Split clips on timeline

On the sequence, split the long talking-head clip at 00:02:17 and again at 00:03:05 so I can remove the pause and insert the graphic. Make sure both cuts are razor-precise on the video and audio tracks, unlink nothing, and check the adjacent crossfades remain intact.

Before I perform the splits, make approval easy: highlight the pause to remove with a visual waveform zoom, show the exact timecodes and frame counts that will change, and flag any downstream markers or effects tied to those timecodes that would need updating.

I cut the talking-head clip at two points to remove a pause, and now a lower-third marker and an earlier audio automation are misaligned. I didn’t anticipate markers being tied to absolute time. Which change probably caused this and what’s the least destructive way to fix markers without redoing the split?

Over many edits I keep making precise splits and then spending minutes re-aligning graphics and markers that move. I’m losing credibility with motion designers who expect their graphics to land. What routine or checklist should I adopt before any cut so markers and time-based effects don’t break every time?