Biographies of exceptional achievers tend to explain their success through personality traits, highlighting the killer psychological weapons that made them great. So, Steve Jobss abrasiveness is reframed as visionary perfectionism, Elon Musks impulsivity as bold risk-taking, and Jeff Bezoss relentlessness as uncompromising customer obsession. The same retrospective alchemy applies to women: Oprah Winfreys emotional intensity becomes radical empathy and authenticity; Indra Nooyis discipline and conscientiousness are recast as values-driven, long-term strategic leadership; and Diane Hendrickss toughness and impatience with incompetence are celebrated as decisive execution and operational rigor. In every case, traits that might once have seemed problematic are retrofitted into virtues once success makes the story worth telling.
The reality, as always, is a lot more nuanced than our limited patience and attention span appears to tolerate these days, namely all human traits or behavioral patterns can be both good and bad depending on the context, level, or outcome examined. So, for instance, confidence is generally good but when its decoupled from actual competence or extremely high, it may impede learning, make people look foolish and arrogant, and lead to significant underestimation of risks, delusional grandiosity, and reality distortion. To add yet another caveat: this is more likely in certain cultures (collectivistic, self-critical, humble) than others (individualistic, optimistic, and arrogant).
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All things in moderation
This is why Aristotle wisely argued (as did Confucius before him) that virtue lies in moderation: the sweet midpoint between two equally problematic extremes. Courage, for example, sits between cowardice and recklessness; generosity between stinginess and wastefulness; ambition between apathy and obsession. Modern science quietly (because few people seem to listen or be interested in grasping this) agrees with him: too little of a good thing leaves potential unrealized, but too much turns strength into liability.
One of the traits that illustrates this nicely is perfectionism, which evokes both positives and negatives in the general publicso much so, that its often suggested as a universal answer to the dreaded (and not very useful) whats your biggest weakness job interview question. At low levels, perfectionism may reflect carelessness or disengagement. At moderate levels, it can signal high standards, diligence, and pride in ones work. But once it crosses a certain threshold, perfectionism stops being about excellence and becomes about fear: fear of mistakes, fear of judgment, fear of falling short. At that point, it no longer improves performance. Instead, it fuels anxiety, indecision, micromanagement, burnout, and strained relationships.
The challenge for organizations is that perfectionism often looks like commitment, especially in cultures that reward overwork, self-criticism, and constant busyness. But the real leadership task is not to eliminate high standards, but to prevent standards from hardening into self-punishment or control over others. Thus, as with confidence, ambition, or drive, the goal is not more or less, but enough (or the right amount), and knowing when enough has tipped into too much.
A new approach
In line, a new academic review synthesizes decades of research into perfectionism, defined as a stable tendency to set excessively high standards for oneself or others, combined with overly critical self-evaluation and a chronic concern with mistakes, evaluation, and failure. This research distinguishes between striving for excellence and being driven by fear of imperfection; a distinction that helps explain why perfectionism so often undermines well-being and collaboration while delivering only fragile or short-lived performance gains.
More specifically, the review highlights both the pros and cons of being a perfectionist, evaluating its broad impact on individuals, teams, leadership, and organizations.
Three pros (when its the right kind)
Higher engagement and goal attainment (under narrow conditions)Perfectionistic strivings (high personal standards driven internally) are associated with greater work engagement, persistence, goal achievement, and satisfaction, especially in structured, predictable roles where quality and precision matter. This can translate into diligence and follow-through rather than brilliance.
Attention to detail and decision thoroughness in leadersLeaders high in self-oriented perfectionism tend to pay closer attention to detail and, in some contexts, make more comprehensive strategic decisions. In relatively stable environments, this has been linked to better decision quality and organizational resilience.
Short-term performance signaling and credibilityPerfectionism can function as a reputational signal, conveying conscientiousness, reliability, and seriousness, particularly early in careers or in performance-pressured environments. This may support initial career progression, even if the advantages fade over time.
Three cons (and these are generally more robust)
Worse well-being with little performance payoffAcross studies and meta-analyses, perfectionism shows weak or no association with job performance, but moderate to strong associations with burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and poor recovery. In short, it reliably depletes people without reliably improving output.
Workahoism, rumination, and inability to switch offPerfectionistic concerns are consistently linked to overcommitment, presenteeism, procrastination, and difficulty psychologically detaching from work. Even breaks become cognitively exhausting because perfectionists continue to ruminate about mistakes and unfinished tasks.
Toxic leadership and downstream harm to othersWhen perfectionism shows up as socially prescribed or other-oriented (imposing flawlessness on others), leaders are more likely to micromanage, punish mistakes, undermine psychological safety, trigger deviance, and reduce creativity and well-being in followers. This is one of the strongest and most consistent findings in the leadership section of the review.
Try excellencism instead
In short, perfectionism is not a performance or self-presentational strategy, but a personality trait linked to a fragile motivational style that works under limited conditions; at worst, it is a scalable mechanism for burnout, toxic leadership, and self-sabotage. The authors explicitly point to excellencism (very high but flexible standards without fear of failure) as a healthier and more sustainable alternative.
For leaders and organizations, the implication is clear: the goal is not to hire, promote, or reward perfectionists, but to cultivate excellence without fear. High standards are essential, but only when paired with flexibility, learning, and psychological safety. In an economy that increasingly rewards speed, adaptation, and collaboration over flawless execution, the most effective leaders are not those who never err, but those who know when precision matters and when good enough is not a compromise but a strategic choice. Perfectionism mistakes control for quality. Excellence optimizes for impact.
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The Republican National Committee has vastly outpaced Democrats in the crush for cash ahead of the midterm elections, holding a nearly $100 million advantage at the close of 2025, according to year-end filings to the Federal Election Commission.As Democrats have struggled in the Trump era, the RNC tallied $172 million raised in 2025, with $95 million cash on hand at year’s end. In contrast, the Democratic National Committee posted $145 million for the year, with $14 million on hand and $17 million in debt, to start the new year underwater.It’s all pointing to a turbulent election cycle ahead as President Donald Trump fights political headwinds that tend to brush back the party in power, in this case Republican control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, and reward challengers during the midterms.In the campaigns for control of Congress, the total hauls are less stark. House Republicans posted one of their stronger years, raising $13 million in the last month of the year, to close with more than $117 million for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the main campaign arm. House Democrats trailed slightly at $115 million.Both of the House committees started 2026 with about $50 million cash on hand, according to the filings, which were due to the FEC this weekend. A similar dynamic is playing out in the Senate.House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday the GOP’s overall fundraising haul left him “bullish” on the party’s chances to not only hold onto their razor-thin majority in the House, but grow it with more members.“We’re going to have a war chest to run on,” Johnson, R-La., said on “Fox News Sunday.”To be sure, the fundraising totals reflect the 2025 calendar year, before the onslaught of actions and events that have scrambled the nation’s politics in the first month of the new year.From the U.S. military attack on Venezuela to the shooting deaths of two Americans protesting the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis, it’s not at all certain whether voters and donors will undergo lasting shifts in their attitudes toward the political parties.“Momentum is on our side,” said Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which supports the House Democrats.He said the Republicans are “running scared” because the Democrats have better candidates and a better message for voters as the party tries to wrest back control of the House.In the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $88 million in 2025, closing out the year with $19.3 million cash on hand. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $79.8 million, but ended up slightly better with $21.7 million cash on hand.
Associated Press
Every company wants to be innovative. Most approach this by trying to hire highly creative specialists or by spinning up a new innovation team. But companies that consistently innovate do something different: They build company-wide systems focused on customer solutions and make innovation part of everyday business.
Smart organizations focus on building reliable processes to understand customers, test assumptions, and scale what works. In my experience at Verra Mobility, the difference between companies that talk about innovation and companies that deliver it often comes down to a repeatable process that drives creativity.
QUESTION EVERYTHING YOU “KNOW”
The biggest innovation killer isn’t resistance to change; its the assumption that we already know the answer.
When someone says they “know” what customers want, we dig deeper. Who did you talk to? How long ago did you talk to them? In our business reviews, we’ve made it mandatory for every business review to include not only operational performance, but also market updates and competitive intelligence. We want to push people to ask more questions, not just review more slides.
This creates a culture where expertise is valued, assumptions are challenged, and customer insight drives decisions. When you force teams to back up their opinions with current data, they start questioning how they’ve worked and look for better solutions.
UNDERSTAND WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT TO ACCOMPLISH
Most innovation fails because we solve the wrong problems. Teams focus on how customers are using a product instead of understanding what theyre trying to achieve.
Take time to sit with customers and understand their complete workflowswhich teams they interact with, how they’d be impacted by process changes, and identifying opportunities to improve. Go deeper than marketing personas to understand the decision makers who will ultimately sign off on new programs.
A few years ago, a car rental company client told us their biggest issue wasnt reconciling $100 traffic violations, it was accounting for daily $10 tolls. We created a whole new business line for automated toll management. We started with one state, then expanded based on what worked.
MAKE EXPERIMENTATION PART OF THE PROCESS
Innovation requires observation, but success requires testing assumptions quickly and cheaply.
We’ve built experimentation into our standard improvement process. When teams create solutions, I ask them to identify their biggest assumptions upfront, then look at the probability that assumption is correct. If we’re not sure, we test it quickly with a pilot or single customer trial.
Take rough prototypeseven napkin drawingsdirectly to customers. The less finished it looks, the more honest the feedback you receive. When something looks polished, people don’t want to hurt your feelings. When it’s obviously a sketch, they’ll tell you exactly what’s wrong.
Rather than funding only well-developed ideas in annual planning cycles, we create ways to test concepts early and build our business on what succeeds.
MAKE INNOVATION EVERYONE’S JOB
Innovation isnt a special teams responsibility. Everyone needs the mindset that there’s always room for improvement, and that they play an active role in identifying solutions. When innovation is part of everyones daily work, it becomes sustainable.
This means regular forums where teams share customer insights and have clear processes for moving from hypothesis to experiment to implementation. It means bringing together product management, sales, and customer success to ensure new innovations don’t create support nightmares. Most experiments will failbut they’ll fail fast and cheap, not slow and expensive.
THE INNOVATION DISCIPLINE
Here’s what most companies get wrong: They think innovation is about creativity and inspiration. While those are important, real success is driven by discipline and systems.
Companies that succeed long-term create processes where good ideas surface, get tested quickly, and spread when they work. Any organization can do that if theyre willing to watch, question, and pilot solutions quickly.
David Roberts is CEO of Verra Mobility.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he will move to close Washington’s Kennedy Center performing arts center for two years starting in July for construction, his latest proposal to upturn the storied venue since returning to the White House.Trump’s announcement on social media follows a wave of cancellations by leading performers, musicians and groups since the president ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building. Trump made no mention in his post of the recent cancellations.His proposal, announced days after the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary of the first lady was shown at the center, he said was subject to approval by the board of the Kennedy Center, which has been stocked with his hand-picked allies. Trump himself chairs the center’s board of trustees.“This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment,” Trump wrote in his post.Neither Trump nor Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell, a Trump ally, have provided evidence to back up their claims about the building being in disrepair, and last October, Trump had pledged the center would remain open during renovations. In Sunday’s announcement, Trump said the center will close on July 4th, when he said the construction would begin.“Our goal has always been to not only save and permanently preserve the Center, but to make it the finest Arts Institution in the world,” Grenell said in a post, citing funds Congress approved for repairs.“This will be a brief closure,” Grenell said. “It desperately needs this renovation and temporarily closing the Center just makes sense it will enable us to better invest our resources, think bigger and make the historic renovations more comprehensive. It also means we will be finished faster.”The sudden decision to shutter and reconstruct the Kennedy Center is sparking blowback as Trump disrupts the popular venue, which began as a national cultural center but Congress renamed as a “living memorial” to President John F. Kennedy in 1964, in the aftermath of the slain president’s death. Opened in 1971, it is open year-round as a public showcase for the arts, including the National Symphony Orchestra.Since Trump returned to the White House, the Kennedy Center is one of many Washington landmarks that he has sought to overhaul in his second term. He demolished the East Wing of the White House and launched a massive $400 million ballroom project, is actively pursuing building a triumphal arch on the other side the Arlington Bridge from the the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for Washington Dulles International Airport.Leading performing arts groups have pulled out of appearances at the Kennedy Center, most recently, composer Philip Glass, who announced his decision to withdraw his Symphony No. 15 “Lincoln” because he said the values of the center today are in “direct conflict” with the message of the piece.Last month, the Washington National Opera announced that it will move performances away from the Kennedy Center in another high-profile departure following Trump’s takeover of the U.S. capital’s leading performing arts venue.The head of artistic programming for the center abruptly left his post last week, less than two weeks after being named to the job.A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center could not immediately be reached and did not respond to an emailed request for comment.Late last year, as Trump announced his plan to rename the building erecting his name on the building’s main front ahead of that of Kennedy he drew sharp opposition from members of Congress, and some Kennedy family members.Kerry Kennedy, a niece of John F. Kennedy, said in a social post on X at the time that she will remove Trump’s name herself with a pickax when his term ends.Another family member, Maria Shriver, said at the time that it is “beyond comprehension that this sitting president has sought to rename this great memorial dedicated to President Kennedy,” her uncle. “It is beyond wild that he would think adding his name in front of President Kennedy’s name is acceptable. It is not.”Late Sunday evening, Shriver posted a new comment mimicking Trump’s own voice and style, and suggesting the closure of the venue was meant to deflect from the cancellations.She said that “entertainers are canceling left and right” and the president has determined that “since the name change no one wants to perform there any longer.”Trump has decided, she said, it’s best “to close this center down and rebuild a new center” that will bear his name. She asked, “right?”One lawmaker, Rep. Joyce Beatty, the Ohio Democrat and ex-officio trustee of the center’s board, sued in December, arguing that “only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center.”On Sunday, Beatty said that once again Trump “has acted with total disregard for Congress,” which allocates funds to the center.She questioned what comes next for the artists and the building itself. “Let’s be clear: remodeling the premises will not restore the Kennedy Center to what it was. A return to artistic independence will,” she said. “America’s artists are rejecting this attempted takeover, and the administration knows it.”
Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
Michelle L. Price and Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press
Bad Bunny won album of the year at the 2026 Grammy Awards for his critically-acclaimed “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” closing out a surprising and history-making night. It is the first time a Spanish-language album has taken home the top prize.“Puerto Rico, believe me when I tell you that we are much bigger than 100 by 35,” he said in his acceptance speech in Spanish, referring to a Puerto Rican colloquialism about the island’s small size. “And there is nothing we can’t achieve. Thank God, thank you to the Academy, thank you to all the people who have believed in me throughout my career.“To all the people who worked on this album, thank you mami for giving birth to me in Puerto Rico, I love you,” he continued.Then he switched to English: “I want to dedicate this award to all the people who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams.”Harry Styles presented the award the English singer previously took home the top prize in 2023 for “Harry’s House.” He beat Bad Bunny that year, who was nominated for “Un Verano Sin Ti” the first Spanish-language album to be up in the category.
Anti-ICE messages from the stage
Billie Eilish won song of the year for “Wildflower” and used the moment to add her voice to the chorus of musicians criticizing immigration authorities Sunday.“No one is illegal on stolen land,” she said while accepting the award for the song from her 2024 album “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” “(Expletive) ICE is all I want to say.”Immigration was a central theme of the night. The first time Bad Bunny was on stage after winning the award for música urbana album he used his speech to share an anti-ICE message, highlighting the humanity of all people.“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said, starting out his speech in English to huge applause. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”Before that, Olivia Dean was named best new artist.“I never really imagined that I would be up here,” she said, receiving her first Grammy while wiping away tears. “I’m up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant. I wouldn’t be here I am a product of bravery, and I think that those people deserve to be celebrated.”Those statements all aired live on the CBS telecast. Earlier in the day, at the Premiere Ceremony where 86 Grammys are handed out, artists were equally as pointed about ICE and immigration enforcement.Shaboozey accepted the award for country duo/group performance with tears in his eyes. “I want to thank my mother, who as of today, has retired from her job of 30 years working as a registered nurse in a psych ward as an immigrant in this country. Thank you, mom.“Immigrants built this country, literally, actually. So, this for them,” he concluded. “Thank you for bring your culture, your music and your stories.”Kehlani, after winning her first Grammy, ended her acceptance speech with “Imma leave this and say, (expletive) ICE.”“I’m scared,” Gloria Estefan said of the current political moment backstage at the Grammys. “There are hundreds of children in detention centers. I don’t recognize my country in this moment right now.”
Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Jelly Roll and more win big
Kendrick Lamar and SZA won record of the year at an electric 2026 Grammy Awards Sunday night for “Luther.”Cher presented the award and mistakenly said it goes to “Luther Vandross” instead of Kendrick Lamar and SZA.One of the song’s producers, Sounwave, began the acceptance speech by saying, “Let’s give a shoutout to the late and great Luther Vandross.”Lamar also won the first televised award of the night, rap album for “GNX,” accepting the trophy from Queen Latifah and Doechii.“It’s an honor to be here,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Hip-hop is always going to be right here We’re gonna be having the culture with us.”The victory means Lamar broke Jay-Z’s record to become the rapper with the most career Grammys. Jay-Z has 25; after he took home rap album and record of the year, Lamar’s total is 27.Pop vocal album went to Lady Gaga for “Mayhem,” while pop solo performance went to Lola Young for “Messy,” whose speech playfully lived up to the song’s spirit.“I don’t know what to say,” she joked about “obviously” not having a speech prepared. “I’m very, very grateful for this.”The inaugural contemporary country album category went to Jelly Roll for “Beautifully Broken.”This year, the Grammys renamed country album to contemporary country album and added a traditional country album category, a distinction that exists in other genres. But the news arrived right after Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” won best country album, inspiring backlash online.“I believe music had the power to change my life,” Jelly Roll said in his acceptance speech, which he spent the majority of thanking God.Pharrell Williams received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.“To everyone in this room who believes in the power of Black music,” he said, “thank you so much.”
A live concert experience
A powerful Grammy Awards in memoriam segment celebrated the legacies of the late D’Angelo and Roberta Flack at the 68th annual ceremony Sunday night.Ms. Lauryn Hill appeared on the Grammy stage for the first time since 1999, when she became the first hip-hop artist to win album of the year for her “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”The D’Angelo tribute was first: A medley of several songs, among them “Brown Sugar” with Lucky Daye, “Lady” with Raphael Saadiq and Anthony Hamilton and “Devil’s Pie” with Leon Thomas.Then, Hill focused her attention on Roberta Flack: “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” with Jon Batiste, “Where Is The Love” with John Legend and Chaka Khan, and a mesh of “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song” with her Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean.If there was one set that felt like an avant-garde artistic performance piece on Sunday night, it was Tyler, the Creator’s medley of “Thought I Was Dead,” “Like Him,” (in which he was joined by Regina King) and “Sugar On My Tongue.” It played out like theater: others would be wise to take note.All eight nominees in the best new artist category participated in a medley at the award show across multiple stages, the back halls of the arena and even the venue’s loading dock. It was an interesting and impressive mod-podge of different styles, from the British soul of Young and Dean to Addison Rae and Katseye’s hypnotic pop. The Marías kicked things off with their dreamy indie rock; sombr and Alex Warren offered their radio hits “12 to 12” and“Ordinary” respectively. Leon Thomas reminded the audience why he’s the only nominee also up for album of the year with his fully formed R&B.The hits arrived fast and furious in the show’s first hour. Rosé and Bruno Mars’ opened Grammys with an electric rendition of their multicultural pop smash, “APT.”; the Blackpink singer channeled a pop-punk Gwen Stefani in her tie and platinum blond hair. Sabrina Carpenter with her “Manchild” kiss-off. Justin Bieber slowed things down with “Yukon” from his comeback record “Swag.” Lady Gaga reimagined her hit “Abracadabra” as an electro-rock song.
First-time winners were abundant even before the show started
During the Premiere Ceremony, the Dalai Lama won his first Grammy for audio book, narration and storytelling recording, beating out Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. You read that correctly.“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” won song written for visual media at the Premiere Ceremony, marking the first time a K-pop act has won a Grammy. Songwriters delivered their acceptance speech in both English and Korean, highlighting the song’s bilingual appeal.Music film went to “Music for John Williams,” which means director Steven Spielberg has officially won his first Grammy. That makes him an EGOT winner an artist with an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar.
Associated Press Writer Berenice Bautista contributed to this report.
For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards, visit: www.apnews.com/GrammyAwards
Maria Sherman, AP Music Writer
Short staffing and the transition from paper checks to digital refunds are among the biggest challenges facing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) this tax season.
Thats according to the National Taxpayer Advocates expansive Annual Report to Congress, the latest version of which was recently posted online. The annual report aims to help Congress strengthen taxpayer rights, reduce taxpayer burden, and improve IRS performance.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service, or TAS, is an independent office within the IRS that’s meant to look after the interests of taxpayers. Erin M. Collins, who submitted and signed off on the latest report, has served as the National Taxpayer Advocate since 2020. Here are some highlights of the report:
Transition away from paper checks could impact refunds for some
Specifically, the report notes that while the majority of refunds were issued electronically last year, taxpayers who do not provide direct deposit information may experience significant refund delays, as the IRS will generally hold refunds for up to six weeks while requesting banking information or determining whether an exception applies, with paper checks only issued afterward.
As a result, some taxpayers will be disproportionately affected by the agency’s phasing out of paper checks.
That includes taxpayers without bank accounts, or who are disabled, elderly, or underbanked, and other vulnerable taxpayers for whom paper checks have often been the only practical means of receiving refunds needed to cover basic living expenses.
Average refunds last year tallied $3,167, the report saysa significant amount for many households.
Filing your tax return online should result in a refund being issued within a few weeksbut, again, the report is warning that may not be the case for some.
Only 6% of taxpayers filed their returns last year on paper. And only 7% received their refund via paper check.
The IRS is significantly smaller this year
Staffing issues at the IRS could be an even bigger issue. The IRS last year had a relatively large workforce, due in part to an influx of funding from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act.
Over the past year, however, the IRS has had its workforce reduced by 27%, according to Collins’s report.
That’s in addition to leadership turnover, and the implementation of extensive and complex tax law changes mandated by the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025], many of which apply retroactively and require significant IRS programming, guidance, changes to tax forms and instructions, and taxpayer education.
The number of customer service agents was also cut by 22%, meaning it will likely be more difficult to get help if youre trying to work out any issues with or get an update on your refund.
In all, the agency’s manpower stood at around 74,000 in December, down from 102,000 a year ago. That could mean a more turbulent experience for taxpayers trying to keep track of their refunds.
Even so, taxpayers expecting a refund can use the Wheres My Refund online tool to check their status 24 hours after filing electronically.
They can also try using the IRS2Go app or log in to their IRS Individual Online Account for updates.
From tech titans to Wall Street power brokers and foreign dignitaries, a who’s who of powerful men make appearances in the huge trove of documents released by the Justice Department in connection with its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein.All have denied having anything to do with his sexual abuse of girls and young women. Yet some of them maintained friendships with Epstein, or developed them anew, even after news stories made him widely known as an alleged abuser of young girls.None have been charged with a crime connected to the investigation. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019.Here’s a primer on some of the notable names in the Epstein files:
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The man formerly known as Britain’s Prince Andrew has long been dogged by questions about his relationship with Epstein, including allegations from the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre that she was trafficked by Epstein and instructed to have sex with Mountbatten-Windsor when she was 17.The former prince has repeatedly denied that it happened, but his brother, King Charles III, still stripped him of his royal titles late last year, including the right to be called a prince and the Duke of York.Mountbatten-Windsor’s name appears at least several hundred times in Friday’s document release, including in Epstein’s private emails.Among the correspondence is an invitation for Epstein to dine at Buckingham Palace, Epstein’s offer to introduce Mountbatten-Windsor to a 26-year-old Russian woman, and photos that appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over an unidentified woman lying on the floor.
Sarah Ferguson
In March of 2011, Sarah Ferguson, then the Duchess of York, made a public apology for letting Jeffrey Epstein pay off some of her debts. Both she and her ex-husband, the former Prince Andrew, had come under tremendous public scrutiny for continuing a friendly relationship with Epstein after he pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.She told London’s Evening Standard newspaper she would have “nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.” But just two months later, she emailed Epstein to say she was going on Oprah Winfrey’s TV show and wanted his advice on how she should answer questions about their relationship.“I just want to make sure you are aware of this and seek your advice on how you would like me to answer,” Ferguson wrote.Epstein replied, “Jeffrey was unfairly characterized as a pedophile by the tabloid press. Many years ago jeffrey pleaded guilty to soliciting underage prostitutes. He paid his debt to society and has sought forgiveness. I have nothing more to say.”
Elon Musk
The billionaire Tesla founder turns up at least a few times in Friday’s document release, notably in email exchanges in 2012 and 2013 in which he discussed visiting Epstein’s infamous Caribbean island compound.But it’s not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk’s companies, Tesla and X, didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday or Saturday.Musk has maintained that he repeatedly turned down the disgraced financier’s overtures. “Epstein tried to get me to go to his island and I REFUSED,” he posted on X in 2025.
Richard Branson
The billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, a global conglomerate, exchanged numerous emails with Epstein.In a 2013 exchange, Branson invited Epstein to his own private Caribbean island, which regularly hosts large conferences, charity events and business meetings.“Any time you’re in the area would love to see you,” he wrote. “As long as you bring your harem!”In another message that year, he suggested Epstein rehabilitate his image by convincing Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to tell the public how Epstein had “been a brilliant adviser to him” and had “more than learnt your lesson and have done nothing that’s against the law since.”The company stressed in a statement Saturday that there was no wrongdoing on Branson’s part and that any dealings with Epstein were “limited to group or business settings” more than a decade ago.Branson also declined a charitable donation and decided not to meet or speak with him again after his team “uncovered serious allegations,” the company said.“Had they had the full picture and information, there would have been no contact whatsoever,” the statement reads. “Richard believes that Epstein’s actions were abhorrent and supports the right to justice for his many victims.”
Donald Trump
It’s long been known that Epstein was friends with Trump before the two had a falling out.The new trove of documents contain thousands of references to Trump, much of which sheds little additional light on the men’s relationship. They included emails in which Epstein and others shared news articles about Trump, commented on his policies or his politics, or gossiped about him and his family.The Justice Department also disclosed a spreadsheet created last August that summarized calls made to law enforcement tip lines from people claiming to have some knowledge of wrongdoing by Trump.That document included a range of uncorroborated stories involving many different celebrities, and somewhat fantastical scenarios, occasionally with notations indicating what follow-up, if any, was done by agents.Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that the FBI fielded “hundreds of calls” about prominent individuals that were “quickly determined to not be credible.”
Bill Clinton
Like Trump, Clinton spent time with Epstein more than two decades ago, including flying occasionally on his private jet and seeing him at the White House. Clinton also denied any knowledge of Epstein’s wrongdoing.Clinton’s representatives say the former president broke off relations with Epstein after the first round of criminal charges in 2006.The investigative file includes snapshots of Clinton and other famous people that Epstein kept in his home in New York. It also contains messages investigators received from members of the general public, demanding to know why Clinton wasn’t being investigated. None of Epstein’s victims have publicly accused Clinton of being involved in Epstein’s crimes.
Steven Tisch
The New York Giants co-owner is mentioned more than 400 times in the files released Friday. Correspondence between the two shows Epstein offered to connect Tisch to numerous women over the years.In one 2013 email exchange with the subject line “Ukrainian girl,” Epstein encouraged Tisch to contact a particular woman, whose physical beauty he praised in crude terms.“Pro or civilian?” Tisch asked in reply.Tisch, a scion of a powerful New York family that founded the Loews Corporation, has acknowledged knowing Epstein but denied ever going to his infamous Caribbean island.“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” said Tisch, who also won an Academy Award in 1994 for producing “Forrest Gump.” “As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
Brett Ratner
The film director who made the recently released Melania Trump documentary appears in several photographs included in the government’s files.One, first released in December, shows him with his arms wrapped around the shirtless torso of Jean Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who killed himself in jail in 2022 while awaiting trial on rape charges.The more recent document release has a sequence of other photos apparently taken around the same time. Some show Ratner sitting on a couch with Epstein, Brunel and at least two young women. In the photos, Rattner has his arms wrapped around one of the women, whose faces are blacked out.Ratner and a spokesperson for his film company didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Casey Wasserman
The president of the committee for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles exchanged flirty emails with Epstein confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, Friday’s document release shows.In a 2003 exchange, Wasserman wrote to Maxwell: “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”In another, Maxwell asks whether it will be foggy enough during an upcoming visit “so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”Wasserman released a statement Saturday saying he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein and that he regretted the correspondence with Maxwell, which he said came “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Ehud Barak
The former Israeli prime minister and his wife turn up frequently in the documents released Friday, showing they stayed in regular contact with Epstein for years, including well after his 2008 guilty plea for sex crimes in Florida.Among the correspondence are plans for a 2017 stay at Epstein’s New York residence. Other missives discuss mundane logistics for other visits, meetings and phone calls with Epstein.Barak has acknowledged regularly visiting Epstein on his trips to New York and flying on his private plane, but maintains he never observed any inappropriate behavior or parties.Barak served as Israel’s prime minister from 1999 to 2001 and later served as its defense minister.
Larry Summers
Clinton’s former Secretary of the Treasury and the onetime president of Harvard University is another of Epstein’s well-known longtime acquaintances. The new documents are full of references to meetings and dinners between the two men.A previously-released trove of documents show Summers emailing Epstein in 2019, after the financier had been charged with sexual abuse of minors, to discuss his interactions with a woman, writing he’d told her “awfully coy u are.” Epstein replied: “you reacted well.”Summers has called his interactions with Epstein “a major error of judgment.”
Howard Lutnick
President Donald Trump’s commerce secretary visited Epstein’s private Caribbean island with his family on at least one occasion, records released Friday show.That appears to contradict prior statements he’s made claiming he cut ties with the disgraced financier, who he’s called “gross,” decades ago.But emails show Lutnick and his wife accepted an invitation to Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands in December 2012 and planned to arrive by yacht with their children.The former chairman of Newmark, a major commercial real estate firm, also had drinks on another occasion in 2011 with Epstein and corresponded with him about the construction of a building across the street from both of their homes.The Commerce Department, in a statement, said Lutnick had “limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife and has never been accused of wrongdoing.”
Sergey Brin
The billionaire Google co-founder made plans to meet with Epstein and Maxwell at his townhouse in New York years before he was publicly accused of sexually abusing underage girls, emails show.In one exchange in 2003, Maxwell invited him to join her at a screening of the Renee Zellweger film “Down with Love” in New York.She followed up a few weeks later to invite him to a “happily casual and relaxed” dinner at Epstein’s house. Brin offered to bring along Google’s then-CEO Eric Schmidt.Spokespersons for Google didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.
Steve Bannon
The one-time adviser to Trump exchanged hundreds of friendly texts with Epstein, some sent months before the financier’s 2019 arrest and jailhouse suicide.The two discussed politics, travel and a documentary Bannon was said to be planning that would help salvage Epstein’s reputation.One 2018 exchange, for example, focused on Trump’s threats at the time to oust Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In a 2019 message, Bannon asked Epstein if he could supply his plane to pick him up in Rome.Epstein and Bannon also exchanged gossipy messages about Trump and his politics.Bannon hasn’t responded to emails seeking comment.
Miroslav Lajcak
A national security adviser to the Slovakian prime minister, Lajcak resigned Saturday after his past communications with Epstein appeared in Friday’s document release.Opposition parties and a nationalist partner in Fico’s governing coalition had called for him to step down.Lajcak, a former Slovak foreign minister and a onetime president of the U.N. General Assembly, has not been accused of any wrongdoing, but was photographed meeting with Epstein in the years between his initial release from jail and his subsequent indictment in 2019 on sex trafficking charges.He said his correspondence with Epstein were part of his diplomatic duties.
Associated Press journalists from around the world contributed to this report.
The AP is reviewing the documents released by the Justice Department in collaboration with journalists from Versant, CBS and NBC. Journalists from each newsroom are working together to examine the files and share information about what is in them. Each outlet is responsible for its own independent news coverage of the documents.Philip Marcelo and Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press
Trevor Noah once again roamed through the audience during his monologue to open the Grammy Awards, taking pokes at the stars while standing right next to them, but he saved his most pointed jokes for absentees, and elicited an angry post from the president.“Nicki Minaj is not here,” Noah said, to big cheers from the audience at Crypto.com Arena. “She is still at the White House with Donald Trump discussing very important issues.”Minaj this week visited and praised the president, the culmination of a move toward MAGA that she’s made in recent months.Noah broke into a Trump impression. “Actually Nicki, I have the biggest ass, everybody’s saying it Nicki.”In his sixth time hosting the showand what he says will be his lastNoah mostly played it safe during his monologue, not delving too much into politics or controversy, at least during his monologue. There was no mention of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (on a night when many attendees were wearing “ICE OUT” buttons).But Noah got more pointed later in the show, after Billie Eilish won song of the year.“Wow. That is a Grammy that every artist wants,” Noah said, “almost as much as Trump wants Greenland. Which makes sense. I mean, because Epstein’s island is gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”After the show in a Truth Social post, Trump reacted.“Noah said, INCORRECTLY about me, that Donald Trump and Bill Clinton spent time on Epstein Island. WRONG!!! I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory, statement, have never been accused being there, not even by the Fake News Media,” the post said. “Noah, a total loser, better get his facts straight, and get them straight fast. It looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C.”After the crowd’s reaction to the joke during the show, Noah said, “Oh, I told you, it’s my last year. What are you going to do about it?”At a different point in the show, Noah joked about the president’s penchant for suing TV networks when he said the Grammys were airing “completely live” because “if we edited any of the show, the president would sue CBS for $16 billion,” referring to Trump’s recent history with CBS News and a settlement he got from Paramount last summer.It had seemed at first like he wasn’t going to go very far into such material.He said during the monologue Lauryn Hill was performing on the show for the first time since 1999.“Do you understand how long ago that is?” he said. “Back in 1999, the president had had a sex scandal, people thought computers were about to destroy the world, and Diddy was arrested.”Later in the show, Noah cozied up to the night’s biggest nominee, Kendrick Lamar, and only congratulated him.“I actually thought about writing a few jokes roasting you, but then I remembered what you can do to light-skinned dudes from other countries,” Noah, who is from South Africa, said in a reference to Lamar’s beef with the Canadian rapper Drake that culminated in last year’s big Grammy winner “Not Like Us.”Later, he sat with Bad Bunny, and asked if he could come live with him in his native Puerto Rico if things got too bad in the U.S.“Trevor I have some news for you,” Bad Bunny said. “Puerto Rico is part of America.”The Recording Academy announced less than three weeks ago that Noah was returning “one final time.”“I believe in term limits,” Noah said during the show.Only singer Andy Williams, who hosted the Grammys seven times in the 1970s, has hosted more often.Noah himself is a four-time Grammy nominee, and was up this year in the best audio book recording category for Into The Uncut Grass, a children’s story. He lost to the Dalai Lama.
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Nicki Minaj in several places.
For more coverage of the 2026 Grammy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards
Andrew Dalton, AP Entertainment Writer
To say it’s been a bad few days for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies would be an understatement.
As of the time of this writing, Bitcoin is trading in the range of $77,000 per coina price point not seen since last March, when the world was thrown into economic uncertainty by President Donald Trumps tariffs.
And Bitcoin isnt the only crypto facing a bloodbath.
Other major tokens, including Ethereum and BNB are also in free-fall. XRP, the closely watched native token of the XRP Ledger from Ripple Labs, dipped below $1.60 earlier on Monday, a level it hasn’t seen since 2024.
Heres what you need to know.
Cryptocurrencies plunged over the weekend
Nearly all major cryptocurrencies plunged this weekend, with the tokens seeing drastic selloffs, particularly on Saturday.
But things are even worse when you look back over the past five days. As of the time of this writing, during that period, many major cryptos have suffered double-digit percentage declines, including:
Bitcoin: down nearly 13% over the past five days to $77,843
Ethereum: down nearly 24% over the past five days to $2,293
BNB: down more than 15% over the past five days to $764
XRP: down nearly 15% over the past five days to $1.62
And those arent the only cryptocurrencies getting hammeredmost major coins are, including Solana (down almost 18% over the past 5 days to $102.88) and memecoin Dogecoin (down more than 15% over the past five days to $0.104.
The dramatic fall of major cryptocurrencies have led to fears of a new crypto winter, a period when cryptocurrencies across the board see steep selloffs and new investors tend to shy away from adding the coins to their asset portfolios. The last major crypto winter occurred around 2022.
Why are cryptocurrency prices sinking?
Its never possible to attribute the exact reason why a volatile asset class like cryptocurrencies rises or falls, as so much of crypto investor activity is driven by greed and fear, which fuel buy-and-sell cycles.
However, you can look back over the past five days to when the precipitous drops began and correlate the crypto price declines with external geopolitical and economic news, which is likely contributing to the outflow of investment in digital tokens.
The first happened on Friday when President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. That news caused the dollar to surgeand safe-haven assets like gold and silver to crash.
Since most cryptocurrencies are bought and sold against the dollar, when the dollar grows stronger, it takes fewer of them to buy the same amount of cryptocurrencies, and some investors may choose to sell their tokens before the dollar’s rising buying power makes their digital assets look any cheaper.
Meanwhile, news on the geopolitical front may have also played a role in the crypto selloff. Over the weekend, the U.S. military began moving forces and equipment into the Middle East after President Trump said he is considering a strike on Iran.
The potential strike is in response to recent widespread demonstrations in the country, which could signal a strong enough appetite for regime changesomething Trump would likely consider very appealing, especially after the president ordered the attack on Venezuela at the beginning of the year to oust its leader.
Any potential conflict can be good for the U.S. dollar, but it will also serve to raise geopolitical uncertainty.
Investors generally hate uncertainty, and when such conditions arise, they typically dump their more volatile assets so they can park their profits in ones that are more stable.
Where does crypto go from here?
It is still too early to tell whether the recent cryptocurrency decline over the past five days is a temporary event or is indeed the beginning of another long crypto winter.
The good news for investors is that many tokens are already showing signs of a slight recovery as of Monday morning, with Bitcoin up 1.21%, ETH up 1.41%, and XRP up 3.12% over the last 24 hours as of this writing.
Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! Im Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning.
The corporate response to the Trump administrations immigration enforcement actions has been muted at best. After the killings of two U.S. citizens by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis, the CEOs of more than 60 Minnesota-based companies issued a carefully worded letter calling foran immediate de-escalation of tensions. Targets incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke sent a video message to employees calling the events incredibly painful. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who was lambasted for attending a White House movie screening hours after protester Alex Pretti was shot and killed, said he was heartbroken.
Few executives have been willing to criticize ICEs sweeping clampdown, which has also resulted in the detention of U.S. citizens, refugees, and others legally in the country. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman came close, saying in a note to employees: Whats happening with ICE is going too far. There is a big difference between deporting violent criminals and whats happening now, and we need to get the distinction right.
Corporate tepidness is strategic and, according to those who work with CEOs, unlikely to change. Whether they are willing to admit it or notsee this exchange between JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon and Zanny Minton Beddoes of The EconomistCEOs are afraid of retaliation by the administration and backlash from activists who may feel statements in response to current events are either too woke or not full-throated enough. As a result, many companies are staying on the sidelines.
Fear and chaos
Communications experts say CEOs will never go back to the volume of commentary or commitments companies issued in the wake of George Floyds murder and the racial justice marches that followed. In 2020, clients frequently asked us how best to weigh in on these kinds of issues, says Jim OLeary, North America CEO and global president of communications firm Weber Shandwick. Today, there is a greater focus on assessing the risks of engaging.
Another CEO adviser I contacted, who asked to remain anonymous so he could speak freely about a topic that many deem sensitive, says corporate leaders can and should speak out on issues that impact the overall standing and reputation of U.S. businesses, and affect employees, customers, and shareholders. The goal for businesses in these moments should be to talk to their stakeholdersemployees, customers, investorsnot to garner headlines, he adds. It is about corporate and leadership values, not scoring points.
Lets be clear: The events unfolding in Minneapolis and other cities around the country are impacting businesses. Silence isnt neutral. Its expensive, says Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First, which held a virtual call after the killing of Alex Pretti that attracted thousands of moms who discussed grassroots responses, including national strikes such as the one organized last Friday. Letting this chaos continue is fiscal malpractice. Everyone I know is distracted. People feel scared. Workers are disappearing. Productivity is dropping. Local economies are taking a hit.You cant run a healthy economy based on fear and chaos.
CEOs may or may not wish to speak out about the killings of Pretti and Renee Nicole Good or the clashes in the street. But executives at every level need to be willing to support civil liberties and the rule of law, which are the very underpinnings of democracy and capitalism. If more CEOs rise to meet this moment, we may see what true leadership looks like.
Taking a stand
Has your company responded to the ICE crackdowns, and if so, how? Send your responses to me at stephaniemehta@mansueto.com, and well publish excerpts in an upcoming newsletter.
Read more: CEOs speak out. Or not.
CEOs who shy away from defending voting rights do so at their peril
E.l.f.s Tarang Amin is doubling down on board diversity
We asked Minnesotas biggest companies about ICE
