• Brenda Brown is a 57-year-old delivery driver for Walmart based in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 
• Brown is currently a graduate student at Weber State University studying healthcare administration. 
• She's been delivering for Walmart since September 2019, and said the coronavirus pandemic has been a "rollercoaster of emotion" for her and her community. 
• In the last year she's made over $100,000 doing deliveries for Walmart.
• This is her story, as told to freelance writer Meira Gebel.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I was hired to be a delivery driver for Walmart in September 2019. My first driving shift was the first of October, so it's been over a year since I've been delivering for Walmart. Currently I am living in Las Cruces, New Mexico and in my final weeks of graduate school at Weber State University studying healthcare administration. Before I was hired to deliver for Walmart, I was working in the healthcare field at a private practice for over 28 years. 

Like most big retailers, Walmart contracts with a third-party company to do its deliveries and hire its delivery people. Those of us who deliver for Walmart are hired by Delivery Drivers Inc., which powers Walmart-owned delivery platform called Spark. So we aren't actually Walmart employees, and are paid by delivery. 

Spark doesn't offer any hands-on delivery driving training. Instead, you're required to watch a series of videos on how to use the app and receive orders from Walmart stores. On your first day of deliveries you are essentially going in blind. 

I had never had a delivery job before, but for Walmart we use our own personal cars. From October to May, I put over 25,000 miles on my 2015 Nissan Versa. In May, I bought a new 2020 Kia Optima and have already put 23,000 miles on it just from driving around town doing deliveries. 

Every day I wake up at 4 a.m. I spend two hours studying before signing on to receive deliveries. I am out of the door and in my car by 7:30 a.m. 

On the Spark app, orders come in the form of "offers" — a certain number of deliveries per hour. Some offers are "batches," meaning two different deliveries within the same hour, where an employee called a "dispenser" will come out to our vehicle and load it into our car. Others are "express," where we have to park our cars and go into the store and stock the order ourselves, to be delivered within two hours. 

Offers start coming in at 7:45 a.m., so I like to be out of the door and on my way when deliveries become available. The Spark app works on a round-robin algorithm, meaning the more orders you take, the higher up on the list you are to get pinged when more deliveries come in. 

Read more: The simple 4-step strategy that helped me go from making $40,000 a year as a freelancer to over $110,000

There are three Walmarts in my city, two of which are 14 miles apart. Deliveries can come in from different locations, so I am driving back and forth to each Walmart multiple times a day. 

Sometimes I schedule an hour or two to eat my lunch in the middle of the day. In my car I always have a cooler with water and a lunchbox. I get home from doing deliveries at around 8 p.m., just after the last delivery window at 6:45 p.m. It's not strange for me to work over 10 hours in a single day. 

Over the last year, since I started doing deliveries for Walmart, I've averaged 80 hours of work each week and have only taken one day off. 

The way the round-robin algorithm works with Spark is that if you take even one day off, you fall down in the ranking. I don't take that chance, because this is how I am paying for graduate school. We don't get paid per hour, we get paid per delivery or trip. Right now I am averaging about $15 a delivery, not including customer tips. 

This recent Monday I made $334.52 on a 10-hour shift, which is unreal for a Monday. On slow days, I make a little over $100 because people are not tipping. On average, I make $1,500 to $2,000 a week, and we get paid every week. I keep a detailed spreadsheet of how much I make. From October of last year to September of this year I've made $113,000. 

Read more: I'm a stay-at-home mom who went from making $8 an hour at Starbucks to over $100,000 a year as a freelancer. Here are 5 steps I took to build my client base and income from scratch.

Sometimes Spark will have incentives, where they will offer a money reward for completing a certain number of deliveries within a timeframe. During the holiday season last year they offered a $1,000 incentive where you had to complete 50 deliveries by a certain day. I was determined to get the $1,000 and because I did, I've been at the top of the ranking system ever since. 

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, I knew right away it had the potential to get very bad. But never once did I feel unsafe making deliveries to customers' homes. I never stopped working.

Even before masks were mandated in New Mexico, I was wearing them, disinfecting my car after each delivery, and using hand sanitizer regularly. A few months into the pandemic, we got an email from Spark telling us we had to wear masks. I was already wearing mine. 

With my background in healthcare, I knew right away that there was going to be a lot of unknowns. It still is an ongoing rollercoaster of emotion for our community, with cases spiking again. I made sure to write a note for each of my customers, telling them the precautions I was taking while making sure to deliver to their homes safely and without contact. 

Since I was hired before the pandemic, I got to know a lot of customers in the community really well. I estimate that I've delivered to over 20,000 homes in Las Cruces. So when COVID came, I took the time out to make sure my customers were able to get what they needed. One older woman had been out of toilet paper for over two weeks and every store was sold out, so I went to my backstock and gave her some. A disabled woman I deliver to couldn't go get her medication, so I got it for her. Our community really needs us now — because our communities are still scared. 

There is a lot of negativity out there that comes from delivery drivers, but I have loved my experience delivering for Walmart. 

The job is physically demanding, so I understand why some drivers are negative. As a 57-year-old woman, during my first month working full time as a delivery driver, there were times my body hurt so bad I had to get in a hot bath. I've never hurt myself, though. 

I've gone down four pant sizes and lost 16 pounds in the last year. I've also gained a lot of muscle. There's a lot of lifting. Those big cases of water are 46 pounds each, and one time I had a customer order 12 of them and lived in a second-floor apartment. I really had to put a smile on for that delivery. 

One of my favorite things about delivering for Walmart is the customers. I've really enjoyed being part of the community. I've seen babies be born, people pass away. There are some customers who greet me outside of their homes to say that they were happy to see me delivering their order. I make sure to take the time to check and see if the items are all correct in their order and call them if there is an item that is unavailable. 

Once, last Thanksgiving, a couple told me they really wanted a sweet potato pie, but the app said the store was all sold out. So I went to the store and bought one myself and brought it over to them. It feels like I get to celebrate with those families during the holidays. 

I have a customer who tips me $75 every time I do a delivery for him, and another who tips me $51. I love being able to take care of the customers and make sure they have everything they need, and my tips reflect that. Right now for every $100 I make on orders, I make about $95 in tips. 

I still get emotional on the job, because our community really needed this service even before the pandemic. Now especially, with more and more people becoming unemployed and cases rising. 

So whenever people ask me if I recommend being a delivery driver, I am not afraid to tell them my position; because I believe if you are compassionate, you will be able to do this job and do it well.

Walmart did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment

• Zack Friedman is the founder and CEO of Make Lemonade, a personal-finance company.
• The following is an excerpt from his book, "The Lemonade Life: How to Fuel Success, Create Happiness, and Conquer Anything."
• In this excerpt, he describes having lunch with Warren Buffett in Omaha and what he learned from him.
• Buffett expressed immense gratitude for everything he'd accomplished in his lifetime and said he maximizes his happiness through his work, his charitable giving, his love of bridge, and his legendary junk-food diet.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

It's 12:35 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska, and I'm having lunch with Warren Buffett.

We are eating at Piccolo's, which is one of Buffett's favorite restaurants and where he and Bill Gates also have dined together. Somehow, Buffett's root beer float is significantly taller, but it goes with the territory. After all, we're on his home turf, and he's Warren Buffett.

In 2016, a bidder on eBay paid $3,456,789 to have lunch with the Oracle of Omaha. Today, Buffett is picking up the tab. Earlier that morning at Berkshire Hathaway's headquarters, Buffett graciously hosted me and my classmates from Wharton Business School. For several hours, he openly and directly answered any question we asked, occasionally injecting his sharp sense of humor.

Pointing to the Coca-Cola products in the back of the room, Buffett quipped, "Berkshire owns a little over 8 percent of Coke, so we get the profit on one out of 12 cans. I don't care whether you drink it, but just open the cans, if you will."

We all sought to absorb Buffett's infinite wisdom, which we expected would be his take on the economy, investing, and business. The more I listened, however, I realized that the real "wisdom" was less about business and more about living your life with purpose, on your terms, with the things you enjoy — like a root beer float.

Buffett expressed immense gratitude for everything he'd accomplished in his lifetime. He is grateful to be alive. He's not trying to impress anyone or be like everyone else. He maximizes his happiness through his work, his charitable giving, his love of bridge, and his legendary junk-food diet, which he has compared to that of a 6-year-old. Warren Buffett knows who he is, and he's comfortable being himself.

After lunch, Buffett posed for countless photos. I'm not referring to the standard group shot where everyone lines up in rows, and he steps in the middle at the last second. For what must have taken nearly two hours, he posed for individual pictures with everyone. There were no bodyguards or assistants. He didn't owe us anything. But he couldn't have been kinder or more generous with his time.

At the end of our lunch, Buffett walked to his Cadillac and drove off into the Omaha afternoon.

While a person is unlikely to forget any part of a day spent with Warren Buffett, a few specifics about the man and the way he approaches life will always stand out to me.

1. He has a sunny outlook

Simply put, Buffett is happy. His long-term outlook on life and business is positive. He's a believer.

An open mind means access to more opportunities.

2. He takes calculated risks

As a value investor, Buffett adheres to certain principles that have guided his investment decisions and approach to risk. He especially loves the insurance business, which has taught him how to pay out less than he collects.

When you have a set of principles, you already know how to assess risk.

3. He does his own thing

Warren Buffett is not trying to be anyone other than Warren Buffett. He chose Omaha, not New York, and has lived in the same house since 1958, which he purchased for $31,500. He prefers cheeseburgers and root beer floats. The stock market's day-to-day movements don't worry him; he's playing a long game.

There is a certain freedom that comes with independence.

Read more: At a Google team off-site, we were asked to play a personality game that clearly revealed why it's so hard for women to reach the top

4. He knows what he's good at

Buffett is genuinely good at being an investor, so that's where he has focused his time and energy. Likewise, he doesn't invest in things he doesn't understand.

Life is more efficient when you know who you really are.

5. He is a workhorse

Make no mistake: Warren Buffett is a workhorse, not a figurehead who shakes hands and gives speeches. He understands the details, does the analysis, and knows his business inside and out. He reached the pinnacle because he did, and continues to do, the work.

There are no shortcuts to greatness, and there is no escaping hard work.

I asked myself why Warren Buffett is so successful. Some may say he got lucky or that times were easier when he was starting out. But financial fortune aside, Warren Buffett is no different from you or me. He is the result of his choices.

Like Warren Buffett's, your life today is the result of choices. Some choices you made, while others were made for you.

What about your life tomorrow?

From the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep, you have an opportunity to define the next day of your life. Every day. That means each day is a new opportunity to choose the life you want. In the next several chapters, we'll discuss in detail how to make better choices that will broaden your perspective, how to take calculated risks, how to break free from the herd mentality, and most importantly, how to inspire action.

Zack Friedman is the founder and chief executive officer of Make Lemonade and an in-demand speaker. Previously, he was the chief financial officer of an international energy company, was a hedge-fund investor, and worked at Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, and the White House.

Taken from "The Lemonade Life" by Zack Friedman Copyright © 2019 by Zack Friedman. Used by permission of HarperCollins Leadership.

This excerpt was first published on Business Insider in August 2019.

• Roc Nation opened a new headquarters in Manhattan in summer 2019.
• The entertainment label was started by Jay Z is 2008.
• The office was designed by architect Jeffrey Beers. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Jay-Z's entertainment label, Roc Nation, opened a new New York City headquarters last summer, less than a year before the pandemic sent many office workers at home.

The company is partnered with Live Nation, with offices in Nashville, New York, London, and Los Angeles. The newest office in Chelsea, designed by architect Jeffrey Beers, is the new headquarters. It spans businesses as a record label, talent agency, and production company.

Read more: Rapper Juicy J has an expansive investment portfolio and 2 major pieces of money advice — It's all about a budget and finding smart advisors

COVID-19 has hit New York's real estate market hard, along with cities around the world as offices emptied and people began working remotely. Pinterest canceled a large San Francisco lease, and Twitter is trying to sublet parts of its San Francisco headquarters after telling workers they can work from home indefinitely.

Here's a look inside the new Roc Nation office. 

The New York office was completed in summer 2019.

It encompasses 60,000 square feet.

In a press release, Jeffrey Beers International design team described how it created a "clean yet warm" palette for the record label's office.

The office is also intentionally laid out like a gallery with works of art throughout.

Concrete floors and steel paneling feel corporate, but still work for the gallery feel.

Jay Z has an extensive contemporary art collection, some of which is shown off in the Roc Nation office.

Jay Z picked this portrait by South African artist Zanele Muholi to sit at the entrance of the office.

The office is Roc Nation's headquarters, housing many of its brands.

For example, this office belongs to an executive from Armand de Brignac Champagne.

The champagne brand's section of the office have concrete flooring, gold accents, and on-theme. artwork.

The social media room is one of the most impressive, with a wall of monitors and faux leather paneling, plus designer sofas.

The sphere shaped lounge is customizable, and can function as a workspace or theater.

It was designed to feel like a "world within a world" according to the designer.

The retail showroom shows off designs from Roc Nation's apparel brand, Paper Planes.

The showroom has a grey marble countertop with a custom hat display and clothes hanging systems.

The Paper Planes logo shows up all over too, like in this coffee table.

The four executive offices were each custom designed to fit their owners.

Each suite has an office, meeting room, lounge, pantry...

...and a private bathroom.

The designer tried to translate each executives' personality into office decor.

This office has a custom couch and a piece by artist Eddie Love.

The office has views of the Empire State Building.

The main conference room on the ninth floor was created to "be memorable and wow clients" the designer said.

Seating along the window takes advantage of the view.

The designer also called it "one of the key dramatic features" of the office.

Finally, the office has a 9,000 square foot rooftop terrace.

The rooftop has a bar, communal tables, and a lounge area.

• Three islands will be built in Penang, Malaysia to serve as cultural, business, and residential hubs.
• Transportation on the island will consist of autonomous boats, vehicles, and air travel, leaving the 4,500 planned acres car-free and pedestrian friendly. 
• The project is a part of the Penang2030 initiative that's centered around greener living while improving the state's quality of life, household income levels, and "civic participation."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Bjarke Ingels Group, among other private entities, is partnering with Malaysia's Penang state government to create the Penang South Islands.

Bjarke Ingels Group, or BIG for short, and Ramboll, a project managing and engineer company, were recently selected by the Penang government to design the Penang South Islands project that will total up to 4,500 acres. The islands will also be built in collaboration with other private entities, including architect and planning company Hijjas, Knight Frank, and Ernst and Young.

The plan, called BiodiverCity, is a part of the government's Penang2030 initiative centered around improving the state's quality of life, household income levels, and "civic participation", all while taking on greener initiatives. 

The commercial build is still in progress, but will eventually consist of three islands — the Channels, Mangroves, and Laguna — and will include about 2.86 miles of beaches, 600 acres of parks, and 15.53 miles of waterfront, all while integrating parts of Malaysian culture.

According to BIG, land developments in Penang have disturbed the local habitats and coastal areas, which consists of different topographies and environments. To tackle this looming issue, the BiodiverCity will be designed as "urban lilypads" of three different islands and plans that will be accessible via different modes of transportation and the ability to gather resources from the islands themselves.

BiodiverCity was aptly named after the biodiversity in the Penang.

According to its designers, BiodiverCity will be built to be sustainable while offering a place for “people and nature (to) co-exist.”

The islands will also serve as lucrative cultural and environmentally friendly hubs.

The three islands will be made up of different "districts" that will altogether house 15,000 to 16,000 people on 50 to 500 acres of land.

There will also be a "buffer" between 50 to 100 meters that will surround every district to create a relationship between the people, the land, and the districts' parks, reserves, plazas, and more.

Transportation in the spaces will consist of autonomous air, land, and water vehicles, creating a car-free space while welcoming bicycle and foot travel.

Access to different districts will take place below land to create safer pedestrian environments on the streets while increasing delivery and transportation efficiency.

To keep native animals safe in spots that are being inhabited by humans, the builders will also include canopies, waterways, and boardwalks.

The first of the three islands is the Channels, which will be built in three phases with the intention of making the island a local and international destination spot full of different institutions.

The first phase brings in specific amenities, like a wave pool and tech "park."

The second phase will provide a governing body and research spaces, while the final phase will bring "culture" to the land, drawing inspiration specifically from George Town, Malaysia.

The Channels will also have a 500-acre "digital park" for researchers, educators, families, and businesspeople that will integrate virtual reality and robotics, according to BIG.

The second island — called Mangroves — will be specifically for business while still honoring the area's wetlands and, of course, mangroves.

This island will also feature a meeting, conference, and event space, called the "Bamboo Beacon."

The Mangroves will offer "civic amenities" to "promote inclusive growth and participation in urban life", according to BIG, and its buildings will be built out of bamboo, Malaysian timber, and concrete made of waste and recyclables to create more environmentally friendly spaces.

In line with this strong green approach, there will also be green roofs and open spaces to create a symbiotic relationship between people and nature.

The final island, the Laguna, consists of eight small islands built around a marina.

Here, people can live in houses that float or are stilted or terraced, which will be especially helpful for the residents who fish.

The Laguna's islands will also have recreational spots and marine habitats full of breeding grounds for wildlife, as well as places to hatch eggs.

Beyond Laguna, the main three islands will source its own natural resources to help itself function.

Several of the buildings will be prefabricated or can be 3D printed on-site.

The islands will also use SMART grid, which provides people with live data detailing waste and energy consumption to help the community make informed sustainability-related decisions.

Source: BIG

• Kamala Harris called a nurse on Thanksgiving to thank her for work fighting on the COVID-19 frontline.
• Harris spoke to Talisa Hardin, a registered nurse at the University of Chicago Medical Center and posted a video of the call.
• She told her: "I know it's personal for you and I know that it requires mental and emotional and physical and spiritual energy and power that you give to it, so thank you." 
• Incoming second husband, Doug Emhoff, also called registered nurse, Juan Anchondo who works in El Paso, Texas, where morgues are being overwhelmed from COVID-19 deaths.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Kamala Harris called a nurse on Thanksgiving to thank her for work fighting on the COVID-19 frontline.

Harris spoke to Talisa Hardin, a registered nurse at the University of Chicago Medical Center and posted a video of the call on Instagram.

The Vice President-elect captioned the 18-second clip of the call: "Earlier today Douglas Emhoff and I called Talisa, a registered nurse in Chicago, and a few of our nation's frontline workers to thank them for everything they have done in the fight against COVID-19. 

"We won't be able to get through this without them."

A post shared by Kamala Harris (@kamalaharris)

She says: "You know, I just - I wanted to see you to say Happy Thanksgiving! And just for everything you do every day. I've been reading about you and just all you do in service of so many people."

Bonnie Castillo, Executive Director of National Nurses United (NNU), also posted Hardin's side of the call to Facebook.

Castillo adds that Harris let Hardin know "that she and Joe Biden are looking forward to fully invoking the Defense Production Act to finally produce the PPE nurses on the front lines of COVID-19 so desperately need to protect ourselves and our patients.

"This holiday season, I am so deeply grateful for the powerful advocacy of nurses like Talisa. Our solidarity will see us through this crisis."

Harris also tells Hardin: "I know it's personal for you and I know that it requires mental and emotional and physical and spiritual energy and power that you give to it, so thank you." 

Both Hardin's mother and uncle have COVID-19, with her uncle still in hospital, the National Nurses United (NNU) told CNN.

In May, she testified to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on behalf of the NNU and the University of Chicago Medical Center about the lack of protection for medical workers.

Incoming second husband, Doug Emhoff, also called registered nurse Juan Anchondo who works in El Paso, Texas, where morgues are overwhelmed with people who have died from COVID-19.

In the clip shared on the NNU Facebook, he said: "Every story I hear like these, I just take it back to Joe and Kamala, and it really informs what the policies are going to be, and I'm certainly going to share this with them as well. But hang in there, man, help's on the way. 

"And thank you so much for what you're doing, and we so appreciate it, and I hope you know that. Just keep fighting, and stay as safe as you can, and enjoy your Thanksgiving."

The news comes as the United States hit the highest daily death rate from COVID-19 since May on the day before Thanksgiving. 

• Throughout November, the developed world has celebrated milestones in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine.
• But lower-income countries may have to wait for years before they can vaccinate the majority of their population.
• Cost and availability, combined with transport, storage, and distribution issues pose serious problems. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Every American could have access to a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of April. This is not the case, however, for the majority of people in low-income countries, who may have to wait years longer.

As drugmakers ramp up their efforts, governments across the world are negotiating deals to buy prospective COVID-19 vaccines – but this "frenzy of deals" could prevent poorer countries from accessing enough vaccines for most of their population until 2024.

This is according to researchers at Duke University's Global Health Innovation Center. Scientists at the center's Launch and Scale initiative have looked into the barriers that could affect access to a vaccine – and found a myriad of factors.

It isn't just the cost and availability of vaccines that is pricing lower-income countries out. Many of the most vulnerable segments of society also lack the infrastructure to transport, store, and distribute the vaccine.

Manufacturing

Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca all marked major milestones in the global race for a vaccine earlier this month.

However, when vaccines are approved, it takes time to manufacture doses.

The leading vaccines use several different technologies, such as mRNA, recombinant protein, and adenoviruses. Each of these has its own complex manufacturing process, meaning the vaccines take a long time to make.

It could take three to four years to produce enough vaccines to immunize the global population, the researchers found. Wealthier countries may be able to issue multiple doses of the vaccine to their populations before the immunization becomes widespread in poorer countries.

"High-income countries are making deals with major vaccine developers who are in turn reserving the lion's share of the world's manufacturing capacity to meet those commitments," she said. 

Experts are also worried about a shortage of glass vials to store the vaccines in.

Cost

The vaccine will also be expensive to buy. Pfizer charged the US $19.50 per dose for the first 100 million doses, its partner company BioNTech said. Each person requires two doses of the vaccine, putting its cost at $39 per person.

Moderna, meanwhile, plans to charge from $25 to $37 per dose.

AstraZeneca is reserving 400 million doses of its vaccine for low- and middle-income countries, and said it would sell its vaccine at cost during the pandemic for between $3 and $5 per dose. But this no-profit guarantee could expire before July 2021.

Johnson & Johnson also said it would not profit from sales of its vaccine to poorer nations, and China said its vaccine would be "made a global public good."

Covax

Since May, wealthy countries have been placing pre-orders for potential vaccines.

To prevent wealthier countries from snatching up vital doses of the vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) launched a scheme called Covax in April.

Countries sign up to access an equal share of successful vaccine candidates, meaning that the doses are shared among richer and poorer countries. The scheme aims to provide lower-income countries with enough doses to cover 20% of their population, and so far, 184 countries have signed up.

"For lower-income funded nations, who would otherwise be unable to afford these vaccines, as well as a number of higher-income self-financing countries that have no bilateral deals with manufacturers, Covax is quite literally a lifeline and the only viable way in which their citizens will get access to COVID-19 vaccines," the companies behind the initiative said.

As of November 11, the Duke University researchers had found no evidence of any direct deals made by low-income countries, suggesting that they would be "entirely reliant on the 20% population coverage from Covax."

Despite being a "phenomenal effort at international collaboration," Covax is "seriously underfunded," Ted Schrecker, professor of global health policy at Newcastle University Medical School, told Business Insider.

Some countries, notably China and the US, haven't joined. The US could eventually control 1.8 billion doses, the Duke University researchers found, or about a quarter of the world's near-term supply – and none of this would be shared with lower-income countries via Covax.

Furthermore, many wealthy countries which have signed up to the scheme, including the UK, EU, and Canada, have also struck "side-deals" with pharmaceutical companies to guarantee their supply, the Duke University researchers found.

This "undermines" Covax, "drives inequality and threatens to prolong a global pandemic," Duke University's Elina Urli Hodges said. 

Transport

Distributing the vaccines globally will be a mammoth task. 

Cargo airline execs have already warned that getting a COVID-19 vaccine to everyone on Earth could take up to two years, saying that it could be "one of the biggest challenges for the transportation industry."

Some require ultra-cold chain storage which requires significant investment. Pfizer's vaccine, for example, has to be transported at -94 degrees Fahrenheit through a system of deep-freeze airport warehouses and refrigerated vehicles using dry ice and reusable GPS temperature-monitoring devices.

Even when the vaccines do make it to low-income countries, they might lack the transport links and road networks to distribute the doses to everyone in need.

Specially-adapted vehicles may also be needed, Alison Copeland, professor of human geography at Newcastle University, told Business Insider. Lower-income countries may not be able to afford them, however. 

Storage

When doses do reach local communities, vaccines such as Pfizer's still have to be kept in cold-chain storage. Even some of the most reputable US hospitals, such Minnesota's Mayo Clinic, lack adequate facilities to store the vaccine, leading to a scramble for hyper-cold freezers – and in lower-income countries, this access to ultra-cold freezers is even less likely.

After the shots reach health centers, they can be thawed in a regular fridge – but they have to be injected within five days.

In many low-income countries, only metropolitan areas are well-resourced, Schrecker explained, and some villages and informal settlements may not have a working fridge.

Even if communities are able to afford storage for the vaccine, they may not have working electricity, Copeland explained.

And the various vaccine candidates being developed by drugmakers have different storage needs, making it difficult for countries to know how to prepare and whether to invest in cold-chain facilities.

AstraZeneca's vaccine, for example, can be stored, transported, and handled at normal fridge temperatures of between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit for at least six months.

Once it reaches its destination, it can be "administered within existing healthcare settings," AstraZeneca said, rather than requiring investment in expensive ultra-cold storage equipment.

Moderna's vaccine can also be transported and stored at fridge temperatures, but only for a month.

Health centers and infrastructure

Given that urban areas have the most transport infrastructure, they also have the majority of healthcare infrastructure, too.

Although many African countries improved their health services during the Ebola pandemic, most rural communities remain isolated, Schrecker told Business Insider.

Alongside the vaccine doses themselves, other supplies are needed to carry out the vaccinations. For example, countries need to ensure they have syringes available in time for the arrival of vaccines, Taylor said.

Low-income countries may also have to launch vaccination drives where health literacy is poor. While childhood vaccinations are becoming increasingly common in low-income income countries, people of all age groups, especially the elderly, will need the COVID-19 vaccine. This will require the counties to carry out major vaccination education campaigns, Taylor and Copeland both said.

Another challenge is that most vaccines require two shots, including Pfizer's, which needs two shots injected three weeks apart. In rural parts of India, where people are harder to contact or may live a long way from vaccination centers, some people don't come back for a second shot, public health experts told Bloomberg.

The country will also have to roll out mass paramedical training to teach healthcare staff how to administer the two-shot doses, Pankaj Patel, chairman of drugmaker Cadila Healthcare, told the publication.

Cause for optimism

Despite the hurdles that lower-income countries face, mass global vaccination is still a possibility.

After their mid-November summit, the G20 states said they will "spare no effort to ensure their affordable and equitable access [to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines] for all people."

Wealthier countries could also be motivated to provide aid to ensure all countries have access to a vaccine, because of herd immunity beliefs. 

"In order to control the virus, we need worldwide herd immunity, so between 60% and 72% of the population need immunizing," Copeland told Business Insider. "This will hopefully be enough incentive for richer countries to help out."

• Starting a new job is a chance at a fresh slate, says executive coach Melody Wilding — but only if you're building healthy relationship dynamics and fixing self-sabotaging habits from your last job. 
• At least a week before you start a job, she recommends touching base with your new manager to get to know them and ask questions about the onboarding process.
• It's important to initiate conversations with your boss and new coworkers to develop an understanding of their expectations, goals, and work style. 
• A few months into your new job, make sure you schedule check-ins where you can tout your accomplishments or discuss your progress towards long-term goals. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Joanna was over the moon about accepting a new role as a senior program manager at a consumer products company. But as her start date approached, her new job anxiety set in.

The position ticked all her boxes:

• It was a substantial level up in terms of title and salary
• She felt sure the responsibilities and the culture were perfect fits
• She was excited about the prospect of building an innovation team.

However, Joanna couldn't shake a feeling of imposter syndrome. She started to doubt herself as her start date inched closer. She second-guessed whether she was cut out for the job she worked so hard to land.  

As an executive coach, I've seen many leaders like Joanna (name changed), worry about starting a new job. As Sensitive Strivers, they care about making an impact and put a lot of pressure on themselves to succeed. Because they feel deeply, they may over-analyze situations and overthink themselves into a frenzy, particularly in the face of uncertainty and stress. 

What gives Joanna and Sensitive Strivers like her a sense of confidence and peace of mind is having a plan.  

So, if you've recently landed a new role, congratulations! Know that it's normal to be nervous. By having a plan, you can conquer new job jitters and hit the ground running. These steps will prepare you for success in the first 90 days. 

Starting a new job: Tips for success

Think of your first 90 days on the job as (1) an extension of the interview and (2) a chance at a fresh slate. Not only is it a crucial time to establish the value you provide, but it's also an important chance to build healthy relationship dynamics and fix self-sabotaging habits you've acquired over the years like overworking, saying yes too much, or not speaking up enough. 

Your goals in the first 90 days should include:  

• Establishing credibility 
• Building influence quickly 
• Creating trust
• Crafting a personal brand 

Here's how to get there. 

Read more: 8 ways to make yourself indispensable at work during COVID-19, according to an executive coach

At least a week before you start a new job...

Contact your manager

Touch base with your new boss. Reiterate your enthusiasm for joining the team. Explain that you're looking forward to getting started. Ask them for recommendations on making a smooth transition. Confirm logistics like where you should report (if in-person), or times you should be online (if working remotely). 

Do your homework

Do preliminary research to get a head start on understanding the organization. Read through materials such as annual reports, town hall memos, strategy decks, etc. that are provided by your new manager or publicly available online. That way, you can feel more confident and informed in early conversations and ask deeper, intelligent questions. 

Define your personal brand

Take control of your narrative by deciding what you want to be known for. Do you want to be the go-to person for analytics? Or perhaps you want to be seen as a strong people leader, for example? Joanna, the client whose story I shared earlier, was clear that she wanted to be seen as someone who was strategically strong and also encouraged a culture of feedback on her team. 

Within your first 10 days of a new job...

Embark on a listening tour

Your first week should be spent getting a lay of the land. Review the org chart and put together a list of individuals to meet — colleagues, stakeholders, decision-makers. Also, connect with key customers and vendors. Use the 70/30 rule: 70% of the time inquire about how things work. 30% of the time, share background on yourself so people get to know you and how you think. Your goal with a listening tour is to understand people's motivations, pain points, and desires. But you're also learning: 

• Who already has influence
• The political landscape
• Who the superstars are so you can model their behavior

Have key conversations with your manager

The strongest relationship you have at the office should be with your manager. Build a foundation by telling them you'd like to have a few key conversations in your first few weeks on the job: 

1. The situational diagnosis conversation. I also call this the "data dump" conversation. It's usually where your boss shared their perspective on the team or organization's history, context, and vision for the future, as well as how you plug into it. 
2. The expectations conversation. Michael Watkins, who created this 5-conversation framework, says you should discuss questions like What are the few key things that your new boss needs you to accomplish in the short term and medium-term? What will constitute success? When? How will it be measured?
3. The style conversation. Get clear on how your boss and you will communicate. Understand your manager's style – are they more analytical? Relaxed? Collaborative? Process-oriented? Understand how and when you'll receive feedback. 
4. The resources conversation. What do you need to do your job successfully? This could be financial resources, people, tools, or influence. 
5. The personal development conversation. Don't neglect this conversation. Be upfront about your short- and long-term career aspirations. Are there skills you want to learn? Competencies you want to develop?

Show your face

It's easy to get so overwhelmed during your first few weeks on a job that you fail to put yourself out there. That's a mistake. Go out of your way to introduce yourself in meetings, on Slack, etc. Nail down an elevator pitch about your function and add a dose of personality with a random fun fact.

Read more: I'm a professor at Kellogg who studies high-performing employees. Here are 4 signs you're one of them, and how to work with others who aren't.

By the end of your first month…

Identify quick wins

You should now have a better idea of where you can add value for the team or organization. 

Look for opportunities to secure quick wins. For example, could you create a process? Improve customer relationships? Spearhead a new project? Over-deliver to earn instant credibility and prove to others that you're a self-starter who can be trusted to follow through and make change happen.  

Set healthy boundaries

You teach people how to treat you, so make sure you're not treating yourself like a pushover. After about 30 days, you'll start being pulled into new projects; extra demands will begin falling on your plate. Get comfortable diplomatically saying "no" where needed. Set expectations with other teams and stakeholders for what you can — and can't — do for them. And make sure you're letting go of work at the end of the day. 

Make it official

It's now time to update your LinkedIn profile with your new job description. Circle back with contacts who supported you during your job search and let them know about your position. 

Within three months of starting a new job…

Schedule check-ins

Sit down with your boss around the 90-day mark to explicitly touch base on your performance. Discuss how you're tracking towards goals. Do a brief pulse-check with stakeholders to see if you're still in agreement on expectations. Connect with senior staff members who can provide ongoing mentorship.

Make your accomplishments known

Making your achievements visible is key to success, but can feel awkward, especially when you're still relatively new. But the truth is, it's better to start early and ritualize it. For example, start sending a monthly round-up to the leadership team, or publish a weekly team newsletter. 

Start a brag file

With your first performance review only a few months away, now is the time to create a brag file, which is a work journal where you log wins, positive feedback, and lessons learned. It'll be a boost to your confidence to watch your progress grow, but it will also come in handy come review time.

• The 1991 gubernatorial election in Louisiana may have been the last decisive win for progressives in the South, and Southern progressives should emulate Edwin Edwards' campaign. 
• Edwards threw together a ragtag coalition of Black Democrats, white business leaders, and prominent religious figures; he went negative without getting angry, crafted an endless array of quotable one-liners for the media to disseminate, presented a bold left-wing vision, and fought hard for the neglected rural, low-income voter.
• Liberal Democrats have a tough fight ahead and need a bold, charismatic populist to lead the way. 
• Brian Fairbanks is a writer and former staffer for Senate and Congressional campaigns.
• This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

On Election Night, the white male Democrat looked at the returns and felt supremely confident in his victory. His opponent, a white male Republican, told the world that the fight wasn't over, that the exit polls were fake news, and that the vote counting would continue. 

The Republican, tied to neo-Nazis and even the Ku Klux Klan, was trailing badly in the campaign's final weeks. He had tried everything to close the gap, from relentlessly attacking his opponent and calling his family corrupt, to playing a doctored video of the Democrat "admitting" to taking illicit funds in exchange for jobs. But despite polls showing that the race would be tight and have a record-shattering turnout, the racist Republican lost decisively.  

This wasn't the 2020 presidential election, but rather the 1991 Louisiana gubernatorial contest between now-former Governor Edwin Edwards and ex-KKK leader David Duke. Edwards, who had been referred to by another opponent as "the dragon" that needed slaying was seen as the Left's only hope for taking down Duke — who had recently been elected to the Louisiana State Senate and had made a strong showing in the previous year's Senate race against a popular Democrat.

Edwards, the last of the New Deal Southern Democrats, nabbed 61% of the vote, and the term would make him Louisiana's longest-serving governor. 

Three decades on, there is still much for the Democrats to learn from the most talked-about state campaign in US history. Edwards threw together a ragtag coalition of Black Democrats, white business leaders, and prominent religious figures; he went negative without getting angry, crafted an endless array of quotable one-liners for the media to disseminate, presented a bold left-wing vision, and fought hard for the neglected rural, low-income voter.

In light of the Democratic Party's poor showing in 2020's down ballot races, the "Edwards strategy" against the radical right can provide a path forward for progressives in the South. 

The charm offensive, complete with zingers

Edwards was once affectionately called "Kingfish," "the Silver Fox" (due to his looks), and "Fast Eddie" (a reference to his gambling). He was also the most popular person in Louisiana for two decades, simply by being a charming, comical, debonair campaigner. 

Today, Trump's supporters see Trump the same way Edwards' supporters saw him — a charismatic populist taking down stuffed shirts and Ivy League elites. Both had a litany of one-liners. Of Duke, the former National Director of the Klan, Edwards said, "The only thing we have in common is that we're both wizards under the sheets." 

While Biden struggled to find a catchy zinger for his opponent that his base could rally behind, Team Trump had one for every opponent. After all, who doesn't have Trump's "Sleepy Joe" or "fake news" talking points grafted into their brain?

The Democratic establishment does not have anyone of Edwards' charm and popularity in the South — in this case the states that made up the former Confederate States of America. While Virginia has flipped almost totally Democratic and Georgia's two Senate seats are up for the election, there are no true progressives occupying the vast majority of Senate, House, and state-level seats in the region. 

Oddly enough, the politico who has shown the ability to address and directly combat the conservatism that many of these candidates will face in the South is Pete Buttigieg. While not actually from the South nor nominally a progressive, Buttigieg has been a viral sensation in recent weeks, with his viral television appearances on conservative outlets like Fox News and perfect takedowns of Trump and his ilk. Mayor Pete's more centrist policies may not line up with their priorities, but progressive candidates in the South should emulate his style. 

Republicans win with a bold national vision; Democrats split  

As the Eunice News wrote in a retrospective on Edwards' career, as governor, Edwards achieved "a new constitution, tax reform, a new ethics code" and took decisions out of the hands of establishment politicians. His 1991 campaign strategy was to focus on the economic damage a Duke governorship would cause and remind voters how strong the state's businesses fared under his own leadership.

In 2020, Republican candidates for the House, Senate, and local offices generally ran  on anti-establishment platforms and succeeded against centrist Democrats. According to Politico: "Several Democrats said the party operation was not focused on a cohesive, proactive message that went beyond simply opposing Trump, who proved … popular in  many districts."

Meanwhile, progressives who ran on the Green New Deal or Medicare For All almost uniformly won reelection. If it's true that, as Nancy Pelosi said, "our leverage and power is greatly enhanced" by having Joe Biden in the White House, Democrats must seize on that leverage to move the country past the pandemic, Trumpism, and rampant unemployment and toward a proactive, progressive vision. They should specifically push representatives to back planks like Medicare For All, which the Party kept out of its official platform, but which enjoys support from nearly seven in every 10 adults.

50 state (or parish) strategy

Marco Ceglie, a strategic messaging consultant living in Phoenix, noted: "The activist Left is trying to raise awareness of systematic failures that create economic and societal anxieties, which in turn lead people to fall for charlatans like Duke and Trump, but they're hampered by establishment Democrats who fail to connect with 'clock punching folk' or dismiss them as racists." 

These voters, he said, often end up feeling alienated by power structures and elitism that they believe leave them financially immobile.

If the Democratic Party had pushed minimum wage increases and economic mobility to connect with these voters, and campaigned aggressively a la Howard Dean's effective 50-State Strategy in local races instead of ceding local ground to QAnon and fictional conspiracies, the Democrats' House majority might have increased. 

It worked for Edwards, who went after voters outside of his base of Black voters and progressives in urban areas with a message that resonated with the lower and middle classes. As the John Maginnis tome "Cross To Bear" notes, Edwards boasted in parish forums and other small campaign stops that he used heavy taxes on oil company activity to enact a liberal social agenda and create jobs.

Knock-knock-knocking on every door  

"The Trump campaign claimed that it was knocking on a million doors a week," the  New Yorker noted in October. "The Biden campaign is knocking on zero." 

Beto O'Rourke, in an email to supporters, noticed, as well. "The failure to invest in year-round canvassing," he wrote, "so that voters don't just hear from us during an election also made it harder for us to move voters at the end." 

Progressives need to pick up D.C.'s slack, even as the pandemic continues. Knocking on doors in a clear mask or face shield and stepping back more than six feet to hear your neighbors out and push for change in the midterms is going to be key to launching the Left's Southern comeback. 

Friends (in power) with benefits  

Louisiana State Rep. Ron Gomez said in his memoirs that Edwards' "brashness and arrogance ... traits that would have destroyed the average politician, have only seemed to endear him to his core constituency: minorities, organized labor, Cajuns and lower-income voters." 30 years later, Trump's arrogance endeared him to similar groups — yet no Southern Democrats are even trying to reach these voters today.

The progressives need bold, charismatic populists in the South like Edwards to reinforce its relationships with working people. After Edwards, the New Deal Democrats died off in the South, replaced by weak centrist candidates like the current Louisiana Governor, who only narrowly won reelection last year against a wealthy right-wing Republican. 

Today, Trump is a historically unpopular, incompetent and dangerous president; but once he's gone, Democrats will need something to run for, not against. Their platform must be more than just a "return to normal."

• It's key for businesses to develop a disaster recovery plan in preparation for a potential future crisis.
• Companies often don't invest enough time and money in DR plans, or if they do, they don't test their plan to catch mistakes that could cost them thousands. 
• Planning ahead can help you determine the types of support, resources, and tech you'll need for internal communication systems and services. 
• Executives should also consider testing DR plans on a tactical level, and approach their plans with the assumption that failures and changes are likely to occur. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Unfortunately, disaster recovery (DR) plans don't get a lot of love before the disaster hits. Enterprises of all sizes pay DR plans a lot of lip service, but when there is a legitimate crisis, it's often apparent that the lip service was just that. Whether it's a cyberattack, a natural disaster, or a global pandemic, one thing a company doesn't want to have to try and figure out during the crisis is how to collaborate with its employees. At that point, it's already too late.

The plan is the major component

Without a plan, collaboration after a disaster becomes significantly more difficult, if not impossible. This complexity is exacerbated when a company has a global reach and employees spread across the planet. With workers out in the wild, losing one form of communication could mean hours or even days of no contact. 

There's one common denominator to help fight this loss of contact in the modern age: the cell phone. Privacy issues aside, having some sort of internal company app or system that pings employee devices and tracks "check-ins" could be an excellent way to at least know the general vicinity of an employee after a disaster and reach out accordingly. This could be separated by department or team so managers and executives would know where their people were in a significant outage event. 

Making sure people know of this plan or knowing where they can find it is just as critical as having it developed. There are quite a few ways to solve this issue, but one way is to regularly do table-top rehearsals of disaster response. Large or complex organizations might find it useful to do such a review quarterly, but smaller companies may only need to do it semi-annually or annually. No matter the frequency, a well-rehearsed and understood plan is infinitely better than a plan that's been put on paper and promptly tucked away in a binder somewhere.

Read more: 5 major players in internal comms making it easier for companies to communicate with staff in the new remote world

The error of, 'It won't happen here'

Even though it was mentioned above, it's worth repeating because it's such a common error among executives. Frank Wood, the Deputy Chief Security Officer at GE Power, says, "In terms of likelihood, it is comforting to think disasters will not happen to us, our workplace, or communities. That comfort will evaporate when a disaster strikes — and it will, so you should be prepared."

Taking the time to develop a good plan will take the guesswork out of the response, which is good, because most people don't think clearly during a crisis. 

Determining required systems

If this is a problem, a solution that tackles different teams may be necessary. It's absolutely crucial to determine the lowest acceptable amount of collaboration required to respond to the emergency. For instance, one team may only need chat functions to respond adequately until more robust systems are restored. For another group, they may require access to critical files that could be inaccessible at the time, so the DR plan needs to address this issue. What's the least amount of functionality a DR solution needs to deliver to be viable in an actual disaster?

It may also be beneficial to consider distributed services obtained from a variety of vendors. Many companies find great success and redundancy in leveraging services like Amazon Web Services. With services from so many sources, the odds of all of them going offline simultaneously is small. Redundancy can be a lifesaver in authentic disaster scenarios.  

Common DR plan failures

The number of companies with a deliberate and rehearsed DR plan is few and far between. If the C-suite isn't actively trying to avoid confronting the issue by hoping it'll never happen to them, they're doing one of the three following things:

• They're not investing enough in DR. No one invests enough in DR because it's expensive in time and money.
• If they do invest, they don't take the time to test their systems.
• If they do test, they don't capture all of the critical components needed for the systems to function.

The larger the enterprise, the more of a problem this task becomes. On the one hand, a detailed plan is critical because of all the moving pieces in these companies. Still, on the other hand, the exact procedure is hard to enumerate because of all the interconnecting systems involved. 

Read more: How to build a comprehensive wellness program that keeps employees happy, healthy, and motivated for the long haul

A few more thoughts

There are so many things that go into keeping employees collaborating during a disaster. Here are just a few of the considerations the C-suite should make while spearheading the creation of a DR plan:

• How to communicate when employees are knocked offline.
• DR plans need to be tested at the tactical level to ensure systems work together well.
• It's hard to value the ROI on a DR plan until it's used. That goes hand-in-hand with any decisions to insure parts of a company against disaster.
• Make the C-suite work through a disaster recovery plan while being offline to make sure it functions.
• Consider what is inside the sphere of control and what's outside. Focus on the things that can be controlled.
• Assume IT systems will fail and work through failures on multiple systems to develop a robust plan for backup communication.
• Tie a potential DR plan closely with a business risk analysis to keep mitigation costs commensurate with vulnerability risks. 

In a disaster, large organizations could be losing millions of dollars an hour due to employees not having a way to communicate and respond. Having a well-thought-out plan in place that's been rehearsed is a surefire way to keep the team collaborating even while the world around them is in chaos, and that can make all the difference.

• Ami Neiberger-Miller is a writer, the founder of a PR and design services firm, and an advocate for gold star families.
• She is the surviving sister of US Army Specialist Christopher Neiberger, who was killed in combat in Iraq in August 2007.
• After her brother's death and a separate medical emergency with her husband soon after, Neiberger-Miller says she struggled to cope with the grieving process and pressure to return to work as a self-employed business owner.
• Neiberger-Miller found support in friends and family, and slowly began to ease back into her work routine. She says that although it's not always possible to prepare for tragedy, seeking help is an important part of the path to recovery.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Picking up the pieces after a public tragedy is tough when you are self-employed. But it's doable. 

In August 2007, my husband and I were living the dream — just four years earlier, I'd founded my own public relations practice just outside of Washington, DC. A few years after that, my husband joined me in the business and added his graphic and website design skills to our offerings. Our business prospered and we were busy taking care of our 3 kids from his first marriage, and dreaming about buying a home and getting pregnant or adopting. 

Life was looking up, and we headed to the beach in Georgia for a week of much needed rest with some friends. 

We spent one idyllic day at the beach with the kids swimming and all of us in the sun and having fun. I remember riding a beach coaster bike with fat tires and the basket full of sandy magazines, and feeling like all of my DC stress was peeling off with the ocean breeze. I still remember the sound of those wheezy pedals as I headed back to the beach house to get ready for a big meal with the gang. 

Then our lives – quite literally – blew up.

I realized on the way back that I'd missed a call from my mom, so I called her back and she didn't pick up. I then called my aunt, who told me that my brother, US Army Specialist Christopher Neiberger, age 22, was killed in combat that day when a roadside bomb exploded. 

It felt like my life also exploded in that moment. I remember dropping the phone. I remember hearing someone screaming. Then I realized that the person screaming was me. It was the moment everything changed.

We hurried to my parents' home in Florida. A news release was issued by the Army after our family was notified, and soon I was managing reporters not for my clients — but on behalf of my humble and grieving parents. 

Only 24 hours after I'd been carefree and pedaling on that beach bike, I sat down alongside my two surviving brothers to talk with our hometown newspaper and tried to sum up what the legacy of my little brother would be. 

Those days in Florida were busy — our friends and family wanted to be with us, and we were also meeting with the military, planning a funeral for our hometown, and organizing a burial service at Arlington National Cemetery. 

Before long, one of my clients called. 

I had turned in a magazine story just before going to the beach and she needed me to check my interview notes and fix something. I paused, told her what had happened, and said I would try to find time to fix it later that evening.

I sent the revised copy to her standing with the laptop at the end of the driveway using a neighbor's WiFi signal, as my parents were still on dial up. I also sent an email to our clients updating them on our situation and extending our time away to two weeks. I looked up at the stars and wondered how the hell we were going to survive this. 

But survive it we did. His funeral was held in the church my husband and I had married in — and it drew hundreds of people — including demonstrators, counter demonstrators, TV crews, and hundreds of people who just wanted to show they cared. It was touching, overwhelming, and so much more all at the same time.

We flew home to DC the next day to get ready for the family to arrive for the burial service. I frantically vacuumed sand out of my living room carpet, bought towels because I had no time to do laundry, answered the door for floral arrangements and casseroles, and made a plan to get everyone to the cemetery on time in rush hour traffic with the army casualty officer. 

Ten days after Chris was killed in combat in Iraq, he was buried in section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery. 

The media covered the burial with our family's permission, so there was footage on the news and in newspapers around the country.

I got up early the day after the burial service to say goodbye to my family and picked up the newspaper — there was a photo on the front page of the metro section of The Washington Post showing us getting our flag the day before at the cemetery. I made a mental note to pick up a few more copies and started to go back to bed — I was exhausted from the last 10 days.

My husband and I looked at each other and it was like a light bulb went off in both of our heads. It was our wedding anniversary. We agreed on cards and dinner. Then my husband said his stomach still hurt, and he thought he should see our doctor. I always think he's a hypochondriac, since my dad is a doctor, so I joked, "I'll even drive you to the appointment since it's our anniversary." It was such a normalizing moment — a reminder that we were "us" and life could somehow start again.

But even after all we'd just been through, life still had other plans. 

Our doctor told us to get back in the car and drive straight to the emergency room. Oh crap, I thought.

In the hospital, they called a doctor out of surgery on someone else to look at my husband. Now anxiety began churning my stomach into ugly knots. I knew they wouldn't do that unless there was something really wrong.

And he had emergency surgery that night for a condition that could have killed him — an incarcerated hernia that, thankfully, didn't go septic.

We never got the cards. Or dinner. An evil nurse threw me out of his hospital room.

I sat in the waiting room and wept into the same Washington Post I'd collected from my driveway that morning. In 11 days we went from being on vacation, to my brother dying, to that hospital waiting room. I was emotionally now at rock bottom. 

Hopefully nothing tragic ever happens to you. While my story might be unique to me, all of us face struggles in life. It's challenging to figure out how to start again, after tragedy strikes. Here's what I did to rebuild, and my advice:

1. Start slow and take time off.

My husband had a month long recovery, so we did not attend business meetings or networking events for a while — and thankfully much of DC shuts down in mid-August. Yet client emails kept coming in. I mowed the lawn and we ate some of the casseroles people had brought, and read our email. We took our time to ease back into the rhythm of business life.

2. Continue to communicate with your clients and contacts.

After a tragedy is when your clients and contacts need to hear from you. Some of them will legitimately care about you and want to know you are OK or how they can help. Others will be concerned about the ongoing work you do for them and how their work might be impacted by what you've gone through. 

3. Lean on people you trust.

This is where having a network is a huge bonus. I had a friend who typically helped cover press calls for my clients while I was out town on vacation each year. She helped me beyond that first week, and knowing she was there to help my clients gave me one less thing to worry about.

Read more: 7 ways entrepreneurs and business owners can better manage their mental health and wellbeing

4. Keep your contact lists — not just your client lists — and communication systems up-to-date.

While I had a list of our active clients, I didn't have a ready-made list of some of our other contacts, like the people we networked with or former clients. We didn't have a business e-newsletter (like we do now) that I could easily send a message out to or a business Facebook page. Having those would have made letting people know we were taking time off, and letting them know when we reopened, a lot easier.

5. Signal when you are ready to start working again.

Only you know when you are ready. Some of your contacts or current clients may want to offer new work or get started on a project, but be unsure of your availability and not want to bother you. So you have to signal that you are ready again for business — whether that means you write emails, or you make phone calls, or send out an e-newsletter and make a Facebook post.

6. Remain open to new things.

In those first couple of weeks back in the office, I was sent two proposals and invited to bid on them. I looked at them and thought, wow, these would be great. I wasn't hopeful I'd win the work, but I thought writing responses to them would get me back into my groove. Just the act of writing them, would let me dream about doing new work and get my creativity flowing. Amazingly, we won both of those jobs, and a few months later, I took on a gig managing public relations for an organization that assists families of fallen troops.

Read more: An entrepreneur sold his design agency to Salesforce after having a psychotic break in his early 30s. He recounts his experience in the toxic world of tech startups — and how he made it through.

7. Have good insurance and know your risk exposure.

Thanks to good health insurance, we didn't face a huge bill from my husband's emergency surgery. Because we are both self-employed, this event drove home how important it is to have good health insurance and to know what our risk exposure is financially if something happens. Every year, we use what my husband calls "the scariest spreadsheet ever" for open enrollment for work benefits during November and December, so we can evaluate the real financial impacts if a "major medical event" were to happen to one or both of us when we choose a health plan.

8. Keep a cash reserve in the bank that you can easily access.

We also had a cash reserve in the bank when our tragedy hit in 2007. We could afford to take some time off and not be stressed about paying our bills, but we also didn't want to dip too heavily into the kitty either. A good rule of thumb is to keep at least three to six months of what you need to pay the bills in easily-accessible accounts (meaning your funds are not tied up in IRAs, or investments with withdrawal penalties). 

9. Seek help when you need it.

I began getting back "out there" at networking events and it wasn't all good. At a women in business networking event, everyone attending had to get up in front of the entire group and talk about their business and family. I did fine on the business part, but when I got to the family part I cried and felt embarrassed. The reality was that I had spent so much time tending to everyone else and their needs in all of this — that somewhere deep inside I had forgotten to take care of myself. I found help with a therapist and the peer support of other gold star families.

Life can change in an instant and right now we may all feel like we are living in a state of perpetual crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Making some preparations — whether it involves getting your finances or insurance in order, keeping your records and contact lists straight, or being flexible and taking care of yourself — can give you stability and boost your peace of mind.

Ami Neiberger-Miller founded Steppingstone LLC, an award-winning independent firm near Washington, DC in 2003 offering public relations, writing, graphic design and website design services. She is the surviving sister of US Army Specialist Christopher Neiberger, who was killed in combat in Iraq on August 6, 2007 and she remains an advocate for other gold star families. Connect with her on Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook.

Hello everyone! Welcome to this weekly roundup of Business Insider stories from co-Editor in Chief Matt Turner. Subscribe here to get this newsletter in your inbox every Sunday.

Read on for more on the future of Silicon Valley, a private-equity titan's relationship with a Texas investor embroiled in a political scandal, and the rise and fall of the world's oldest advertising agency.

Hello!

Tony Hsieh, the former CEO of shoes and clothes retailer Zappos, has died at age 46 following injuries sustained in a fire. 

Hsieh (pronounced shay) retired from Zappos in August after 20 years with the company, staying on long after he sold the company to Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009. He was widely known for his efforts to regenerate the downtown Las Vegas area, and for his commitment to holacracy, a manager-free operating structure. 

Zappos' current CEO, Kedar Deshpande, called Hsieh a "tremendous visionary and an incredible human being," while colleagues and acquaintances remembered him as a "gentle soul."

Sequoia partner Alfred Lin, who once served as COO, CFO, and chairman of Zappos, said on Twitter:

"Today is a sad day! The world lost a pioneer of a company culture, the shoe industry, Downtown LV, web advertising, and also a gentle soul who gave a part of himself to countless people."

Is Silicon Valley over?

From Meghan Morris and Berber Jin:

Some tech elites are making moves out of San Francisco, as they rethink the area's costs, political climate, safety, and more. Keith Rabois, for example, is heading to Miami, while Ben Ling tells Business Insider he's weighing Austin or Miami. 

Silicon Valley, and San Francisco, have long been the capital of America's tech economy thanks to a variety of important factors. But the pandemic, and the rise of remote work via Zoom, has changed things.

More departures could threaten Silicon Valley's tech dominance, but they could also herald in cheaper rents, making the area more attractive to newcomers and residents alike — and maintain the region's longer-term viability as a breeding ground for innovation.

Read the full story here:

• Is Silicon Valley finally over?

Also read:

• 100 top startups of 2020, according to VCs

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Robert Smith's Texas connections

From Casey Sullivan and Dakin Campbell:

A scandal in Texas spilled onto the national stage this month after reports said Attorney General Ken Paxton was being investigated by the FBI on allegations of bribery and abuse of office in connection with an Austin real-estate developer who was a political donor.

It marked a dramatic, high-profile escalation of the controversy surrounding Paxton and Nate Paul, the real-estate investor whom the FBI raided last year for still undisclosed reasons.

What isn't as well known is that Paul, who is now 33, counted Vista Equity Partners' Robert Smith and longtime Vista executive Brian Sheth among his early supporters.

The Vista executives, who are both billionaires, invested with Paul as he was building his real-estate investment firm, World Class Capital Group, dating back to at least the early 2010s, people who have worked with Paul said. Paul founded his firm in 2007.

Business Insider spoke with 15 people to learn more about the relationship between the three men, and the connections between Vista and World Class Capital.

Read the full story here:

• Inside the ill-fated relationship between Vista CEO Robert Smith and Nate Paul, the Austin investor embroiled in a political scandal

Also read:

• Vista Equity Partners lost a $100 million pension-fund investment after Robert Smith's tax-evasion investigation came to light

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The rise and fall of the world's oldest ad agency

From Patrick Coffee:

J. Walter Thompson was the world's oldest ad agency, but revenue at the largest office in New York is now a fraction of its peak.

The JWT name disappeared in a merger in 2018, marking an end to an agency that produced timeless campaigns for clients like Kraft and Kellogg's, and is about to move out of its longtime New York headquarters.

JWT suffered from a faltering digital transformation, financial pressure at the holding company level, and a lawsuit accusing its former CEO of sexism and racism that scared potential clients and hires away.

Today, JWT stands as a cautionary tale and reflection of an industry shaken by changes in consumer behavior and the rise of Facebook and Google.

Read the full story here:

• The rise and fall of J. Walter Thompson, the world's oldest advertising agency

Also read:

• Meet the 40 rising stars of Madison Avenue revolutionizing advertising in 2020

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Invitation: How to get a job in private equity

Join us on Thursday, December 3, at 1 p.m. ET when recruiters from The Carlyle Group, Apollo, and Bain Capital will break down how to get hired in private equity.

Register here.

---

Invitation: The future of education

Join us on Wednesday, December 9 at 12 p.m. ET to hear from leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators, including Scott Galloway, marketing professor at New York University, and Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale professor of psychology and creator of the popular online course, "The Science of Well-Being."

Register here.

Here are some headlines from the past week that you might have missed.

— Matt

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How AstraZeneca and Oxford blew their big vaccine moment: A messy week that overshadowed what should have been a scientific victory

After our investigation into accusations of racism, bullying, and sexual harassment at SoulCycle, more on-the-record sources are making new allegations and naming names

An innovation-focused portfolio manager at a $158 billion firm shares 8 disruptive stocks across multiple industries he thinks could grow 30% every year over the next decade

Joe Biden is hiring about 4,000 political staffers to work in the White House and federal agencies. Here's how you can boost your chances getting a job in the new administration, according to 3 experts.

Meet the top 36 public relations pros in the tech industry

The US passport has dipped in value in 2020. Wealthy Americans are looking to diversify.

Salesforce's potential acquisition of Slack could pressure Google Cloud to make a big purchase of its own to keep up, an analyst says

10 digital media companies that are hot acquisition targets, including Patch and TheSkimm

• "The Queen's Gambit" was the top Netflix series for a month, but "The Crown" has finally topped it.
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the streaming service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular TV shows on Netflix.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"The Queen's Gambit" was the most popular Netflix series for a month and the company said this week that it was its biggest limited series yet. But the hit show has finally been topped by "The Crown" as Netflix's current most popular show this week. 

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which TV shows have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week.

9. "Forged in Fire" (History, 2015-present)

Description: "Bladesmiths vie for a cash prize by forging the best metal weapons from the pages of history in this competition series featuring expert judges."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

8. "We Are the Champions" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Explore an array of unique competitions, from the quirky to the bizarre, and meet their passionate communities in this docuseries."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 80%

What critics said: "Fortunately, there's enough warmth and empathy in 'We Are the Champions' to keep the final product a well-intentioned look at what powers some of the odder corners of human achievement." — Indiewire (season one)

7. "The Office" (NBC, 2005-2013)

Description: "This hit comedy chronicles the foibles of disgruntled office workers — led by deluded boss Michael Scott — at the Dunder Mifflin paper company."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

What critics said: "The Office has seemed lost, particularly by devoting substantial time to world-building Dwight's beet farm, a remnant of a failed spin-off effort." — NPR (season 9)

6. "The Great British Baking Show" (Netflix, 2010-present)

Description: "A talented batch of amateur bakers face off in a 10-week competition, whipping up their best dishes in the hopes of being named the U.K.'s best."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 90%

What critics said: "Matt Lucas took lemons and made lemonade by kicking off the show in a tousled blond wig doing a spoof of a bumbling, blustering Mr Johnson while Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood stood behind podiums like Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance." — Times (season 11)

5. "Survivor" (CBS, 2000-present)

Description: "In this long-running reality competition series, players battle the elements and each other as they vie for $1 million and the title of Sole Survivor."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

4. "Cocomelon" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Learn letters, numbers, animal sounds and more with J.J. in this musical series that brings fun times with nursery rhymes for the whole family!"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

3. "Boss Baby: Back in Business" (Netflix original, 2018-present)

Description: "The Boss Baby brings his big brother Tim to the office to teach him the art of business in this animated series sprung from the hit film."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: N/A

2. "The Queen's Gambit" (Netflix original, 2020)

Description: "In a 1950s orphanage, a young girl reveals an astonishing talent for chess and begins an unlikely journey to stardom while grappling with addiction."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "Unlike chess, The Queen's Gambit is slightly less than the sum of its parts, but you will have a great deal of fun watching them at work." — Guardian

1. "The Crown" (Netflix original, 2016-present)

Description: "This drama follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 91%

What critics said: "This new set of episodes continues to give us both the long run and the short, the epic and the specific, as it goes from strength to strength." — Boston Globe (season four)

• American Express and a nonprofit called Strive for College have helped more than 4,000 students navigate the complicated college admissions and financial aid process through their program UStrive. 
• The program pairs students from marginalized backgrounds with American Express employees and cardholders who volunteer as mentors. 
• With the help of his mentor, Alexander-Joseph Silva, 18, was able to apply to college, secure financial aid, and navigate the process of coming out as transgender. 
• American Express global president Doug Buckminster says mentorship programs are a key part of addressing inequality. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Alexander-Joseph Silva, 18, is a freshman studying computer science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. His freshman year has been great so far. He's enjoying his classes and making new friends. On top of that, he's proud to have secured more than $30,000 in scholarships. 

It's all a success he wasn't sure was in his future just one year ago. When he was a senior in high school, he was "overwhelmed" and "intimidated" by the college and financial aid process. The staff at his high school was too busy to help him, he said.  

"I really didn't know what to do with college applications," Silva told Business Insider. 

That is, until he met John Fedor-Cunningham, a 54-year-old social impact investor, business owner, and organic farmer who lives in the southern Champlain Valley of Vermont, and Pernambuco, Brazil. Fedor-Cunningham guided Silva through the process of applying to college, securing scholarships, and navigating financial aid.

Fedor-Cunningham, who is gay, also helped Silva navigate the process of coming out as transgender. 

The two connected through a program called UStrive, a virtual mentorship run by the nonprofit Strive for College. The program pairs high school seniors from marginalized backgrounds with executives and cardholders from American Express who volunteer as mentors. 

Silva (who is Hispanic) is one of approximately 4,000 students that American Express and Strive for College have served since launching their partnership in 2018. Some 85% of the student participants are people of color. 

Mentorship programs like UStrive provide young people access to social capital they might not normally have access to. Whether it's career or financial advice, industry expertise, or connections in a field, or just someone to offer guidance, mentors can give mentees a range of positive benefits. On a macro level, they cut through social circles and networks to give people from under-served backgrounds access to valuable resources. 

A 2009 meta analysis of research found that mentorship can greatly boost the mentee's attitudes of themselves and their abilities, and is associated with better career and workplace outcomes. It's also beneficial for mentors. People who mentor are more likely to report feeling engaged at work and feeling a sense of purpose, per a report from software company SAP. 

The benefits of mentoring are real

Each week, Silva and Fedor-Cunningham spent about an hour or so either on the phone or video chatting going over applications, financial aid forms, and Silva's college essay. 

"My mentor helped me when I really didn't know what to do with college applications," Silva said. 

Over time, their mentor-mentee relationship evolved. While Silva was applying to colleges, he was also navigating the process of coming out as transgender to family, friends, and at school. 

The process was stressful for Silva, and he came to rely on Fedor-Cunningham for support. 

"He helped me with college applications, scholarship applications, navigating through my identity and family, finding resources related to my career, and my college decision," Silva said.  

Fedor-Cunningham encouraged Silva to embrace his whole identity. After the two talked, Silva decided to incorporate his experience of coming out into his college essay. 

Without the mentorship program, Silva said he would have been "a lot more stressed and anxious" during his last year of high school. He also is unsure whether he would have secured as much money in scholarships. 

"It truly has changed my life for the better," Silva said. 

How mentorship programs help companies advance diversity, equity, and inclusion 

The program has made a real difference for these students, according to Michael Carter, Strive for College founder and CEO. 

"For low-income, first-generation students, mentoring unlocks access to the kind of social capital that can break the chain of generational poverty," he told Business Insider. 

According to American Express Global President Doug Buckminster, the program is a way for the company to tackle diversity, equity, and inclusion in a meaningful way. 

"I'm a big believer and a big beneficiary of educational access. I believe it is a fundamental part of the solution to what is one of the largest problems facing society today, and that's income inequality and a lack of economic mobility," he said. 

The financial giant recently announced a $1 billion commitment to address racial inequality. As part of the program, the company set a goal to reach 100% pay parity for its global colleagues (though it did not disclose by when), double its spending with minority-owned suppliers, and hire and promote more people of color, in addition to other measures. 

"Our goal is to help eliminate barriers that have made it more difficult for underrepresented groups to have equal access to economic and social opportunities," Buckminster said. 

Commitments to address racial inequity are on the rise 

Other companies like MasterCard, JP Morgan, and Citi, have also made large financial commitments to address racial inequality in the US. 

Many of these initiatives include mentorship programs. In fact, Strive for College also partners with Deloitte, EY, UPS, UBS, Deutsche Bank, and others in offering the program to its employees. 

In addition, JPMorgan runs a fellowship program that connects young men of color to JPMorgan employees who serve as mentors. Mastercard has a program called Girls4Tech that trains girls in STEM and provides them with mentors in the industry. The Citi Foundation, the firm's nonprofit arm, recently announced a $100 million investment in its Pathways to Progress program, which provides workforce training, career advice, and mentorship to young people from marginalized backgrounds.

Other firms like PwC, MetLife, and EY have partnered with the nonprofit All Stars, which connects young people from low-income communities with mentors in business. 

The programs aren't only beneficial for mentees, but for mentors too. 

American Express employees and cardholders who've participated in the program have told the company president that they feel like they're making "a real difference" by helping young people get into and finance college.  

As Fedor-Cunningham puts it: "As a married gay man, I have frequently experienced discrimination, therefore I have a very personal reason for promoting diversity," he said. "American Express should be commended for their role helping students achieve their dreams." 

Silva recommends the program to other teens. 

"I feel great after completing the program," he said, "UStrive is a great place for teens that need someone to go to for help with things that will push their future farther than they'd imagine."

• President Donald Trump on Saturday once again slammed Fox News, calling it "unwatchable" and urging his followers to watch "anything else."
• Trump is scheduled to appear in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo later Sunday in his first interview since the presidential election. 
• His tweet underscored the growing tension between him and Fox News after the network called President-elect Joe Biden's election victory. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump on Saturday called Fox News "unwatchable" and urged his followers to watch more conservative outlets as his relationship with the network grows increasingly tense in the aftermath of the election. 

"@FoxNews daytime is virtually unwatchable, especially during the weekends," he tweeted. "Watch @OANN, @newsmax, or almost anything else. You won't have to suffer through endless interviews with Democrats, and even worse!"

—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2020

The Sunday morning tweet came hours before Trump was scheduled to appear in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo later Sunday in his first interview since the presidential election. 

Trump's tweet was his latest attempt to discredit Fox News. For weeks, he has been slamming the outlet after it declared President-elect Joe Biden's election victory. Trump has been encouraging his Twitter followers to switch over to conservative outlet Newsmax. Trump allies are even exploring the possibility of acquiring and investing in Newsmax to boost the outlet as a competitor to the Fox News Channel.

Newsmax amplified Trump's message in a reply to his tweet, directing people to its platform and billing itself as a "great choice for your weekend news."

Meanwhile, Fox News is trying to protect its viewership by asking live TV guests to avoid appearing on its emerging rival, Newsmax.

Fox News, where some hosts appeared over the past four years as staunch supporters of Trump's every move, started to diverge from him after the 2020 race was called for Biden. Trump has so far refused to concede, but some of his closest advisors and vocal allies — Fox News hosts included — have been encouraging him to reconsider.

Since then, Trump has repeatedly slammed the outlet and its ratings appear to have taken a hit. Nielsen data reported by the Associated Press said viewership fell by nearly a third from two weeks before the election to two weeks after.

Data from Morning Consult also show that favorability among Republicans for Fox News dropped by 13% in the days following the election.

Newsmax ratings, on the other hand, are rapidly increasing with Trump's backing. The platform, which has been backing Trump up on his claim that the race between him and Biden remains undecided, has not called the 2020 presidential election.

Neither Fox News nor the White House immediately returned Business Insider's request for comment.

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

Cyber Monday has become a major shopping holiday, even eclipsing Black Friday last year in terms of online sales. This Cyber Monday has already proven to be especially lucrative when it comes to Apple discounts, and the deal event doesn't even officially start until tomorrow.

Deals on the Apple Watch, AirPods, and other devices were already live in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, and we've seen sales on popular Apple products like the iPad and iPad Pro sell out. With that in mind, it's best to act quickly if you're hoping to snag a discounted pair of AirPods or MacBook laptop during the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush. 

Here are the best deals on Apple tech right now in the lead up to Cyber Monday. We'll be updating this article as more deals appear. 

The best Cyber Monday deals on Apple Watches

Apple Watch Series 6

Apple's most advanced new smartwatch is on sale ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Series 6 is the first watch to come with the ability to read blood oxygen levels, although that feature alone isn't what makes it a worthwhile smartwatch. Its brighter always-on display, faster charging, and wellness features such as the ability to take an ECG from the wrist make it a great choice for those looking for robust health tracking in a smartwatch.

Read our Apple Watch Series 6 review

Apple Watch Series 5

The Apple Watch Series 5 is still a fantastic smartwatch that's a bit more capable than the Series SE but at a cheaper price than the Series 6. It has an always-on display and the ability to take an ECG from the wrist — two features that are missing from the SE. It lacks other new health features like blood oxygen measurements, but still offers many of Apple's other health-oriented features.

Apple Watch SE

If you're looking to spend a little less, consider the Apple Watch SE. Apple's lower-priced watch comes with all of the basic functionality of the Series 6, but without blood oxygen monitoring, an always-on display, and ECG monitoring. But, it still has other more modern features like a compass and the ability to detect hard falls.

Read our Apple Watch SE review

Apple Watch Series 3

The Apple Watch Series 3 came out in 2017, but it's still a solid smartwatch for those who just want the basic Apple Watch experience. It lacks an always-on display, has a slightly smaller screen compared to the SE and Series 6, and doesn't come with a built-in compass or fall detection like its pricier siblings. But, it still works great for those who just want an Apple Watch for monitoring activity and delivering smartphone notifications to the wrist. 

Best Buy is only offering the option to find a store for the model below, so you'll have to check with your local store to see if it's available.

The best Cyber Monday deals on AirPods

Apple AirPods Pro

Apple's top-of-the-line AirPods are available at a discount this holiday season. Compared to Apple's standard AirPods, the Pro model offers active noise cancellation, improved audio, and customizable ear tips. They may not be our top pick overall when it comes to wireless earbuds, but the AirPods Pro are the best choice for Apple fans, especially now that they're been updated with new features like spatial audio. They're a bargain at $190, but the lowest we've seen them sell for was $169 at Walmart.  

Apple AirPods (second generation)

Looking to spend a little less? Apple's standard AirPods are on sale leading up to Cyber Monday, too. These AirPods still offer convenient features like quick pairing, hands-free Siri access, and automatic playing and pausing, but without the Pro's more advanced features and higher price tag. 

The best Cyber Monday deals on iPad

Apple iPad

Apple's least expensive iPad, which just launched in September, was down $30 for Black Friday. Considering that we saw deals on Black Friday, more could crop up as we go into Cyber Monday.

Check out our iPad buying guide

Apple iPad Mini

Apple's smallest tablet is an ideal option for Apple fans that prioritize portability above all else in a tablet. The latest model comes with support for Apple Pencil and runs on Apple's A12 Bionic processor, the same chip that powers the latest entry-level iPad. But unlike its cheaper sibling, the iPad Mini comes with a fully laminated anti-reflective display, more storage space, and a camera that can capture wide color and Live Photos, making it a solid choice for those looking for a compact tablet with a quality screen and camera. 

Apple iPad Air

Apple's new iPad Air comes with the same powerful processor as the latest iPhones, a sleek and colorful new design, and a larger screen compared to its predecessor. If you want an iPad with speedy performance for doing light work in addition to watching movies and web browsing, the Air is an ideal choice. Apple's starting price is $599, but you can get it for $559 at Amazon.

Apple iPad Pro

If you want an iPad that packs powerful performance, the iPad Pro is available at a discount. The iPad Pro's slim design, long battery life, and excellent screen make it a stronger choice for those who plan to get serious work done on their iPad — like photographers, video editors, and interior designers. The latter may also benefit from the Pro's LiDAR sensor, which makes it much better at detecting depth and measuring nearby surfaces.

The 11-inch and 12.9-inch models were available at a discount through Best Buy on Black Friday and over the shopping weekend, but prices have increased since then. We'll update this story accordingly if more deals surface on Cyber Monday. 

Read our full review of the iPad Pro

The best early Cyber Monday deals on iPhone 12

Carriers have been offering deals since the iPhone 12 launched, but more discounts are surfacing now that we're getting closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The iPhone 12 lineup are Apple's first smartphones to come with 5G, but that's not the main characteristic that makes them worthwhile. The phones also offer a boost in camera quality that makes them better at taking photos in dark circumstances, and come with a refreshed design with a more durable screen.

If you are interested in what carriers have to offer, take a look at these discounts below. Just be sure to note that these bargains come with stipulations, like opening a new line or trading in an old device.

• T-Mobile is offering a free iPhone 12 or 12 Mini when you join and trade in an eligible device.
• Verizon is offering $700 off Apple's new iPhones when you trade in an eligible device and sign up for its Get Unlimited plan.
• AT&T is offering a $700 discount on iPhones when you add a new line, upgrade an existing line, and trade-in a smartphone valued at $95 or more.

The best Cyber Monday deals on MacBooks and Macs

MacBook Air

Apple's thin-and-light MacBook Pro is available at a discount this holiday season. It's not the newest version that runs on Apple's new M1 chip, but it's still powerful enough for students and those looking for a laptop for casual work. Like Apple's other recent laptops, it comes with the company's improved Magic Keyboard, which is much more comfortable and durable than the keyboards on older models released from 2015 onward.

See our review of the 2020 Intel-based MacBook Air

MacBook Pro

Looking for something more powerful? Discounts on Apple's 16-inch and 13-inch MacBook Pros are already popping up ahead of Cyber Monday. With its larger screen and booming speakers, the 16-inch MacBook Pro is ideal for those looking for a more desktop-like experience in a laptop. The 13-inch model may lack the 16-inch version's impressive speakers, but it still offers more powerful performance than the Air in a more compact design than the 16-inch variant.

Read our 16-inch MacBook Pro review

Read our 13-inch MacBook Pro review

Apple Mac Mini (M1)

Apple just launched the updated Mac Mini with its M1 chip earlier this month, and it's already available at a discount heading into Cyber Monday. Apple's new processor brings serious performance gains to the Mac Mini compared to its Intel-powered predecessor, making it an ideal choice for those who want a fast new Apple desktop at a decent price. One important factor to remember, however, is that since it runs on Apple's M1 chip, its processor is based on a different architecture than Intel-powered computers. Most apps should run just fine despite this change, but it's still important to keep in mind.

The best Cyber Monday deals on Beats headphones

Beats Studio3

If you want the ease-of-use of AirPods but in an over-the-ear format, check out the Beats Studio3. They offer long battery life and noise cancellation at a more affordable price of $174.99, making them an ideal choice if blocking out distractions is a priority for you.

Beats Solo Pro

At $179.99, the Beats Solo Pro are a compelling choice for those looking for a solid pair of on-ear headphones. They come with Apple's newer H1 chip unlike the Studio3, which means they should be able to connect to Apple devices more quickly than headphones powered by Apple's older chip. They also offer long battery life and useful noise cancelling technology.

PowerBeats Pro

If you're interested in AirPods but aren't wild about their fit, consider the PowerBeats Pro. These truly wireless earbuds have a lot of the same technology as AirPods — like quick pairing and auto play and pause — but come with a different design that wraps around the ear for a more secure fit. They also offer impressively long battery life and are sweat resistant, making them worth checking out if you're after a pair of workout headphones.

Apple Cyber Monday deals FAQs

Does Apple offer deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Apple rarely discounts its own products on Black Friday. Instead, Apple usually offers gift cards along with certain eligible purchases. This year, the company is giving away gift cards of up to $150 from November 27 through November 30 on purchases that meet the following criteria: 

• iPhone — Get a $50 gift card when you purchase an iPhone 11, iPhone SE, or iPhone XR

• Apple Watch — Get a $25 gift card when you purchase an Apple Watch Series 3

• AirPods — Get a $25 gift card when you purchase AirPods Pro, AirPods with wireless charging case, or AirPods with charging case

• iPad — Get up to a $100 gift card when you buy an iPad Mini or iPad Pro

• Mac — Get a $150 gift card when buying eligible MacBook Pro or iMac models

• Apple TV and HomePod — Get up to a $100 gift card when buying an Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, or HomePod

• Beats — Get a $50 gift card when buying Beats Studio3, Beats Solo Pro, Beats Solo3, Powerbeats Pro, or Powerbeats headphones

Should I buy from Amazon, Target, Best Buy, or Walmart?

Many of these retailers offer very similar deals on products like the AirPods and the Apple Watch, which means you'll have a couple of options should one retailer go out of stock. In instances where multiple retailers offer the same product at the same price, consider which retailer is most convenient for you in terms of shipping options. If you have an Amazon Prime membership and want to get the product as fast as possible, it might make more sense to purchase through Amazon. But, if you'd rather pick up the item at your nearby Target or Best Buy, you should consider ordering from your preferred brick-and-mortar retailer. 

Do these stores offer curbside pickup?

Yes, Target, Best Buy, and Walmart all offer curbside pickup. But, you should check with your local retailer since the rules may vary by location and items purchased. Walmart, for example, says that not all stores offer curbside pickup for Black Friday deals.

How do we choose the best Apple deals?

We select products that meet our high standard of coverage based on testing and research. This includes testing Apple's products as well similar devices from its main competitors.

We also research prices across retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy and compare them against Apple's prices to find the deals that are worth paying attention to.

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• Walmart's Cyber Monday deals include major discounts on favorites like Apple AirPods, Instant Pots, and Nest Hubs.
• We're seeing similar deals for these products and more at competing retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
• See more: How to get a free 15-day trial of Walmart Plus, Walmart's Amazon Prime-like membership.
• Insider Reviews is covering all the best deals during Cyber Monday 2020.

Headlining Walmart's Cyber Monday deals are Apple AirPods. While prices aren't the lowest we've ever seen, they're still solid — just $140 for a pair with the wireless charging case, down from the usual $199.

You can also grab $50 off the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with an air fryer attachment lid (down to $79 from $129) and 50% off the 6-Quart Instant Pot VIVA (down to $49 from $100). The Instant Pot DUO 60, which we've determined to the best Instant Pot you can buy, is also on sale for $79 — $20 off its normal price of $99. This is a pretty common discount price that we often see on this model during major sales. 

We're also seeing a big discount on Google Chromecast, a small device that fits on the back of your TV and enables streaming from Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and more. The price is down to $18.98, a savings of $11, making this an impactful stock stuffer or gift. 

If you're looking to stay fit this holiday season, the Echelon Connect Exercise Bike is on sale for $497 for a savings of $102. It also comes with a free six-month subscription to its fitness app. This matches the deal we saw during Walmart's competing Prime Day sale back in October.

Walmart and other retailers will continue to add deals throughout the weekend, so keep your eye on all our Cyber Monday coverage for the best deals. 

Best Cyber Monday 2020 deals from Walmart

More Walmart sales

• Get up to 60% off women's clothing
• Get up to 60% off men's clothing
• Get up to 60% off baby and kid's clothing
• Get up to 60% off shoes

How we select the best Cyber Monday deals at Walmart

• We only choose products that meet our high standard of coverage, from brands we've tested and trust.
• We compare the prices against other retailers like Amazon, Target, and Best Buy and only include the deals that are the same or better (not including promotional discounts that come from using certain credit cards).
• We research price history thoroughly, to ensure that every deal we list is actually worth your time.

• The South Dakota Department of Health on Saturday reported 54 new deaths from COVID-19, surpassing the state's previous record death total of 53.
• The same day, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem encouraged state residents in a tweet to go shopping, writing that small "businesses are the lifeblood of so many South Dakota communities."
• Noem, a Republican, has refused to issue a statewide mask mandate and has otherwise disputed science and calls to enact stricter measures to contain the virus in the state.
• Over the past week, more than 42% of COVID-19 tests in South Dakota administered have come back positive, according to data analyzed by Johns Hopkins University. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The South Dakota Department of Health on Saturday reported 54 new COVID-19 deaths since Friday, the highest single-day increase in deaths of all time in the state as cases of the virus surge statewide.

The previous record, 53, was set earlier this month on November 14, the Rapid City Journal reported. As the outlet noted, there have been 942 deaths in the state from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus since the pandemic began, with more than half of those — 517 — occurring in the month of November. There were more than 800 new cases diagnosed in the state Saturday.

But hours earlier, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, encouraged state residents to go shopping to support local businesses.

"Remember, today is #SmallBusinessSaturday," Noem tweeted Saturday morning. "These businesses are the lifeblood of so many South Dakota communities. Please support them today and every day! #shopsmall."

—Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) November 28, 2020

Earlier in the week, Noem, who has been in office since 2019, celebrated the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's restrictions that imposed limits on capacity at religious services to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"Another thing to add to the list of reasons to be very thankful today," Noem said in a tweet Thursday.

In addition to refusing to issue a statewide mask mandate, Noem has also defended individuals who neglect to wear masks despite repeated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and health experts who have pleaded that widespread adoption of mask-wearing would curb the spread of the disease.

A CDC study in Kansas reported last week reaffirmed that mask mandates are effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

"We talk often about the government's role in a situation like this in dealing with a pandemic," Noem said on November 18, disputing that the lack of a mask mandate was responsible for a surge in cases, according to The Associated Press. "At this point, frankly, I'm getting more concerned about how neighbors are treating neighbors."

Noem said that it was an individual's "personal decision" to wear a mask, refused to encourage residents to wear a mask or to practice social distancing, and claimed the most effective way to combat COVID-19 spread was through handwashing, according to the AP.

There have been more than 79,000 cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota diagnosed since the pandemic began, per Johns Hopkins University data. Over the past week, more than 42% of all COVID-19 tests administered there have come back positive. That's more than four times higher than the 9.4% national positivity rate, according to the Hopkins data.

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• Black Friday 2020 is officially over, but you can still snag great deals this Sunday in the lead-up to Cyber Monday. 
• If you missed out on any Black Friday deals, we found 25 tech, home, kitchen, and style sales that are available and in stock right now as part of early Cyber Monday discounts. 
• The best early Cyber Monday deals so far include $40 off an efficient vacuum sealer, $20 off a luxurious, hotel-style bathrobe, and $90 off a Samsung smartwatch. 

Black Friday is a busy day for everyone, especially when you have to divide your time between making the perfect platter of Thanksgiving leftovers and penning your holiday gift shopping list. It's even more frustrating when you click on a deal only to find it's no longer available or won't be shipped until January. So if you woke up this morning and realized you didn't end up buying a single thing so far, you're not out of luck just yet.

Though we're constantly keeping tabs on the best tech deals, mattress deals, and more, we've also been up since the wee hours of the morning working on this all-star group of deals available right now as part of early Cyber Monday sales.

Below, we've rounded up the best deals worth your time and money. Some of the products have been featured as the top in their category in our guides, while others come from some of our favorite online startups. 

Here are the 23 best early Cyber Monday 2020 deals happening on Sunday: 

Echo Dot (4th Generation), $28.99 (originally $49.99, you save 42%)

23andMe Ancestry + Health Kit, $99 (originally $199, you save 50%)

XBox Game Pass Ultimate 3 Month Membership (Digital), $19.98 (originally $49.99, you save 56%)

Kindle Paperwhite, $84.99 (originally $129.99, you save 35%)

Patagonia Women's Re-Tool Snap-T Fleece Pullover, $65.45 (originally $129, you save 49%)

Ecovacs Deebot N79W, $139.99 (originally $279.99, you save 50%)

FoodSaver Space-Saving Food Vacuum Sealer, $79.98 (originally $199.99, you save 33%)

Our Place Always Pan, $95 (originally $145, you save 34%)

Nordstrom Adult Washable Face Masks (6-Pack), $7.20 (originally $24, you save 70%)

Sonos Beam, $299.99 (originally $399.99, you save 25%)

Everlane Day Boot, $119 (originally $198, you save 40%)

Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS), $259 (originally $279, you save 7%)

Autonomous Smart Desk 2 Premium, $379 (originally $599, you save 37%)

Theragun Mini, $174 (originally $199, you save 13%)

Amazon Fire TV Cube plus 1-year subscription to Food Network Kitchen, $79.98 (originally $119.98, you save 33%)

Parachute Classic Bathrobe, $79 (originally $99, you save 20%)

Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch, $189 (originally $279, you save 32%)

Google Chromecast, $18.98 (originally $29.99, you save 37%)

Foreo Luna Mini 2, $71.40 (originally $119, you save 40%)

Luna Mini 2 (medium, Preferred: Amazon) Brooklinen Weighted Comforter, $199.20 (originally $249, you save 20%)

Leesa Hybrid Mattress, $1,359.52 (originally $1,699, you save 20%)

Nintendo Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Nintendo Switch, $49.95 (originally $59.99, you save 17%)

Dyson V8 Absolute, $299.99 (originally $449.99, you save 33%)

V8 Absolute (medium, Preferred: Dyson)

• Health officials are telling Americans to expect another spike in the number of coronavirus cases as people return from their Thanksgiving holiday travels.
• "We might see a surge superimposed upon that surge we're already in," Dr. Anthony Fauci said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
• Fauci joins a legion of health officials also warning of a surge in the coming weeks. 
• "It is going to get worse over the next several weeks," President Trump's Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Sunday on Fox News. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Health experts are warning about another coronavirus surge in the coming weeks after millions of people in the US traveled and gathered with family for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

"What we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into December: that we might see a surge superimposed upon that surge we're already in," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading coronavirus expert, said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." 

The United States has been experiencing a wave of surges in positive coronavirus cases, with multiple states hitting records and breaking all-time highs. 

Now, as Americans return from their holiday break, there will likely be a surge on top of a surge, he warned. 

"When I give that message, I don't want to frighten people," said Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci is not the only one sounding the alarms. 

Surgeon General Jerome Adams supplemented Fauci's remarks, also warning in a Fox News interview on Sunday of coming spikes.

"It is going to get worse over the next several weeks but the actions we take in the next several days will determine how bad it is," Adams said.

Millions of people traveled this Thanksgiving despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

For weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Fauci and other health experts urged people to stay home. Multiple states tightened restrictions ahead of the holiday in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus. 

It's not yet clear how the Thanksgiving gatherings impacted the spread of the coronavirus, but health officials are telling Americans to expect spikes in positive cases. 

"Because of the decisions and rationalizations people made to celebrate, we're in for a very dark December," one scientist told the Washington Post.

Health officials continue to ask Americans to participate in safety measures to limit the spread of the virus. 

"It is not too late at all for us to do something about this," Fauci said on "Meet the Press."  "Just continue to do the things — mitigate with masks, with distance, not having crowds or congregating settings."

"We know we can do something about it, particularly now as we get into the colder season and as we approach the Christmas holidays," Fauci added.

The coronavirus has infected more than 13.2 million people in the United States, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Of that, more than 266,000 Americans have died from it.

• A Republican congressional candidate in Iowa is set to win her race by just six votes after a recount.
• According to local outlet the Quad Cities Times, GOP candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks is set to win Iowa's second Congressional District over Democratic nominee Rita Hart by just 0.001% of the vote.
• Miller-Meeks was initially named as the winner of the race, flipping Iowa's second congressional district from blue to red after 13 years of Democratic control.
• However, her opponent asked for a recount due to the narrow nature of Miller-Meeks' win.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A Republican candidate running for Congress in Iowa looks likely to win her race by just six votes after a recount in the tightest race in the entire country.

According to local outlet the Quad Cities Times, GOP candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks is set to win Iowa's second Congressional District over Democratic nominee Rita Hart by half a dozen votes, marking the narrowest margin of victory in the entire US during the November 2020 election season.

The two women, both of whom are currently state senators, were previously separated by eight votes. After completing a recount of around 6,000 votes in Clinton County, that margin narrowed to just six, the QC Times reported.

Around 395,000 votes were cast in the race for the congressional district, meaning that Miller-Meeks is ahead by just 0.001% of the vote.

"We're very pleased the results of the recount confirmed what we believed all along, that is Mariannette Miller-Meeks won this election," Alan Ostergren, an attorney for Miller-Meeks' campaign, said, according to the QC Times.

"The recount process here went very well in general."

By contrast, Hart's campaign accused Miller-Meeks and her team of trying to stop "legitimate votes from being counted" throughout the counting process.

In a statement reported by local Iowan newspaper The Gazette, Hart's campaign manager Zach Meunier said: "Unfortunately, as this process continues, the Miller-Meeks campaign has sought to keep legitimate votes from being counted — pushing to disqualify and limit the number of Iowans whose votes are counted."

Meunier stated: "We will closely review what the county and state boards do on Monday with an eye toward making sure all Iowa voices are fully and fairly heard."

Iowa's second congressional district has spent 13 years as a Democratic bastion under Representative Dave Loebsack, who is retiring from office.

A state canvassing board is expected to certify the results of the race on Monday, the legal deadline, according to AP.