inaugural festivities. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “They got pretty good seating,” CBS’ Brennan argued.”They didn’t have as good of seating as my mom and a lot of other people who were there to support us,” Vance said.

How I beat debilitating imposter syndrome and wrote five books

Arts & Culture, Books

Even with four books published and two more on the way, Lauren Keenan doesn’t always feel like a “real” writer. But, she’s learned to turn down the negative voices in her head and keep on going. I’m regularly asked to sign books I’ve written. All too frequently, as soon as the pen is in my hands, a little voice in my head appears and whispers the exact same thing. I’m ruining the book. Or, this doozy: it will be so awkward when I see signed copies in the bargain bin. Why do I do this to myself – tinge an otherwise pleasant event with self doubt? I mean, it’s just my name, right? Not some sort of blood oath that will contractually oblige me to forgo cheese for the rest of my mortal days. So why does this happen? That dastardly dork called imposter syndrome, which likes to remind me I’m not a real writer. This was why I wrote in semi-secret for so many years. Not because I was writing anything debauched or nasty, but because, at some point, I decided I wasn’t actually a writer. I was just someone with a little hobby. Nothing wrong with a hobby. (Source: istock.com)Imposter syndrome might be familiar to you: that voice that undermines your confidence by telling you you’re pretending to be something you’re not, when everyone else is the real deal. This voice is more likely to appear if you’re a person doing something you never expected to do or achieve. And it’s not very nice, this voice. If it were an actual person rather than your own psyche, you’d report them for bullying – or take out a retraining order. Of course, imposter syndrome doesn’t plague everyone – some people live their lives assuming every room they enter is better for it. And, sometimes, imposter syndrome is perfectly legitimate. I could attempt the world record for most backward somersault burpees completed in 30 seconds. However, no amount of positive self-talk would make my total any higher than zero. ADVERTISEMENTBut the irrational voice of imposter syndrome is real for so many of us – and in time, you begin to listen, until you convince yourself you’re a giant fraud, mere moments away from having your cover blown. And, in my case, convincing myself I’m not actually a writer, even when I have four published books and two more on the way. But they don’t count, I sometimes think. I am the authorly equivalent of Groucho Marx in a fake nose/moustache/glasses combo, such is the transparency of my disguise. Hello, I’m a writer. (Source: Getty)So why does this happen? I’ve always loved to read and write. Ever since my writing debut at eight – a story about monkeys escaping the zoo – I’ve played with words. But it never ever occurred to me that I could actually be a writer. As a teenager, in my mind, writers were shiny creatives who read “clever” books, whereas I was someone who just tinkered with ideas in between binge-reading the Sweet Valley series, the Baby Sitters Club, Bryce Courtney, Maeve Binchy, and John Grisham. But the twitch to write continued. Sweet Valley High books (Source: Supplied)At university, I started writing my first books – a parody of Pride and Prejudice, as well as another novel – while hanging out with wannabe writers. In the pecking order of artists, I was at the bottom – the plebian who didn’t understand real writing, and read “genre”, as if that were a bad thing. Their work was art, whereas my stuff was “cute”. And these folks were all so cynical and cool. They would only listen to music no-one had ever heard of because, if ‘the masses liked a thing, it must be inherently bad – the exception being Britney Spears, which would get played ironically. We would swap work and give feedback, but when it came to me, there was nothing constructive in the criticism. “You write the sort of thing that will only sell in supermarkets,” one woman said. “And you need to write in present tense, now. It’s the only tense to use. Didn’t you know?” I didn’t know, felt stink, and didn’t show anyone else my writing for years. Lauren Keenan has published four books. (Source: Supplied)ADVERTISEMENTMy difficulty in sharing my work continued, as well as talking about my writing in any detail for fear of sounding like a pretentious knobber. I published my Pride and Prejudice parody online under a fake name, having only shown it to my husband and best friend. When I finally got published in the traditional sense, in 2015, it was a short story about a man struggling to find a job, written when I was made redundant from a job I’d loved. Apart from my husband, none of my friends or family knew it existed until it was in print, as I had been far too shy to share. And my first published book hadn’t been read by another soul when I quietly sent it off to a major publisher’s slush pile. Sharing my work felt too personal, too visceral. Writing always contains a truth, regardless of whether it is “literature’” or “genre”. So there’s a real vulnerability in sharing your words. I didn’t want to hear what others might think. Perhaps I had the tense all wrong again, or my truth would be described as “cute”. Or, even worse – the voices of those around me might also echo the imposter syndrome voice of doom in my mind. I thought studying writing might give me more confidence, so for a sliver of time I considered one of New Zealand’s excellent Master of Creative Writing programmes, which produce many of the country’s best writers. But I couldn’t afford it. So, instead, I just kept doing what I’d always done: read books and played with words. I read hundreds of books, which included many of the “classics” and Booker Prize winners, every single Lee Child, and the full spectrum of books in between. In time, I did some online writing courses, and had a couple of manuscripts professionally assessed. I studied books about writing, and thought about why I liked or hated the books I was reading. But, in my mind, I was never a writer, even then – of course not. I was still someone with a hobby I felt awkward talking about, because dreams are personal, and I didn’t have a roadmap to turning any of this into reality. In time, I got lucky: an opportunity to be part of the Māori Literature Trust’s Te Papa Tupu writing programme, then had a manuscript picked from a publisher’s slush pile. This led to opportunities to write more books. But the feeling of being an imposter remained, because we are all the culmination of our journeys, and self-doubt has an annoying habit of sticking around. And – having never formally studied writing or been part of the book world in any way – I felt like I’d snuck in the back door. Perhaps this is why I still, even now, don’t feel like a real writer. One day, a fear came to pass – I saw my first book in a bargain bin, and inside that book was my signature. But, instead of feeling sad or ashamed, it made me laugh. Seeing that book in the bin didn’t remind me of what I’m not: I am not a person who has formally studied writing, or one of those rare writers whose books remain on sale for longer than a couple of years. I am not someone who writes novels in present tense, or produces weighty tomes or books with a Hobbesian view of the human condition. Instead, seeing that book reminded me of what I am – someone who has achieved a dream and published some books. And I might not have formally studied writing, but I did study history, and it is that which informs my books. I am someone with a hobby that got out of control, which is freeing, because hobbies are fun – they are not, by definition, work. And while writing remains fun, I will keep doing what I have always done: read books and play with words. Because that’s the best way to beat imposter syndrome – instead of looking at what you are not, remind yourself what you are. You are not someone is only one Groucho Marx glasses-nose-mustache-disguise away from being exposed. You are someone who is here, now, in this situation for a particular reason. And I am someone whose very first book was in the bargain bin, which was kind of neat when you think about it, because that means I had a book published in the first place – a book that someone asked me to sign. I am someone who learned from that experience, and modified how I approached writing, which has made the later ones better. More on this topicAnd I am also a person who will never manage to do a backward somersault burpee, let alone nine in 30 seconds. No matter how much I might like the idea of beating that world record. Lauren Keenan’s next book Toitū Te Whenua, (published by Penguin), a guide to some significant places and people of the New Zealand Wars from a Māori perspective, will be available in early March. She’s also writing a work of historical fiction, to be published in 2026. ADVERTISEMENT