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Young women are starting to overtake their male peers in education and employment in developed economies across Europe and North America. Data shows that women in their early twenties are more likely to be university educated and in work than men of the same age.

However, this cohort of under 30-year-olds has not yet encountered one of the most significant career obstacles: having a baby.

“Parenthood hits and suddenly these [gender] gaps emerge,” says Susan Harkness, a professor of social policy at the UK’s University of Bristol, who researches family and the labour market. “Even where women are earning more than their partners before their first child, that reverses pretty quickly within the first five years.”

The enduring “motherhood penalty” reflects a range of economic and cultural factors. While the number of stay-at-home mothers has declined, women are still far more likely to find their earnings stagnate as they fit work commitments around family and hold back from job moves that would advance their career.

Generally speaking, “the woman is the one who takes the flexible job, handles sick days and picks up from school at 3pm”, says Henrik Kleven, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, in the US.

“All these things make it a little harder to get promoted,” he adds.

Financial pressures, from high childcare costs to taxation policies, also incentivise couples to prioritise one parent’s career over the other.

As much as a decade after the birth of the first child, mothers are less likely to be employed than fathers in almost 85 per cent of the 134 economies included in a 2024 study co-authored by Kleven. In more than half, including the US, UK and Germany, women are 20 per cent less likely to be in work a decade after their first child is born.

Yet research by Kleven also suggests that the rise in working mothers is reshaping their children’s expectations about combining parenthood and employment. In fact, there is an indirect effect on expectations by their fellow students that mothers will be in employment.

Nevertheless, surveys in both the US and UK show that gender norms persist in that women continue to shoulder far more of the childcare and household chores than men, despite also taking on more responsibility in the workplace.

Harkness says the good news is that “culture isn’t static”, while policy changes, such as tackling childcare costs, can make a difference. And, she adds: “One thing companies could do is to pay more attention to who they’re promoting, as fathers who stay [at the same employer] tend to get promoted but women don’t.”

The most recent annual Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey, the consultancy, shows that representation in corporate management has improved over the past decade. But it also highlights a decline in mentoring and sponsorship programmes, which can help to close the promotion gap between mothers and fathers.

Against this background, there has been a sharp rise in companies offering fertility support for prospective parents. Workplace consultancy Mercer reports that 70 per cent of US companies with 20,000-plus employees and almost half those with 500-plus employees now offer IVF health insurance coverage as an employee benefit, twice as many as five years ago.

Companies across the globe increasingly regard fertility support as an investment, says Tammy Sun, founder of Carrot, a reproductive benefits company. “Women are building their families later than previous generations . . . and increasingly see fertility benefits as a standard part of compensation at work,” she observes.

In the UK, the latest data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the regulator, shows that the use of egg freezing and storage has increased ten-fold and embryo storage has increased 16-fold between 2012 and 2022. US data shows egg and embryo freezing has increased seven-fold over the decade to 2022.

Sun adds that conversations around fertility and parenthood are noticeably more open than a decade ago. And that includes men too: “It serves women for the conversation to also include men — and I think that’s now happening.”

Lindsay Lohan‘s father Michael Lohan has an active arrest warrant in Florida in connection with an alleged violation of his probation nearly two weeks ago.

Lohan, 64, breached the terms of his probation with his February 21 felony assault arrest in Spring, Texas involving his estranged wife Kate Major, 42, officials said in court filings reviewed by TMZ Thursday. 

Following the breach, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Lohan linked to his probation from a 2022 conviction in Palm Beach, Florida in connection with pocketing money for steering patients toward a specific rehab facility.

Lohan had been arrested in April 2021 in connection with five counts of patient brokering and a count of attempted patient brokering.   

Sources told the outlet that authorities are expected to extradite Lohan from Texas to Florida.

Dailymail.com has reached out to Major for comment on the incident.

Major, who was the complainant, contacted authorities after she noticed Michael in the parking lot of a medical building, a spokesperson for the Harris County Sherriff’s Department told Dailymail.com February 23.

Lohan previously told the outlet that he felt Major had been ‘setting him up’ to get arrested, as she had ‘physically and verbally abused him’ prior to his arrest.

Lohan told the outlet: ‘Kate has been threatening to get me violated on probation for a long time. She used these false charges here in Texas to do so. ‘

In the February 21 incident, Major placed a 911 call reporting that ‘she was concerned [Michael] was following her,’ authorities said, leading deputies to respond.

Major told deputies that Michael had ‘flipped’ her out of a chair at their residence a few days earlier, officials said.  

Major, who has past had a series of legal incidents with her estranged spouse, told authorities that ‘she felt pain and discomfort’ as result of his attack on her. 

Officials said that Major, who is mother to two young sons with Michael, showed a female deputy ‘the bruising’ on her body as result of the attack. 

Deputies subsequently made contact with Michael, who ‘was arrested without incident at his residence,’ officials said. Michael Lohan was ‘being held on a charge of Continuous Family Violence and a $30,000 bond,’ officials told Dailymail.com. 

The former couple parted in September 2018 when Major said in a court filing in Florida that the marital union had been ‘irretrievably broken,’ requesting primary custody of their sons in addition to child support and alimony.

Michael is father to two sons with Major – Landon, 12, and Logan, 10. Michael is also father to four children with ex-wife Dina Lohan, 62: Lindsay, 38, Michael Jr., 36, Aliana, 31, and Dakota, 28. 

Michael and Major, a one-time entertainment journalist, wed in October 2014 in Hillsboro Beach, Florida, but Lindsay did not attend the nuptials.

They parted in September 2018 when Major said in a court filing in Florida that the marital union had been ‘irretrievably broken,’ requesting primary custody of their sons in addition to child support and alimony.

The incident comes nearly eight months after the one-time couple were involved in a roadside skirmish in Spring, Texas on June 26, 2024 in which Michael contacted the authorities.

The pair at the time were seen in a clip on TMZ in which they were arguing while in the middle of a road.

The heated exchange was spurred by a number of disagreements and an arrangement in which she stayed at his home while he was not there, Michael told the outlet.

Major shared a clip in which she was in a driver’s seat while arguing with Michael, in a conflict in which no charges were ultimately filed, according to the outlet.

‘Get out of the car, I just spoke with your lawyer,’ Michael was seen yelling at Major, who urged him to step out of the road.

Major called her ex a ‘psychopath’ noting that he was ‘calling the f***ing cops.’

Major was heard saying, ‘These poor kids, these poor children,’ then telling Michael, ‘You’re out of your f***ing mind.’

After an officer appeared on the scene, Major said that Michael had been following her, jumped in front of her car and needed to be taken in on a 5150 evaluation. The clip ended with Major communicating with the officer.

Major said: ‘Oh my God, oh my f***ing God, I didn’t even get out of the driveway.’ 

Michael explained the factors involved in the tense discussion to TMZ, saying that he had let Major stay at his home while he and his children were not in town.

Michael told the outlet that amid an active ‘order of protection’ against Major, she was told by both him and the district attorney to vacate the premises by 5 p.m.

Michael said that Major ‘took his car, which she was not supposed to do,’ at around 6 p.m., according to the outlet.

Michael told TMZ that Major had been consuming alcohol with guests she invited over to his house, and claimed that he did damage to the security system he has in place.

Michael said that he and Major had an argument concerning her drinking habit, but didn’t notify authorities at the time.

Michael and Major are still legally married, the outlet reported last summer, noting that ‘they’ve been estranged for a few years now.’

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown in December 2024 and his alleged killer Luigi Mangione is receiving a lot of support from his fans

Luigi Mangione, the man charged with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly “teared up” after receiving a letter from a mother whose daughter is seriously ill.

The accused killer, who allegedly targeted Thompson due to his anger towards US healthcare insurance companies, has gained a significant following since his arrest in Pennsylvania in December 2024.

One such supporter, a mother of a sick child, sent a letter that moved Mangione to tears. In response, he wrote: “Your letter is the first to make me tear up. I am so, so sorry for what you and your daughter so senselessly had to endure.”

He even requested a picture of her daughter to hang in his prison cell, next to the mother’s touching letter.

Last month, the 26 year old expressed his appreciation for the letters he receives from his fans, which range from those angry with the US health insurance companies, to women infatuated with him, to those who empathise with his motives.

Mangione said: “I am overwhelmed by – and grateful for – everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support.

“While it is impossible for me to reply to most letters, please know that I read every one that I receive. Thank you again to everyone who took the time to write.”

His heartfelt statement was shared on a website set up by his legal team to keep the world updated on his case.

Supporters from across the nation have made the pilgrimage to New York to stand with the 26 year old.

Outside the New York courthouse, fans gathered en masse, clutching Luigi plushies from the Mario franchise, donning the iconic green of the beloved video game character, and sporting pins emblazoned with Mangione’s likeness.

“We the people want Luigi free!” they roared outside the downtown Manhattan courthouse, their voices thundering up to the 15th floor where Mangione, clad in a bulletproof vest over a dark green jumper and restrained by leg and arm shackles, faced the judge.

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A bus crash sent seven children to the hospital and for parents, it was a harrowing moment. KDKA’s Ricky Sayer has more.

Your bundle of joy costs an actual bundle in the first year, according to the annual reckoning by BabyCenter, which surveys parents to calculate the cost of a curated list of newborn-related expenses, from nursery supplies to food and clothing and even a small contribution to a college fund.

If parents purchase everything on the list — and what’s needed does vary by a family’s circumstances — that first year price tag is $20,384, which doesn’t include the cost of giving birth.

That first-year cost is up from $15,775 in 2022, the year the center, a digital parenting resource, first started looking at the issue. The survey and cost analysis were spurred at the time by rising inflation, Dominique De Lope, senior manager of research insights, told Deseret News.

“Baby-related costs take up about 31% of parents’ total income and it’s stressing families out,” the new report said. “Nearly 9 in 10 moms say finances impact their mental health.” And a quarter of those surveyed consequently have downsized their planned families.

“While we’ve known anecdotally we’re all feeling the financial pinch these days, seeing the numbers in black and white was truly eye-opening,” said De Lope. “It was shocking to see just how much finances impact mom’s mental well-being, especially as rising costs remain an ongoing concern for U.S. families.”

She added that BabyCenter has global websites, online communities and mobile apps in seven languages that provide baby-related resources to millions of expectant parents worldwide. Everyday Health Group Pregnancy & Parenting, which includes the BabyCenter, is a division of Everyday Health Group, also home to the What to Expect brand.

Adding it all up

Parents reported in the survey that the baby-related expenses take up about a third of their total income, on average. For about 1 in 7, it’s closer to half.

“In another BabyCenter poll exploring moms’ top financial concerns, pregnant women share that they are most concerned about housing expenses, rising costs due to inflation, and preparing for the new costs of a baby. Infant moms add saving for an emergency fund as a top financial concern,” the report said.

Not everyone needs everything on the list, which is based on national average costs. Folks can get a better idea of their own costs using the BabyCenter First-Year Baby Costs Calculator. “If you know how much your day care will cost or that you won’t buy the crib yourself (Thanks, Grandma!), you can change the numbers to match,” the report said.

But the list was created by surveying parents to see what they used that first year. And whether everyone uses the same items or not, the change from 2022 to now shows how much prices have risen recently.

Among “common expenses for baby’s first year,” based on the center’s list:

• Child care, $10,107 for nine months at average national cost for parents who use it regularly
• Feeding, $3,535, includes both solid food and formula, which two-thirds of moms use at some point
• Nursery, $1,352
• Diapering, $1,032
• Gear like stroller and car seat, $956
• Saving toward the future or college, $900
• Clothing, $816
• Activity equipment such as bouncer and play mat, $591
• Breastfeeding, $424
• Bathing and grooming, $230
• Health and safety, $153
• Toiletries, $144
• Toys, $144

De Lope admits that the list makes some assumptions, including that new parents will immediately start a college fund.

“While we don’t have statistics available on how many parents start saving for college during their baby’s first year, we know that experts universally recommend starting as soon as your baby is born, if not sooner. We also have a highly engaged BabyCenter community, and parents regularly ask questions there about 529s and other ways to save for baby’s future, so we know this is something that parents would like to plan and budget for.”

De Lope said if parents save the $75 a month used in the calculation, that would provide $16,200 by the time their baby turns 18 — and potentially more if they invest these funds or use a high-interest savings account. “This amount won’t cover the cost of tuition for a four-year college, but would provide some funds to help a child pursue their dreams,” she said.

Money-saving tips

The report notes some key ways that parents can bring the costs down. Leah Rocketto, associate commerce director for the BabyCenter, suggests:

Shop last year’s models of common gear. Rocketto also points out that every car seat sold in the U.S. meets the same safety standards, “so a cheap one is just as safe as an expensive one.”

Buy some items second-hand, which she deems safest for clothing and toys. But do check recall notices, she added. And consider buying “important safety gear — like car seats, cribs and mattresses — new, if possible.”

Explore ways to save on child care. That’s “far and away the biggest line item,” per the report. “Check out co-ops, nanny shares, the child tax credit, dependent care flexible spending accounts, employee assistance programs and other hacks that can shave off some of the expense.”

About the survey

The survey was conducted between Jan. 17 and Feb. 3 among 1,399 moms with at least one child younger than 8. BabyCenter also used results from the 2024 Baby Registry Trends Survey of 4,325 women who were pregnant or had a baby younger than 6 months old to help create the list of items often purchased for baby’s first year.

For prices, the survey used popular products within the BabyCenter community, many of them reader’s choice awards, then averaged the current retail price from three major stores to assign a price.

Asked if the survey is nationally representative, De Lope responded: “Our survey results align closely to population demographics. For this specific study, we are slightly underrepresented in Hispanic respondents (16%) and slightly overrepresenting African American respondents (20%) — both are within 5% of target. In other demos (age, region, etc.) we are consistent with census.”

The decision to leave Babar Azam out of Pakistan’s T20I team for the upcoming New Zealand series has caused much controversy. Criticism of the former captain’s recent performances, which have been under close observation, comes from former cricketers and commentators. But his father, Azam Siddique, has fiercely defended his son and responded to detractors with a passionate and fiery reaction.

Babar has come under intense scrutiny after Pakistan’s abysmal group-stage exit from the ICC Champions Trophy being the host and defending champions. Posting on Instagram, Siddique wondered about the reasoning for cutting a player who was listed in the ICC T20I Team of the Year. He was confident Babar would shut down his detractors with his outstanding regional and league cricket performances.

Azam Siddiqui Defends Babar Aza

Former players who openly condemned Babar Azam’s father did not spare him for his son’s difficulties. Many of these critics, he noted, had themselves an erratic career. He advised fans to consult the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) records before accepting their statement of view.

Siddique especially disagreed with those who called Babar a “fraud” and questioned his overseas results. He cautioned critics that a difficult period does not define a player’s whole career and that Babar has always been one of the top batters in world cricket. He says some ex-cricketers use Babar’s name for relevance rather than offering useful critique.

Demand For Patience

Azam Siddique argued in his email that he, as Babar Azam’s first and last coach, mentor, and sponsor, had every right to protect his son. Criticizing the media and ex-players for their severity, he cautioned them against becoming defensive if someone else were to react. It should be noted that Azam is not the only family member who has defended the former Pakistan captain. 

Babar’s brother, Safeer, has also joined the bandwagon in terms of support. Like his father, Safeer also added an Instagram story of his brother wearing the ICC cap for his spot in the World T20 XI. Meanwhile, Azam encouraged those against him to appreciate Babar’s contribution to Pakistan cricket and give him room to recover his form. He also stressed that real fans would support players through difficult times rather than add to the negativity.

End Of Rant

While his father’s defense underlines the emotional toll of constant criticism, Babar Azam’s exclusion from the T20I team has sparked fierce protests. Though critical evaluation is present in professional athletics, personal insults and belittlement do little to help a player improve. As Babar prepares for the National T20 and PSL, his play will be the final answer to his opponents. Whether his detractors see it or not, his journey is still far from finished.

HEIDELBERG, Miss. (WDAM/Gray News) – A parent in Mississippi says she is furious after her son came home with a broken arm after being paddled at school.

Georgett McCarty’s son attends third grade at New William J. Berry Elementary School in Heidelberg.

She said she got a call on Feb. 19 about her son being involved in an argument with another student.

McCarty said a staff member asked if they could use corporal punishment.

“He asked for my permission to paddle my son,” McCarty said. “I told him, ‘Yes.’”

East Jasper School District’s handbook states that paddlings can be done by certified administrators or in the presence of one.

McCarty said she got another call two hours later that day from the same staff member, who told her that he hit the third grader’s arm during the paddling, but he is OK.

However, the boy’s mother said he walked around the rest of the school day with a broken arm.

“My child walked around from 11:30 a.m. that morning to 2:15 (p.m.) when the buses came with a broken arm,” she said.

McCarty’s mother watches the boy after school and told her something wasn’t right.

“When he came home from school, my mom instantly said, ‘I know y’all think I overthink a lot of things, but my baby’s arm is swollen,’” McCarty said.

According to McCarty, she took her son to the South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel, and doctors confirmed the boy had an ulnar fracture.

“They basically told me this child’s arm is broken,” she said.

McCarty said she informed the school of what happened and her son’s medical diagnosis.

A report was taken, but now, weeks later, the boy’s mother said she hasn’t heard anything further from school leaders.

“I just want the community to be aware of the people that we send our kids to, hoping that they’ll be safe,” McCarty said.

She added, “He paddled my son, and not only did he paddle him, but he broke his arm.”

McCarty said her son has returned to school but has several doctor’s appointments scheduled.

School representatives have not immediately returned a request for comment regarding the situation.

Copyright 2025 WDAM via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

When asked to speak about the issues they were facing, Caroline started small: her mother never said ‘please’ or ‘thank you’.

Her five-word response stunned Caroline.

“I’ve never believed in gratitude,” she said, adding, “I think it’s demeaning.”

Listen to the full episode of MID below.

The admission was a revelation for Caroline.

“I had never heard a statement like that in my entire life,” she said.

“Gratitude is the lubricant in all social exchange. We are all giving and taking and receiving and bartering things and emotions and transactions all the time. If you don’t have gratitude, then it is all purely transactional, and that is so cold.”

The therapist suggested Caroline’s mother try saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, to which she replied, “Well, I can do that. But of course, I won’t mean it.”

What followed was both comical and profound — a 90-year-old woman learning basic manners for the first time.

Every evening, when Caroline’s husband gave his mother-in-law a glass of wine, she would offer him a sarcastic ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in a condescending baby voice.

Handling the situation with grace and humour, Caroline’s husband would jokingly respond, “Mention it.”

Mar 7, 2025 – 1.15pm

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More and more, The Age reported in 2018, “airlines are chucking their first-class seats out the door”. Travellers were perfectly happy with business cabins, and airlines were competing aggressively on the lowest prices. Almost a decade later, that competition is firmly in the pointy end.

Case in point? Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliners, shuttling back and forth to Europe, do not have a single first-class seat. When the airline’s then-chief executive, Alan Joyce, announced Project Sunrise, non-stop travel to London and New York, in 2019, he said the new planes would have four first-class seats. When they were finally unveiled, Qantas’ new Airbus A350-1000s had six first-class suites (and more than 50 business-class seats).

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A 24-year-old man was arrested on Thursday in connection to the shooting deaths of a father and his 5-year-old daughter at a Forest Hill car wash.

According to officials, Adonis Robinson was arrested by the Fort Worth intelligence unit and Texas Rangers in Livingston, Texas.

Forest Hill police confirmed Monday that a 30-year-old man and a 5-year-old girl were killed in the incident, which happened at Slappy’s Express Car Wash on Forest Hill Drive around 10:45 a.m.

Family members said the victims were Ronnie Smith, a local rapper who performed under the stage name G$ Lil Ronnie, and his daughter R’Mani.

Forest Hill Police Chief David Hernandez said Wednesday they identified 24-year-old Adonis Yeavon Robinson and 21-year-old Jakobie Dajuan Russell as suspects in the deaths of Smith and his daughter.

Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As developments unfold, elements of this story may change.