Your workplace isn’t a family

This week, I’ll be using my notes to explore the reinvention of work in 2023. I’ll be looking at new ways people are working, including the rise of lucrative side hustles, how people are generating passive income, and the current entrepreneurship boom. So stay tuned. But for now, let’s get to the news.

— Nicholas Carlson

• Trump slammed the prospect of Ron DeSantis running against him in 2024, saying it would be “very disloyal.” Read more.
• Miss Universe R’Bonney Gabriel crowned a new Miss USA to replace her following allegations that last year’s contest was rigged. Read the full story.
• Russia was making big plans for Ukraine’s nuclear power plants before its invasion fell apart. More here.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has spent over a year scrambling to rein in prices and bring down inflation. But just as we’re beginning to see signs of progress, Powell risks going too far.

Many experts believe Powell and the Fed need to pause their aggressive interest-rate hikes to orchestrate a so-called soft landing for the economy.

Going too far could lead to a surge in unemployment, and a deeper stock market sell-off, senior investing reporter William Edwards writes. But there is no sign Powell is slowing down, and economists at major Wall Street banks believe that his commitment to fighting inflation will push the US into a recession.

The underlying issue, according to one economist? “Powell doesn’t want his name to go down in infamy.”

Top reads

• Big Tech’s big lie. Dehumanizing. Gut-wrenching. Betrayed. Tech workers were made to feel as if they were part of something bigger. But the recent wave of layoffs are forcing workers to confront a harsh truth: the workplace isn’t the same thing as a family. Read more.
• How Patrick Mahomes spends his money. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, whose team will be facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, signed the biggest deal in NFL history in 2020 — and he also makes tons of money off the field. Here’s how he spends it.
• How realistic is HBO’s “The Last of Us”? The hit series depicts a zombie apocalypse caused by a fungal pandemic. Insider has put together the science fact and fiction behind the show, and the possibility of such a pandemic. Find it here.
• Biden confirms his cat sleeps on top of his head at night. President Joe Biden says the 3-year-old Willow, whom he adopted after the gray tabby jumped onstage at a 2020 campaign rally in Pennsylvania, has “no limits.” Read the story.
• Marie Kondo says she’s “kind of given up” on tidying up her home. Kondo, who built a business empire around advocating spotless homes, said she’s done with constantly trying to keep her house neat. Read the full story.
• A Google recruiter learned he’d lost his job after a candidate call disconnected. Dan Lanigan-Ryan tried and failed to access an internal company website during the Friday call. A little later his email was blocked and the call dropped. “And then that was it.” Read more.
• “I flew on Singapore’s Airbus A380 for 12 hours in economy.” Spending 12 hours on a plane may seem like a hellish prospect for some. But delicious food, spacious seats, and great amenities made this long-haul flight a breeze. See the full review here.

• Compare salaries with our Salary Database
• Build better pitch decks with our Pitch Deck Library
• Get even more of Insider delivered to your inbox
• If this newsletter was forwarded to you, sign up here
• Download Insider’s app for news on the go

This edition was curated by Nicholas Carlson and edited by Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan, Dave Smith, Nathan Rennolds, Kevin Kaplan, and Shona Ghosh. Get in touch: insidertoday@insider.com.