Many in the media industry feared layoffs when reports emerged that The Washington Post would restructure its newsroom. After several hundred journalists lost their jobs at the newspaper and entire news desks were shuttered yesterday, the reality was more sweeping than anticipated, drawing widespread scrutiny. 

‘Scaling back’ coverage
The Post has laid off about 30% of all its employees, including “people on the business side and more than 300 of the roughly 800 journalists in the newsroom,” said The New York Times. The company had “lost too much money for too long and had not been meeting readers’ needs,” said Executive Editor Matt Murray during a call with newsroom employees.

The historic publication is “scaling back foreign coverage and shutting down some sections of the paper,” said CBS News. Most notable was the Post’s highly regarded sports desk, which will be axed entirely, though it will keep “some sports reporters who will write feature stories,” said NPR. The paper’s “metro section will shrink, and the books section will close, as will the ‘Post Reports’ daily news podcast,” said the Times. 

The restructuring will “place The Washington Post on a stronger footing,” said Murray in a letter to the newsroom obtained by CBS. It will position the paper for a “rapidly changing era of new technologies and evolving user habits.”

‘Among the darkest days’
Owner Jeff Bezos and publisher Will Lewis are “embarking on the latest step of their plan to kill everything that makes the paper special,” said The Atlantic. This is not the first time Bezos and Lewis have made cuts, and if they “continue down their present path, it may not survive much longer.”

“This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations,” said Marty Baron, the paper’s former editor, in a statement. The Post’s “ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be further depleted, and the public will be denied the ground-level, fact-based reporting” that’s “needed more than ever.”

The Post “faces serious business challenges,” especially regarding its shrinking subscriber base, said Axios. The “challenges, however, were made infinitely worse by ill-conceived decisions that came from the very top.”

Divorce is not always the result of explosive arguments and betrayals or a "conscious uncoupling" agreed upon by two people. Instead, it can happen gradually as issues remain unresolved. Older couples are now experiencing quiet divorces, in which the partners check out of the marriage even if the pair is still legally together, often leading to complicated family dynamics and resentment.

Why is this happening?
Like quiet quitting from a job, quiet divorcing is a “breakup that doesn’t kick down the door so much as tiptoes into the room and sits on your chest,” said Vice. Quiet divorcing is not a divorce on paper and represents more of an emotional separation between partners, most of whom are over 40. 

The phenomenon is largely initiated by women, who have “spent years being the glue, the organizer, the caretaker, the solver,” said Harper’s Bazaar. After hitting their 40s, “something shifts,” and the “burnout is no longer something they can push past.” 

Boredom is also a significant contributor. “When passion fades, as it naturally does for many couples over time, the shift is interpreted not as normal,” said Emily Impett at The Conversation. “Add in social media comparisons and performative affection online, and even subtle disengagement can feel especially stark.”

What are the consequences?
Couples may choose to stay in their marriage despite being quietly divorced. Approximately 60% of silent divorce couples “can’t afford to separate” and are “trapped by housing costs, dual income dependency, and fear of dividing assets,” said an analysis by the Dellino Family Law Group. But there’s “no legal category for ‘emotionally separated but still married,’ which leaves these couples in a dangerous gray area where they have all the liabilities of marriage without any of the emotional or practical benefits.”

A quiet divorce “rarely resolves the underlying issues,” said clinical psychologist Mehezabin Dordi to Harper’s Bazaar. There’s “no real communication, no opportunity for repair, no shared understanding of what went wrong.” Instead, it leads to increased resentment, which can affect not only the partners but also any children in the household.

Doberman pinscher Penny, 4, poses at the champions lunch of the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show today in New York City. She was awarded Best in Show at Madison Square Garden last night, the fifth of her breed to take the title in the history of the competition.
Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for Westminster Kennel Club

February 14 presents the perfect opportunity to surprise loved ones with a token of your affection. From a custom reel viewer to fresh handpicked citrus and marmalades, these gifts will make everyone you gift fall head over heels all over again.

Badesofa back bath pillow
Warning: This pillow makes baths so relaxing they might never leave the tub again. The “so comfortable” back cushion can also be used as a seat or to prop up their feet, giving them options, said Elle. Salts and oils won’t stain it either, so they can add aromatherapy to take their bath into the land of delightful fragrance. (starting at $199, Badesofa)

Create Your Own Reel Viewer
Put the picture perfect moments of their life all in one place. Each viewer comes with a redemption code that allows you or the recipient to create a seven-image reel. Additional reel redemption codes can also be purchased for even more walks down memory lane. ($34.95, Uncommon Goods)

Marmalade Grove Best of the Grove box
Talk about a special delivery. The Best of the Grove box contains seven pounds of fresh, juicy citrus (think clementines, Cara Cara oranges and Meyer lemons) handpicked in Ojai, California, along with three seasonal limited-edition marmalades. Marmalade Grove’s delicious offerings are a “celebration of the region’s most exquisite citrus,” said The Observer. And you can treat them to a single box or subscription. ($99 per box, one-time purchase; $89 per box, subscription; Marmalade Grove)