Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

• Biden’s administration filed its full legal defense of its student-debt relief plan to the Supreme Court.
• Student-loan company MOHELA is central to the lawsuit filed by six GOP-led states.
• The DOJ said that ruling in favor of the states’ argument could set a strange legal precedent.

A Missouri-based student-loan company has found itself at the center of a lawsuit blocking student-loan forgiveness — and President Joe Biden’s administration said its role could set a strange legal precedent moving forward.

It’s a critical year for millions of student-loan borrowers as Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt will have its day at the Supreme Court on February 28. For over two months, implementation of the relief has been blocked due to two lawsuits against the administration. One was filed by two student-loan borrowers who did not qualify for the full $20,000 amount of relief, and another by six Republican-led states who said the relief would hurt their states’ tax revenues, along with that of student-loan company MOHELA.

While the administration has pushed back on the arguments in both cases and claimed neither of them have the standing to sue, the latter — involving MOHELA — is complex, given that the company itself denied it had any involvement in the case in November following the 8th Circuit ruling that blocked the relief.

Adding to that complexity, the Justice Department wrote in a legal filing on Wednesday night that upholding the 8th Circuit’s ruling would mean that “banks could sue anyone who causes financial harm to their borrowers, credit-card companies could sue anyone who causes financial harm to their customers, and governments could sue anyone who causes financial harm to their taxpayers.”

Dalié Jiménez, a law professor at University of California Irvine and director of the Student Loan Law Initiative, told Insider that Biden’s legal defense “did a really good job in saying that if A causes financial harm to B, and B owes money to C, then C can sue… and that’s bonkers.”

She added that the states’ standing is questionable, and she’s concerned of the legal precedent it would set should the Supreme Court rule in their favor.

“I think this is an important case,” Jiménez said. “I’m a little bit afraid of what is going to happen more for the larger implications on what the Supreme Court does, what its purpose is, and its role and legitimacy. 

Favoring the GOP-led states’ case has “startling implications”

Since the lawsuit arose, Biden’s Justice Department has argued that MOHELA is a separate entity from the state and can sue and be sued on its own, and the department responded to the states’ claim that the relief would cause MOHELA to stop receiving servicing fees, which would impair the company’s “ability to fulfill its state-law obligation to contribute a specified amount of money to the state treasury.”

“But the States have never alleged that the plan will cause MOHELA to default on its obligations to the State,” the Justice Department wrote. “And it is pure speculation that, if the plan causes a reduction in MOHELA’s revenues, MOHELA will respond by defaulting on its obligations rather than, say, cutting its other expenditures.”

Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said during a Wednesday press call that every case filed in a federal court has to demonstrate that the plaintiff would be injured by the policy, that the injury can be directly traced back to the defendant, and that the relief they’re seeking would address those injuries.

But the harms MOHELA could suffer are unknown and “Missouri itself is not harmed directly, and… the indirect harm Missouri suffers through the harm to MOHELA is speculative at best,” Vladeck said.

And, as the Justice Department wrote in its filing, four of the states — Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Carolina — said the debt relief would also hurt their tax revenues because their state tax codes chose to include debt relief as gross income, even though federal law prevents debt relief from being taxed through 2025. 

“Any harm to the States’ treasuries here is likewise self-inflicted,” the filing said, adding that “any resulting reduction in their tax revenues is fairly traceable not to the Secretary’s plan, but instead to their own choices about how to structure their tax laws.”

Should the Supreme Court rule in favor of the states, it would have “startling implications,” the filing said.

“Virtually all federal actions—from prosecuting crime to imposing taxes to managing property—have some incidental effects on state finances,” it said. “If such incidental effects suffice for standing, every State would have standing to challenge almost any federal policy.”

While Biden’s Education Department extended the student-loan payment pause 60 days after June 30 or when the lawsuits are resolved — whichever happens first — Jiménez said that if the Supreme Court ends up striking down the debt relief, it’s vital the administration finds another way to deliver student-loan forgiveness before payments resume.

“I do think that even if they end up holding this particular cancellation program to not be proper, that there are other ways that the administration can do this and should do this,” she said.

FBI

• Ana Montes, regarded as “one of the most damaging spies” in US history, has been released from prison. 
• The former DIA agent was arrested in 2001 after years of sending US secrets to Castro’s Cuba. 
• She spied only on the grounds of ideology and accepted no money for her work.

Ana Montes, regarded as “one of the most damaging spies,” has been released from a prison in Texas. 

Montes, now 65, worked for the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) as the top analyst on Cuba during the Cold War. She was known around Washington as the “Queen of Cuba” for her insights into Fidel Castro’s communist regime.

But she was arrested in 2001 on conspiracy to commit espionage after it was discovered she was also a spy for Cuba. 

She was later charged with the offense and pleaded guilty, and was handed a 25-year prison sentence. She served 20 of those years and was released on January 6, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons database. 

Montes’ spying was motivated not by money, but solely by ideology, according to the FBI. She disagreed with US foreign policy and was working to undermine it. 

When working a clerical job at the Department of Justice, she was identified by Cuban authorities as someone who would be sympathetic to their cause. She was approached by them and agreed to work with them. 

File photo of Cuba’s President Fidel Castro during a visit to Paris

Thomson Reuters

She then applied for her job at the DIA, and by the time she was in office in 1985, she was a recruited spy for Cuba, the FBI explained. 

She was able to pass highly sensitive information over to the Cuban authorities through memory alone. 

In order to escape detection, she never removed any information from her work computer. Instead, she memorized classified details and wrote them into her personal computer when she got home. She then put that information on an encrypted disc and sent it to the Cuban authorities. 

This lasted for 16 years until her arrest. 

Speaking in Congress in 2012, then-head of US Counterintelligence under the Bush administration Michelle Van Cleave, described Montes as “one of the most damaging spies the United States has ever found.” 

She added, “She compromised everything — virtually everything — that we knew about Cuba and how we operated in Cuba and against Cuba,” Van Cleave said.

Former DIA investigator Chris Simmons described Montes as “a very deadly woman, a very dangerous woman,” reported NBC. “A lot of spies historically have given up information, but she repeatedly tried to get Americans killed in combat,” said Simmons.

Speaking to CBS, Peter Lapp, a former FBI agent who investigated Montes, believes she will now live out her life quietly as a senior. “That part of her life is over. She’s done what she’s done for them. I can’t imagine her risking her liberty,” he said. 

Craig Barritt/Getty Images for CARE For Special Children

• Effective altruism is a social movement that relies on evidence and reasoning to figure out the best ways to help others.
• Its supporters include major Silicon Valley tech personalities like Elon Musk, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Peter Thiel.
• Amid the fallout of FTX and Alameda Research, more people are questioning its true value.

While he ran FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried lived beneath his billionaire means. He drove a Toyota Corolla, ate vegan food, and lived with several roommates — presumably due to his belief in a social movement called effective altruism. 

Effective Altruism, or EA for short, stakes its claim in the idea that all lives are equally valuable and those with resources should allocate them to helping as many people as possible. 

Over the past several years, it has found a strong footing in Silicon Valley, and claims tech tycoons like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel among its followers. 

While EA also has its share of critics— who railed against its persistent focus on the future or its quiet acceptance of the status quo — the movement seemed to be growing. Over the course of 2021, EA-related foundations donated more than $600 million in publicly listed grants.

But then, FTX imploded. One of EA’s most visible followers — who had once pledged to donate the majority of his wealth — has now been hit with eight criminal charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and violating campaign finance laws. 

For many, it’s brought the principles of effective altruism into question. 

Here’s a closer look at the ideas behind effective altruism and what philosophers and followers are saying in the aftermath: 

EA broadly traces its roots to Peter Singer, a philosopher who is known for his radical ideas about morality.Peter Singer is an Australian philosopher and professor at Princeton University.

Ulf Andersen / Contributor/ Getty Images

Singer wrote that “if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparative moral importance, we ought to morally do it.” Even distance doesn’t matter.Singer argued for people to push the boundaries of their moral compass in radical ways.

Madcat Madlove / EyeEm/ Getty Images

Source: “Famine, Affluence, and Morality.” 

By Singer’s philosophy, if you see a child drowning in a pond you likely don’t think twice before jumping in to save them, but allowing another child to drown miles away is just as harmful.Singer argued that one has a moral obligation to save a child drowning in a pond regardless of location.

Jodie Griggs/ Getty Images

Source: “Famine, Affluence, and Morality” by Peter Singer, 1972. 

EA also was influenced by Nick Bostrom, an Oxford philosopher who studied “existential risks” — outcomes that might “annihilate Earth-originating intelligent life” or “drastically curtail its potential.”Nick Bostrom, a Swedish philosopher and Oxford professor, is considered another early influencer of EA.

The Washington Post / Contributor/ Getty Images

Source: “Analyzing Human Extinction Scenarios and Related Hazards” by Nick Bostrom. 

According to Bostrom, these include events like moderate global warming, global recessions, or even “stifling cultural or religious eras” like the “dark ages.”The stock market could continue to tumble in the face of rising inflation and a recession.

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Source: “Analyzing Human Extinction Scenarios and Related Hazards.” 

Since the 2010s, Scottish philosopher William MacAskill has largely been credited with leading the movement.

Screenshot from William MacAskill’s personal website.

MacAskill is a professor of philosophy at Oxford University and he’s also the author of books on effective altruism including ‘Doing Good Better’ and ‘What We Owe The Future.’William MacAskill is a professor at Oxford University.

Andrei Nekrassov/Shutterstock

Source: William MacAskill’s personal website. 

He co-founded the Center for Effective Altruism at Oxford, and a YCombinator backed nonprofit called 80,000 Hours, that claims to help people make a social impact with their career through research and advice. Since September 2022, both have been grouped under a broader parent organization called Effective Ventures.MacAskill has founded several endeavors with the presumable goal of helping people direct their wealth to helping others.

Getty Images

Source: William MacAskill’s personal website and blog post on Giving What We Can. 

While MacAskill suggests that people should set out to do the most good that they can, he argues their actions should be based on empirical evidence and not subjective definitions. One way of measuring good is through quality-adjusted-life-years, or QALYS. One QALY is equivalent to a single year of life lived at 100% health.QALYS are measured on a scale of 0 to 1 with a score of 1 being a year of perfect health.

Anna Fomenko/ Getty Images

Source: Doing Good Better by William MacAskill and Amia Srinivasan’s review of the book, “Stop the Robot Apocalypse” in London Review of Books. 

MacAskill estimated that contributing to the cause of removing intestinal parasites would be more cost-effective than contributing to a sight-saving eye operation in terms of QALYS.MacAskill estimated that contributing to removing intestinal worms would have more impact in terms of QALYS than a sight-saving operation.

BRIAN MITCHELL/ Getty Images

Source: “The Reluctant Prophet of Effective Altruism,” in The New Yorker.

EA has also become associated with the idea of “earning to give.” The idea is that a college graduate can save more lives by taking a job in finance or consulting and donating their earnings, as opposed to becoming a doctor and trying to help people in a developing country.“Earning to give” suggests that it might be better for young graduates to take jobs in finance as opposed to becoming doctors in developing countries.

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Source: The New Yorker

One of the more controversial ideas of EA is longtermism, which is the notion that people should be working toward improving the future of humanity. Weak longtermism applies to concerns about the near future, while strong longtermism applies to concerns about the distant future— thousands of years from now.Longtermism prioritizes addressing the issues that will impact the future of humanity.

Yuichiro Chino/ Getty Images

Source: “Effective altruism’s most controversial idea” in Vox.

In an op-ed in the New York Times from August 2022, William MacAskill outlined longtermist concerns such as fossil fuel depletion, losing control over artificial intelligence systems, or the emergence of virulent, engineered viruses.One of the concerns of longtermism is losing control over artificial intelligence systems.

Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images

Source: “The Case for Longtermism” by William MacAskill in The New York Times. 

There are a growing number of organizations dedicated to combating these threats, sometimes called “existential risks” or “x-risks” in light of Bostrom’s research. These include the Center for the Study of Existential Risk and Bostrom’s own Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford.

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The movement also has birthed nonprofits like GiveDirectly and GiveWell.GiveDirectly is an EA related nonprofit.

SOPA Images / Contributor/ Getty Images

Over the years, EA has racked up its share of followers in Silicon Valley. In August 2022, Elon Musk tweeted in support of MacAskill’s new book, ‘What We Owe the Future.’

—Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 2, 2022

 

Sam Bankman-Fried long positioned himself as a staunch follower of the movement, and even pledged to give away the majority of his wealth one day.Sam Bankman-Fried cofounded FTX in 2019.

FTX

Peter Thiel gave the keynote address at the Effective Altruism Summit in 2013 and is a known funder of “x-risk” research.Peter Thiel is a known backer of “x-risk” research.

John Lamparski/Getty Images

Source: Vox and YouTube

Yet critics have railed against the way EA has developed over the years. In a review of MacAskill’s book, ‘Doing Good Better,’ his colleague at Oxford, philosophy professor Amia Srinivasan wrote, “Effective altruism has so far been a rather homogenous movement of middle-class white men fighting poverty through largely conventional means.”Amia Srinivasan, a philosophy professor, critiques MacAskill’s Doing Good Better in the London Review of Books.

Screenshot from Amia Srinivasan’s Twitter profile.

In a later section, she wrote, “If effective altruism is simply in the business of getting us to be more effective when we try to help others, then it’s hard to object to it. But in that case it’s also hard to see what it’s offering in the way of fresh moral insight, still less how it could be the last social movement we’ll ever need.”

Source: London Review of Books

After Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire exploded in November, more and more people began to question the effective altruism movement. MacAskill himself posted a thread on Twitter responding to the controversy. In one tweet he wrote:

—William MacAskill (@willmacaskill) November 11, 2022

In another tweet, he wrote “As a community, too, we will need to reflect on what has happened, and how we could reduce the chance of anything like this from happening again. Yes, we want to make the world better, and yes, we should be ambitious in the pursuit of that.”

He added, “But that in no way justifies fraud. If you think that you’re the exception, you’re duping yourself.”

Members of the Effective Altruism community— writing on the movement’s official website — were concerned and shocked in the immediate aftermath of FTX’s demise, according to The New Yorker.More EA followers voiced their opinions on the Effective Altruism Forum.

Lisa-Blue/ Getty Images

In a post on the Effective Altruism forum from November 2022, Jack Lewars wrote:

“FTX’s demise is understandably dominating EA discussion at the moment. Like everyone in the community, I’m primarily just really sad about the news. A lot of people have been hurt; and a lot of funding that could have been used to do a staggering amount of good is no longer available.”

The author proceeded to outline potential reforms to the movement including recruiting more diversifying funding sources taking “optics” more seriously. 

Sources: The New Yorker and Effective Altruism Forum

Then, Sam Bankman-Fried himself spoke about his relationship to ethics at large. Vox’s Kelsey Piper asked Bankman-Fried, “the ethic’s stuff— mostly a front?” to which Bankman-Fried initially responded, “yeah” followed by “I mean that’s not *all* of it” and “but it’s a lot.”Sam Bankman-Fried is currently awaiting trial for multiple criminal charges.

David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

In a later section Piper asked, “you were really good at talking about ethics, for someone who kind of saw it all as a game with winners and losers.” To which Bankman-Fried initially responded “ya” and “hehe” and “I had to be.”

Source: Vox 

In an interview with The Guardian in December 2022, the movement’s forefather, Peter Singer, came to the defense of EA, but also acknowledged the harm the FTX controversy brought to the movement. He said, “I think in general, a lot more good has been done by earning-to-give than harm, at least up until the collapse of FTX, which has certainly caused a lot more harm than any other [example].”Peter Singer, often considered the forefather of EA, gave an interview in The Guardian in December.

The AGE / Contributor/ Getty Images

He also said, “wise, effective altruists and utilitarians know that honesty is the best policy.” 

Source: The Guardian

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

• Roman Abramovich transferred assets to his children before the Ukraine invasion, per The Guardian.
• The oligarch’s assets included properties, superyachts, helicopters, and private jets.
• He owns at least 10 more yachts than was previously known, per the report.

Roman Abramovich’s assets including luxury properties, superyachts, helicopters and private jets, were transferred to his children weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, The Guardian reported. 

Ten offshore trusts that hold assets belonging to the sanctioned Russian oligarch were amended in February 2022, according to leaked files revealed by the newspaper. 

Assets worth more than $4 billion were transferred to his seven children only three weeks before the start of the war, the report said. The longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin was sanctioned by the UK and European Union in March.

His children’s beneficial interest in the trust’s assets – including the Eclipse superyacht worth $700 million and shares in Russian companies – rose from 51% to 100%, per the report. 

In addition to his six yachts worth more than $1 billion, it was revealed that Abramovich owns at least 10 more yachts and vessels via offshore companies, Forbes reported, citing files it obtained alongside the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

The shuffling of assets were detailed in hacked files from Cypriot company MeritServus, which managed the former Chelsea FC owner’s finances for two decades, per the reports.

Demetris Ioannides, the chairman of MeritSevus, didn’t respond to The Guardian’s requests for comment but said: “The paramount responsibility of a trustee is to protect the assets of a trust.”

Companies controlled by Abramovich’s trusts had assets worth $2.5 billion at the end of 2021, per the reports.

The oligarch’s net wealth has increased by $72 million in the year to date, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, to more than $7 billion.

Abramovich seemingly reorganized other assets just weeks before the invasion of Ukraine. He transferred ownership of two private jets in February worth $400 million to his children via two trusts that control a web of shell companies, an FBI agent claimed in June.

Abramovich also tried to sell a property 15 days before the invasion, but was stopped by Portuguese authorities who froze the asset. Three months after being hit by sanctions, the billionaire sold Chelsea football club for $5.3 billion after owning the club for 19 years.

Representatives for Abramovich did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. 

Brittany Chang/Insider

• Royal Caribbean invited me to sail on its new Wonder of the Seas for two nights in early December.
• The world’s largest cruise ship had unique amenities I had never seen on a ship before.
• I’ve historically disliked cruises but the Wonder of the Seas is now my favorite ship.

I sailed on Royal Caribbean International’s new world’s largest cruise ship, the Wonder of the Seas.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And to my surprise, the behemoth vessel made me forget that I don’t like cruises.

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I’ve been on several cruises across several brands for work.

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And so far, sailing on this new floating city has been my favorite trip.

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Amenities like its eight neighborhoods, three water slides, and expansive pool deck provided more entertainment than I could have consumed during my two nights at sea.

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And moving forward, it’ll be one of the only cruise vessels I’ll recommend when people ask me for suggestions.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Royal Caribbean International invited me to sail on its newest mega Oasis Class cruise ship in early December during a non-revenue sailing for media and travel agents.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Before I dive into the positives, let’s start with the most glaring negative: my $1,400 balcony stateroom.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Source: Insider

My spacious hotel room at sea had grand views of the ocean and the most storage I’ve ever seen in a stateroom.

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But its bland decor, poorly designed sink basin that constantly splashed water onto the countertop …

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… and lack of toiletries — specifically conditioner and a separate body wash and shampoo — were disappointing, especially on such a wildly hyped cruise ship.

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Source: Insider

Despite its hefty price tag, the stateroom didn’t feel luxurious enough to compel me to spend more time in my home at sea.

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It provided the essentials and nothing more.

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But maybe a stateroom as boring as this is justifiable aboard a ship like the Wonder of the Seas.

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Source: Insider

Why spend excess time in your stateroom when you have a massive vessel with eight neighborhoods to explore?

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Ultimately, two nights aboard the ship wasn’t enough time to experience all it had to offer even with a packed itinerary.

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Even though I didn’t get to drink at every bar, dine at every restaurant, and lounge in every hot tub, the floating resort was still the most fun I’ve ever had on a cruise ship.

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So I’ll just review what I was able to see and do during my two short nights aboard the ship.

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The Wonder of the Seas has eight neighborhoods all with their own amenities, services, design, and activities.

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One is exclusive to guests staying in suites, which I can’t speak to.

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But neighborhoods like Central Park and Boardwalk were the big standouts.

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Both looked nothing like a typical cruise ship.

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Instead, Central Park resembled an outdoor mall filled with plants, shops, restaurants, and live music …

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… while the Boardwalk looked exactly like what you’d expect.

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Central Park had an energetic but quiet hum, creating a peaceful open-aired neighborhood.

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It was one of the most relaxing spaces aboard the ship.

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All of the plants, surrounding staterooms, live music, and dining venues made Central Park feel like a peaceful cocoon separate from the hustle and bustle of other neighborhoods.

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And the only reminder that I was at sea was the balcony staterooms that formed a wall around the neighborhood.

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I didn’t eat at any of the restaurants. But just walking around and enjoying the space was enough for me to call this one of my favorite neighborhoods aboard the ship.

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The Boardwalk also became my go-to neighborhood.

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But unlike the getaway feeling of Central Park, this neighborhood was far from peaceful.

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Instead, I was impressed by how much it resembled a real wood-planked boardwalk filled with colorful accents …

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… a carousel …

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… a Johnny Rockets, and a hot dog stand.

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Here, you can find children playing arcade games, crawling through the suspended and netted playground, and traversing the two rock climbing walls.

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All the while, their parents can catch a game at the sports bar.

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It’s a wholesome and exciting neighborhood.

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And the hot dog stand and candy store were a nostalgic touch that reminded me of weekends at the beach with my family.

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I’ve never seen spaces like the Boardwalk and Central Park aboard a cruise ship before.

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And I found this creativity refreshing for a cruise brand.

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It made me forget I was on my least favorite form of travel. And they’re two of the main reasons I now consider the Wonder of the Seas my favorite cruise ship.

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However, the other neighborhoods weren’t as distinct in design and activities.

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This includes the Royal Promenade, home of the ship’s Starbucks, grab-and-go dining like the pizza shop, more shopping …

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… and some standout bars and lounges.

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Fans of classic English pubs can grab a pint at Cask and Clipper …

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… while those looking for something more unique can go to the bar manned with robotic arms instead of bartenders.

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There’s also a karaoke bar across from another watering hole with live music and space to dance.

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And if you’re indecisive about which deck you want to spend more time on, you can always drink at the Rising Tide bar. It’s a platform that rises and lowers between the Royal Promenade and above Central Park.

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These are all unique drinking venues for a cruise ship.

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But the decor and intention of the Royal Promenade too closely resembled a typical cruise ship atrium for my taste.

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And I’m still not sure why there’s an out-of-place giant metal cowboy hat …

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… and a Ford Mustang parked in this neighborhood.

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To me, this was a “flyover” space. I spent little of my leisure time here.

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But I definitely can’t say the same for the Wonder of the Seas’ pool deck.

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There were expansive rows of bright lounge chairs surrounding the multiple pools.

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And the colorful water slides, decor pieces, and bright accents all made this the most exciting pool deck I’ve ever seen.

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The multicolored structures and decor made it difficult to visually focus on just one slide or pool.

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It was admittedly an overwhelming and confusing sight even after two nights at sea.

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So it’s no wonder there were always guests here during the day.

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Young children could spend time together at the water playground …

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… while their older siblings can race each other down the dual water slides.

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The interior of these slides becomes completely dark mid-ride, adding an exhilarating and claustrophobic touch to the quick journey down.

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But the third waterslide, which ends in a large toilet bowl-like structure, wasn’t nearly as exciting.

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Instead, like other travelers, I got stuck and had to scoot myself toward the “drain” of the bowl.

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Source: YouTube

But at least I was able to simmer off some of this embarrassment at one of the several hot tubs.

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Source: YouTube

These water slides made me feel like a young child running around the water park with my friends.

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It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in years. And like the Boardwalk neighborhood, I was hit with pleasant nostalgia.

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During the day, this deck saw plenty of foot traffic as children splashed around and adults lounged with their mai tais and margaritas.

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It was only ever quiet at night. And even then, the pool deck remained vibrant with plenty of multicolor accent lights.

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It was an unnecessary touch given how empty the pool deck becomes after the sun sets.

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But I still appreciated how exciting and photogenic it made the space look.

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This pool deck was impressive but the family-friendly fun didn’t stop there.

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The deck above this had even more activities, albeit a bit drier.

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Here, the activities looked more similar to Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Prima, which I sailed on in early October.

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Source: Insider 

Similar to the Prima, the Wonder of the Seas had an underwater-themed mini golf course …

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… and a 10-story dry slide hidden tucked inside the mouth of a formidable anglerfish structure.

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Source: Royal Caribbean

But unlike Norwegian’s new vessel, the world’s largest cruise ship also had a large children’s playground, sports court, surf simulator, and zipline that flies over the Central Park neighborhood.

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I’ve never been on a cruise ship with this many outdoor activities for families — it’s enough to keep any family entertained for an afternoon.

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And it was a stark contrast to the adults-only Solarium section of the vessel.

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A Solarium with swimming pools and hot tubs isn’t a novel concept aboard a cruise ship.

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But here, the dome-covered lounge was flooded with natural light that graced the large lounge chairs, animal topiaries, and multi-level pool.

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It was unnecessarily spacious, which I recognize is not a common critique of cruise ship spaces.

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But a cruise ship of this size definitely needs common spaces that can accommodate hundreds to thousands of people at once.

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After all, the Wonder of the Seas can sail up to 7,084 guests and 2,204 crew.

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So to feed this many mouths, the vessel has over 20 dining venues.

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But it should be noted that over half of them are specialty restaurants that come at an additional cost.

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The Wonder of the Seas has options like a teppanyaki restaurant, a taco and burrito buffet, and an 18-person restaurant.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But the Royal Caribbean team scheduled me for Hooked Seafood and the Mason Jar. The latter is a new-to-brand Southern restaurant with a live band.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Hooked Seafood was satisfactory with dishes like lobster and fish with a side of butter.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But the Mason Jar was unfortunately disappointing.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The cocktails — including one topped with a mini peanut butter and jelly sandwich — had a unique twist on classics.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But my main entree, fried chicken, was dry and flavorless. It was difficult to finish, and not just because the portions were massive.

Brittany Chang/Insider

However, I’m surprised to say the Wonder of the Seas had the best cruise ship buffet I’ve ever eaten at.

Brittany Chang/Insider

There were all-you-can-eat options like octopus and salmon tartare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen these on a cruise buffet before.

Brittany Chang/Insider

It made a simple complimentary buffet feel otherwise luxurious.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And I never thought I would say that about a dining venue like this.

Brittany Chang/Insider

I’m just as shocked to say that I genuinely enjoyed the entertainment aboard the Wonder of the Seas.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The majority of cruise ship shows I’ve seen have been song-and-dance performances, which I often find boring and unoriginal.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Before the Wonder of the Seas, I thought the Norwegian Prima — shown below — had the most well-executed and engaging onboard entertainment.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But now I’m not convinced.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Royal Caribbean didn’t have traditional shows.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Instead, its entertainment included an ice skating show and “inTENse,” an outdoor swim, dive, and dance performance.

Brittany Chang/Insider

There was also a superhero show with drones that fly around the theater but I didn’t have time for its showings.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The ice skating rink aboard the Wonder of the Seas doesn’t compare to the size of a typical hockey rink, of course.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But there was still plenty of room for the figure skaters to put on a wholesome show on ice.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Some scenes — like the one filled with emoji mask props — were tacky. But seeing talented figure skaters instead of people singing and dancing in unison was refreshing and fun.

Brittany Chang/Insider

However, I have no critiques for “inTENse.”

Brittany Chang/Insider

The exhilarating performance — paired with equally fiery music — was filled with divers, synchronized swimmers, and even a tightrope walker.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And its venue was just as unique.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The show’s home, the Aqua Theater at the end of the Boardwalk, was the first outdoor show venue I had ever seen on a cruise ship.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The dry stage rose and sank into the pool. And it’s one of the only times I didn’t want to leave a cruise show early.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Similar to the pool deck, it was a visually overwhelming show. There was so much happening, I didn’t know where to look.

Brittany Chang/Insider

It felt like watching an action movie. And I never thought I’d say that before sailing on the Wonder of the Seas.

Brittany Chang/Insider

The tide has turned: Maybe I do enjoy cruises now.

Brittany Chang/Insider

I hate feeling trapped with nothing to do aboard a floating resort. This has always been my biggest qualm with cruises.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But it’s nearly impossible to be bored aboard a vessel as large as the Wonder of the Seas, especially on a two-night cruise.

Brittany Chang/Insider

From the enormous pool deck to the unique neighborhoods that looked nothing like a ship, the onboard entertainment and amenities felt endless.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Its obvious Royal Caribbean really leaned into its family-friendly branding with this project.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But small touches like a surprise piano player who performs in random elevators at night created a fun environment for both children and adults.

Brittany Chang/Insider

I was so busy exploring I had no time to hide in my stateroom.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And despite this, I still didn’t have time to step foot into most of the bars or see all of the onboard entertainment.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Truthfully, cruises still aren’t my first pick for vacations, even if it’s on the Wonder of the Seas.

Brittany Chang/Insider

But if any of my friends or family invited me to sail with them on this floating resort, I would definitely say yes.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And it’ll be difficult for any future cruise to beat out Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas.

Brittany Chang/Insider

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Venezuelan migrant Julio Marquez sells lollipops near the border in the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez, holding a cardboard sign scrawled with marker: “Help us with whatever comes from your heart.”

He has the same message for U.S. President Joe Biden, who visits the Texas city of El Paso, just across the border, on Sunday.

“We hope he helps us, that he lets us pass, since we’re suffering a lot here in Mexico,” said Marquez, 32. “He has to listen to the people on this side.”

Biden’s first border visit as president comes days after a new policy aimed at reducing illegal migration has been criticized by migrant advocates for limiting asylum access.

The two-pronged approach offers legal pathways to the United States for certain Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians and Venezuelans who have U.S. sponsors, while expelling people of those nationalities back to Mexico if they attempt to cross the border without permission.

Mexican migration agents and state police on Saturday patrolled the concrete banks of the Rio Grande river dividing Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, as groups of families attempted to clamber through loops of concertina wire into the United States.

“Duck down,” Erlan Garay of Honduras instructed a Colombian woman and her three children, including an 8-year-old boy clutching a Spiderman toy.

“They’re going to request asylum, they have a chance,” he said, adding that he would look for somewhere else to clandestinely cross, and shrugging off a drop of blood where the fence pricked his hand.

Marquez said he and his partner, Yalimar Chirinos, 19, do not qualify for the new legal entry program because they lack a U.S. sponsor.

“They’re constantly changing the laws, every week,” Chirinos said, wearing a black hoodie and a single pink-and-blue glove to try to ward off the cold.

The couple has spent five months in Mexico after crossing several countries and the dangerous Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama. They sleep at night on the street without a tent or blankets, hugging one another to stay warm, wary of criminals known to rob and kidnap migrants.

At one point they crossed undetected into Texas, but after several days without food or a place to stay, they turned themselves in to U.S. officials, who sent them back to Mexico.

Marquez said he will stick it out another 15 days hoping to find a legal route into the United States, before looking for a way back to Venezuela.

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” he said, breaking into tears. “Mr. President, if you’re going to deport me, deport me back to my country, not back here to Mexico.”

Others were undeterred, even after their own expulsions to Mexico.

“Send me wherever you want, I’ll come back,” said Jonathan Tovar, 29, speaking on Friday from behind the fence of Mexico’s migration office in Ciudad Juarez. “I want the president of the United States to give me and my family a chance.”

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President Joe Biden will visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday for the first time since taking office nearly two years ago, tackling one of the most politically charged issues in the country as he prepares for a reelection bid.

Biden on Thursday announced fresh plans to block Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, expanding the nationalities of migrants who can be expelled back to Mexico, and the visit to El Paso, Texas, isn’t expected to yield any new policy breakthroughs.

Instead, it is meant to demonstrate that the U.S. president is taking the issue seriously, stop nagging questions about when he plans to visit, shore up relations with border patrol, and potentially give him another chance to push Congress to pass new laws to fix a broken system.

However, Republicans’ newly assumed control of the House of Representatives essentially blocks prospects for any legislative fixes, leaving Biden with few good options.

“The trip is recognition that this is a serious issue, one with real hardships, but it’s also one that will only get solved with the help of Republicans, said Karen Finney, a Democratic consultant.

Republicans have continually used the border issue as a cudgel against Biden, blaming him for failing to crack down harder. And with a thin Republican majority in the House that gives the party’s hardliners greater clout, there is little hope for compromise.

Biden will meet at the border with local officials and community leaders, and assess border enforcement operations in El Paso, where the Democratic mayor declared a state of emergency last month, citing hundreds of migrants’ sleeping on the streets in cold temperatures and thousands being apprehended every day.

U.S. border officials apprehended a record 2.2 million migrants at the border with Mexico in the 2022 fiscal year that ended in September, though that number includes individuals who tried to cross multiple times.

Biden’s effort to try and crack down on the tide of migrants has drawn criticism from all sides. Human rights activists and some Democrats say the new restrictions are a retreat from Biden’s 2020 campaign promise to restore historical rights to asylum-seekers.

And while winning praise from some U.S. industry groups desperate to solve pressing labor shortages, the policy is likely to trigger legal challenges from both those who favor restricting immigration and advocates for asylum seekers.

Biden on Thursday did open legal, limited pathways into the country for Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians, while also calling on Congress to enact comprehensive reform, something the U.S. law-making body has failed to do for decades.

After the El Paso visit, Biden travels to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in talks that will also touch on immigration issues.

Republicans, furious about Biden’s reversal of some close-the-border policies of former President Donald Trump, have seized on record crossings, deaths of migrants and reports of fentanyl pouring across the border to demand the impeachment of Biden’s homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas.

Some pro-Trump Republican hardliners who finally helped elect Kevin McCarthy speaker on Saturday have pushed for zero cooperation with Democrats.

“It’s a problem that’s not going away, and he has to mitigate it or take it off the table in the upcoming election,” a senior Democrat told Reuters. “Biden needs to address the issue instead of letting opponents dominate the narrative.”

Biden sent Congress an immigration reform plan on his first day in office, but it has floundered amid opposition from congressional Republicans, who also blocked his request for $3.5 billion to beef up border enforcement.

Americans give Biden failing grades for immigration policy, polls show.

An average of polls gathered by Real Clear Politics shows 37% of the public disapprove of Biden’s handling of immigration, a number lower than his overall approval rating.

The issue has bedeviled presidents from both parties, Democrats note.

“This is not something that has popped up in the last two years. This has been 30 years in the making and a result of a mishmash of Democratic and Republican policies,” said Jennifer Holdsworth, a Democratic strategist.

“The electorate is tiring of the craziness and the talking points. They want serious solutions.”

Related Galleries:

U.S. President Joe Biden is visiting the U.S.-Mexico border for the first time since he took office in January 2021 on Sunday, ahead of a visit to Mexico and after announcing new measures to reduce border crossings.

What is happening at the U.S.-Mexico border now and why are there record numbers of crossings?

WHO IS TRYING TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES AT THE BORDER?

U.S. Border Patrol made more than 2.2 million arrests at the U.S.-Mexico in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended last September, the most ever recorded.

But many of those were individual migrants who tried to cross multiple times after being caught and rapidly expelled back to Mexico under a COVID-era order known as Title 42.

The policy was implemented in March 2020 under Republican former President Donald Trump, an immigration hardliner. Biden, a Democrat, tried to end the Title 42 order, which health officials said was no longer needed, but the termination was blocked in court.

Before last year, Mexico had generally only been accepting expulsions of its own citizens along with migrants from the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The number of Venezuelans crossing the border plummeted after Mexico agreed to accept expulsions of Venezuelan migrants last October.

Biden announced on Thursday that Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans – who have also been arriving in larger numbers – will now also be expelled under Title 42.

Before Title 42, migrants had been allowed to approach a U.S. port of entry and tell border officials they feared returning to their home country, which sets in motion the asylum process.

Migrants looking for protection must prove they have been persecuted, or fear they will be, on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group to a U.S. asylum officer or in U.S. immigration court.

Migrants who have arrived on U.S. soil are eligible to ask for asylum, even if they cross the border illegally and turn themselves into border agents, but winning a case is a long and complicated process that can take years due to backlogs.

The Biden administration has said it wants to surge resources to process more claims quicker but faces budgetary and other constraints.

The administration in its announcement Thursday also said it would expand its use of an app called CBP One that allows asylum seekers to enter their information as a pre-screening step to be given an appointment at a U.S. port.

Migrants who cannot be expelled under Title 42 are processed under an immigration statute known as Title 8 and can be detained or released into the United States while their immigration cases are pending.

Asylum seekers are eligible to apply for work permits as long as they attend court hearings and other immigration check ins. Some are obligated to comply with electronic monitoring, like ankle bracelets. If they miss their hearings or lose their cases they are at risk of deportation.

The Republican governors of Texas and Arizona last year bused thousands of migrants from the border to northern cities like New York and Washington, D.C., which they say eases the pressure in border communities and sends a political message to Biden and Democrats. The city of El Paso also ran its own busing campaign, but has stopped.

As part of Biden’s announcement on Thursday, the administration said it would admit up to 30,000 migrants by air from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela each month under a new temporary “humanitarian parole” program if they have a U.S. sponsor.

There are a number of ways to enter the United States legally as an immigrant, including being sponsored by a U.S. citizen or company, or to perform a particular job or to study. But obtaining a visa can be a long, expensive process that is not always accessible to the most vulnerable people.

The Biden administration also set a goal of resettling 125,000 refugees in 2022 who apply from abroad after Trump dramatically slashed admissions during his term. But delays from the COVID-pandemic have contributed to the U.S. falling way behind on that goal.

When Biden took office in 2021, he said he wanted Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Such efforts to fix what many believe is a broken immigration system have been a long-standing goal of multiple administrations, but lawmakers have failed to come to any kind of consensus in recent years.

Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

• Southwest is giving its 66,000 workers 25,000 SWAG points to redeem in its employee store.
• The points can be converted into gift cards worth about $400, The Dallas Morning News reported.
• CEO Bob Jordan told staff: “I’m sorry about the damage to your confidence and trust.”

Southwest Airlines is giving its 66,000 workers bonus points that can be exchanged for gift cards or other rewards in a bid to apologize for the “physical and emotional toll” of last month’s travel chaos.

In an internal memo issued on Friday, seen by The Dallas Morning News, CEO Bob Jordan said that all employees would receive 25,000 SWAG (Southwest Airlines Gratitude) points.

The points, which are usually issued to reward good performance or mark employment milestones, can be redeemed for flights, airline upgrades, merchandise, and gift cards. 

According to The Dallas Morning News, the 25,000 SWAG points could be converted into gift cards worth about $400. Southwest has about 66,000 employees, so it could face a bill of more than $25 million, according to estimates by Paddle Your Own Kanoo.

On Friday, Southwest estimated that its December meltdown could cost up to $825 million in lost revenue and passenger reimbursements.

Staff bore the brunt of passengers’ outrage after Southwest canceled almost 17,000 flights in December, leaving both customers and employees stranded across the country.

Union officials complained that Southwest crew had to book their own hotel rooms after being stranded — and couldn’t get in touch with operational staff to find out their next assignment.

According to one union leader, some Southwest ground workers even developed frostbite after working outside for extended periods of time.

In the memo, Jordan told workers: “I’m sorry for the physical and emotional toll. I’m sorry for the loss of time and memories that can never be replaced. Most of all, I’m sorry about the damage to your confidence and trust.”

Staff had long warned about Southwest’s antiquated systems, which contributed to the airline’s problems.

In an email on Friday, Lyn Montgomery, president of the TWU 556 flight attendant union, dismissed the points offer:  “Nothing will make it right until Southwest invests in its technology and its workers.”

Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.