• I lived abroad for 14 years and built a nice life for myself.
• I came home to care for my sick aunt and realized how much I missed life in the US.
• I'm back in California , connecting with friends and family and happier than I've been in years.

In October 2025, I packed up my 15-pound hairless Xoloitzcuintli, Troy, and the rest of my belongings and moved from the north of England back to my hometown in California. I was exhausted, relieved, excited, heartbroken, and so hopeful.

I'd been living outside the US for 14 years — a year in Taiwan teaching English, followed by 13 in York. I was there for over a third of my life. I had no idea I'd stay so long. Those years brought growth and hard choices: a master's degree, meeting and marrying a local, and a string of jobs unrelated to what I wanted, until I found work I cared about. I built a life through work, rugby, and volunteering, and could walk the medieval streets of York and run into someone I knew most days.

But underneath that friendliness, I was growing lonelier. Every new conversation brought the same questions: Where are you from? Why did you leave California? Will you move back? It took years to understand why. It was the feeling of always being othered, always just outside full belonging, no matter how hard I'd worked to build a life there.

What I thought I wanted versus what I actually needed

I hit some dark times and retreated inward for a few years. It was partly the pandemic, but mostly because life came at me all at once. My marriage hit a reckoning, and between May 2023 and May 2024, I lost four family members, including my eldest brother. Just as I gained the courage for a big change to move to Wales, I learned that an aunt was facing serious health issues. I flew home to care for her, pausing my move. I was suddenly living between two countries. It was also the longest I'd spent in my hometown since 2011, and I was forced to confront what actually made me happy, versus what I'd convinced myself I wanted.

I told myself California was temporary, I was just there for a few months to help out. But I started hiking the hills, watching the sun set over Monterey Bay, and spending time with friends, my mom, dad, sister, brother, nieces, and nephews. I began writing again after years of feeling stuck. I hadn't wanted to move back to the US and had resisted the idea for years. But when I got honest with myself, I realized that although I can make anywhere a home, I really just wanted to be "home home."

I made a few trips back and forth, packing what mattered and leaving the rest. I threw myself a goodbye party, left a secure job with nothing lined up, and spent my last two and a half months traveling the UK and continental Europe, closing out my to-do list, grieving, and hugging people goodbye without knowing when I'd see them again.

There is no place like "home home"

Back in the US, it's been hard. job hunting in, once again, one of the toughest markets my generation has faced, relearning systems other countries make simple, and reckoning daily with what it means to be American. But I'm still hiking and watching sunsets, learning to solo camp, reconnecting with distant family, and building new friendships through local creative and rugby communities. I'm taking road trips across the West with my dog, opening my eyes to places that had felt so far away for so long.

It's not the life I expected, and there's still so much I don't know. But when people ask why I moved back right now, I tell them the truth: I just knew I needed to be here, at least for now. And I know it was the right call, because despite everything, I'm somehow the happiest I've been in years.

The MTV Video Music Awards return the 43rd time. We've rounded up everything you need to know about where to watch the VMAs, including live streaming options, presenters, nominees, and performers.

Snoop Dogg will host this year's ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. If you don't want to read any further, you can live stream the VMAs on Paramount Plus Premium or via a live TV service (such as Philo) the US. You can access your usual streaming options from anywhere with a VPN, such as NordVPN.

What channel are the VMAs on?

The MTV Video Music Awards air on CBS in the US. They'll also be simulcast on MTV. The awards ceremony begins on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The event is blocked out until 9:30 p.m. ET in the TV guide.

Where to watch the VMAs in the US

Cord-cutters in the US can catch the VMAs through several streaming services. The most direct option is Paramount Plus, which offers CBS live streaming in its $14 a month Premium tier. Premium also unlocks ad-free on-demand content and Showtime programming.

If you're interested in a streaming service with a free trial or other channels, then Philo, YouTube TV, and Fubo might be of interest. While Philo doesn't have local channels like CBS, it carries MTV, which will simulcast the awards show. Philo is the top budget pick in our guide to the best live TV streaming services. Subscriptions cost $25 a month for the Essential tier, which carries 70+ channels and includes a seven-day free trial for new customers.

CBS and several other popular channels (including both local and cable favorites) are available in YouTube TV and Fubo, two top cable alternatives. YouTube TV carries CBS and 100+ channels in its Main plan, which normally costs $83 a month, but new customers can get $15 a month off their first five months. YouTube TV also carries CBS and 30+ other channels in its Sports plan, which usually costs $65 a month, but new users can get $20 a month off their first six months. YouTube TV also offers a free trial for first-time customers.

Fubo offers CBS in several of its plans. The Sports + News plan, when available in your region, costs $65 a month and unlocks around 30 live sports and news channels. Fubo Pro starts at $89 a month and offers over 200 channels. New users can get discounts on their first month of service after a free trial.

How to watch the VMAs from anywhere

If you're traveling abroad, you can still catch the VMAs on your usual streaming services with the help of a VPN. VPNs, or virtual private networks, are cybersecurity tools that let people temporarily change their virtual locations. This way, websites and apps work from anywhere — just like they would back home. The services we've recommended require US payment methods, so this option will work best for Americans who are just traveling away from home.

NordVPN is our top recommendation when it comes to the best VPNs. It's fast, easy to use, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find that it's not what you're looking for.

• See also: Paramount Plus streaming service | Where to watch The Traitors: New Blood | How to watch Survivor

Who are the nominees at this year's VMAs?

Madonna leads this year's nominees with a massive 11 nominations. Taylor Swift trails right behind with nine nods. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each received seven nominations. Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress, and Zara Larsson each received five nods.

Nominees for the top award, Video of the Year, include Ariana Grande's "hate that i made you love me," Bruno Mars' "I Just Might," GENER8ION's "STORM starring Yung Lean," Madonna's "Confessions II - The Film," Sabrina Carpenter's "Tears," and Taylor Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia."

Who is presenting at this year's VMAs?

Presenters at the 2026 VMAs include Alex Warren, Belmont Cameli, Brandon Sklenar, Charli xcx, Ciara Miller, David Corenswet, Ella Bright, Isabel May, Jeff Probst, Rachel Dratch, Teyana Taylor, Troye Sivan, and Tyla.

Who is performing at this year's VMAs?

This year's performer list includes several nominees. Most notably, Madonna will open the VMAs with a performance. GENER8ION and Yung Lean, LISA, RAYE, Shaboozey and Gunna, and SIENNA SPIRO are among additional anticipated performers. Kacey Musgraves will give a special Dolly Parton tribute performance, and RAYE, SOMBR and TEDDY SWIMS will join together for a George Michael tribute.

Are there any other special segments at this year's VMAs?

In addition to special tribute segments, Taylor Swift will receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors at this year's awards ceremony. The music video for Swift's "Patient Zero" will also make its world premiere during the awards ceremony.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

• Dario Amodei and President Donald Trump will dine together on Sunday.
• The meeting comes as Amodei's calls for government regulation of AI companies have fallen flat.
• The meeting will be the first sit-down between the two men.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei will have dinner with President Donald Trump on Sunday, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

On the menu? Some nitty-gritty discussions about AI.

"President Trump has been clear: America will lead the world in Super Intelligence, while protecting American consumers," a White House official told Business Insider, using Trump's preferred term for the tech.

"We will drive innovation, strengthen American competitiveness, and ensure this transformative technology works for the American people," the official said.

Sunday's soiree will mark the first sit-down meeting between Anthropic's CEO and the president. It comes as Amodei's calls for government regulation of frontier AI companies have largely fallen flat among key power brokers in Washington.

In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump mocked Amodei and spurned his calls for regulation and a coordinated slowdown among frontier AI companies.

"The Trump Administration has stopped AI 'people' from doing bad, or potentially bad, 'things,' like Dario (Anthropic!), who is now pretending to be a 'perfect little angel,'" the president said on September 14. "We will continue to do so!"

Amodei was notably absent from a summit of tech honchos held at the White House last week during a visit by China's leader, Xi Jinping, to the US.

Last year, Amodei and Trump attended an AI and energy summit together in Pennsylvania. Amodei said then that the pair "had a good conversation about US leadership in AI."

News of Sunday's dinner meeting was first reported by Axios.

Though Trump has repeatedly signaled strong disinterest in regulating the US AI industry to stay ahead of China, the president announced a new "AI force" last week, which he said will "watch over" the industry.

No further details about the AI force have emerged since Trump's post last week. Trump also said he would name a new "AI Czar," but he has not done so yet, though he did say that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was not in contention for the position.

• My teen landed her first summer job at a seafood restaurant on a Maine island.
• Getting her to the ferry requires me to rearrange my schedule and drive into Portland.
• The job is teaching her about money, responsibility, and independence.

Living on the coast of Maine has its advantages. Beaches and islands are close. "Not that close," my husband said when my daughter told us her high school English teacher had recommended her for a summer job. The opportunity was on a small island, a ferry ride away, and it would mean driving her into Portland from our house in the suburbs just outside, affecting our summer routine.

The ride is 30 minutes. With drop-off and pickup, that would take at least an hour. Traffic from local pedestrians and tourists is outrageous. Her new job would require a lot of effort from both of us, but it would also give her a chance to do something meaningful.

I thought she had a cooler first job than me

"She'd be working at a seafood place on an island off the coast of Maine," I said to my husband. "What a cool first job and amazing experience." I worked at a clothing store in the mall for my first job, where we had to upsell everything. If a person bought shorts, we pushed them to buy the matching shirt or headband. It was the 90s. Matching meant everything.

After my daughter interviewed with the manager, she got the job. Her text was enthusiastic and hopeful: "She offered me the job, and I really, really want to take it." Negotiations began later that evening. We went back and forth as she pleaded her case. I wondered aloud if I would make it through an entire summer driving in and out of one of the busiest sections of Southern Maine, but her excitement fed my own.

My husband was less than enthusiastic, but I understood that she needed this job. I also knew I needed to let her accept it, even if it meant hours of vacationers crossing in front of us at the crosswalk. Even if I had to shift my schedule and rethink my summer priorities. I wanted this experience for my daughter.

We bought a ferry pass and planned the drive into Portland. She agreed to pay for half of her monthly pass from her paycheck. She would also have to go in early since I was driving her, which wasn't ideal during the summer when I teach extended school year. The extra time spent on the island wouldn't be too painful since she could wait out the time until her shift at the beach. The job required compromise, but it would be worth it.

Her first job was on the island we visited when she was little

For her training shift, which started right after school ended, we went to the island together. When the kids were little, we used to visit as a family once a year. We'd walk around the whole island and have lunch at a local inn. It felt good to return after so many years, and to see her beginning her own experience there.

While she was training, I grabbed some lunch. Watching her work was amazing. She picked things up quickly and did her job accurately and efficiently. On the way home, we enjoyed the ferry ride. I left feeling sure this would be something she'd always remember. In the weeks since, she's been offered more hours and made some good friends.

It also gave me an excuse to take the family out to the island. I went with my two great-aunts to visit Kyle at work. We took her older sister, who is attending Arizona State. The youngest also came to our goodbye lunch. We rode out on the ferry and marveled at how beautiful my daughter's commute was. Tourists and locals crowded onto the ferry, taking pictures to remember the moment. It is one my daughter gets to enjoy all summer long.

It wasn't just a stunning morning and evening commute to work that made her job so cool, or the fun of introducing family to the island. The job also gave her her first work experience and her first paycheck. She managed to save up a good amount toward a car. It was great to watch her figure out what to keep in her checking account, what to spend each week, and what to save.

Seeing her make those choices showed me this job was teaching her more than how to earn a paycheck. She was learning about responsibility and gaining the confidence to make her own decisions. Her first cool job was also a chance for her to gain independence.

Next year, she hopes to return to her job on the island. While it will continue to require some effort from both of us, I know it will be worth it because this first job gave her more than experience. It gave her a first glimpse of adulthood — one of the many milestones that will help her through the arduous and uncertain journey ahead.

• Bill Gates said in an interview on "Meet the Press" that AI will have two phases.
• He said we're now in an adjustment period during which AI's full potential isn't attainable.
• Gates called phase two, which combines AI and humanoid robots, the "era of abundance."

Bill Gates says there's a light at the end of the tunnel for AI, so long as humanity can wait a couple of decades.

During an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," the billionaire businessman said AI will evolve in two phases. He told host Kristen Welker that humanity is entering the first phase, in which AI has the potential to solve problems like the high cost of living and expensive healthcare, but can't do so yet.

"Yet it will be changing the job market and potentially empowering criminals if we don't have the right safeguards, so you have a period that's probably 20 years long where you have this adjustment," Gates said.

Phase two is when humanity will begin to reap the benefits of AI.

"Once you get through that, then a combination of humanoid robots and AIs will provide. Building houses, growing food, a lot of things," Gates said. "You could call it an era of abundance."

He told "Meet the Press" that humanity will still face challenges, like finding a sense of purpose and deciding how to spend newly acquired free time, but large-scale shortages won't bog us down.

"That's for the younger generation to figure out what that looks like. My focus is can we get through this period of turmoil without too much damage," Gates said.

Tech leaders have promoted AI as the next technological frontier and a necessary step in advancing humanity. They've said AI could lead to medical breakthroughs, boost productivity, revitalize economies, make essential goods affordable, and handle mundane tasks, giving humans more free time.

Critics, on the other hand, have expressed concerns that AI will cause job losses, worsen the environment, strain utility grids, and pose the risk of copyright infringement by trained AI models. They've also pointed toward privacy and cybersecurity issues, which have gained attention in recent weeks due to a spattering of AI-linked hacks.

An OpenAI agent escaped its system and hacked another AI company, Hugging Face, in July. Earlier this month, a research team at an AI startup said it used Anthropic's Claude to hack into OpenAI's codebase. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Google's Gemini had hacked three companies this spring. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said an OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government website this summer. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called on the industry to slow the pace of AI development this month, rallying AI leaders such as Sam Altman and Elon Musk.

On his part, Gates has advocated for AI guardrails and expressed concerns over how the technology could be misused. During the "Meet the Press" interview, Gates said AI is powerful enough to "drive events that cause a billion deaths."

"You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like," Gates said. "That has to be a required thing, and it will be a little bit of overhead for the industry, but not a dramatic slowing of what they're doing."

While Gates and other industry leaders look toward the US government to set regulations, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has a different take.

"It's very interesting that they talk about these issues, about how scared they are about potentially where the future is, and maybe they want to do a pause," Michael Kratsios told Fox News Sunday this month. "Our position is, if you do believe that you're developing a technology that is unsafe or you don't want it out into the world, you can just stop it."

• Dario Amodei has a split personality and wants the world to save humanity from himself…
• …that is, if you believe actor Jane Wickline's portrayal of the Anthropic CEO on "SNL."
• The real Dario Amodei has called for government regulation of frontier AI companies.

Dario Amodei spent Saturday night arguing with himself on national television. Well, sort of.

The Anthropic CEO was spoofed last night by Jane Wickline in her first season as a repertory player on "Saturday Night Live," playing Amodei as a bumbling megalomaniac struggling to explain why his own technology won't end the world.

In Wickline's portrayal, Amodei has two personalities: one media-trained and the other frighteningly not. Several times during the segment, the two personalities talk to each other.

When Weekend Update host Michael Che asks Wickline about the pros of AI, the two Amodeis exchange words.

"Land the plane, Dario," the media-trained one says.

"I can't," says the other.

Earlier this month, the real Dario Amodei published a very grave essay on his personal website, in which he said AI models were quickly getting out of control and argued for a coordinated slowdown among frontier AI companies and for government regulation.

His essay came at the fever pitch of the AI doomsday debate, which heated up a few days earlier when former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon quit the company and embarked on a media tour, warning that AI labs were "gambling with our lives."

President Donald Trump, for his part, mocked Amodei in a Truth Social post, accusing him of "pretending to be a 'perfect little angel.'" Trump has signaled strong disinterest in regulating AI, though he did pledge last week to create an "AI Force" that would "watch over" AI companies.

In recent weeks, Amodei has been stridently promoting Anthropic breakthroughs in medical research and protein structure, and has stopped making dire predictions about an AI doomsday.

The AI safety warnings have so far failed to convince a plurality in Washington or Silicon Valley that the development of the tech should be paused or slowed.

Still, that didn't stop "SNL."

"AI is the devil and I its maker!" Wickline as Amodei said on the show.

The segment drew at least one fan in the AI world: Yann LeCun, Meta's former chief AI scientist and a longtime critic of AI doomerism, responded to a clip of Wickline's Amodei impression on X with a string of laughing emojis.

The fall is officially here, which means that the WNBA Playoffs are about to tip off. The games are spread far and wide, so we've rounded up everything you need to know about where to watch the WNBA Playoffs below.

If you're hoping to tune in, you've come to the right place. You can live stream the WNBA Playoffs through Prime Video and a mix of YouTube TV or Peacock Premium and ESPN Unlimited (with a few early-round exceptions). You can access your streaming options from anywhere with a VPN.

Where to watch the WNBA Playoffs in the US

The 2026 WNBA Playoffs are spread across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC, USA, NBC Sports Network/Peacock, and Prime Video in the United States. The first round will show games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, USA/CNBC, and Prime Video. The semifinals will air on ABC, NBC/Peacock/NBCSN, and ESPN. The Finals will air on NBC and USA and live stream in full on Peacock.

Peacock will carry NBC, NBCSN, and most USA games. Subscriptions start at $13 a month for Peacock Premium, but you can upgrade to Peacock Premium Plus for $20 a month and unlock ad-free on-demand streaming and a full live stream of your local NBC station. It's worth noting that it looks like Round 1 USA/CNBC games won't be available on Peacock, so you'll need a live TV service like YouTube TV (more on that below) if you're hoping to catch a few of those early games.

ESPN Unlimited will carry live streams of every ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 game. Subscriptions cost $32 a month, but you can save some money each month by opting for one of the Disney Plus bundles.

Prime Video is included in all Amazon Prime subscriptions, which cost $15 a month after a free trial for new customers. If you're only interested in streaming and don't want other Amazon perks, you can get Prime Video on its own for $9 a month.

You can also live stream most games (other than streaming exclusives, like on Prime Video) through a live TV streaming service. YouTube TV is one of the best options with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC, NBCN, and USA. The Main plan (100+ channels) costs $83 a month, but new users can get $15 a month off their first five months after a free trial. The Sports plan (30+) channels costs $65 a month, but new users can get $20 a month off their first six months after a free trial. These plans also unlock access to ESPN Unlimited live streams.

How to watch the WNBA Playoffs from anywhere

If you're traveling abroad, you can still keep up with your usual streaming options with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are easy-to-use tech tools that let people temporarily alter their virtual locations. This way, they can access their favorite websites and apps from anywhere, the same way they would back home. Since the services we've highlighted require US methods of payment, this option will work best for Americans who are just traveling away from home.

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market. It's speedy, user-friendly, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

WNBA Playoffs schedule

• Round 1 (Best of 3 Games): September 27-October 2 at the latest
• Semifinals (Best of 5 Games): October 4-October 14 at the latest
• Finals (Best of 7 Games): October 17-October 31 at the latest

See more: Best Peacock promo codes | Best sports streaming services | ESPN streaming plans and prices

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

TCL's QM8 Series has long been a favorite among TV shoppers and reviewers alike, and for good reason. Last year's QM8K delivered image quality that often matched or surpassed that of high-end LG, Samsung, and Sony Mini LEDs that cost more. That value made it one of the easiest TVs to recommend in its class.

The new TCL QM8L continues that trend. It's the latest entry in the company's upper-midrange Mini LED lineup, and it uses TCL's new SQD technology to boost color performance over its predecessor. After testing the TV, I'm impressed. The QM8L delivers a fantastic picture with rich colors, impactful HDR highlights, and good black levels for a Mini LED. It's a worthy successor to the QM8K, and recent discounts have helped to cement it as one of my top recommendations for high-end performance on a midrange budget.

The older QM8K remains a great performer in its own right, but it's now sold out at most stores. If you happen to find it in stock for a lot less than the QM8L, then it's still a good buy. But otherwise, the QM8L is the best TCL TV for most people. Here's what makes it so impressive for the money.

The QM8L has a sleek design and is available in up to 98 inches

The QM8L is available in four screen sizes: 65-, 75-, 85-, and 98-inches. Launch prices ranged from $2,500 to $6,000, but big discounts are now common across the lineup. For instance, the 65-inch QM8L is often on sale for $1,498, which is a steal for this level of performance.

I tested the 75-inch QM8L for this review, but all four sizes feature the same basic design and specifications. Brightness and contrast will vary slightly by screen size, but my testing results will generally apply across the full lineup.

The QM8L has an attractive build that's a step above cheaper TCL models, but not quite as premium as the brand's more expensive X11L. The panel is about two inches deep at its thickest point. That's relatively slim for a Mini LED TV, but not as thin as the X11L's impressive 0.8-inch profile. The TV's frame has a silver accent, and the screen uses TCL's ZeroBorder design, so there's virtually no black bezel around the image.

The included pedestal stand is sturdy and attractive, but it might not be a good fit for some soundbar setups. Though the stand can be attached in a low or high position, its depth is 14.5 inches. That's a pretty big footprint, so it's possible your media console won't be deep enough to fit a soundbar in front without resting it on the pedestal, which isn't ideal. This is a small drawback, but one that soundbar owners should be aware of. It's also important to note that the 98-inch model uses left and right feet rather than a pedestal.

The remote control is the same one included with the X11L, and it's one of my favorites. It has a sleek silver finish, backlit keys, and extra buttons on the right side for quickly adjusting brightness and switching picture modes. And though several brands like Samsung and LG have been cutting or combining functions on their latest remotes to achieve a more streamlined design, I prefer TCL's approach, which still includes dedicated keys for inputs, mute, and signal info.

The QM8L boasts four HDMI 2.1 ports, supporting up to 4K at 144Hz. That's a nice upgrade over last year's QM8K, which had two HDMI 2.1 and two HDMI 2.0 ports. That said, it's slightly disappointing that TCL's top TVs max out at 144Hz rather than 165Hz, which some LG, Samsung, and Hisense models now support. This is only relevant to dedicated PC gamers, but it's worth keeping in mind.

TCL's SQD tech offers impressive color performance

The QM8L's biggest upgrade over last year's QM8K is the addition of TCL's new SQD (Super Quantum Dot) technology. SQD tech debuted on the company's premium X11L, which I previously reviewed. SQD might sound like just another flashy branding term, but in this case, there's actual substance behind the marketing.

TCL's SQD system uses larger quantum dots than on a typical QLED TV, along with an enhanced color filter, to produce a wider, brighter color range. This same technology helped make the X11L one of the most impressive TVs I've ever tested, so it's great to see TCL bringing it down to a more affordable model.

But to be clear, the QM8L doesn't match the X11L's overall image quality. The X11L still has the edge in a few key areas, like local dimming and peak brightness. But the QM8L gets very close in color.

Using a colorimeter with Calman software and a Portrait Displays G1 pattern generator, I measured the TV's color gamut at about 85% of the BT.2020 color space. BT.2020 is currently the widest color gamut used in Hollywood productions, and most standard QLEDs cover about 60% to 80% of it.

I have tested a few more expensive TVs, like Samsung's R95H Micro RGB TV, Sony's new True RGB TVs, and TCL's own X11L, which deliver even higher BT.2020 coverage, but the QM8L is in rare company for its price range. This confirms that TCL's new panel technology is delivering tangible results.

That said, it's important to keep this performance in perspective. As impressive as those measurements are, most movies and TV shows don't actually use such a wide range of colors. So while the QM8L has better color than a regular QLED, that won't always translate into a dramatic difference with the content you watch every day. In that sense, color capabilities like this are geared toward big home theater enthusiasts who want the latest tech.

But even with that caveat, the QM8L looks fantastic in actual use. The TV produces bright, bold primary colors that really stand out in vibrant films like "Aquaman," and it does a great job preserving saturation without making the image look cartoonish. Color gradations are also very smooth. In my usual torture-test scenes from "Ex Machina" and "The Green Knight," I didn't notice any major banding, which is great given how often those scenes can expose blocky colors on many TVs.

Brightness is excellent, but OLEDs and the pricier TCL X11L still have an edge in contrast

HDR brightness is another clear strength. On a 10% HDR test pattern, with Filmmaker Mode, dynamic tone mapping off, and local dimming set to high, I measured a peak brightness of around 3,600 nits, with occasional bursts up to 4,100 nits, which is about on par with last year's model. However, when measuring again after the TV had been on for a while, that number dropped to around 2,000 nits, which the set had no trouble sustaining. So, in practice, you can expect around 2,000 to 4,000 nits of peak HDR brightness depending on how long highlights appear on the screen.

Those numbers don't quite match the X11L, which could sustain 3,000 to 4,000 nits and hit around 6,000 nits in bursts with similar settings, but the QM8L is still bright enough to accurately reproduce highlight intensity in most HDR content. That means specular highlights have excellent punch. Reflections, sparks, sunlight, and explosions all pop with the kind of impact that makes premium HDR content look premium.

Local dimming is also very good for a Mini LED TV, though not quite as refined as what you get from TCL's step-up X11L. In most material, black levels look deep and uniform, and the TV does a convincing job balancing bright highlights against dark backgrounds. But in tricky scenes, I could spot the backlight at work more than I could on the X11L.

A dark sequence from "The Green Knight," in which a character enters an abandoned house at night, revealed subtle patchiness and flickering in shadows. I could also see hints of blooming around a character's glowing eyes. Likewise, the burning church scene in "1917" showed minor inconsistencies in black levels, with some areas of the screen looking beautifully deep and others appearing slightly elevated or vignetted. Meanwhile, in a few episodes of "Daredevil: Born Again" on Disney+, I spotted faint darkened outlines around characters on dim backgrounds.

To be fair, you often have to know what to look for to see these kinds of flaws, and they're most evident in a pitch-black room. Most people probably won't see them during regular viewing, and even as someone who specifically hunts for this sort of thing, I found them relatively minor. Still, they're there, and they serve as a reminder that even a really good Mini LED backlight still can't match the precision of an OLED.

Interestingly, though, the QM8L avoids one issue I noticed on the more expensive X11L: faint vertical streaking on black backgrounds. I didn't see that artifact here, which is a nice win for the cheaper model.

And in at least one area, I actually preferred the QM8L's presentation to the X11L's. In "Mad Max: Fury Road," certain HDR highlights — especially explosions and bright reflections on vehicles — looked a bit more dynamic on the QM8L. On the X11L, the centers of those highlights occasionally looked a touch faded, while the QM8L preserved a little more punch.

Viewing angles, however, remain just OK. As with the X11L, TCL's SQD tech doesn't do much to improve the off-axis weaknesses common to LED/LCD displays. The QM8L performs a bit better than a typical QLED, but colors and contrast still fade and distort somewhat toward the edges of the screen. My usual "Ex Machina" test scene is a good example of this, since the red lighting in that sequence shifts toward orange as you move off-center.

Reflection handling is decent, especially since the TV has a lot of headroom to boost brightness to overcome glare. However, the panel is still glossy, so direct reflections in bright rooms will be visible. If reflections are a big issue, you're better off with one of Samsung's glare-free TV models, like the R95H or S95H.

Beyond movies and shows, the TV's image quality also translates well to video games, which look similarly vibrant and bright, particularly when titles support HDR. I also found motion to be smooth when engaging the TV's 120Hz mode and VRR (variable refresh rate) in PS5 games like "Marvel's Spider-Man." However, I noticed some flicker when using 120Hz with VRR in "Crimson Desert." I also noticed this with the X11L, so it could be an isolated VRR issue with that title.

Google TV with Gemini is a great all-around system

Like other TCL Mini LED TVs, the QM8L runs Google TV with built-in Gemini AI. Though I used to have a few qualms about Google's smart TV platform (especially back in the Android TV days), its latest iteration has become one of my favorite interfaces.

Google TV syncs seamlessly with an existing Google account, which makes setup a breeze, especially if you use a phone with the Google Home app. The on-screen design is easy to navigate, with quick access to your downloaded apps in a horizontal menu up front and center. There are also rows of content recommendations, but they're not obtrusive, and they tend to include titles I'd actually want to watch. The same can't be said for recommendations highlighted on many rival platforms.

Google's Gemini is also a good digital assistant. It's responsive, understands conversational queries with follow-ups, and is great for content discovery. It's also capable of other advanced tasks, like helping to plan a trip, but I don't find those capabilities all that necessary for a TV. You can use Gemini with the included remote or hands-free via the TV's integrated microphone, which can also be deactivated for privacy.

Navigation speed is smooth, and I didn't encounter any notable hiccups. Older TCL TVs were known for occasional glitches with settings and menus, but the brand has seemingly ironed out those kinks over the last couple of years. During my testing time, the QM8L delivered a painless, bug-free experience.

Should you buy the TCL QM8L SQD 4K TV?

The TCL QM8L is a great follow-up to last year's already fantastic QM8K. It carries over a lot of what made that older model so easy to recommend, including high brightness, good contrast control, and generally excellent HDR performance. On top of that, it offers a boost in color thanks to TCL's new SQD technology, which delivers a richer, more expansive image.

There are also a few practical improvements beyond picture quality. The addition of two more HDMI 2.1 ports is especially welcome. That makes the QM8L a more flexible option for people with multiple gaming devices. And while the design doesn't feel quite as premium as TCL's flagship X11L, it still looks and feels like a step up from the brand's cheaper models.

Speaking of, if you want to save some cash, TCL's QM7L is a good midrange alternative. That model also uses SQD tech, so it offers similar color performance. But it's dimmer, has slightly lower contrast, and has a more basic design with two fewer HDMI 2.1 ports and a traditional panel border.

Ultimately, the QM8L strikes the most impressive balance between picture quality and typical street pricing of any TCL TV on the market right now, enabling it to go toe-to-toe with some of the best TVs from other brands, while often undercutting their cost.

The NFL season is officially underway, and the Chiefs are looking to get back on top. We've rounded up everything you need to know about where to watch Kansas City Chiefs games, whether you're in the US or an international fan.

If you're hoping to catch Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and the rest of the Chiefs on TV, you've come to the right place. If you don't want to scroll any further, you can live stream almost every game through YouTube TV in the US (although you'll need Prime Video for the December 3 match-up against the Rams), on DAZN in Canada, and with the DAZN NFL Game Pass in the UK and most other international markets.

*Sunday afternoon games on CBS and FOX aren't nationally broadcast and are subject to regional variability.

Where to watch the Kansas City Chiefs in the US

Like the rest of the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs games are spread across several networks in the US. Games will air on ABC/ESPN, NBC, CBS, and FOX. The December 3 Thursday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams will be a Prime Video exclusive.

The Monday Night Football games on ABC/ESPN and the Sunday Night Football games on NBC will be nationally broadcast, along with the Thursday Night Football game on Prime Video, but Sunday afternoon games on CBS and FOX are subject to regional variability. This means that if you're a local Chiefs fan, you'll likely always have a Chiefs game shown on FOX or CBS on the days that the Chiefs are playing. However, if you live somewhere else in the US, there's a chance that a different Sunday afternoon game might be broadcast.

The best way for cord-cutters to ensure they can catch every single Kansas City Chiefs game this season is through a live TV service. YouTube TV is our top recommendation for the NFL because it also offers the NFL Sunday Ticket for an additional fee.

Standard YouTube TV subscriptions cost $83 a month for the Main plan (100+ channels, including ABC, ESPN, CBS, FOX, and NBC). However, a special limited-time deal will knock your first five months down to $68 a month. If you're only interested in sports and looking for something a little more budget-friendly, you can get the Sports plan (30+ channels, including ABC, ESPN, CBS, FOX, and NBC). Sports plan subscriptions cost $65 a month, but a limited-time deal will knock your first six months down to $45 a month. Both of these plans include access to ESPN Unlimited live streams. New customers can get a free trial, along with these introductory discounts.

The NFL Sunday Ticket allows fans to live stream every out-of-market game on Sundays, making it a great option for non-local Chiefs fans. It's available on its own or as an add-on to a YouTube TV base plan. New users can get NFL Sunday Ticket for $30 a month for eight months (or $240 a year), and returning users can get it for $60 a month for eight months (or $480 a year). If new users sign up for the YouTube TV sports plan, they can get the NFL Sunday Ticket for $47.25 a month for eight months or $378 a year.

If you're looking for a YouTube TV alternative, Fubo is one of the best live TV streaming services we've tested. It carries 200+ channels, including ABC, ESPN, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Fubo Pro costs $89 a month, but new users can get $25 off their first month after a free trial. Fubo also unlocks access to ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost.

When it comes time to catch the Chiefs vs. Rams game on Prime Video, there are a few different options. Prime Video is included in all Amazon Prime subscriptions, which cost $15 a month after a free trial. If you're only interested in Prime Video, you can get it on its own for $9 a month.

If you're only looking to watch a specific game that airs on ABC/ESPN, NBC, FOX, or CBS, all of the networks have their own stand-alone streaming services. ABC and ESPN games live stream on ESPN Unlimited ($32 a month). NBC games live stream on Peacock (from $13 a month). CBS games live stream on Paramount Plus (from $9 a month). FOX games live stream on FOX One (from $20 a month).

Additionally, most live local and primetime regular and post-season NFL games are available to live stream through NFL Plus, which starts at $7 a month. While this is a budget-friendly option, games are only available live on mobile devices, like tablets and phones, and you won't be able to watch on TV.

Where to watch the Kansas City Chiefs in Canada, the UK, and other regions

International broadcasters have agreements for select NFL games, so it's a good idea to consult your local TV guide if you're hoping to catch a specific game. In Australia, certain games are shown for free on Channel 7. In the UK, select games are available for free on Channel 5.

The easiest way for international NFL fans to reliably live stream every Chiefs game (along with the rest of the NFL teams) is through DAZN's NFL Game Pass. The streaming option offers comprehensive regular and post-season coverage in most countries outside of the US and China. Subscription prices vary by region and contract length. In Canada, NFL coverage is available in stand-alone DAZN subscriptions.

How to watch the Kansas City Chiefs from anywhere

If you're traveling abroad and still hoping to keep up with the Chiefs, you can access your favorite streaming options from anywhere with a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are cybersecurity tools that let people temporarily change the virtual locations on their electronic devices. This way, their favorite websites and apps work from anywhere in the world.

NordVPN is our top recommendation. It's fast, user-friendly (even for beginners), and has a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more in our NordVPN review.

• See also: How to watch NFL games | How to watch college football | Best sports streaming services

Kansas City Chiefs 2026 schedule

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

• Transportation to submarine yards can be a hiring challenge for the US Navy.
• Programs have offered workers gas cards and bus passes to make commuting easier.
• The Navy is looking at local barriers as it races to expand the submarine workforce.

Beyond pay, work-life balance, and scheduling, there are other basic challenges affecting the US submarine workforce, including how workers get to the job, a Navy official overseeing workforce concerns shared.

The Navy's Submarine Industrial Base Program Office says it, along with its federal and state partners, has observed success in addressing region-specific problems, like transportation, that can be make-or-break for attracting new workers. Regional teams have been critical in examining the particular workforce needs around submarine construction and repair yards.

Erica Logan, the office's director of workforce, told Business Insider earlier this year that her team looks at local factors, including education, demographics, unemployment, and cost of living. Transportation is also part of the assessment.

"What does the transportation system look like? Is it a very rural area where there may not be transportation?" Logan said. "How would we get folks there? What could we do to help a supplier that lives in an area like that?"

The office, she said, has supported several transportation pilots with bus systems to make it easier for submarine workers to get to and from work. These programs have prompted further questions about free bus passes and van pools.

"I think we've done a lot in that area using this regional approach to really just get a good understanding of what that region has," Logan said.

The Navy's Submarine Industrial Base Program Office is working on rebuilding the network of suppliers, builders, and manufacturers that construct Navy submarines. As part of the broader efforts to fix decades-old shipbuilding problems in the US, the office has focused on attracting and retaining workers, as well as addressing everything from pay and work-life balance to problems unique to individual communities.

In one example provided by the office, General Dynamics Electric Boat partnered with the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority to provide direct service to the Quonset Point shipyard. Ridership has more than doubled year over year, the office said, and it came at no cost to the Navy.

In another, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council provides workers with gas cards and bus passes to help them get to work. Since September 2023, the Hampton Roads Maritime Training System program within the council has provided nearly $200,000 in transportation assistance, funded through grants, donations, and the Virginia state government.

Housing is also a challenge. The office hasn't funded permanent housing or related subsidies for shipyard or supplier workers. Instead, its efforts involve state and local engagement to expand affordable housing, as well as partnerships with specific yards or vendors.

Some initiatives specifically support trainees. For instance, the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program in Danville, Virginia, offers students housing during their 16-week training. The program quickly trains candidates in manufacturing skills and trades to create a sustained flow of workers for jobs in naval shipbuilding and the submarine industrial base.

Addressing these issues, along with competitive pay and benefits, is key to recruiting and retaining the workers that the Navy needs to meet its shipbuilding goals. Over the next 10 years, the service estimates it'll need to hire 250,000 skilled workers to account for the expected attrition and retirement in the workforce.

• I'm a dietitian who eats eggs often. When I need a change, I pick these easy, nutritious breakfasts.
• I focus on breakfasts with enough protein and fiber to help me stay full through the morning.
• Overnight oats, yogurt parfaits, smoothies, and avocado toast are my favorites.

As a dietitian, eggs are a staple in my typical breakfast routine — and for good reason. They're high in protein, I really enjoy them, and they're fairly cheap.

Plus, they're quick and easy to make, which is essential as a working mom of three.

I typically pair them with vegetables and whole-grain toast or fruit for a more complete and filling meal. That way, I get plenty of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals first thing in the morning.

Every now and then, though, I like to switch it up. Here are my non-egg go-to breakfasts that are easy to prepare and still fit into a balanced diet without falling short on protein and fiber.

It takes me 5 minutes to whip up a batch of overnight oats that gives me 4 days' worth of breakfasts

I typically start with a basic recipe of 2 cups of oats, 2 ½ cups of milk (sometimes I use soy milk), ¼ cup of chia seeds, and 1 serving of protein powder.

From there, I adapt by adding peanut butter, chocolate chips, and pecans, or blueberries, strawberries, and almond butter. There are so many variations of overnight oats online; everyone can find something that fits their taste buds.

Oats are a great source of soluble fiber, which can help reduce elevated LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and support digestive health. Adding nut butter gives this breakfast healthy fats that help support vitamin absorption and make it more satisfying.

Each serving of this pudding usually provides me with just over 20 grams of protein and more than 10 grams of fiber, both of which help make this more filling and support steadier blood sugar. (Notably, this varies based on the protein powder and add-ins I use.)

This breakfast also helps me reduce sugar cravings later in the day.

It doesn't get much easier than a yogurt parfait

I love that this breakfast requires minimal ingredients and can be tailored to any food preferences.

I start with 2 tablespoons of granola, then layer on some fresh or frozen fruit — berries are my favorite since they're a great source of fiber.

Next, I add about ⅔ cup or 6 ounces of a high-protein plain and unsweetened yogurt, like Greek yogurt or a Greek-style yogurt alternative. Then, I sprinkle on another 2 tablespoons of granola and some more fresh or frozen berries.

This recipe can provide about 15 to 20 grams of protein (or more), depending on the yogurt and granola you use, along with several grams of fiber from the berries and granola.

I suggest comparing granola brands and choosing one that's lower in added sugars and has at least a couple of grams of fiber — bonus if it has at least a few grams of protein as well.

I'm so glad I tried this smoothie made with beans … and I promise it doesn't taste like beans

I was a little wary when my mom shared a variation of this recipe with me, but I tried it anyway, and am so glad I did.

This smoothie recipe uses ½ a cup of white beans, which adds 7 to 8 grams of protein and about 5 to 8 grams of fiber, depending on the beans used. It's pretty hard to beat that in a single food.

Beans are a nutritional powerhouse and something many Americans don't eat enough of. They are the perfect package of protein and fiber.

To make this smoothie tasty and beautiful, I add 1 cup of frozen berries, ½ frozen banana, 1 cup of milk or soy milk, and a scoop (about 2 Tablespoons) of Greek yogurt to the ½ cup of white beans and blend until smooth.

Altogether, my smoothie usually has just over 20 grams of protein and can approach 20 grams of fiber, depending on the add-ins I use.

It's satisfying enough to let me easily skip a morning snack and stay full all morning. Plus, the berries provide vitamin C, which can help support one's immune system.

Chicken sausage with avocado toast keeps me full all morning

Avocado toast maintains its popularity for good reason: It's tasty and full of nutrients like fiber, potassium, and heart-healthy fats.

I love to sprinkle mine with a popcorn-blend seasoning, then top it with fresh arugula. Depending on your bread and how much avocado you use, this alone could get you 5 to 10 grams of fiber to start the day.

Since I often recommend that people trying to manage their weight aim for 15 to 20 grams of protein per meal, I like pairing the toast with a few high-protein mini breakfast-sausage links.

Adding fruit on the side, like half a sliced apple, helps round out the meal with a little sweetness, plus extra fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

This combo makes this meal extra satisfying and keeps me from getting hungry again an hour later. When I prepare this meal with my bread and add-ons of choice, it typically has about 20 grams of protein and 6 to 8 grams of fiber.

• Sameera Sullivan has run a matchmaking business since 2013.
• Clients pay her up to $250,000, with the fee due before their first dates.
• She says dating apps have made people too picky, and she pushes back on client preferences.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sameera Sullivan. It has been edited for length and clarity.

As far back as high school, I loved giving people dating advice. My mom could see that I had real skill, and she encouraged me. Yet, I didn't even know that matchmaking could be a business.

Then, in 2012, I was recruited by a matchmaking agency. Before then, I'd studied psychology and worked in education and defense. The agency thought that background would make me good at helping others find love. When I started matchmaking, I knew I'd found what I was supposed to do. But I didn't like the way the agency operated, so I decided to go out on my own.

Since then, I've personally matched more than 100 couples. I focus on quality, not quantity, but my results speak for themselves, and my clients are willing to pay for my expertise. Most pay between $100,000 and $150,000. But some — the really picky, specific ones — pay $250,000. I put a lot of work in up front, so they pay before we get started.

Some successful men struggle to choose a partner

All my clients are men, most in their 40s and 50s. I think of them in two groups: some are bad pickers, who have just never been great at choosing a partner. The others are coming out of a divorce. Those guys know what they want and what they don't.

No matter what type of guy a client is, we do a lot of psychological work and neuroscience coaching. I ask about their past relationships, identify their personality type, and help them better understand themselves so they can see red, yellow, and green flags while they're dating.

I have a database of about 22,000 women who are willing to be matched with my clients. I generally show the client about 15 profiles. From there, we work together to choose three women for them to go on dates with.

My clients want women with purpose, but flexibility

Understanding what will make a relationship work takes a blend of skills. It's part empathy, part rationalization, and a little common sense.

The men I work with are extremely successful and wealthy. They don't typically care about a woman's finances, but they want her to have something of her own that she's passionate about. They're willing to take care of their partner, but they don't want someone who will mooch off them.

At the same time, they're looking for a partner who is flexible about integrating into their lives. Most of these guys are very established where they are. Still, that's not always the case. With one of the couples I matched recently, the man is moving interstate to where his partner lives. His lifestyle allows him to be flexible for her.

I think about how a couple's lifestyles and ambitions will match

Each client is a unique search. I have employees whose full-time job is recruiting women, and we use proprietary software to do so. I find women on LinkedIn and at events; they also apply directly to my network.

Right now, one of my clients is 44. He's ambivalent about having kids — most of my clients aren't looking to have more children. He wants a woman who is not necessarily subservient, but who is softer than he is. I have to be careful about the types of profiles I show him, because he's not looking for someone who is very career-oriented.

Other clients are looking for new adventures together. One of my couples is opening a gym together, building off the woman's physical therapy and nursing background. Another couple — a man in construction management and a woman who owns a photography business — plan to raise cattle at a vacation home they just purchased.

I help clients be more open-minded

The clients who pay me $250,000 are the most picky and, therefore, difficult to match. It might be a guy in his 70s, looking for a woman in her 40s.

Once, I had a client say that his partner had to have an Ivy League degree. You can bet I push back on things like that. I argue and challenge my clients, and they usually thank me for it. They're willing to listen, because they've hired me for my expertise. The women are sometimes less willing to be flexible, especially regarding height and age.

Dating apps have made it more difficult for people to find their partner, because there's so much out there. On apps, the true significance of a relationship gets lost as people check boxes. You might quickly look at a profile and say, "He's not my type," without considering the connection you might have in person.

People get in their own way. What does it matter if you're into brunettes, but the woman you really click with is blonde? Or, if you want to meet someone in Manhattan, but the right guy lives across the river in Jersey? You've got to be open-minded to love.

• A NATO defense minister wants his arms makers to work with Ukrainian ones and learn.
• This includes how they work across multiple sites during wartime to avoid devastating attacks.
• "Our industry is a peacetime establishment," Latvia's defense minister said.

NATO militaries need to learn how to disperse weapons production, as Ukraine does, before entering a war to preserve their ability to keep producing while under attack, a senior defense official advised.

Raivis Melnis, the defense minister of Latvia, an alliance and EU member state bordering Russia, told Business Insider that industry in the West might not be ready to operate as it would need to in wartime.

Ukrainian arms makers split up manufacturing across multiple sites, operate underground, and even move around to prevent a single successful Russian strike from having a huge impact on their operations. But in Europe, many companies run projects from larger factories, which could become a single point of failure.

"Our industry is a peacetime establishment" that has been built under conditions where "there is no threat," Melnis said.

NATO companies work in a far more concentrated way, he said, and "the question is whether we are ready to produce the systems in different locations, dispersed, and how we organize that."

He said this is why he encourages partnerships between Latvian and Ukrainian defense companies, so they can learn from how the Ukrainian companies operate, including how their systems are "built for war purposes."

Ukraine has also demonstrated how a country "can provide that reassurance if, for instance, an industry site is destroyed." Kyiv offers compensation for some business properties damaged or destroyed in Russian attacks and is planning additional support.

Ukrainian officials and company leaders have been pushing for Western companies to adopt a more disaggregated approach to prepare for the possibility of a wider conflict.

Davyd Aloian, the deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told Business Insider that the Russian threat to Europe is so substantial that companies across NATO should "definitely" start breaking up their production more.

Mykyta Rozhkov, the chief business development officer at Ukrainian arms maker Frontline Robotics, told Business Insider that some alliance defense firms have sought Frontline's advice on dispersing manufacturing operations. The company, he said, has adapted to "endure the loss of any site." Any loss is still "painful," but the company survives. Operations are designed so it's "as easy as possible to move," he added.

Oleg, a company executive at Ukrainian drone maker TechEx, told Business Insider that "every day we are facing another level of threat from Russia trying to hit the factories."

The company, he said, has to find "creative ways to switch the locations every couple of months to raise the level of security for our people, because, of course, you want to take care of the people and keep them safe." He said the company warns its international partners that their conventions are "slightly outdated." He requested that only his first name be used for security purposes.

The CEO of Ukrainian-Estonian defense tech company Ark Robotics told Business Insider that his company makes different components at different sites, something he said is "necessary" even if it's not ideal. A single site is "the best way to do it," but, he explained, the company has to be "smart about it and not create a big enough target for it to attract too much attention or to disclose where our operations are happening."

He said this should be the "default for defense-based manufacturing going forward," even outside Ukraine.

Some companies are already taking heed. Estonian company Krattworks, which makes drones used by Ukraine, agreed with these assessments. Karmo Saar, the company's head of sales, told Business Insider that for Ukrainian companies, it "would be a lot more economical, cheaper, and better to run this operation in one big facility, but they cannot do that."

"In Europe, we do that," Saar said. "And when the war strikes, I think we're going to be punished."

Srđan Kovačević, the CEO of Croatian drone technology company ORQA, which has signed up to begin working in Ukraine, told Business Insider that it is "our deep philosophy that distribution is more resilient" in Ukraine.

"Distributed systems are much more resilient to any disruption than concentrated systems, centralized systems," he said, noting that the thinking appears to be shifting across Europe. "This distributed nature actually reinforces resilience, even though there are economic downsides to it," he added.

Latvia is one of the NATO countries most worried about a Russian attack or invasion and has been a vocal supporter of increased defense spending within the alliance, helping to arm Ukraine, and taking lessons from Ukraine's fight. These lessons are being fed into a new automated anti-drone defense wall and the acquisition of Ukraine-tested gear.

Melnis wants Latvian firms to learn directly from Ukraine's battlefield experience and has announced a series of deals to deepen cooperation between the two countries' defense industries.

He told Business Insider that he wants Latvia's companies to learn from Ukraine's "proven, combat-tested" systems and combine that with Latvia's "peacetime establishment, where our scientist engineers can work and can develop and bring those two together."

Ukraine's wartime experience and understanding, he said, is something for which "you can't just sit in a normal office and build and simulate and create."

Ukrainian companies, he said, work much more closely with front-line units than Western firms do. Ukraine's "military industry has established really close cooperation with the armed forces," he said. "We don't have such experience."

"This is something I want to bring as well, that experience in," Melnis said, saying he wants to "take those best practices."

Deterring Russia, he said, requires strong capabilities and also continued support for Ukraine. Russia wants "to destroy that support for Ukraine," he said. "Therefore, it is important for us to support, and we will be supporting Ukraine to build the victory."

• I moved from India to Austria for my partner in my late 40s.
• I left an established career, close friendships, and a life I'd spent decades building.
• Starting over taught me that reinvention is possible at any age.

I was in a long-distance relationship when I moved from India to join my partner in Austria.

I first met him four years earlier while doing what I loved best — introducing travelers to India as an Airbnb experience host. We connected instantly. Two years later, in the middle of the pandemic, we became life partners.

After another gap for visa formalities, I joined him in Austria. Unlike most people who make this shift in their 20s, I was doing it in my late 40s. It was a difficult decision because I was at the peak of my career as a content creator at a New York-based agency and had built a life in a city I loved.

Many people said it was a mistake. But today, after relocating during a pandemic, making a cultural transition into another country, learning a new language, and reestablishing my career in the most unconventional way, we have built a life we love.

Our relationship is stronger

My move to Austria during the pandemic was slow. While cross-border moves usually involve bureaucratic hurdles, the pandemic made them even more complex.

But we prepared carefully and fulfilled all legal requirements. Facing uncertainty together made us more certain of our plans and drew us closer. It helped us build the resilience we needed for the path ahead.

Home is something you build together, not a place where you are born

One of the most difficult things I had to do was gather over 40 years' worth of belongings into a bag. Doing that showed me how to downsize my life to what really mattered.

When I arrived in Austria, my partner's things were still in boxes in our new house. I added my suitcase to them and we unpacked everything we owned. We built our home by making it a space that reflected both our identities.

It's never too late to start again

The difficult part about moving later in life is rebuilding your old systems from scratch. Not just the big things like settling into a new home or finding a job, but also the small things like figuring out how public transport works or navigating bureaucracy in a new country.

I rebuilt my old systems, from setting up a new bank account to getting an Austrian phone number, all with tremendous support from my partner. As an independent woman, I learned to be vulnerable and ask for support when I needed it.

Thinking in a new language is life-changing

I had already begun learning German before I moved. But for the first time, I was in a classroom where none of the other students knew English.

But we did learn to speak to each other. Our adult language classroom helped me meet incredible people from around the world who were also relocating. Learning a new language with them made me a better communicator.

Careers are connected to what you do, not where you live

The biggest problem with leaving a country later in life is letting go of the professional identity you have established. I stepped down from leading the content practice at a New York agency and left behind my identity as a bestselling author in India.

But the digital world helped me stay connected to both those identities. Instead of looking for employers, I looked for clients instead. I used my experience to become a content consultant to companies around the world, followed my passion as a travel writer, and published my first poetry anthology.

Having a personal network matters

The deep bond between my partner and me did not compensate for the loss of my friends and family back home. Unlike when you leave home earlier, I had built these friendships over the last four decades.

My first friends were my partner's friends. But one of the best decisions I made was to join a local book club. Not only did it help me to keep reading, but it also gave me a chance to meet people with similar interests.

You have to embrace your roots and wings

I also had to find my balance between the two countries I now call home. I was still keenly aware of my home country's history and cultural traditions.

But I also came to appreciate many things about being Austrian. As someone who had been an experienced host, I learned about Austrian history, culture, food, and traditions with the same enthusiasm. Embracing my new country helped me genuinely value and come to enjoy my new home.

• Britain's next-generation main battle tank is being developed and enhanced amid the war in Ukraine.
• The new tank is a fully modernized version of the decades-old Challenger 2, which Ukraine operates.
• It will feature a digital overhaul and new weaponry that make it more compatible with NATO.

As drones completely reshape how armored vehicles are used on the battlefield in Ukraine, the developers behind the British Army's next-generation tank are taking these lessons into account.

Britain's Challenger 3 main battle tank is intended as a major upgrade over its predecessor, which is in service with both the British Army and the Ukrainian military. The new tank will feature a digital overhaul and new weaponry that make it more compatible with other NATO forces.

"We're taking a load of data from Ukraine" and feeding it into the Challenger 3 development, a UK defense ministry spokesperson told Business Insider at an exhibition near London last week.

The tank has a smart targeting system built primarily for combating enemy armor, but it can be adapted to detect hostile drones, a major threat on the modern battlefield. For protection, the tank is equipped with explosive reactive armor.

New features for the Challenger 3 are modular, meaning they can be swapped in and out, the spokesperson said, adding that Britain has options for drone-related equipment that can be installed as needed.

British Army officers told Business Insider at the UK defense industry exhibition that the UK is learning lessons from Ukraine, not only for the development of the Challenger 3, but for armored vehicles in general, like how they can remain survivable on a modern battlefield.

The officers emphasized that the version of the new Challenger 3 tank that exists today is not a finished product; the core platform will continue to be improved to keep pace with changes in modern warfare.

In 2021, the UK defense ministry awarded Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land a $1 billion contract to upgrade roughly 150 Challenger 2 tanks, which entered service with the British Army nearly three decades ago and have seen combat in the Middle East and Ukraine.

The new upgraded tanks, designated as Challenger 3s, were designed as digital fighting vehicles with state-of-the-art targeting, fire-control, surveillance, and survivability systems. One of the biggest changes is the addition of a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore main gun that fires NATO-standard ammunition, replacing the Challenger 2's rifled gun that used ammunition unique to Britain.

Other improvements include a redesigned turret, better thermal imaging, enhanced armor, and upgrades to the tank's engine, suspension, and other key systems.

There are seven Challenger 3 prototypes, and an eighth is in production. The tanks have already completed their first crewed live-firing trials and are undergoing additional testing before expected delivery next year, which was pushed back from 2025.

The Challenger 3 is at the center of what British Army officers and officials describe as the new "20-40-40" model, a layered approach to armor operations designed to protect high-value assets such as tanks and helicopters by relying more on cheaper drones and robots.

The defense ministry spokesperson said this approach was taken directly from Ukraine, where cheap drones worth hundreds of dollars have been able to destroy armored vehicles that cost millions.

The 20-40-40 model underscores that while the war in Ukraine has raised questions about the utility of tanks and other armored vehicles on modern battlefields, British military leaders still see them as a core part of their strategy.

• My husband's family goes to the same place every year for a family reunion.
• I started going with him in 2015, and last year, our daughter went for the first time.
• I'm excited to continue the family tradition with the next generation.

Every year, my husband's family gathers on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada, for a long weekend family reunion.

They fish, swim, hike, roast marshmallows around the campfire, and catch up on the back deck. The weekend culminates in the annual horseshoe tournament, where the winners add their names to the trophy and we all celebrate with a potluck roast dinner.

My husband, Colin, has been going up to the Sunshine Coast every year since he was a baby. There's a tree on the property that he planted in elementary school that now stands over 40 feet tall.

I started attending with him in 2015, first as his girlfriend and then in 2022, as his wife. And now we get to share this annual family tradition with our daughter.

Last year, our daughter joined the family trip for the first time

In 2025, we got to bring our daughter up to the Sunshine Coast for the first time. Not only was it her first time joining the family trip, but at 5 months old, it was her first trip ever.

It was so fun to bring our daughter along and to introduce her to my husband's extended family. We spent most of our trip out on the back deck, where our daughter lay on a blanket, entertaining her relatives. The fresh air even helped her sleep through the night!

In between naps and nursing, we squeezed in a family hike and a quick swim. But overall, it was a very laid-back vacation with our baby.

This year, with a toddler, it was a completely different trip

When we headed back up to the Sunshine Coast in July 2026, we knew it was going to be a totally different trip than the year before. This time, we had an 18-month-old toddler who was on the move, eating full meals, and only napping once per day.

It was a lot more work to keep up with our daughter this year. Colin and I were constantly checking that someone was with her and taking inventory of everything she might need (toys, snacks, a life jacket, a water bottle, etc.).

But it was also a lot of fun. Last year, she wasn't crawling or walking. But this year, she was running across grass fields, sitting in her own child-size camping chair, and helping herself to snacks from the kitchen.

My favorite part of this year's trip was seeing our daughter bond with her cousins. She was enamored by the big kids, and they totally took her under their wing. I loved watching her play piano with them and hold hands as they walked down trails together.

We can't wait to continue this family tradition with the next generation

When I first joined my husband's annual family trip in 2015, I knew I was so lucky to have this beautiful place to visit every year in the company of the nicest people. The Sunshine Coast became one of my favorite places in the world.

And now the trip is that much more meaningful because we get to share it with our daughter. I love that we're passing on this family tradition to the next generation and that we'll be able to mark the years of her life in annual trips to the Sunshine Coast.

This year, she was thrilled to meet the goats who live next door, go out on the boat to check crab traps, and blow bubbles with her cousins. I can't wait to see what she experiences on our trip next year!

• My sister and I ruin a small business together, reselling vintage items we find in thrift stores.
• It's not as simple as it seems because we have to sift through thrift stores and estate sales.
• I don't worry about the ethics of upcycling vintage items because I'm providing a service.

My heart flutters every time I spot a unique vintage treasure in the tchotchke aisle at the thrift store. But then I realize it has a chip or a crack, so I decide to put it back. The object may have sentimental value, but it's not a match for my vintage shop, where I always try to feature high-quality items that have survived the test of time.

When my younger sister, Hillary, and I turned our love for vintage collecting into a small business nearly three years ago, we had no idea how hard it would be or how long it would take to sell a single vintage item.

Most people think it's as simple as plucking an item, taking a few photos, crafting a savvy title, and plopping it on a platform. But there's way more that goes into running our tiny online vintage shop.

We had to figure out the best places to source great items, how to navigate moody markets, how to do deep-dive historical research, how to clean and restore fragile pieces, how to set up systems, how to determine the value of our vintage objects, and, most importantly, how to learn to tell their stories.

We have to dig, sift, and sort

To source great items for the shop, Travel Far Now Vintage, my sister and I love a good thrift haul, estate sale dig, antique mall stroll, or flea market frenzy. But in the early days of selling vintage items, we started with the stuff in our own childhood home.

Our mother collected all kinds of objects, from porcelain flowers to royal portraits in filigree frames, and we didn't know quite what to do with them all when she died. We were excited to discover a vast online world of collectors seeking niche nostalgia.

As the shop grew, we widened and diversified our search. We learned that consistency is key. These days, we source items three to five times a week.

This work has led us into all kinds of scenarios: scaling mold-infested shelves, digging deep into dusty boxes, and sorting through basement barrels.

Sometimes we walk away with a bundle of goodies. Other days, we leave empty-handed. But we always shop with criteria for what we're looking for and how much we're willing to spend.

Pricing is a bit of a puzzle

We consider the item's quality, rarity, and what we paid for it. But it's more art than science.

Within an ecosystem of secondhand goods at increasingly competitive prices, we determine the price of an item based on the current market. We sometimes research the "sold rate" of similar items, but that's not always accurate as trends change.

I try to land on a price that accurately reflects the value of the item itself, as well as all the hidden labor that goes into presenting it. This includes digging in chaotic environments, restoring objects, researching their histories, telling their stories in listings, and promoting them on social media.

The price of an item also includes costs like gas, shipping, and packing supplies, as well as platform fees and ads.

This usually means there's a markup over the original price — sometimes more or less — depending on the object's rarity as a collector's item.

What are the ethics?

At a recent estate sale, I picked up a vintage paperback of Jack Kerouac's "The Dharma Bums," a mid-century classic popular among Beat Generation collectors. I bought it for a very reasonable price in great condition. The demand for a rare item like this allows for a higher markup, and I'm OK with that. It makes me happy to know this book will find its way into the hands of someone who will truly appreciate it.

Some people may consider this to be taking advantage of someone else's loss or lack of knowledge. When I buy or sell vintage items, I value integrity, fairness, and transparency on both sides. But this work is about finding gems in the junk, reviving objects that might otherwise be overlooked or tossed.

I store and care for these items and then connect them with people who value them. The markup reflects that work as much as it reflects the item's scarcity or market value.

It's impossible to sell vintage online without hearing complaints that Goodwill and other thrift stores are driving up vintage prices. But all the stuff people don't want anymore has to go somewhere — and that, too, comes at a cost.

Like any other business, charity shops, antique malls, and flea markets must calculate the costs of storing, cleaning, and selling these items.

My sister and I entered the vintage reselling world as grieving daughters and remain as enthusiastic storytellers — eager to connect people with vintage items that bring them joy. We factor in all the invisible work that goes into this business, but ultimately it's a labor of love.

I can tell the difference between a good rain jacket and a great rain jacket on sight. It's made clear the moment you're caught in sudden downpour without an umbrella.

Before all else, let's establish that water-repellent, water-resistant, and waterproof are not equal terms. For this guide, I've made sure to recommend only the most effectively waterproof styles that effectively seal out all moisture.

That said, the best rain jackets for women go beyond waterproofing. A high-quality raincoat must also have zippered heat vents and an adjustable hood to keep you comfortable while you're on the move.

I lived in New York for five years and have lived in the Colorado mountains for eleven, so I know firsthand what makes a rain jacket good for bustling commutes and long days outdoors. After putting 33 leading rain jackets to the test, these eight offered supreme waterproofing, great breathability, and nice-to-have features that make them worth the investment.

Best for everyday: Outdoor Research Women's Aspire 3L Jacket

The first time I tested rain jackets, Outdoor Research's Aspire II jacket was my top pick. Its latest iteration — the Aspire 3L — builds on everything that made its predecessor so great, now with one huge improvement: A new proprietary 3L fabric that's waterproof and breathable.

I had found that the Aspire II jacket's main drawback was it wasn't technically savvy enough for heavy-rain outings. But with the new upgrades to the Aspire 3L, Outdoor Research has bumped it up to be a highly technical rain jacket. It works great whether you're caught in a quick passing thunderstorm at a sports game, or on a multi-hour hike in the Pacific Northwest.

It's more technical (and well-ventilated) than ever before. This jacket is made with three layers of a proprietary material that's treated with Nikwax DWR, which I witnessed cause each water droplet to bead up and roll off the surface. The extra layer makes it slightly thicker than the Aspire II, but I found the 3L to be equally breathable on hikes in Colorado and during humid rainstorms in South Carolina (plus, absolutely no water seeped in during our 60-second drench test).

Fabric aside, it has fully taped seams, vents to dump heat and keep you dry, and a well-designed hood with drawstrings to cinch it down when the wind kicks up. My field of vision was clear even with the hood on, which was not the case for each jacket I tested.

It moves with your body. New to the redesign, the Aspire 3L is constructed with what the brand calls "movement-mirroring stretch." This refers to the strategically-placed stretch panels that are integrated within the 100% recycled nylon shell. These flex in every direction, so you aren't fighting against your jacket while it's, say, pinned down by a backpack. It's a nuanced feature, but one I appreciated the more I wore the jacket.

It comes with helpful features. The Aspire 3L jacket has three roomy, external pockets (all zippered and waterproof), including a chest pocket that's big enough for your phone. It also comes with adjustable Velcro wrist cuffs.

One feature that sets this jacket above the competition: the OR TorsoFlo vents, which unzip nearly the whole side length of the jacket from armpit to hip via two-way zippers. This way, you can release heat from the top as needed, or add more mobility at the bottom if you're on a bike or wearing a waist dog leash.

It's more sustainable than most rain jackets. The forever chemicals, PFAFs, are pervasive in high-quality waterproof apparel. But the Aspire 3L is treated with Dry DWR, a PFAS-free waterproofing method. The coat is made from 100% recycled nylon fabric, and is the first technical apparel in the outdoor industry to be third-party certified carbon-neutral by Climate Impact Partners.

Best budget: Columbia Hikebound II Jacket

It kept me totally dry in a 30-second drench test. I tried four rain coats that cost under $100, and the Columbia Women's Hikebound II outperformed them all. Not only is this rain jacket completely waterproof, but it's also fully seam-sealed. When I stood under a shower head, I stayed completely dry inside the jacket.

The hood doesn't crumple in the wind. It has a wide, roomy fit and, combined with the high chin cuff, will guide any falling water away from your face. This hood cinches down, which you can secure any time a breeze kicks up.

It has thoughtful design features that go beyond its price point. The Hikebound II has similar details to the more expensive raincoats I tested. There's waterproof seam sealing, three roomy pockets (including a vertical chest pouch for your phone), two front closure methods (zipper and velcro), a cinchable hem to seal out moisture, and even adjustable wrist cuffs. Plus, it's PFAS-free.

It's not insulating, but there's room for layers underneath. I didn't feel constricted with a sweatshirt underneath, making this jacket more versatile for different seasons.

It's not the best for hot, humid climates or long hikes. The material feels a little stiff compared to other women's raincoats I tested. It packs down to about the size of a small bread loaf, while the OR Helium UL is closer to a grapefruit. It's breathable on its own, but there aren't any underarm or back vents to help dump heat if you're sweating.

The Velcro is annoying to unfasten. It caught my hair a few times, and takes some effort to peel apart once the jacket is closed.

Best lightweight: Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket

It weighs next to nothing. At 5.6 ounces, this rain jacket packs down quite small (roughly the size of a grapefruit).

A thin jacket like this doesn't offer much warmth. The lighter weight means little insulation. No water seeped through, but the cold certainly did. If you want to layer underneath, size up.

Despite its thinness, it's shockingly waterproof and wind-resistant. The Helium UL is crafted with 2.75 layers with a 20K/20K waterproof rating (remember: the best rain jackets are 3L, so it's nearly there). It's also made with fully seam-taped seams.

It performs well in brief downpours. In a drench test, this jacket kept me completely dry for 30 seconds under a constant stream. It will save you if you're caught in a storm and are seeking shelter, but I wouldn't trust it in extended downpours. That said, I found it to be pretty wind resistant and breathable as I wore it on a hike through the mountains.

The hood stays put in the wind. It has a tiny brim to shield your face and a cinch in the rear to keep it secure. The adjustable wrist cuffs keep your sleeves locked in place to prevent water from getting in. This jacket also has two YKK-zippered pockets and a cinchable hem.

Best full coverage: Fjällräven Vardag Rain Parka

If you're looking for a long raincoat that will keep the majority of your body dry and look sleek on wet city walks, Fjällräven's Vardag Rain Parka delivers—and then some. 

It's made from a totally waterproof eco-conscious material. This waterproof shell jacket is crafted from a 2.5-layer recycled polyester that has a PU membrane and proved completely waterproof during our drench test. The material is the perfect thickness and weight to keep you feeling protected but not weighed down when wearing this jacket around the city for hours. It fits on the roomier side, which is ideal for wearing layers underneath (we did find the material cold on bare shoulders when wet). It has a roomy hood and long silhouette to keep 75% of you dry in even the nastiest of rain storms.

It has a sleek design. The vertical, button-flapped pockets are convenient, roomy, and protective to stash items you want easy access to. The high collar and adjustable hood are effective at keeping rain out without impeding your visibility. It has a two-way main zipper to offer more range of motion when riding a bike around the city, say. Most of all, this coat has snap buttons from top to bottom for a quick closure, which we found particularly nice during testing since zipping a long rain jacket can be cumbersome to do up if it's just lightly raining for a few minutes.

At $350, it's not cheap—but the material, durability, and features all make this jacket feel quite luxurious and, truthfully, like it would cost more.

Best for travel: Halfdays Mary Rain Jacket

It's stylish and highly versatile. I wore the Mary Rain Jacket on a rainy, spring 10-day trip to Maine and it was technical enough to protect me through many rain showers. It was loose enough to fit a midlayer puffy under on the cold coast, and stylish enough to not ruin any of my outfits.

It's not as waterproof as a 3L jacket. If you need something more heavy-duty, I recommend the Stio Ender or Outdoor Research Aspire 3L.

It doesn't pack down as small as the Outdoor Research Helium UL, but it's still an ideal travel jacket. It folds down to about the size of a loaf pan, and still feels pretty lightweight at 24 ounces. I found it convenient to wear during long airport travel and easy to stash in the overhead bin on top of my suitcase.

It's fully waterproof, wind-repellent, and breathable. The Mary Rain Jacket is made from 100% recycled Nylon with a PFC-free DWR coating.
The fabric has a 10K/10K waterproof to breathability rating, so it balances water protection without trapping body heat inside (the wide bottom helps with that, too).

The adjustable hood, hems, and cuffs keep the elements out. The hood is large with a cinch that holds fast in a gust of wind (though I'd prefer if there was a second cinch on the back). This jacket has fully taped seams, YKK waterproof zippers, snap-adjustable sleeve cuffs, and a cinchable bottom hem.

Best for hiking: Stio Ender Jacket

If you live in a wet climate or are looking for the best rain jacket to take on outdoor adventures, the Stio Ender rain jacket is near-perfect.

It's designed for serious rainstorms. Created out of Jackson, Wyoming by people who live and adventure in the mountains, the brand's PeakProof 3L shell is made from 100% recycled nylon, finished with PFC-free DWR (two wins for the environment) and offers 20,000mm of waterproofness with 10,000g breathability. Not only is it the perfect balance between waterproof and breathable, but it's also extremely durable, made with Tricot backer. On top of all that, it's very lightweight (12.8 ounces).

During testing, this jacket proved reliably waterproof under heavy and continuous water flow. In fact, it performed better than a technical rain jackets double its price. It felt seamless to wear while on fast-moving hikes through the Colorado mountains. 

It has a flattering silhouette, despite all its bonus features. The Stio Ender has three zippered pockets; zippered, armpit vents to dump heat; and one of the best-fitting adjustable hoods we tested (it cinches like a baseball cap, rather than tight around the face). I particularly liked the brushed fleece chin guard when the jacket was zipped all the way up. I also appreciated the that the fit hits the sweet spot of not too baggy and not too tight. 

The hem is slightly dropped in the back, but it doesn't cover the top of the thighs or much of the butt. Also, it only comes in three colorways (though I do love all three) and has a limited size range, which are the main reasons it didn't earn the top spot. But if you're looking for a highly technical rain jacket you can trust, and this size and color range works for you, we couldn't recommend the Stio Ender more.

Best insulated: Patagonia Women's Tres 3-in-1 Parka

We know: $700 is a lot for a rain jacket. But for three different coats —all of which are sustainably made, durably constructed, and backed by a lifetime guarantee — it's a pretty good deal, especially if you live in a true four-season location where your needs change frequently and fast.

It's three jackets in one. Patagonia's Tres 3-in-1 Parka consists of two main jackets: A performance outer shell, made from 100% recycled polyester with an eco-conscious, DWR finish that is completely waterproof, and an inner 100% recycled, 700-fill-power, down insulation liner jacket. Separately, you have a long, down winter coat for those frigid, humid days where the damp air chills you to your bone.

It's easy to transition from one to the other. The rain jacket has a two-way full zip — very convenient if you like to ride a bike around the city, say — and a storm flap for a sleeker look and convenient, hidden snaps to close the jacket when you're dashing out and don't want to fuss with the zipper.

It keeps your entire upper-half warm and dry. This jacket not only looks expensive, but feels expensive. Both the outer shell and inner insulated liner have zippered pockets with a brushed fleece lining to keep your hands warm. The outer shell has an adjustable hood that also snaps off for a sleeker, city look, and a tall collar to protect your face from wind and rain. 

As a rain jacket alone, this outer lining certainly gives the Fjällräven Vardag Rain Parka a run for its money. And while this jacket is, as we said, expensive, Patagonia's reputation and apparel longevity speaks for itself — plus, the brand offers a money-back satisfaction guarantee.

Read more about our favorite gear from the B Corp brand in our full Patagonia outdoor clothing review.

Best for running: Janji Rainrunner Pack Jacket 2.0

Janji's Rainrunner Pack Jacket 2.0 is incredibly lightweight at just 7.2 ounces. I tested it out on runs and hikes and loved its permanent flap vents at the waist in the front and back. It's strategically designed to keep water out while preventing heat build-up. It also has a drop hem in the back for better splatter guard on muddy trails.

It's great for outdoor exercise. Despite its incredibly-lightweight construction, this rain jacket is shockingly durable. It's crafted with a 2.5-layer laminated shell of ripstop fabric (tough and windproof) treated with a PFC-free C0-DWR (eco-friendly and waterproof) coating.

It's especially handy for active lifestyles. As an avid runner, Janji makes some of the my favorite workout clothes. This fully seam-taped jacket has two zippered hip pockets (including an inner mesh pouch to minimize bounce), and semi-elastic wrist cuffs that stay in place when you run. The hood is an elasticized, scuba-like type with bungie toggles. It has a small visor in the middle to keep rain off your face and still allows for 180º of visibility. The jacket is very lightweight and comfortable to wear tied around your waist when the sun comes out, or it can be stuffed inside its self-stowing pocket and tossed in a backpack.

It can handle steady rain. During the drench test, the Rainrunner sufficiently kept water out during 60 seconds of significant water pressure, even around the flapped vents. It's not going to keep you dry in an hour-long, heavy rainstorm in Vancouver, but if you get caught in a sudden downpour, it will surprise you by how well it keeps water out during the stretch of time it'll take you to reach shelter. If you want a light jacket to bring on a run or a hike just in case, the Rainrunner is incredibly well equipped. 

Our testing methodology

Water resistance

We tested 33 jackets in wet and windy weather and wore them for as long as possible each time it rained. When it wasn't raining, we did a "drench test" where we wore each jacket under a shower head, powered at light and heavy flows to simulate different rain storms. During the shower test, we checked whether our clothes underneath got wet.

Comfort

Our testers wore each rain jacket out in the world on multiple occasions to assess each one's comfort. We looked for overall fit of the jacket, range of motion in the arms and hips (particularly when fully zipped up), and how comfortable the jacket felt on the body after 30 minutes to a few hours. 

For rain jackets that could be worn running, walking, or hiking, we wore them on moderately-intense activities to assess how breathable each was and, therefore, how comfortable on the move.

Weight and durability

These two factors are a bit personal: Some people prefer a barely-there, lightweight raincoat while others prefer one that's heftier and more protective against the elements. Additionally, some people are way harder on their gear and need a higher level of durability than others. 

All of our recommended jackets are a comfortable weight and durable enough for the average wearer — that is, they'll hold up for normal amounts of wear and tear for the activity they're intended for (e.g., walking around cities, rainy runs). That being said, we have specific categories for those who need a highly technical jacket, and those who need a super lightweight travel jacket.

Usability

Considering a rain jacket is intended to protect you in less-than-ideal weather, it ought to be frustration-free to put on, zip up, and walk around in.

For each jacket I tested, I took it on some kind of walk outdoors in order to assess the functionality of each jacket and it's features. Specifically, I looked at things like pocket placement, convenience of zipper and buttons, how easy it was to slide the hood on and cinch it at the face in case of wind, and the like. I also considered how loud, crinkly, or swooshy the material of each jacket was when out walking, since this seemingly-small detail can lead to big annoyances over time.

Other rain jackets we tested

What we liked

Quince Weather Proof Oversized Rain Jacket ($80): For under $100, this rain coat gets the job done protecting you from moisture. The Columbia Hikebound II is a similar price while also more waterproof with a more universally-appealing cut, but if you prefer a longer, oversized rain jacket, it's a great budget pick.

Helly Hansen Seven J Rain Jacket ($120): Helly Hansen is a well-respected technical brand, and the Seven J is completely waterproof with thoughtful details. It didn't outperform the Columbia Hikebound II enough to warrant the price difference, but it's definitely a solid rain jacket.

Vuori Nomadic Packable Rain Shell ($248): A 3L, water-resistant shell with fully-taped seams, this rain jacket is comfortable to wear and has a cute, boxy cropped fit. It didn't make the cut as it's not fully waterproof and the shorter cut isn't as ideal for protection against the rain, but if you're looking for a sporty-looking rain jacket to wear over athleisure on misty spring days, it's a great choice.

Canada Goose Tofino Rain Jacket ($795): In true CG fashion, this jacket feels and looks incredibly luxe and is offered in a stylish cut with a ton of great features like copious pockets. It's also fully waterproof and wind-resistant. That said, the cut is going to be too short for solid rain protection to anyone over 5'7" and it's not the lightest jacket.

Janji Zephyrunner Wind Shell ($156): This ultralight rain jacket feels like nothing on your body and scored ⅘ on waterproofing, making it a really great choice as a running rain jacket. The brand's Rainrunner Pack Jacket's built-in vents and slightly superior waterproofing edged out this pick from making it into a top spot.

Cotopaxi Cielo Rain Trench ($210): This jacket is fully waterproof and has nice features like adjustable wrist cuffs and a back vent. However, the fabric feels cold inside and the jacket only has a zip closure, no snaps or velcro, which is less practical in a longer trench coat. If you're looking for a more affordable trench rain coat than the Fjällräven's Vardag Rain Parka or Woolrich Waxed Trench Coat, it's a solid pick.

What we didn't like

Rains Long Jacket ($140): This gorpcore rain jacket looked promising in photos, but the loosely structured hood restricted our peripheral vision and the cheap snap buttons were prone to flaking off. Overall, it was way overpriced for the quality.

Carhartt Storm Defender ($150): This jacket looks steezy and has a baggy, unisex workwear fit. That said, it only has 10K/10K waterproof breathability and, while it'll keep you dry for light-to-moderate rain storms, the thin fabric gets very cold inside, making it not very comfortable.

Fjallraven Bergtagen Lite Eco-Shell W ($425): This jacket has Fjallraven's trademark high-quality construction, with full waterproofing and fabric that water beads right off. But the fit is off: The sleeves are long and the hood is oversized, impeding visibility. Also, there's only one pocket on the whole jacket and it's small and at the chest.

Waterproof ratings, explained

Waterproof ratings (usually measured in millimeters) tell you how much water pressure a material can withstand before it starts to leak. Three layer jackets, or 3L, usually have a rating over 20,000 (20K) millimeters.

The breathability rating (also measured in millimeters) tells you how much water vapor can seep through a square meter of material in 24 hours. The best rain jackets for women balance a waterproof and breathability rating, like the 2.5L Helium UL and its 20K/20K rating.

Our top pick overall is the Outdoor Research Aspire 3L. Ultralight rain gear usually means thinner fabric and less of a reliable water barrier. With the Aspire's three layers and high waterproof to breathability ratings, you have a better chance of holding back heavy downpours and staying dry.

Our top picks compared

Category	The winner	Standout feature	Who it's for
Best rain jacket overall	Outdoor Research Aspire 3L	Full-side vents to dump heat	Anyone who needs solid rain protection
Best budget	Columbia Hikebound II	Full waterproofing, multiple pockets, under $100	Casual wearers on a budget
Best long	Fjällräven Vardag	Sleek parka for full-body rain cover	Gorpcore types who need full coverage
Best lightweight	Outdoor Research Helium UL	5.6 oz, packs to the size of a grapefruit	Travelers, runners, and light packers
Best for travel	Halfdays Mary	Stylish, waterproof & easy to pack	City dwellers, jetsetters
Best for hiking	Stio Ender	Elite waterproofing, breathable 3L shell	Trailblazers in rainy climates
Best insulated	Patagonia Tres 3-in-1	Full waterproofing with removable 700-fill-power down	Four-season wearers
Best for running	Janji Rainrunner 2.0	7.2 oz shell	Outdoor trainers and distance runners

Meet the expert behind this guide

Rachael Schultz, style contributor and outdoor gear expert: Formerly the Health Editor at Insider Reviews, Rachael is now based in Colorado where she tests activewear and other technical apparel. She has over a decade of experience conducting experiments to verify that her subjects live up to brands' claims.

For this guide, Rachael tracked forecasts in order to give rain jackets the fullest outdoor analysis possible. During dry spells, she'd pivot to simulating rainfall in her own shower and inspecting jackets' seams for leaks. Whether out for a neighborhood walk with her dog or traveling cross-country during peak rainy season, her assessments give you a range of stylish rain jackets so you can enjoy the outdoors in any weather.

Learn more about how the Reviews team tests clothing at BI.

• Meta is building its largest AI data center to date in northeast Louisiana.
• More than 7,500 trade workers will be on-site at the data center at peak construction.
• A local housing gap has spurred a boom in mobile home parks like Antley Pines.

For decades, Richland Parish remained a small farming community nestled in Louisiana's northeast corner.

Residents living in the parish — a spattering of rural towns and unincorporated communities — had come to know their home for its slower pace of life. Much of the area is filled with winding back roads, sprawling farmland, and a skyline free of towering skyscrapers. The closest major regional city is Monroe, about 30 minutes west, with a population more than twice that of Richland Parish.

It's the kind of place where everybody claims to know everybody, or at very least, has heard of them.

Now Meta has arrived, and things are changing.

In December 2024, the company announced plans to build its largest data center to date in Richland Parish, specifically near the unincorporated community of Holly Ridge, which local outlets report has fewer than 2,000 residents. Meta said the $50 billion, multi-year project would support around 7,500 jobs at the peak of construction and around 1,000 operational jobs, eclipsing the local community by thousands.

Angel Crawford of Delhi, a town about 10 minutes west of Holly Ridge, first noticed a surge in construction and operational workers arriving in her community last year.

Around that time, she and her husband, Bryan, opened a mobile home park to help address the housing gap.

Angel and Bryan Crawford founded Antley Pines.

Bryan and Angel Crawford initially worked in the nursing industry, but pivoted careers in 2024 after becoming empty nesters.

"We started with real estate and rentals because they are very much needed in this area," Angel told Business Insider. "It's very rural here, so when there are fluctuating prices in the market, it doesn't really hit us because there are never enough houses for sale or rent."

They began buying older homes and fixer-uppers that year.

"We had a vision to create a mobile home park, and already purchased some land when we heard about Meta's data center. That's what pushed us to keep going forward, " Angel said. "We understood there wasn't enough housing for residents, and our dream of building more multifamily houses was right in line to do that."

In 2024, the couple founded Parish Line Properties, which operates 18 homes in the area, including a mobile home park called Antley Pines. Of the 18 homes, 14 are considered workforce housing.

Many residents in the park are contractors working for Meta.

In many ways, Richland Parish is a microcosm of the debate about data centers across the US. Some Americans are optimistic about data centers, citing new jobs, revitalized economies, and the securing of the country's lead over China in AI development. Others are more critical, expressing concerns about the environment, the strain on utility grids, and how the acceleration of AI could impact the job market.

"Around here, people feel one way or the other about the data center. Either people are excited about the opportunities, or they hate them. There's no in between," Angel said. "I see it as an opportunity for us to have more experiences in our area and jobs for our children, so they can stay here instead of moving away."

The Crawfords opened Antley Pines in December 2025. Despite some locals' mixed feelings about the data center, the demand for housing is undeniable.

"All the homes were secured by deposits from Meta workers before we even got them into the park," Angel said.

She said many of her tenants are subcontractors, like electricians, working with Meta.

The mobile home park is 15 minutes from Meta's construction site.

Although Antley Pines isn't directly in Holly Ridge, the mobile park is still reaping the economic benefits.

"Location is very important to Meta's workers because they work six to seven days a week and 12-plus hours a day. They leave around 4:30 in the morning, and they don't come home until 7 at night," Angel said.

That kind of routine can take a toll on workers, many of whom are not from the area.

"One of the big things my tenants tell me is that if they live in Dallas and it's 30 miles to work, it takes about 30 minutes. Well, in rural areas, 30 miles could take 60 minutes because of all the back roads and little towns you have to go through," she said. "The closer they can get to the job site, the better."

The influx of workers has boosted market prices.

Antley Pines offers fully furnished four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes, which Angel said gives workers the option of staying with family or rooming with colleagues. She said the homes, which come with amenities, cost an average of $3,000 a month with utilities.

"I don't have any problem with getting tenants in those homes at that price point," Angel said. "Before Meta arrived, an unfurnished house without utilities in the same area would probably go for around $1,200 to $1,500 a month."

In Richland Parish, the median household income was around $53,000 in 2024.

"We've assured our local long-term tenants that we won't increase their rent. That's not what we're about. We're not going to put local tenants in a bind. We're going to find different and new properties to help with workforce housing," she said.

Amenities like WiFi are in high demand.

Angel said there are a few common requests among the construction and operational workers under Meta.

"As soon as they get into their rentals, 'What's the WiFi password?' is their first question," Angel said. "Some don't have their family here, so they want to do FaceTime."

The tenants also value an escape from the bustling construction site.

"They're with a lot of people all day long. They don't want to come home to a lot of noise," Angel said. "All of them say they love the peace and quiet."

Workforce housing is more popular than ever.

The demand for lodging in the area has continued to grow, Angel said.

"I get phone calls or text messages almost daily. Most of them are from my current tenants who have met someone who's looking for somewhere to stay," she said. "If you go on any of the websites, like Realtor.com, not all local rental properties are listed on there."

That's what led her to create StayNELA, a third-party website connecting tenants with property owners in 2025.

"I did a lot of research for several months by driving around the area and looking at all the different signs in people's yards or at four-way stops that you couldn't read properly. I kept a log, took pictures, and kept them in a folder on my phone. If anything was on Facebook about a rental, I saved it."

Some locals are also working on the data center.

While some construction workers traveled to work on Meta's data center, others were locals leveraging the opportunity that arrived in their backyard, Angel said.

"A lot of young men in this area work offshore at oil rigs, so it's a lot of time spent away from home," she said. "We know a lot of young people who are working at the construction site right now who would usually be off working away from home."

She added, "Hopefully, it'll bring more jobs to the area for our kids and grandkids."

There's uncertainty around how long construction workers will remain in Richland Parish.

Construction on Meta's data center is expected to continue for several years, but there's uncertainty among workers about how long they'll be in Richland Parish.

"Most of them don't know how long they're going to be here. They hope they're going to be here long-term, but in construction, they don't get told until it's done," Angel said.

Month-to-month leasing is among the top requests from tenants.

A future without Meta.

Although Meta's presence in Richland Parish has become the new normal, it won't last forever.

The data center will eventually become operational, meaning construction will wane, and workers will leave. The Crawfords have thought about a future without Meta, and they're not worried.

"Each home in our mobile park is on one-fourth of an acre. After Meta's gone, we can sell them individually or rent them out," Angel said.

For now, though, they're focused on the economic benefits that have come to Richland Parish from the data center project.

"We've seen a lot of laundromats, RV parks, and mobile home parks come to the area," Angel said. "It's great for the economy in our area because people who we've worked with who install electrical systems, septic systems, plumbing, gravel, and all those things are busy because Meta's here."

• I traveled to Istanbul to invest in my health and appearance after a lackluster checkup at home.
• I flew business class round-trip using credit card rewards I'd saved for over a year.
• I'm pleased with the care I received and know I paid a fraction of what I would have in the US.

Traveling to Turkey for medical care now has several humorous taglines and associations: men traveling for hair transplants on "Turkish Hairlines," veneers dubbed "Turkey Teeth," and tourists walking around Istanbul looking as if they got in a back-alley brawl from post-surgery swelling.

This isn't a niche market or recent trend. Millions of Americans venture internationally each year for medical or cosmetic procedures, and the market continues to grow.

My interest in medical tourism began after I wrote for a travel-focused website about a viral TikTok influencer who praised the quality and affordability of medical care in Turkey. Months later, after an extremely disappointing annual physical at home in South Florida, I was compelled to seek medical care abroad.

I originally planned to only get a comprehensive physical and enjoy Istanbul. After further research and some cosmetic care, I decided to indulge in a full-body reset this past April.

My care was extensive

The obvious overhead of participating in medical tourism is travel costs. Because the flight was roughly 10 hours, I knew I wanted to fly business class. Fortunately, I was able to save up enough credit card rewards to fly Turkish Airlines from Chicago O'Hare to Istanbul for free. The cash price of this flight is normally thousands. It was a great deal, and I used it as an excuse to see friends in Chicago for an evening before my adventure.

The Memorial Hospitals Group in Turkey offers several comprehensive health checkup packages, which foreigners are able to book. I chose the most basic plan. I'm a healthy 32-year-old male, and figured I didn't need to invest more.

For $1,100 USD, I received: a full lab panel, cardiology tests, a chest X-ray, a dental radiograph, a thyroid ultrasound, and a whole-abdomen ultrasound. I also had internal medicine, ophthalmology, urology, and dental exams. Estimating an equivalent is difficult, but there are now domestic clinics, like Prenuvo, that run similar programs, though at much higher cost.

I also found a cheaper dental clinic outside Memorial Hospital and got my teeth cleaned and had x-rays for only $88 USD.

For cosmetic work, I had an upper and lower blepharoplasty, canthoplasty, and four moles removed. The total cost for these procedures was $6,035 USD, a fraction of what I would pay to do this near my home.

The price tag included an overnight hospital stay, transportation to and from my Airbnb and the airport, two follow-up appointments, and an English-speaking translator. I did have to pay an additional $55 USD for post-surgery medications.

I secured pricing months in advance, working with a hospital representative via WhatsApp. The care I received was fantastic, communication with hospital representatives was crystal clear, and I even built a friendship with my translator.

During the full-body scan, she was with me the entire time. The next day, during my blepharoplasty, she was with me when I had to communicate with doctors and nurses. When I stayed overnight, the nurses knew what to do, and I didn't need to communicate with them much. But my translator was always a text away via WhatsApp, which was reassuring to me.

Throughout my trip, I also opted for several massages and a haircut, all significantly cheaper than they would have been at home. My normal haircut in Florida is roughly $45, including tip; I paid $20 for a haircut, face shave, and face mask in Istanbul.

Overall, I combined a two-week adventure with an investment in my health and appearance for roughly $7,500.

This is the type of care I want

For me, the American healthcare system doesn't offer the results it should. We spend nearly twice as much on healthcare as residents of comparable countries, yet Americans have shorter life expectancies.

Despite the shortcomings of the American healthcare system, there is still a lingering fear of leaving the United States for medical care. Nearly 100 Americans died between 2009 and 2022 from cosmetic surgeries in the Dominican Republic.

When I shared my plans, I could sense people's anxiety over the potential risks of getting medical care abroad. My mom offered to come with me, but I reassured her, and she ended up staying behind.

Though some days were uncomfortable, and I flew home with facial bruising, the experience proved worthwhile for me. Now, months after my trip, I'm still satisfied with my results and how much I paid.

For now, I'm staying put, but if I have a big medical expense in the future, I may consider going abroad again.

• David Heinemeier Hansson said his software firm was "done writing code by hand."
• At 37signals, engineers only hand-write code when an AI agent isn't able to, Hansson said.
• "This is a recognition of what is already happening," he said.

A coding legend is waving goodbye to handwritten code.

David Heinemeier Hansson — commonly known as DHH — is the creator of the popular webapp framework Ruby on Rails. He also runs the software company 37signals, where he just instituted a new rule: "We're done writing code by hand."

"We are going, and have gone, pencils down," Hansson said during the Rails World keynote.

At his software company, 37signals, Hansson said that hand-writing code was an "exceptional state," only to be performed when something went wrong with the AI-generated code.

When an AI agent isn't able to produce what the engineers want, they can "get the old pencil out and dot it down for them," Hansson said — but then they "fix the machine."

"This is a recognition of what is already happening," he said.

Indeed, coding has radically transformed in the last year, thanks to AI tools like OpenAI's Codex, Anthropic's Claude Code, and Cursor.

Some developers call coding agents exhilarating, and they stay up late into the night to build with them. Others call AI coding a lonely or tiresome process.

What do engineers actually think? Business Insider polled over 150 software engineers in January about the rise of vibe coding. Over 45% of respondents said they felt they were "keeping up" with AI tools. 17.5% of respondents said they were opting out of using AI code-editing tools entirely.

There's only one "serious question" in this moment of coding, Hansson said at the keynote: how to best reap the rewards of AI. "Every other question is below that in the stack of values," he said.

Hansson surveyed the audience: "How many people here are still writing material amounts of code by hand on a weekly basis?"

After watching the crowd, Hansson let out an expletive. "That's about five," he said.

• 5 BI staffers told us how they've been using the hottest new thing in AI: personal AI agents.
• Their use cases include reserving library books and collecting K-pop merch.
• One editor used it to remind him to call his mother.

Muse and Instinct — AI agents designed to help you run your personal life — are the talk of the town right now.

So, obviously, we at Business Insider had to try them out. Five staffers across the newsroom's global offices — from headquarters in New York to divisions in London, San Francisco, and Singapore — have been testing both Meta and Instinct's personal AI agent offerings over the past week.

Our editor-in-chief, Jamie Heller, got in on the action, too:

My husband and I were puzzling over an opaquely described charge on our credit card. We put the wording into Chat GPT and Muse — asking each what it could be. Chat couldn't figure it out. Muse did.

Keep reading for our 101 on what worked, and what didn't. And if you have an experience of your own to share, fill out our survey.

In response to our requests for comment, a Meta spokesperson pointed us to a dedicated safety post on its website. Instinct did not respond to our request for comment.

Will Martin, senior editor, used Instinct to pay a car fee, but it backfired

I downloaded Instinct two weeks ago and chose a very simple task to start with: Remind me to call my mother (she worries).

My whoa moment: Instinct jumped to my aid when I told it I needed a new torque wrench for my bike. After a simple prompt, Instinct came back with four options: a cheap one, a mid-priced option, and two higher-end versions — all with links and a pro/con list.

In the two weeks I've been using it, Instinct has created an itinerary for a weekend trip I'm taking next year, booked tickets for my daily commute into London, and secured me a refund on an $80 subscription I forgot to cancel after the free trial.

My yikes moment: This past weekend, I took a trip to Oxford, one of Britain's most notoriously complex places to drive. Oxford is famed as a warren of one-way streets, traffic cameras, and tolls.

I asked my Instinct agent to pay the city's congestion charge after I drove in. Instinct obliged, cross-checking my car's model against the different emissions tiers for the charging zone, and sending me a confirmation that it had paid for two days at £4 per day.

As I touted how easy it all was to my AI-skeptical partner, she pointed out that the cost was £5, not £4. So I checked, and it turned out Instinct got it wrong — it had paid a similar but separate charge for a smaller area of the city. The charge was nonrefundable, so I was forced to swallow both my own pride and an £8 tax for trusting the robots. Lesson learned, even if Instinct tried to find a silver lining.

Cheryl Teh, senior news editor, used Instinct to expand her K-pop merch collection

Some people use their AI agents to save money. I decided to do the opposite and ask it to tell me how to spend my money.

My whoa moment: I'm a K-pop fan, and my favorite stars — Jeonghan and Joshua, from the group Seventeen — opened preorders for their new album "Dreamscape" on Wednesday morning.

I didn't have the time or energy to parse through all the listings for "preorder bonus" gifts; things like limited-run photocards and polaroids that go to fans who place their orders early. Collecting limited edition K-pop merchandise can be a bit of a blood sport, so I wanted a solid strategy.

I asked Instinct to create a "buy plan" to maximize my fan experience. It took three minutes to surface a link to exclusive signed copies available for early orders on the band's US website. The agent also gave me a road map for purchase quantities and the optimal time to make those orders.

Instinct saved me two hours with one prompt. Without it, I would have missed the window to purchase the US-only autographed albums.

I did receive a bit of judgment from the agent — it asked me not once but twice if I'd set a cut-off budget for my buy plan. I had not, and did not intend to set one!

I haven't plucked up the courage to give the agent my credit card details yet, though.

My yikes moment: I was less impressed during my first 24 hours of using Instinct, when I added it to my Notion dashboard and asked it to do an overhaul. It ended up clearing out my goals calendar and schedule, and replacing it with a new — but blank — template.

Instinct's WhatsApp-based chat feature is intuitive and consumer-friendly. But for optimal results, you've got to be precise in your prompts, and lay out exactly and unambiguously what you want the agent to do.

Tim Paradis, future of work correspondent, put Instinct to work booking a movie ticket

The other day, I asked Instinct whether tickets were available for a 6:30 p.m. showing of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at a nearby theater.

My whoa moment: We were on our way when Instinct texted that there wasn't a 6:30. It was 6:15, "which starts in about 8 minutes." Thank goodness for trailers — and for a speedy driver (which wasn't me). Instinct said online sales had ended, so "your only shot" was the box office. It also started checking backup films.

My yikes moment: It suggested a 6:50 "Spider-Man" at another theater, but said tickets "were glitching," and gave me the theater's number. Obviously, because no one died, I wasn't going to call. The theater's site showed no "Spider-Man" that night. I told Instinct, and 16 minutes later, it said the movie "likely got pulled back." By then, we had our tickets at the original theater. "Enjoy the movie!" Instinct said.

Katie Notopoulos, senior correspondent, used Muse to sign an after-school care form

My whoa moment: Most of the tasks I wanted it to do for me were related to the morass of messages and paperwork from my kids' school and activities. However, it got stuck on things like logging into the clunky school site app or being unable to check out on the Girl Scouts website. But finally, a breakthrough — I had put off the task of printing out and signing a form for after-school care. I asked Muse to fill it out for me from my email. I sent it a photo of my signature on a Post-It and used a photo of my daughter's handwritten name (she was also supposed to sign it) as her signature (morally questionable, sure). It successfully "signed" it and emailed it back to the school.

My yikes moment: It offered to RSVP "no" to an invite in my email that happened to be on the same day as the Meta Connect conference. It suggested I could reply to the person and explain that this was "the most important event on my beat" — not totally wrong per se, but certainly weird to say in an email, and quite flattering to Meta.

Pranav Dixit, Meta correspondent, used Muse to place library holds

My whoa moment: I had one simple dream: outsource the stupidly fiddly work of finding books and placing library holds to an AI. I mapped Muse to my iPhone’s Action button and wired everything up by granting Muse access to my Libby account and my accounts at my two local libraries.

Now, when I ask Muse to look for a book, it checks Libby for a digital version and sends it to my Kindle if it's available immediately. If not, it compares the wait times on Libby and at my libraries, then places a hold on the copy that will get to me faster. Pressing one button to delegate a small slice of library bureaucracy feels slightly godlike.

My yikes moment: Amazon has blocked Muse, so I discovered that I can't connect it to Goodreads, the place that I keep track of all the books I want to read, and which Amazon owns. It was a reminder that a personal agent is only as useful as the platforms that allow it in. The minute this stuff becomes genuinely convenient, somebody puts up an anti-bot wall.

• Gen Z grew up with phones and tablet typing, with many never learning keyboard skills.
• But in the age of AI-driven efficiency — and prompting — keyboard skills have a new use case.
• Some Gen Zers are becoming self-taught to avoid dictating AI prompts out loud.

When Julia Andrusiak was in college, she noticed one of her professors repeatedly pausing his lecture. Eventually, she realized that she was the disruption: Her slow, two-finger typing was so loud that he couldn't concentrate.

"It was the first moment I realized that I may not be the best at this," Andrusiak said.

So she began drilling: First, she typed out books. That made her faster, but she was still staring at her keyboard. Then, she advanced to touch typing — typing without looking at the keyboard. She's still working on her speed and accuracy. Now 26, Andrusiak has an AI-focused job that involves helping people use the technology and sometimes necessitates writing strong prompts. She still can't type fast, so when she has a longer prompt, she dictates it — and feels self-conscious about what looks like talking to herself in an open office.

In 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that digital natives were baffling "teachers and parents with their lack of typing skills." Now, for some younger workers and students, typing is making a comeback.

While AI might seem to harken a turn away from typing — who needs note-taking when you have an agent? — AI is only as good as the prompt it's given. Rambling voice prompts can be insufficiently clear and precise. The rise of AI has some Gen Zers looking for any efficiency edge they can carve out.

"With the ever increasingly fast world, we need to type quicker. But I feel like people are really relying on AI," Andrusiak, who happily uses AI as an aid for writing and research, said. "One of my friends said, 'Well, you don't really have to type the whole page. You can just give it short sentences. It's not really that tiring.' But then I feel like it's outsourcing too much of cognitive power to a technology."

Typing as meditation and efficiency generator

Andrey Gerasimov, a 23-year-old computer science graduate, never took typing classes. But he first needed the skill for his video game chats and decided to beef it up, eventually reaching 170 words per minute.

As an AI user, he believes that faster typing makes for more efficient prompting.

"You're going to be a lot more comfortable actually giving your full thoughts and ideas if you know that, hey, doing this is only going to take a minute," Gerasimov said.

He's not the only one trying to up his speed and technique. In his decade teaching typing to 15 to 30-year-olds, Andreas Francazi, a 36-year-old IT teacher in Vienna, noticed that his students' typing skills have deteriorated — but they're setting out to change that.

His newer crop of students didn't grow up around physical computers, and their familiarity with keyboards is much lower than previous typists. He's seen younger students come in typing rapidly with just two fingers, so he's teaching them the basics. Francazi said that students of all ages become entranced by a three-minute typing test, falling into a rapt silence.

"The practice can be quite meditative," Francazi said. "You just sit there, you have the text in front of you, and you type character by character, and it kind of calms you a bit."

While Francazi's screen-first students have mastered the art of two-finger typing, their future schooling and careers might necessitate the manual keyboarding skills he's teaching.

Nick Sjolinder, the founder of BYOK — a purposefully distraction-free, digital typewriter device that connects to keyboards — said that around 10% of the device's orders are coming from educators, including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, homeschools, and universities. A recent batch order came from a high school creative writing teacher, he said, with the intention of cutting down on AI and distractions for students.

Tarun Krishnamurthy, an 18-year-old sophomore at San Diego State University, said his college professors speak quickly and tend to power through their slideshows. Krishnamurthi, who began intentionally practicing typing in middle school for fun, has an edge in keeping up.

"I'm fortunate at least I can keep up with some of the professors, but I know some other students might have difficulty with that because they need to look at their keyboard instead of looking at the professor's slideshow," he said.

And beyond fast classroom notetaking, Krishnamurthi sees his keyboard skills as a potential professional edge: In an ever-optimized and efficiency-focused world, "typing could be a big bottleneck." Slow typing could worsen workers' outputs, he said; his touch typing might give him an edge in an AI-ified world.

• Death Clock CEO Brent Franson said startups can get stuck in a phase he calls "slow failure."
• He shut down his startup and threw out years' worth of code to build Death Clock, a consumer-health product.
• When a startup isn't viable, Franson says, founders should fully pivot rather than try to patch it.

Brent Franson spent four years building a mental-health app that users liked, but that didn't ultimately work as a business.

The product wasn't an obvious flop. It had enough promise, he said, to make further rounds of changes seem worthwhile — the trap of something that seemed "pretty good," though ultimately isn't viable.

"Mediocrity is so dangerous," Franson said.

In late 2024, seeing a need for a fresh start, he shut down the app, called Most Days, and discarded the codebase that his team had spent years building.

The San Francisco-based staff then shifted their attention to building a consumer-health product called Death Clock, which Franson, 44, described as an "AI private doctor."

Users enter health information — ranging from cholesterol levels to diet and sleep habits — and the platform uses longevity research to estimate the age at which they might die and suggest changes that could help them live longer.

The experience reshaped how the longtime early-stage entrepreneur, who in 2019 sold a prior software company he ran to WeWork, thinks about startups. Here are three lessons Franson has learned:

An app people like is not necessarily a viable business

Most Days had users, though the company could not acquire them cheaply enough to build a sound business, he said.

The scary part of pivoting, Franson said, is not when a business is clearly failing or obviously taking off. It is when a product has users who like it and just enough promise to make another round of changes seem worthwhile.

"You can convince yourself to keep iterating on it," he said.

Franson, who is CEO of Death Clock, calls that danger "slow failure": a business that lingers because its leaders keep rationalizing why it might soon work. One test, he said, is whether founders are working through concrete problems with conviction or trying to talk themselves into continuing.

When you pivot, make a clean break

For Franson, the response wasn't to rebrand Most Days or look for another half-measure like a savvy hire. It was to shut it down completely.

He said the hardest decision was abandoning a company the team had spent years building and still believed served an important mental-health need. Yet, Franson said, the team concluded that they needed to make a clean break and a full bet on Death Clock.

The team carried no code from Most Days over to their new venture, Franson said.

The decision also meant embracing a name he initially saw as a potentially terrible mistake. The team had considered calling the product "More Years," Franson said, before deciding to keep the more provocative working name they had been using internally.

A good product needs a way to reach customers

Franson said the failure of Most Days taught him that product quality alone wouldn't cut it. A consumer company also needed a way to get attention without spending heavily to buy it, he said.

When Franson went to Most Days' investors about the shift, he said they faced a choice: Take back a fraction of their investment or support the Death Clock idea. Their reactions to the name were sharply divided, Franson said.

"People either loved the name Death Clock, or they hated it, but they didn't forget it," he said.

Franson came to see the name as a distribution strategy in a crowded consumer-health market, where companies with ample funding can spend heavily to acquire customers. Death Clock's name comes with risks, he said, including whether the attention-grabbing approach will keep people from taking it seriously as a consumer-health product.

The episode reinforced an idea that Franson now cites about building startups: First-time founders focus on product; second-time founders focus on distribution.

While the company's name is provocative, Franson said the company remains restrained about the health interventions it recommends. Death Clock doesn't sell peptides, he said, because the company's clinical advisors don't believe the science supports their use. It's a choice that means forgoing potential revenue, Franson said.

The lesson he took from Most Days was not that founders should never persist, but that they should recognize when it has become a form of rationalization.

"It's hard to tell the difference, a lot of times, between slow success and slow failure," he said.

• A small upstate New York library is offering a "Bye Bye AI" event.
• The librarian will help people turn off AI features on their phones or email. She told BI she's also happy to help people set up AI.
• The event has gone viral, with people around the world wanting to tune in.

North Chatham, a hamlet in upstate New York halfway between Hudson and Albany, doesn't have much going on. You have to go to the next hamlet over for a store or restaurant. There's a church, a post office, and a small public library with only about 800 cardholders.

The North Chatham Free Library has gotten a lot of attention lately, however, after a flyer for an upcoming "Bye Bye AI" event offering to remove the AI features from your phone or laptop went viral on Facebook, getting over 200 comments and 8,000 likes.

The poster was made by the library's sole full-time librarian, Shea Wert. Wert told Business Insider that she had made this event in response to community demand — and was surprised by the reaction from far-flung places.

"Do I live anywhere near this library? No. Am I in support of this? Hell yeah!" wrote one commenter.

"I had to look at the library's main page to see where Chatham is. I'm in central CA and wonder if we can have a digital guide that our own Mariposa County Library could use for a similar program?" wrote another.

"As someone in Ohio who just happened upon this post; will this be streamed or recorded?" someone else asked.

"As somewhere near Chatham, UK, I was a little confused at first Regardless, thanks Shea!" a jolly Brit wrote.

The library does weekly tech support drop-in hours, and in April it held an "AI for seniors" class that covered the basics of AI and LLMs. But this latest offering was something new. The idea was based on requests Wert had noticed from the community.

"There's just been enough patrons asking about certain things that bothered them, specifically Gmail auto replies and auto completes really frustrate people," Wert told Business Insider during a recent phone call.

"I went to a presentation that another librarian was doing about this topic, and they had had success with it. And I was like, 'Okay, well, I've heard enough from my patrons that they're worried about this stuff or frustrated about this stuff that I might as well try to do one.'"

That other librarian, Hannah Cyrus, published a column in a journal of library studies, writing that "libraries have a role to play in facilitating patrons' rejection of technology, just as much as in their adoption of it."

Cyrus has offered a series of free classes for patrons, teaching them how to turn off or avoid AI tools on their phones and computers, with great success — and a much larger turnout than other tech classes. TechCrunch reported in July that Cyrus's article in the library journal inspired other librarians to reach out and ask for help running their own versions of the classes.

"I've heard from hundreds of librarians from all over the world asking for my presentation slides," she told Business Insider.

One of the groups that reached out was a consortium of libraries for the Hudson Valley area, which included the North Chatham Free Library. Cyrus gave a webinar to a group of librarians, including Wert, about how she ran the "Avoiding AI" class.

In Wert's personal life, she admits to staying a bit of a Luddite, preferring to use a dumbphone. But she's not adamantly anti-AI and has used AI tools for work to draft outlines or write dense policy text.

"There have been some patrons that I know are using LLMs, and I'm happy to help them with it. I've helped them write better prompts, although that is far less common," she said. "It's more common that they haven't used it and they don't want to use it."

Both Wert and Cyrus said that most of the people who come in for help with AI or tech in general are older adults, who are often frustrated by new AI features on the services they already use.

The Bye-Bye AI event will take place next week, and Wert isn't entirely sure what to expect given the viral reaction on Facebook.

"I'm a little concerned based on setting it up as a drop-in thing that there'll be people waiting because I can only help so many at one time," she said. "But I don't know. If 20 people come, that would feel like a lot to me."

• Ivailo Chaushev has earned six figures in profits as a day trader.
• He's been trading for 16 years and has learned a few things along the way.
• "Meme stocks are very difficult to trade, and I do not recommend anyone do it," he said.

"You actually can be wrong quite a lot and still make money."

That's one surprising lesson learned by Ivailo Chaushev, a day trader who's been navigating the market for 16 years, inspired as a teenager watching his father trade. Chaushev says he hasn't racked up the gains by putting on exotic options bets or trying to ride momentary meme stock hype.

He said he's generated his returns by watching the market, and investing steadily in popular stocks like Nvidia and funds that track major indexes and sectors, mostly in the US. Business Insider viewed screenshots of his brokerage account to verify the gains.

He said his early days as a trader were consumed by quotes and charts and screens, but things are more balanced now and he's learned some valuable lessons along the way.

Here are his top tips for traders trying to navigate the shifting sands of today's stock market.

Don't over-leverage

The possibility of maximizing profits via leverage can be tempting, but Chaushev made it clear that he sees it as a significant risk that traders should make sure they understand. He noted that over-leveraging is the most common mistake he has seen new traders make. When combined with overconfidence, the results can be brutal.

"These two are connected," he said. "When traders become overconfident, they use too much leverage and they blow up. Above all, be humble, because if you're not, the market tends to find a way to humble you very quickly."

Avoid meme stocks

Since GameStop mania in 2021, meme stock hype has ebbed and flowed, but it's always a tempting siren song with its promise of rapid, eye-popping returns. The GameStop squeeze kicked off a new era for retail traders, luring many into the market to chase gains in shares of struggling companies like AMC Entertainment and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Chaushev said that the extreme volatility of meme stocks makes them a major hazard for most traders, with speculative gains that often evaporate quickly, leaving many traders holding the bag.

"Meme stocks are very difficult to trade, and I do not recommend anyone do it," he noted. "When it comes to social media, people need to do their research."

He also advised traders to avoid stocks that are constantly hyped by financial influencers, noting that by the time traders hear about a rising meme stock, its often too late to make money.

Don't buy the "get rich quick" talk

Chaushev also addressed the popular view that day trading is an effective way to get rich quick. In reality, trading is difficult, and most traders lose money for a variety of reasons.

"It's not a fast process. You will not turn $1,000 into a couple of million in three months. You need discipline and you develop discipline by just being in the market for a long time."

While he acknowledged that some traders have turned a quick buck in the market, Chaushev says lucky timing is the big factor in those instances. He urges retail investors to instead be ready to stick to an investing strategy for years—and be ready to possibly lose some money along the way—before they see the gains really compound.

• Some young people see betting on sports as an alternative to investing in the stock market.
• They say they're using strategies popular with pro traders to boost the odds of making money.
• "I chose sports betting because I feel that I can have a higher return in a shorter amount of time."

Bill Collins was 18 when he first walked through the doors of Gamblers' Anonymous. He lost over $1,000 betting on college basketball, and, after attending six months of GA meetings, thought he had learned his lesson. He realized he needed to leave gambling behind and never touch a sportsbook again.

Collins has not followed through.

Over two decades later, he now makes a living off of sports betting and identifies himself as one of the ultra-rare sharps in the industry. Collins made $12,656 sports betting in August, netting a gain of more than 8% on his bets, according to screenshots of his sports betting accounts he showed to Business Insider.

Collins says his career — betting on sports and making content full time — isn't a symptom of the gambling problem he used to have because he's using more advanced strategies like arbitrage to secure a small, guaranteed profit on his wagers. He now sees sports betting more as a grind rather than a lotto ticket.

"A 3%-5% return, that's fantastic," Collins said, laying out the math for how daily compound returns meant his sports bets can often beat gains in the benchmark stock indexes.

"This is money that I could choose to put into the stock market. I chose sports betting because I feel that I can have a higher return in a shorter amount of time."

Americans are betting on lots of things these days, thanks to the prolific rise of app-based sports books and an explosion in popularity around prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.

But some see the vice more like investing, use strategies employed by traders and placing a large volume of wagers to net a tidy profit through scale.

Business Insider spoke to three sports bettors about their paths and ultimate ambitions for their money. They were united by common goals of reaching financial independence and quitting their jobs, with some even claiming that sportsbooks were a better place to grow their wealth than the S&P 500.

More than half of Gen Z investors say they've redirected investment funds into sports betting platforms. Over a quarter, 26%, said they saw sports betting as a long-term "investment strategy," according to a recent Betterment survey.

Among Gen Z investors, 15% said they saw sports betting as a way to "accelerate a goal," the survey said, referring to major goals like homeownership.

Sports betting has become nearly ubiquitous in popular culture, particularly after the Supreme Court overturned a federal ban in 2018. The industry is now valued at $17 billion, a 4,150% increase from $400 million in 2018, according to Betterment.

For some, the prospect of financial independence has drawn them to sports betting. Collins, who said he dreamed of being financially free, decided to officially quit his day job in 2023 and immerse himself in sports betting full-time.

"It was your classic 9-to-5 job, weekends off, maybe the occasional work-late on a Friday," Collins said of his old career. "I kind of knew that I needed to find a different path in life."

An alternative to stocks

Collins stayed away from sports betting for more than a decade before diving back into it in 2021. He was newly divorced and moved to Arizona right as sports betting became legal in the state. On the cross-country drive, he listened to a YouTube video from the sports betting influencer Alex Monahan, which discussed arbitrage. It sounded too easy to be true, Collins said, until he tried it.

Arbitrage, a tactic used by professional traders to take advantage of small price differences between otherwise similar assets, involves placing bets on all possible outcomes of a game across multiple sportsbooks, allowing them to profit from discrepancies between platforms.

Collins says his goal is to become the "first grade teacher" of sports betting. He spends around half of his day making wagers and half of it making content, sharing sports betting strategies with others. On videos posted online, he describes arbitrage as an "almost zero risk" strategy, assuming the bettor understands the math.

Despite his history in Gamblers Anonymous, Collins says sports betting is no longer a compulsive activity, since the math he uses to inform his bets has taken away the emotion and uncertainty that made gambling addictive when he was younger.

He acknowledges, though, that there's still a stigma, with his own family urging him to "spend a little more time with God" when they found out about his returning to sports betting in adulthood.

"Once I saw that if you could turn this into more of a grind and you stay disciplined and you start to see your account balance grow each day, it was just an absolute no-brainer," Collins said.

Collins' path reflects an altered version of the American Dream that some younger people have opted for. Similar to day-trading, the activity can be a draw for those who feel like the usual routes to success and comfort have been closed off to them, as wage growth stagnates and homeownership feels out of reach.

Monahan, the influencer Collins followed, said sports betting also allowed him to quit his job. The 30-year-old began wagering on games in 2018. At the time, he worked as a quant trader at Susquehanna, the trading giant that famously uses poker to teach new traders how to take risks.

Monahan says his finance background gave him a natural leg up. He accumulated more than $800,000 in lifetime profits from sports betting, according to one of his accounts.

He said he decided to leave the sports betting industry several years ago. He still bets occasionally but feels he's accumulated enough wealth to be financially secure and now has the freedom to pursue other projects.

"I made pretty good money," Monahan said, adding that he believes many other sports bettors also dream of making just enough to exit the workforce and pursue other goals.

Matt Downs, a 33-year-old sports bettor based in Florida, was working in a back-office job at a bank when he realized he needed a new career path.

The work was intense for the amount of compensation. He had been a lifelong sports fan, and along the way, learned of arbitrage and expected-value betting, a strategy where a bettor uses probability estimates to identify wagers that have favorable odds over the long-term. He began making wagers and creating content about sports betting on YouTube.

After several months, his income from YouTube matched his full-time salary, allowing him to quit his job to focus completely on sports betting. By the time he quit, Downs said he felt that sports betting was his destiny.

"This side job, if I went all in on it, would hopefully set me up for life," he said.

Sports bettors frequently hit a ceiling beyond which their potential profits are limited. That's because sportsbooks often recognize when a bettor is consistently winning, leading some venues to quietly limit the size and frequency of wagers. A bettor may have one or two successful years using strategies like arbitrage before they start to run into constraints, Downs said.

Downs, who transitioned to part-time sports betting after he began to run into limits, has made $21,366 in profit from sports betting so far this year, netting a 2% return on investment.

Downs says sports betting is one of the fastest ways a person can scale their wealth. However, similar to people who trade high-risk stock options, the risks are much higher, and most people are not winning regularly.

"If they call sports betting gambling, then they might as well call the stock market gambling," he added. "It's not gambling for those who are educated."

The industry's open secret

It's widely believed that most people who bet on sports consistently lose money. SportsBot AI, a sports-betting analytics site, estimates between 3% and 5% of bettors are "profitable long-term."

Technically, anyone can learn the fundamentals behind arbitrage and other strategies, Downs said. The caveat is that mastering those techniques often requires a person to make thousands of bets, and many people lack the patience to learn the mathematical principles that increase their odds of winning money.

"It's really hard to get a college kid to commit to the long-term results, especially if he's strapped for cash and doesn't have a bankroll to start out with," he said.

Collins and Downs, like other bettors, occasionally stumble in bad losing streaks. Downs lost $7,400 in a single day last year after a series of bets went awry while he was at a Disney park with his family. Collins said he lost around $12,000 in January, one of his worst months ever.

But faith that the math will work out in their favor keeps them going, they said.

"It was just one of those days where the variance bites you in the butt," Downs said.

• David Rubenstein says reading, writing, speaking, and passion will serve young people in the AI era.
• The billionaire told Business Insider he swore off gambling at age 16 and won't retire anytime soon.
• The Baltimore Orioles owner just released a book featuring his interviews with other team owners.

AI may be transforming the world of work, but the core ingredients for a successful career haven't changed, David Rubenstein says.

"For a young person, the best thing to do is: Learn how to read and enjoy reading, learn how to speak effectively and persuasively, and learn how to write reasonably well," the billionaire investor told Business Insider in a recent, wide-ranging interview.

The cofounder of private equity giant Carlyle also said to "find something that you really enjoy and make it your life's work."

"If you really enjoy something, it's not work, and you'll do much better at it," he continued. "Nobody ever won a Nobel Prize hating what they do."

Rubenstein, 77, acknowledged that more and more people are relying on AI chatbots to read and write, but he said the ability to discern between good and bad writing will remain important.

"I just think the basic skills that have gotten people to be successful over the last several thousand years are probably not going to go away," he said.

Rubenstein spoke to BI ahead of the release of his latest book this week: "Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports."

Recipe for success

The principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team also shared insights from his personal life.

Rubenstein said that as a wealthy parent, he kept his children grounded by emphasizing the value of education and work ethic to them, and "tried to be a role model by showing how hard work can lead to something productive."

All three of his kids went on to secure MBAs from Harvard or Stanford, and now work in private equity, he said. But he underscored that regardless of parents' best efforts, there's no guarantee how their children will turn out.

Asked about work-life balance, Rubenstein said he doesn't view his work as a "chore" or "drudgery," and feels "fortunate that I can do things I really want to do."

In recent years, he's pivoted from investing to interviewing everyone from Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon to Bill and Hillary Clinton, while also publishing seven books and counting.

Rubenstein said that owning a sports team has improved his work-life balance "because you have to go to games if you're going to be an effective owner, and I didn't go to that many games before."

The Wall Street veteran also touched on sports betting, saying that after he lost $18 on a bet in high school, he swore off gambling for life. "I learned my lesson when I was 16," he said.

Rubenstein said that if sports betting were to go away, "it wouldn't upset me, but I think it's here to stay."

He also discussed the trend of baby boomers working later in life. He and a lot of his friends are working as hard in their mid-70s as they were 10 or 20 years earlier, he said, as "we don't want to get off the stage."

Rubenstein said he doesn't know what he'd do with himself if he retired, and he worries there's a greater risk of dropping dead after retirement.

"So I'm not retiring anytime soon," he said.

• Daniel Dantus spent over eight years at BCG after graduating from the University of Michigan in 2011.
• He later moved to Juul and now works at Skan AI, a platform for observing AI agent behavior.
• "If a job does not work out the way you thought, you can always get another one"," he says

This is an as-told-to conversation with Daniel Dantus, a former BCG partner who's now a senior vice president at Skan AI, a startup that analyzes how work happens across a company. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

I came into consulting as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan's business school. I joined a student consulting club and landed at Boston Consulting Group in Chicago, first as an intern, and then full time.

What was special about BCG was that you were given a lot of rope from day one. My first week was training. By the second, I was on a manufacturing floor working with a large food-and-beverage company. We flew to Dallas and Mexico and visited plants. I was 20 years old. I was learning to enter new environments, build relationships, and have an impact.

I was at BCG for a total of eight years. For the first six, every project involved a different client, city, and team. Firms recommend continuity, but I loved diving into new things. I did operations work in manufacturing and supply chain, as well as in financial services. Later, after I moved to San Francisco, I worked in tech, focusing on sales and product strategy.

When I was promoted to project leader, my work shifted from delivering work to figuring out where I was going to build a business. I realized I wanted to keep learning and building products, which consulting projects generally do not allow over the long term.

So I took some transition time from the firm, which is paid time to take a breather and find the next thing. I made a list of companies I thought might be interesting and people I knew who might be worth talking to. I had about 100 conversations. Job searches are a numbers game, like sales. If you want to sell to 10 customers, you'd better start talking to 200.

That process led me to Harbor Freight Tools, a tool and equipment retailer, as the Director of Marketing, right after BCG. The mandate was to build out the company's digital marketing capability. It was my first "real job" after consulting, and I wasn't sure how learning to build PowerPoints would translate into delivering results. Still, by launching and scaling HFT's digital marketing channels across search, social, and display, I learned it did.

Two years later, I ended up at Juul. I had worked with the head of corporate strategy on a BCG project when he worked at Constellation Brands. He later went to Juul to build a new capability. I reached out to catch up, and it happened to be good timing. I started working on its corporate strategy team, then later ran global travel retail and product.

It was a turbulent time for the company. We went from about 1,000 employees to about 4,000 and then back to 1,000. It was also the first time I got to run a business over a longer term. Travel retail was my first sales job. You learn what it is like to be told no, to negotiate hard, to develop relationships, and to stand your ground.

In my final two years, I ran product and e-liquid development, my first technical role alongside a business role. I learned how to take a product to market.

I later returned to BCG as a partner. My work consisted of serving private equity clients in strategic due diligence.

My advice to people leaving consulting is that no single job is that important. Take time to pause and reflect, and do outreach in addition to considering inbound opportunities. If a job does not work out the way you thought, you can always get another one.

I joined Skan last year after reconnecting with its founders. It's a surprising turn of events. Five years earlier, I thought the problem the company was trying to solve was impossible: How do you use passive observation to understand a complex workflow, such as an insurance claim that takes two months to resolve?

Generative AI has made it easier to automate work where existing data — documents, databases, calls, and chats — is available. There's still a gap between clicks and tacit knowledge that explains how to execute a business process, and it's one of the biggest opportunities in enterprise AI.

After over a year at Skan, I know one thing: AI is just accelerating the same hard work that has always needed to be done.

• ADUs are popular for multigenerational living, offering affordable alternatives to nursing homes.
• Building ADUs can be complex and costly, but they provide family support and community proximity.
• "Having everyone on the same property is enormously valuable," one source told Business Insider.

Over the last few years, Linda Barton watched as her mom and stepdad progressively shifted from active 80-year-olds to, in her words, "children." Her mom with dementia became unable to take care of herself, while her stepfather, whose health has also declined, "acts like he's 6 years old."

The commute to see them, which was an hour each way from work, wore her down, and she didn't want them to move in with her because of space constraints. She did the next best thing: move them into her yard.

Barton, 55, and her husband bought a tiny home for $37,000 in their part of Texas, outside Houston. After months of installing a septic system, an electrical line, an entrance ramp, and indoor essentials, her parents moved in. A year later, they purchased another tiny home for her father-in-law on their property for $43,000.

They've hired caregivers for their three parents at rates below assisted living, making caregiving more manageable. Still, it's not a perfect solution. Barton said she's "drowning" in caregiving bills because neither Medicare nor hospice has provided much financial relief.

"If we don't pay for caregivers, we end up sacrificing work when they need something," Barton said. "It's exhausting, and we fear we won't live to see our own retirement due to the stress."

Caregiving costs have skyrocketed in recent years. Instead of emptying their wallets to pay for pricy rooms in nursing homes, Americans like Barton are building tiny houses, renovating sheds, and buying trailers as housing options for their aging loved ones who need full-time care.

With construction costs typically ranging from $100,000 to $300,000, not including expenses such as hiring an architect, setting up utilities, or obtaining construction permits, these accessory dwelling units require a significant investment. But the cost of even one year in a nursing home can be comparable: The service and insurance company CareScout found that annual private room costs in nursing homes rose from $111,000 to $130,000 between 2022 and 2025.

ADUs for caregiving have boomed in popularity

When Shalini Karnani Bonjour's father died in 2024, she moved her aging mother from Michigan to California to be closer to her family. At first, Bonjour, 50, considered renting an apartment for her mother or moving her into a senior-living community, but neither option was ideal.

Instead, Bonjour's family bought a home in the Coachella Valley with plans to build an ADU in the backyard where her mother can live independently. The $475,000 project is pricey, but more affordable than buying a larger home in the area.

Although it was the family's best option, Bonjour, 50, said, "The whole process has been difficult because there are so many things to manage. You're trying to keep the project affordable, keep your neighbors happy, and stay on track."

ADUs have become increasingly popular in California, attracting the attention of politicians and housing advocates to ease the state's housing crisis. Rachael Reiner, director of pre-construction and project management at the Bay Area-based ADU company Villa, told Business Insider that ADUs have become especially popular among multigenerational households. 75% of Villa's sales so far in 2026 have been for that purpose, many for caregiving purposes.

"The California housing market is so competitive and expensive, so for many families, finding a larger home or a second home within budget simply isn't realistic," Reiner said. "Building an ADU on an existing family property can allow these families to stay rooted in a neighborhood that they already know, without changing schools or their routines — especially for an aging family member, a routine can be so important."

An emotional decision

Sometimes, the decision to build an ADU to care for a loved one is driven by emotional rather than financial factors.

Lena Koropey decided to build an ADU in her Long Island backyard to allow her mother, who has later-stage Alzheimer's, to age in place. Once the two-bedroom, one-bathroom, 750-square-foot home is completed, the plan is for Koropey to move into the backyard so her mother and her full-time live-in caregiver can stay in the main house.

The plan isn't cheap — a full-time live-in caregiver from the firm she hired costs between $520 and $550 per day, and her ADU is estimated at about $450,000 — but Koropey said it will be worth it.

"Having everyone on the same property is enormously valuable," Koropey, 48, told Business Insider. "You can't really put a price on that sense of community, the bond of family, or the ability to support one another."

Despite the cost cutting from these "granny flats," most of the over a dozen people Business Insider interviewed said navigating the permitting process was a hassle. Some mentioned burdensome costs they hadn't anticipated. A few were wary of installing an ADU for fear of reducing their property value, while others regretted it after their loved ones moved out shortly thereafter.

"ADUs are helpful for certain situations where the care need isn't that great, or where somebody in the house has time to provide that greater care," Mildred Warner, a professor of city and regional planning at Cornell University who has studied ADUs, said. "There are other situations where it makes more sense to have people in older-adult apartment complexes."

Some families told Business Insider that because the ADU permitting process was so complex, they decided to build a house on a separate property. After nearly a year of trying to build an ADU, James Richard Cornell, 63, decided to build his mom a house on his property from scratch. Between 2013 and 2014, he obtained a permit, cleared the foundation, and installed plumbing, flooring, and siding. The 1,000-square-foot home cost about $110,000, and his mom paid for 90% of it. His mom has since moved into his main home following a vascular dementia diagnosis.

"Nursing homes are awfully expensive, and I promised her years ago that I would take care of her until her final days," Cornell said. "She's done so much for me, so it's fitting that I return it."

Removing the burden

In recent years, lawmakers in several states have introduced bills to make ADUs easier to build. In North Carolina, Rep. Vernetta Alston co-sponsored legislation requiring local municipalities to allow at least one ADU on lots with single-family homes. She told BI that, if it becomes law, the bill would be a meaningful way to help families who need more care options.

"I know all too well what it's like to live in this sandwich generation, where you're working and caring for kids and caring for older adults in your life," Alston said. "It would certainly be my hope that it could have an incredibly positive impact on people's lives and on their ability to afford all the basic needs for themselves and those that they love."

As Alison George's mother grew doubtful she could live alone, George, 52, decided to move to a home with a guest house in Raleigh. After $45,000 in renovations, George moved her mom into the guest house and became her primary caregiver.

At the time, her mom could take care of herself, but as her Alzheimer's condition worsened, George increasingly took time off from work to care for her. She was inconsistent with taking medication and struggled to maintain her social life.

While the arrangement worked for a few years, her mother's condition worsened, and she moved into an independent living facility, then memory care in 2021. By 2025, her mom's care was $7,800 monthly, and as George's savings dwindled, she moved her into a Medicaid facility. The tiny home sits empty on George's lawn.

"Looking back, I recognize her declining steps, though at the time, I may not have wanted to admit that was what was happening," George said.

• As AI, geopolitical, and economic doom dominate the mood, it's impacting how people invest.
• Financial advisors don't want their clients investing like it's the end times.
• They told us how they ground their clients' fears while still protecting their portfolio.

We're in a golden age for apocalyptic thinking.

The threat of AI has taken center stage, but there are omens anywhere you're motivated to look: countries trading ballistic missile fire, ballooning national debt, soaring energy prices, and, of course, that old standby, the climate crisis.

It's no surprise, then, that Gabriel Shahin, founder of private wealth advisor Falcon Wealth Planning, has seen the steady increase in doomerism among his clients since the COVID shutdown reach new heights this year.

Now, Shahin's firm is spending more time than ever protecting its clients from making financial decisions based on fear rather than logic.

"Our job is such a bizarre job," Shahin said, adding that sometimes being a certified financial planner isn't enough. "We need PhDs, or PsyDs, to be working at Falcon because that's what we do."

Finding a way to steer clients away from their apocalyptic visions while also protecting them against very rational fears is a balancing act for financial planners.

Dhruv Maniktala, chief investment officer for True North Advisors, told Business Insider that it's important to find a middle ground between "protecting against 'doom,'" and giving up on the upside that comes with keeping your money in the market.

"I think doomerism exists, but if you are wrong for 5 years, even if you are ultimately right after that, you are so far behind that it's impossible to catch up," Maniktala said.

Understanding doom

It's much easier to imagine a future "catastrophe" than "joy," said Dr. Daniel Crosby, chief behavioral officer at Orion Advisor Solutions. Psychologists call this the "negativity bias."

"It served our ancestors well when survival depended on noticing threats," he said. "It serves modern investors poorly when financial media outlets compete daily to feed exactly this instinct."

So, when a client comes in expressing concern over incoming doom, Rick Nott, a senior managing director at Angeles Wealth Management, tries to understand the "one emotion, above all, that is being communicated": fear. The role of a financial planner, he said, is to understand and respond to people's financial emotions.

"I view my job as grounding someone's goals, fears, and issues that could derail those goals into something that we can actually take financial action on," Nott said.

Shahin's firm, which focuses on volume and sees 3,000 leads a month, addresses its clients' fears in its marketing materials.

Every major election year, his firm creates landing pages on its website that engage with the political doomsday fears of both major parties, but ends up with the same message: political opinions and investing don't mix, and the best way to see your investments pay off is to keep investing.

Shahin finds that engaging with the fears rationally and calmly usually pays off.

Sometimes that means educating less-savvy clients that the US Treasury is extremely unlikely to go bankrupt, no matter the debt load.

"It's almost like people want to be calmed down," Shahin said. "They just need to tell you what's on their mind, and it's our job to calm them down."

Matching fear to a portfolio

Still, portfolios can be customized to every individual's personal fears.

"That's why everyone's portfolio looks different," Nott said. "Everyone's fear is so different."

For people who are afraid of the United States sovereign debt and a weakening dollar, Nott helps them move to non-correlated assets, he said.

For clients who not only fear AI but also harbor hatred toward those companies, Shahin recommends they actually invest in them as a form of emotional hedging.

"If they fail, you lose your money, but at least you're happy because one of the most powerful companies is out of business," Shahin said. "And if they make money, great, you just made a bunch of money."

In the end, when it comes to what a client wants, Nott is "Swiss," and does what his client has hired him to do, he said.

"I will, of course, educate and inform as much as possible, but at the end of the day, it is their financial capital," Nott said.

Shahin said that sometimes his firm will play hardball if a client wants to make incredibly risky moves — "We're not going to buy gold at $5300. If you don't like it, fire us" — but usually tries to find ways to satisfy the most stubborn clients with the least amount of money possible.

"We always say, 'Stop arm-wrestling the client, let's play Jiu-jitsu with them," Shahin said. "We give them a little so they feel like they have a win. On a million-dollar portfolio, with $10,000 or 1%, let's do what they want."

All-weather optimism

Other advisors, like True North's Maniktala, take an "all-weather" approach of "investing not for the most likely outcome, but for most potential outcomes." In other words, rather than building a portfolio solely around the expectation that markets will continue to go up, construct a portfolio so that there's ample protection if they don't too.

As CIO of sister-company Western Alternatives, Maniktala designed funds that use hedging or alternative assets to provide all-weather returns for the firm's clients. Due to demand from other advisors, they've now opened up to outside advisor clients as well, and he now manages $1.8 billion of all-weather funds.

Doomsayers attract the most attention, but Dr.Crosby said that over the long term, the "quiet optimism" of investing ends up winning the day. There's never been a 20-year period in modern market history in which the US stock market has produced negative returns, he said. By investing, you're making an "act of optimism" that "the future will be more productive than the present."

"The world has gotten safer, healthier, longer-lived, and more prosperous than the doomsayers of two centuries ago could have imagined," he said. "Investing well is, at heart, a wager that the next two centuries will continue the trend."

Are you a doomer? Do you want to talk about how it impacts your finances and investing? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at @alexnicoll.01 using a non-work phone, email at anicoll@businessinsider.com or alexonicoll@protonmail.com, or Twitter DM at @nicollsanddimes.

• When Heather Waughtel's dad died, a family friend covered the cremation after her card was declined.
• Waughtel and her husband both work full-time, but live paycheck to paycheck.
• "We're barely making enough to live. How can we afford for someone to die?" she said.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Heather Waughtel, 47, a project coordinator based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Business Insider has verified her income and her dad's funeral costs. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Before my dad died, I felt we had been responsible by discussing things like finances and the power of attorney. Dad had life insurance and said the cremation would be covered.

I soon learned that when a loved one dies in the US, you must deal with financial and legal questions while in the rawest stage of grief.

Dad died in July, at age 71. About two days later, a family friend and I called credit card companies, insurers, and the bank to close out Dad's accounts. That was how we discovered the life insurance policy had been cashed out. There was also no inheritance: Dad's estate was small and insolvent, with some credit card debt.

My husband and I both work full-time — I'm a project coordinator and he's a painter for a boat repair shop — but we still live paycheck to paycheck and our finances are always a concern. Sometimes, we have to choose between buying food and gas to get to work.

We had no way to pay for Dad's cremation, so a family friend loaned us the money. I didn't feel I had any other choice.

My dad died sooner than we expected

In the early 2000s, Dad transitioned and began identifying as a woman. She thought everyone would be upset, but I respected her so much for coming out and being open and honest about who she was. It was a major, positive turning point in our relationship after years of estrangement, and we remained close until the end of her life.

Her death didn't come as a total surprise, although it happened a little sooner than we expected. In the final years of her life, she had COPD and a chronic lung infection, and often struggled to breathe.

In early June, she went into a nursing home as her health deteriorated, and she rapidly declined. A month and a bit later, she was gone.

I thought we were prepared for Dad's death

I thought there would be some money to cover the immediate costs of her death, such as the cremation, but Dad had cashed out her life insurance policy a week before she died. I still don't know why.

The funeral package, which included transferring her from the nursing home to the funeral home, her cremation, the container for her ashes, service, and death certificates, cost around $3,700.

The family friend went with me to the funeral home to arrange Dad's cremation, and my credit card was declined. She put the charge on hers without me asking.

I felt guilty and kept thinking I should have used the power of attorney to make sure everything was taken care of before she died.

I could have gotten a second job to pay the friend back, but I already work 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., then drive home. Crowdfunding felt like my only option. I felt defeated.

I find myself anxious to take the site down, but I have to talk myself out of it. There is embarrassment in asking people to help pay a bill that should have been taken care of. There is embarrassment in not having the money.

It has been hard to grieve while in debt

Since all this happened, my husband and I attended a wills and trusts seminar. I've reviewed my life insurance policies and made sure everything is in order. I'm determined that my four adult children will not be left with a mess like this.

I still haven't scattered Dad's ashes. I haven't felt comfortable while the anxiety over paying the money back hangs over me. This situation has left me agitated. It has been hard to process my grief.

The system feels broken: too commercial, too American, and I hate that there are people making money off people dying.

We're barely making enough to live. How can we afford for someone to die?

• Instinct's new "Trusted Person" allows users to connect their AI agents and tag-team tasks.
• Some couples use it for shared to-dos or help planning surprise date nights.
• While it cuts down on emotional labor, a therapist says not so fast: You still have to put work in.

AI agents aren't just sneaking into your workplace anymore. Soon, they might be making regular appearances in your relationship.

Since the launch of Instinct, an invite-only AI assistant that went viral among Silicon Valley insiders in August, early adopters have been using it to offload tasks like booking hotels and scheduling appointments.

Then, on September 9, Noah Shinn, the company's 23-year-old founder, announced Instinct's new "Trusted Person" feature: You could now have your Instinct agent directly communicate with another person's Instinct agent to reduce the amount of "back-and-forth" in a relationship, such as coordinating plans and organizing vacations.

So far, some users have found it helpful. "Instinct syncs with my wife's Instinct so we can actually finish a shared to-do list," Alex Borkin, a 36-year-old entrepreneur who uses AI across his portfolio of companies, said on X, noting that it was easier than manually setting up AI agents using Claude Code or Codex.

While Instinct may help eradicate the most annoying part of a partnership (figuring out dinner plans when you both keep saying "whatever you want!"), it can also open up the possibilities of new relationship drama. Some users have already reported some issues, ranging from privacy concerns to accidentally spoiled surprises.

Your emotional labor robot

The greatest appeal of Instinct and other AI agents is their ability to cut down on what Borkin calls "boring tasks" — like booking appointments or getting refunds.

"I close the loop," Borkin told Business Insider. "I get to go to bed and not think of 'Did I take care of jury duty?'"

Like other working parents, Borkin and his wife use Instinct's Trusted Person feature to smooth out their day-to-day life as a family with two kids, ages 3 and 20 months (and a third child on the way).

Most recently, the couple used Instinct agents to send them individual reminders to complete tasks for their daughter's third birthday party, such as ordering food.

"It's nice not having to remind myself of something I asked my wife to help with, and then remind her if she's taking care of it," Borkin said.

The more invisible work within a relationship — such as nudging a spouse to finish a task you asked them to do — requires cognitive and emotional labor. Some partners, more often women, can feel as though they bear the brunt of this work, leading to tension in the relationship.

Annie Wright, a licensed psychotherapist who works with Silicon Valley clientele, told Business Insider that this dynamic is so common in heterosexual relationships that, sometimes, even AI agents don't fully solve the problem.

"Even when you have an AI agent, who's putting in the prompt to begin with, who's architecting out the idea, who's remaining responsible for the oversight of that agent?" Wright said. More often than not, she said it's her female clients who are tasked with the burden.

Wright said it can also be tempting to use AI agents as a way to avoid enduring "weaponized incompetence" when a partner performs the task wrong — or just keeps ignoring you.

"An AI agent isn't going to bring that same relational scar tissue into the dynamic with you," she said. "It's very compelling. It provides a kind of shortcut, but it doesn't eliminate all the work for you."

Deep intimacy required

Instinct fans have used it to do everything from booking a birthday cabin to canceling forgotten subscriptions, impressed by its ability to successfully follow through on semi-complex tasks. Users can send Instinct a simple text request to book an in-network doctor's appointment, and it seems to follow through effectively.

There's a catch, though: Instinct needs to know a lot about you to perform well. Depending on what you ask it to do, it might need access to your email account, calendar, or even credit card.

Users have reported troubling incidents, including privacy and security concerns. Some users have also reported hallucinations and what appeared to be leaks of strangers' data.

Out of caution, Borkin said he only linked Instinct to his retailer accounts (like Amazon and Costco) without directly giving it his credit card. He also uses a throwaway email account for Instinct to avoid the risk of any sensitive information being breached.

Naturally, AI agent mishaps can cause new issues in a relationship. Wright said the biggest risk is one person in the relationship now feeling responsible for checking that the AI agent properly followed through on instructions.

"One partner thinks they've handed off a task while the other partner still feels responsible for making sure it happens — now you've got a new argument," she said. "Technology can become another place where you're disagreeing about who's responsible."

When agents remove agency

Sometimes, Instinct's glitches can be more innocuous — even entertaining. Luba Yudasina, an angel investor, said she asked her Instinct to help her plan a surprise for her boyfriend, according to her post on X. She wanted it to ask him when he was free and what kinds of dates he would like.

Instead, it blabbed too much.

On a bigger scale, using Instinct raises questions about the merits of smoothing out every crease in a relationship. If that idyllic proposal was entirely dreamed up and coordinated by an AI agent, is it as romantic? If Instinct handles all the household logistics and plans all the date nights because your husband can't be bothered to, do you feel as seen in your marriage?

Wright said AI agents could almost be stand-ins for 1950s secretaries tasked with buying birthday gifts for their bosses' wives. "Getting help expressing your care versus outsourcing the attention that makes the gesture meaningful — that's a really important distinction to draw," she said.

There's a high cost to cutting out any source of conflict in a relationship: the ability to grow together. One satirical X post by Alex Cohen, the cofounder and CEO of the AI agent platform Hello Patient, summed it up best: Who's to stop the AI agents from absorbing each partner's passive-aggressive jabs, the humans behind the screens becoming empty husks occupying a living room together?

It illustrates Wright's biggest concern: skirting over real relationship issues for the sake of expediency.

"If we're already arguing about how much time we spend with your family, having software arrange another visit hasn't really settled anything," she said. "It's just made a decision before we reached an agreement and really done the hard relational work to arrive there."

For some couples, there's work that even the top AI agents aren't cut out for. Michael Stothard, a partner at Firstminute Capital in the UK who uses Instinct with his wife, shared on LinkedIn that he wanted to branch out from using it for administrative tasks alone.

"Michael asks his Instinct to pass you a message: 'I love you,'" his agent said.

His wife responded: "Tell him he's an idiot."

When Mackenzie Scott got divorced from Jeff Bezos in 2019, she became one of the richest people in the world overnight. Their divorce settlement was among the largest in history, granting her assets that included 4% of Amazon's stock — roughly $38 billion. She wasted little time before starting to give her fortune away, handing off large sums to organizations ranging from pandemic relief nonprofits to community colleges within a year of their split. Based on the coinciding of her left-leaning philanthropic efforts and her ex-husband's cozying up to the president, it would make sense if she weren't wild about what Bezos has been up to. But other than occasional blog posts about her charitable giving, Scott is famously tight-lipped. Mostly, she lets her actions speak for themselves.

So it didn't escape notice when Scott announced last month that she would be self-publishing a serialized novel, "Last Days in Two Nations (A History in Eighteen Minds)".

A former protégé of Toni Morrison, Scott previously published two novels under the name Mackenzie Bezos: 2005's "The Testing of Luther Albright," a family drama for which she won the American Book Award, and the 2013 thriller "Traps." "Last Days" is a departure from her earlier work. It's set in a dystopian near-future where America has been split into two opposing factions, the "Still United" states and an authoritarian regime called the Dakota Membership. Scott's third-person narration moves between the perspectives of a sprawling cast — 18 different characters, as the subtitle suggests. And while she worked with traditional publishers for her first two novels, Scott released "Last Days" in nine free installments on Substack over the course of August. It was one of the few ways, people online quickly pointed out, that her work would stay off of Amazon.

That doesn't mean Scott was trying to fly under the radar. Given her evident interest in preserving her privacy and ample experience of having her actions interpreted and misinterpreted by a rapacious public, she had to know that people would read her first published fiction in over a decade with eyes as all-seeing as Ring cameras. If she wanted to stay out of the spotlight, why did she announce the upcoming release on her verified X page, not to mention publish it under her real name? The fact that she put out this dispatch from a grim imagined future in such an unvarnished and public way feels like an invitation to speculate about what Scott thinks about her ex-husband, herself, and maybe even the rest of us.

The bulk of "Last Days" takes place over the course of one week in which various characters collide and conspire to free themselves from the shackles of the Dakota Membership. This fascistic society has been plagued by a slew of pandemics and is now a place where children with quirks and emotional lives, people whose parents had any brushes with free thinking or rebellion, and even those with the occasional seditious thought are liable to be shipped off to so-called self-improvement centers, subjected to gruesome gene therapy treatments, and worse. There's no internet or non-propaganda news. Even appliances like stoves and refrigerators have been banned, though party officials offer to supply them when they're looking for favors.

The man at the helm is President Damian Paxton, an autocrat with a fondness for eugenics, koi fish, lavish residences, and "subtlety in everything but geopolitics and women," with whom he likes to soak in a giant hexagonal bathtub with fake gold faucets shaped like dolphins, among other salacious activities. In short, he's a very 2026 cartoon villain. Scott's touch isn't exactly light; direct and allusive shout-outs to the Third Reich abound. ("Why can't anybody in this country hear a Nazi when they hear one?" one character asks early in the story while griping privately about Paxton's administration.) Reading about the rustic furnishings in one of Paxton's bunkers or an opulent regime party at Mount Rushmore, it's all too easy to picture a sovereign who looks something like a cowboy hat-clad Bezos in his infamous 2023 Vogue photo shoot, a newer, younger, filler-filled wife draped across his lap. The comparison isn't one-to-one, but Scott is clearly trafficking in the visual language of the second Trump administration.

In many ways, though, it is Liv Lockhart, the event planner behind these garish soirées, who is Scott's central character. On the surface, Lockhart is a true disciple, ready and waiting to do Paxton's bidding, made up exactly the way he likes (Paxton calls her a "smokeshow," and one of her female underlings describes her features as being "stuffed into a costume of sexuality like parts in a sausage casing"). Within the relative safety of her secluded home, she is someone else entirely: making fun of her supreme leader to curry favor with her disenchanted young son, Will, whom she keeps locked inside out of concern for his safety while she crafts an escape plan that will get the two of them to freedom. Lockhart harbors few illusions about the rules governing the world they live in; her goals are hardly humanitarian. "There are no good choices," she opines at one point. "This is not a fantasy buffet. It's a smorgasbord of shit sandwiches. Just pick one, take bite after big smelly bite, digest, and belly up again. Thought turds, choice turds, every country had its turds, pooped out on a banquet table by lonely baby-men." She is both complicit and a rebel, an author of Paxton's propaganda and a shameless non-believer. She justifies all of her misguided and perplexing actions as a manifestation of her unyielding maternal love.

Scott's descriptions are similarly heavy-handed throughout, especially in the book's denouement. Many of the characters we've come to know — a "therapeutic modification" patient; the party doctor who had been experimenting on him; a cook in one of Paxton's residences; even Deepak, a character we hear from only once — meet sudden and untimely ends. Finally, after a string of chaotic turns that find Paxton locked away (by choice!) in an underground bunker and starting every day with a cup of coffee brewed with beans from St. Helena, the remote island where Napoleon Bonaparte lived his last days in exile, Scott zooms ahead into the future. There, we learn from an adult Will that the Dakotas were eventually reabsorbed into the Still United states, where he is now working on a dissertation about "the intergenerational impact of narcissistic control on nation states and family systems." Still, making sense of all that has happened is a tall order. "We are comforted by the idea of the one narrative, fixed, linear, but all of the different versions are happening at once, and they change again when we think of them again at different times, or at different angles. The only common denominator is us," Will muses. "Maybe all the things we do to each other, and to ourselves, including violence, function to bring us into relationship with each other."

It's a baffling conclusion fit for a baffling project. Is Scott trying to make a point about narcissistic baby-man leaders, the moral compromises we all make, the value of interpersonal relationships in the face of authoritarianism, the fallacy of a fixed and linear narrative, or something else entirely? As Vanity Fair noted, Scott might have considered spreading her wealth a little further by hiring a freelance editor. The New York Post said the quiet part out loud, calling the project "hard-to-untangle." Whether the story's convolution was intentional or not, it doesn't make for very satisfying reading. After wading through a morass of unsubtle description, readers are left with more questions than answers about what message Scott stepped up onto her long-empty digital podium to convey.

Scott's chosen format doesn't help her cause. Readers have the option of accessing the text directly on Substack or downloading PDFs fashioned to look like a manuscript in progress, double-spaced and set in Courier. The latter presentation in particular lends the story an unfinished feel. Add to this the meandering plot and smattering of typos, and "Last Days" starts to seem almost dashed-off. It's so striking that one almost wonders whether this was actually intentional. After all, the choice to publish on Substack has aesthetic effects beyond the implicit anti-Amazon messaging. Perhaps Scott is trying to position her voice as one in a sea of many, not unlike her many characters' distinct and occasionally incoherent points of view.

The catch, of course, is that Scott isn't just like the rest of us. She's a household name, and her net worth is more than the entire US publishing industry's annual revenue. Unlike so many other self-published writers, her work won't be consigned to gather dust in the far reaches of Substack. Some 11,000 people subscribed to "Last Days in Two Nations," no doubt intrigued, as I was, by what Jeff Bezos' mysterious and brilliant ex-wife, a public figure famously adept at understatement, had to say. But as any disgruntled media worker could tell you, it is one challenge to get readers where you want them and another challenge entirely to keep them there.

The action-packed Billie Jean King Cup comes to a close this weekend as Czechia faces off with Ukraine. We've rounded up all the details on where to watch the Billie Jean King Cup final, including free and global streaming options.

If you don't want to read any further, you can live stream the Billie Jean King Cup final on T2 via a live TV service like Philo in the US, CBC Gem in Canada, and other international viewing options. You can access your streaming options from anywhere with a VPN.

Eastern Europe has been dominant in women's tennis this year, and this final epitomizes that. Czechia is the strong favorite with the likes of Noskova, Muchova, and Siniakova to choose from. The Ukrainians will be relying on Svitolina to inspire them to victory after reaching the final, even without Kostyuk, who withdrew earlier with a wrist injury.

Where to watch the Billie Jean King Cup Final for free

Certain countries will show select Billie Jean King Cup coverage for free. Canada offers pretty comprehensive coverage of Billie Jean King Cup matches on CBC, including the final, which can be live-streamed for free via CBC Gem. While the Tennis Channel requires a paid subscription in the US, the semifinals and final will air on Tennis Channel 2 (T2), which is available for free through select FAST services, including Philo's free tier in the US.

How to watch the Billie Jean King Cup Final from anywhere

Tennis fans away from the location where their streaming service works can still keep up with their favorite viewing options (including the free ones) with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are handy tech tools that let people temporarily change their virtual locations. They're popular among those looking to keep up with their usual services while traveling abroad or upgrade their cybersecurity.

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs in the game. It's fast, easy to use, and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more in our NordVPN review.

Where to watch the Billie Jean King Final Cup in the US

The Billie Jean King Cup is available in the US on Tennis Channel (T2). While the quarterfinals were available through the main Tennis Channel, which requires a paid subscription, you can access the final for free on T2.

T2 is available through select FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) services. While Philo has paid tiers, it carries T2 for free and requires no account creation to access the channel.

Where to watch the Billie Jean King Cup Final in Canada

CBC hosts Billie Jean King Cup coverage in Canada. Tennis fans can live stream the event for free on CBC Gem, which only requires account creation to start using.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

• Airlines are waiving change fees as a nor'easter bears down on the Northeast.
• The airlines include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and United Airlines.
• Over 87,000 customers in the region had lost power as of Saturday afternoon.

Major airlines are letting customers rebook flights around the Northeast for free as a nor'easter threatens the region.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and United Airlines have issued travel advisories for passengers flying this weekend to, from, or through several airports in the area, including LaGuardia Airport in New York and Logan Airport in Boston.

Travelers will be able to change their flights to new dates as late as September 29 or 30, depending on the airline. Airports affected by the travel advisories span from Virginia to Maine.

The advisories come as a major Nor'easter storm is hitting the East Coast on Saturday. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for portions of the state on Friday.

"The rain is underway, and while it's only a half an inch or so thus far, mark my words: Much more is coming," Hochul said at a press briefing Saturday morning.

By Saturday afternoon, over 87,000 customers in the region had lost power, according to PowerOutage.com, including nearly 35,000 in New York.

Over 260 flights at Boston Logan have been canceled as of Saturday afternoon.

• I attended high school in both Spanish and English after moving between countries.
• My Dominican transcripts led one school to automatically place me in ESL.
• Being underestimated made me determined to become undeniable in English.

There's a specific dread that comes from not knowing if the words in your head are the right ones in that language.

I lived inside that fear, not of a school test, but of speaking in class and having the wrong language come out, or the right one come out wrong.

I was born in the Dominican Republic. My parents divorced when I was 1, and left for the US, independent of each other, while I stayed behind in my maternal grandparents' care. At 6, my mother came back for me, remarried, with a new baby, and my legal documents. She'd divorce again, and with her third husband, she started a clothing manufacturing business that brought us back to the Dominican Republic, where I lived from 11 to 16.

Two high schools in Spanish in the Dominican Republic, for the freshman and sophomore years. Then two in English, junior and senior year, first in New Jersey, then in New York City.

I grew up learning how to switch between Spanish and English, and having to prove myself in both languages.

I was put in ESL classes

When I moved to the US, I was placed straight into an ESL class. Nobody tested me or heard me speak; they just saw a Spanish-speaking country on a piece of paper and decided who I was.

I hated that I had to prove myself every time I went to a new school. I had to perform on command for someone to believe that I could speak the language. I raised my hand when I didn't have to. I corrected a teacher's grammar once, in front of the class, just to watch her catch herself. I answered faster and sharper than I needed to.

Once, I wrote an essay on the Civil War and got called into the principal's office like I'd done something wrong. They said it was informative, precise, well written, remarkably so, for an immigrant. They accused me of plagiarism. My mother was called in. She didn't flinch. She'd watched me write it at our kitchen table and said so, plainly. The principal sat me alone with a blank page and a new topic: what the American flag stood for. I wasn't going to let him win this one either. I wrote about Betsy Ross bent over a needle and thread, stitching a symbol together before anyone knew what it would represent, and about pledging allegiance to that flag in a tongue I hadn't been born speaking. There was nothing left to accuse me of. I passed, and I made sure he knew he'd been wrong.

I wanted to get better

At my new school in New York, I asked a teacher how to get better. She said, "Read all the newspapers." So I did, every day, without missing one. That daily habit is the actual reason I can write at all. Nobody handed me that ability. A teacher trusted me with one honest sentence, and I built the rest myself, out of spite as much as anything else.

Looking back as an adult, I can see what it built in me. I wasn't just switching languages four times.

I learned to read a room quickly, having been misjudged in so many of them. I moved between the directness that English classrooms rewarded and the deference that Dominican classrooms expected, and I could use both as weapons when I needed to. I became fluent in both because people kept deciding who I was before I said a word, and my defense was to prove them wrong, until they stopped testing me. I wasn't behind, and I wasn't lucky. I was proving, one room at a time, that I was more than what anyone assumed on sight, and I am still doing it.

The mishmash didn't break me. It built me. I don't fear the blank page anymore, and I was never afraid of being doubted, because I always answered back with proof.

• My husband and I prioritize experiences like travel over gifts, sharing memorable trips together.
• Our relationship grew through thoughtful gestures that weren't tied to holidays or events.
• I'm glad we have memories instead of random trinkets.

It was my birthday and my now-husband and I had been dating for about three months. When he got to my house, he wished me a happy birthday, then he apologized, "I'm sorry I didn't get you a gift."

At the time, I was 31, had a good job, and could buy whatever I fancied, within reason. I couldn't come up with any material thing that I even wanted. "Don't be sorry," I told him, "It's a good thing. No obligatory gift giving." "No obligatory gift giving," he echoed.

And the precedent was set.

We don't wait for holidays to do nice things for each other

In the three months we had been dating, leading up to my birthday, my boyfriend had brought me numerous loaves of homemade bread; it was the pandemic after all. He had come to my house with jars of freshly made pesto, and he had made me or bought me dinner more times than I could keep track of.

If my husband has a love language, it's definitely food. All of those nice things he did weren't because there was a day marked on the calendar. He just did them because he wanted to.

In the six years that we've been together, we've only exchanged a handful of material gifts, none of which coincided with a holiday or a birthday. On one occasion, he went to Macy's to pick up a travel potty for our toddler. When he came back, he surprised me with diamond earrings. His reasoning? He just wanted to.

When my husband's parental leave ended, I wanted to do something special to commemorate how attentive and involved a father he is. Hallmark doesn't have a card for "dad going back to the workforce after parental leave." My husband dresses up for work, including a suit, tie, and cufflinks. I ordered him a custom pair of map cufflinks with his hometown on one cufflink and the city where our son was born on the other, so he would have something to remind him of our son at work. He wears those cufflinks on heavy rotation.

We value experiences over material possessions

Our rationale for resisting material objects is part practical, part philosophical. From a practical standpoint, our family of three lives in a one-bedroom apartment, and space is at a premium. When we first moved in together, we had to consolidate two one-bedroom apartments into one, which required both of us to pare down our belongings. Since then, we've adopted a one-in, one-out policy for anything that's not consumable. Philosophically, we resist the idea of centering our acknowledgment and appreciation of each other around holidays that, in our view, emphasize consumerism rather than relationships.

Instead of giving presents on our birthdays, we'll usually plan a trip around that time. We share expenses for the trip and plan it together because it's about making time to spend together, not who is paying for it. One year around my husband's birthday, we went to Mexico. He loves ancient civilizations, so we took a road trip to explore Mayan ruins. Another year around my birthday, we went to Spain. I love seeing castles and walled cities, so we planned a road trip around Madrid seeking out small towns with those features. My husband even booked a stay in a castle, which was unforgettable.

We make a point to perform gestures to show we care about each other, but we don't need a holiday to tell us to do it. As a couple, we've committed to having monthly date nights, alternating who plans each one. The person whose turn it is that month to plan date night picks the restaurant and pays for the dinner and the babysitter. Setting the intention to have a monthly date night ensures that we have consistent time as a couple, but doesn't put the pressure around a specific date, like a holiday does.

I'm glad we came to our non-obligatory gift-giving arrangement early on in our relationship and that it's something that we're both happy about. Now, when I look back on the years that we've been together, we have lots of memories and pictures instead of haphazardly purchased trinkets.

• Robbie Cartwright started selling items when he was about 11.
• He now makes hundreds of thousands reselling sneakers online.
• He was late for his own 21st birthday because he was working, and he rarely sees friends.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Robbie Cartwright, founder of Yorkshire Trainers. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I've been selling things since I was a child: candy bars, fidget spinners — you name it.

My middle school had a challenge to see which student could take a small investment of about $10 and make the most profit. I won, selling hooks to hang handbags on. I profited more than $1,000 over the six weeks of the challenge, although it was all for charity.

By the time I was about 14, I was reselling sneakers. Some kids have hobbies or play sports, but I would troll eBay, looking for deals that I could make a profit on. I reinvested what I made, and soon started camping out in line for exclusive sneaker drops. I might spend $200 on a pair of sneakers from the factory, then resell them for $1,000 later that night.

That was my whole weekend: sourcing items to sell. Sometimes I could convince my friends to come camp outside stores with me. My parents weren't too keen on the idea of me sleeping outside overnight, but they let me do it. I believe it made me a tougher person.

I'm making tons of money, but that's not what motivates me

If I sold three pairs of sneakers, I'd use the profit to buy five more. I viewed selling as more of a hobby than a job. Still, it was taking up a lot of my time. I didn't study much and found any excuse I could to get out of school. By about 17, I was all in on the business.

That was four years ago, and the business has grown massively. Today, I do five figures of sales each month, and in May, I hit a record: more than $280,000 in one month.

Money isn't my main motivator. The industry of reselling online via live-streaming is still young, especially in the UK, where I'm based. I'm chasing that top spot in the industry because it's still up for grabs.

Friends have drifted because I'm so focused on work

Being so dedicated to work impacts all areas of my personal life. I used to go to watch my favorite football team with my friends every week. Now, I haven't seen a game in probably three years.

Unsurprisingly, my friends have drifted away. I'm not still friends with anyone I went to school with. I did a vacation with a new group of friends and had a great time, but for the next two years, I didn't want to take time off work to join their trip.

I just turned 21, and my parents hosted a party beginning at 5 p.m. on a Sunday. I worked until 7, and was late to my own birthday. My parents wish I wouldn't work so much, but I'm all gas, no brake. I figure that I can be on a yacht at 40; I don't need to be there at 20. I want a family, eventually, but not for a long time.

I don't see myself slowing down

Since I'm working all the time, I don't spend much money. Despite selling high-end sneakers, I don't spend much on clothes for myself. I'm wearing a $30 pair of sneakers today, and they're worn out. I also still live at home with my parents. I'll do that until they kick me out.

Last year, I bought two rental properties. I paid cash, so I don't have a mortgage. Other entrepreneurs have told me to invest when I'm young. Real estate is my way of doing that. I've invested a little in stocks, but mostly want to stick to what I know, and that's real estate. I'm a simple man.

Too many people my age are focused on instant gratification, but I'm the opposite: I want to build my wealth now. I get my thrill from watching the business grow, not from spending money.

Right now, I'm happy working full throttle. I'll do that until I hit a wall. I don't see any reason not to. I know I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I'm young — I have time to make mistakes.

• When we moved to an Italian village, my biggest worry was being far from my parents in the US.
• They were excited to visit us in Sicily, though, and even started looking at properties.
• Now, they're buying a house here — and the process has brought us closer than ever.

Nearly three years ago, my husband and I moved from New York City to a hillside Sicilian village. We'd bought a house here remotely, without seeing it in person until several months after the closing.

During the unconventional process, my now-75-year-old parents, based in Colorado, were our biggest supporters. We had long phone calls, during which we reviewed the pros and cons of each property.

They were as immersed in the adventure as we were. Sometimes, they'd even talk about "our house in Sicily" — as if we were buying them a Mediterranean home.

Still, I worried about how they'd feel when we decided to move here full-time. My dad's response: "We thought you'd do it sooner." Then, my parents started planning their first visit.

The hardest part of moving to Italy was leaving my aging parents

Supporting aging parents is emotionally fraught in the best of circumstances. Most of my friends in the US are struggling with it right now. Since my husband had recently lost both of his parents, we spent two months visiting mine before our one-way flight to Italy.

As if to drive home my worries, one night during this time, my dad had a health scare. He lost consciousness, and it took what felt like an eternity to revive him.

Paramedics rushed him to the hospital, and we learned that thankfully, he'd be OK — but for a few moments, I thought I was losing my dad.

Leaving felt like abandoning my family. In the years ahead, more care responsibilities would likely fall to my younger sister, who lives in Colorado near my parents.

My own chronic health issues also meant regular trips back to the US wouldn't be realistic. I just hoped that I could be helpful and supportive from afar.

My parents' first visit to Italy was a semi-disaster

After giving us a year to settle in Sicily, my parents planned their first monthlong visit. They arrived in mid-January 2025, and from the get-go, almost everything went awry.

They caught a norovirus while traveling, most excursions were rained out, and I mixed up the dates for the festival we'd scheduled their stay around. Oh, and the stray cat we'd been feeding had a litter of kittens in our kitchen! There was one unique highlight: My parents attended the oath ceremony for my Italian citizenship by marriage.

Despite that silver lining, I thought they would never want to return after so much chaos. But my parents are adventurous people — my dad worked as a Merchant Marine to put himself through college, then became a king crabber in Alaska. My mom spent years as a free-spirited hippie in California before studying art history.

On the days I worked, they explored our village on their own. They bought fresh bread at the bakery and picked up meat, cheese, and new friends at the macelleria.

Then my dad proposed an unexpected excursion: property viewings.

A surprise chance to become neighbors changed our thinking

Our local real estate agent said she had something special to show us: a newly listed three-bedroom house in our neighborhood.

Updated for one-floor living to support aging in place, the house even had a sizable (by Italian standards) walk-in shower. Upstairs were two more bedrooms, a half bath, and two enormous terraces perfect for gardening and grilling, some of my dad's favorite pastimes.

The best part? It was a 30-second walk from my home.

We all knew this house was the one. We loved the property, and also what it represented: a chance to reimagine our future yet again. Our offer was quickly accepted, though the path to closing has been slow.

My move to Italy brought us closer together

My parents returned for another month that spring and for three months this year. We were still waiting for the house to close, so finding short-term rentals in our non-touristy village was stressful but worth it.

We saw snow on Mount Etna, toured UNESCO World Heritage sites, shopped at bustling fish and produce markets, and spent hours getting lost on scenic backroads. My parents shared stories about their lives, some I'd never heard before.

For now, my parents plan to spend part of the year here, splitting their time near both of their daughters. A full-time move is a future possibility, though, so I've been keeping an eye on visa requirements.

I'm grateful that my 75-year-old parents are discovering new opportunities here in Italy. Now, instead of growing more distant — separated by an ocean and two continents — we're making lists of age- and mobility-appropriate future adventures.

• Pope Leo XIV spoke to diplomats in France on Friday.
• The Pope cautioned against losing our humanity "amid a paradise of machines."
• Addressing potential risks of AI has become a central theme of his papacy.

Pope Leo XIV has a new warning about AI.

The Pope cautioned against an overreliance on artificial intelligence and other technology during a speech to French diplomats, including President Emmanuel Macron, on Friday. Earlier that day, he traveled from Rome to Paris as part of an apostolic journey.

"If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a 'paradise of machines' invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment and the capacity to acknowledge the moral good," Pope Leo XIV said. "This is indispensable if we are to recognize the genuine good that enables human beings to flourish in accordance with their primordial vocation, with unconditional respect for their interior freedom and their sacred dignity."

During a separate speech at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization on Friday, Pope Leo XIV said AI can amplify misinformation.

"Indeed, without truth, language becomes subject to the logic of violence and to the arbitrary will of the powerful," he said.

Pope Leo XIV became head of the Catholic Church in 2025, three years after OpenAI launched ChatGPT and changed the AI landscape. Since then, tech companies like Google, Meta, and Anthropic have invested billions of dollars in a race to become the industry leader. Doing so could secure profits and market dominance, a massive victory for whichever company comes out on top.

Critics have expressed concerns that AI could exacerbate cybersecurity and privacy issues. An OpenAI agent escaped its system and hacked another AI company, Hugging Face, in July. Earlier this month, a research team at a small AI startup said it used Anthropic's Claude to hack into OpenAI's codebase. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google's Gemini had hacked three companies this spring.

And on Wednesday, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said an OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to a government website in June.

While tech leaders go back and forth on how to pace AI development, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly advocated putting humans first as the frontier AI model revolution rages on. In August, he warned that AI could become a new form of "economic colonialism."

"The rapid development of artificial intelligence risks creating new forms of technological dependence, with poorer nations increasingly reliant on wealthier ones," he said during a speech to Christian lawmakers. "We must remain vigilant in this regard, lest innovation become another vehicle for ideological or economic colonialism."

He's also discussed how AI could impact jobs, family units, and the environment.

• The White House is blocking CNN from traveling on Air Force One with President Trump on Saturday.
• CNN had been scheduled to travel with Trump to Knoxville, Tennessee.
• The move is the latest development in the Trump administration's ongoing fight with CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO.

The White House is blocking CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One with President Donald Trump on Saturday, a CNN spokesperson confirmed, days after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore the network's access to the White House, along with POLITICO and MS NOW.

CNN had been scheduled to travel with Trump to Knoxville, Tennessee, where the president is expected to attend a college football game, as part of the rotating television press pool that covers the president in settings where space is limited. The pool's reporting and video are shared with other television networks.

But CNN was left off White House guidance for Saturday's trip, preventing the network from carrying out its scheduled pool duties aboard the president's plane. Such interventions in the television rotation have historically been rare. Typically, the five networks decide who is up for rotation.

A Saturday pool report noted that there would be no TV pool for the Tennessee trip, "meaning there won't be widely available independent video of events."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move marks the latest development in the Trump administration's ongoing fight with CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO over access to the president. Trump announced last week that he was barring all three news organizations from the White House, accusing them of repeatedly reporting "FAKE NEWS."

CNN was also prevented from traveling aboard Air Force One when Trump traveled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. In response, the four other members of the five-network television pool — ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News — declined to take CNN's place.

But a federal judge early on Thursday stepped in and ordered the White House to immediately restore the three news organizations' press credentials.

On Saturday morning, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "FAKE NEWS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!! IT HAS GONE ON FAR TOO LONG, AT A TREMENDOUS COST TO OUR COUNTRY."

This story originally appeared on POLITICO and is courtesy of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, which harnesses the resources of the company's newsrooms to publish ambitious scoops, investigations, interviews, opinion pieces, and analysis. It allows journalists — including those from POLITICO, Business Insider, WELT, BILD, Onet, and Fakt — to collaborate on major stories for an international audience of hundreds of millions across platforms.

• Usually, "Saturday Night Live" is hosted by an actor or comedian, or sometimes a musician.
• But every so often, a brave athlete will try their hand at live sketch comedy at Studio 8H.
• Jalen Brunson will be the latest to give it a go on September 26, 2026.

Who wants to bet we'll hear "Live from New York, Knicks in five!" this weekend? Anyone?

Maybe you'd be more willing to take those odds when you learn that Knicks star Jalen Brunson is hosting "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, making him a part of a somewhat rare club: the athlete who's tried their hand at sketch comedy and hosted "SNL."

In over 1,000 episodes of the show, just 36 athletes have taken the big job at Studio 8H.

Charles Barkley, Travis Kelce, Michael Jordan, Ronda Rousey, Wayne Gretzky, LeBron James, Nancy Kerrigan, and Michael Phelps have all hosted the show before, to varying degrees of success, so Brunson is in good company.

Here's the full list of athletes who have hosted "SNL."

The first athlete to ever host "Saturday Night Live" was Fran Tarkenton on January 29, 1977, while he was playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

Tarkenton hosted during the second season of the show, with musical guests Leo Sayer and Donny Harper. The famed quarterback appeared on the show just 10 days after his team lost to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI.

On February 25, 1978, controversial former football pro OJ Simpson became the second athlete to host "Saturday Night Live."

Simpson can be seen here wearing one of the famous Coneheads. He appeared on the episode alongside musical guest Ashford and Simpson.

Legendary basketball player Bill Russell hosted on November 3, 1979.

Russell's episode aired during season five of the show, and he was accompanied by musical guest Chicago.

Football coaching icon John Madden made his way to Studio 8H on January 30, 1982.

During this time, Madden was working as a sportscaster for NFL games — clearly, hosting was in his wheelhouse. The musical guest for this season seven episode was Jennifer Holliday.

Former baseball player, Milwaukee Brewers announcer, and occasional actor Bob Uecker took on hosting duties during the October 13, 1984, episode.

Uecker was the announcer for the Milwaukee Brewers for over 50 years, until his death in January 2025. He also made frequent appearances as "Mr. Baseball" on "The Tonight Show" under Johnny Carson's tenure, and starred on "Mr. Belvedere" for over 100 episodes.

Uecker was joined by Peter Wolf as the musical guest in this season 10 episode.

Former NFL defensive tackle and actor Alex Karras hosted on February 2, 1985.

Karras appeared 15 years after he retired from the NFL in 1970. He was smack in the middle of his starring role on the sitcom "Webster," in which he played a retired football player who took in his godson, Webster, after his parents died.

The musical guest in this season 10 episode was none other than the queen herself, Tina Turner.

Pro wrestlers Mr. T and Hulk Hogan co-hosted on March 30, 1985.

Season 10 was filled to the brim with athletic hosts, including two of the most famous professional wrestlers of all time, Mr. T and Hulk Hogan, on the night before the very first WrestleMania took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden.

The wrestlers were joined by The Commodores in season 10, episode 16.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler, one of the greatest middleweight boxers of all time, showed off his comedic chops on May 17, 1986. He co-hosted with journalist Jimmy Breslin.

Hagler hosted the show two months after what was his most recent victory (and what turned out to be his last career win ever) against John Mugabi, a silver medalist from Uganda.

Breslin and Hagler were joined by musical guests Level 42 and E.G. Daily.

Beloved Yankees manager Billy Martin co-hosted the season 11 finale with Anjelica Huston on May 24, 1986.

"SNL" loves paying homage to its New York heritage, as evidenced by the 11th season finale, which saw beloved former Yankee second baseman and frequently fired manager host the show, alongside Huston.

In the episode's final moments, "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels "fires" Martin for drinking on the job, and Martin retaliates by setting the dressing rooms on fire, prompting the message "Who will survive? Tune in October 11" to flash across the screen, poking fun at the dramatic soap opera cliffhangers that were popular at the time.

Huston and Martin's episode included George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic as musical guests. 

Football stars Joe Montana and Walter Payton co-hosted an episode that aired the night before the Super Bowl, on January 24, 1987.

Payton, one of the most beloved football players of all time — he was known as "Sweetness" around the NFL — had just finished the last season of his 13-year career when he hosted the ninth episode of season 12 alongside Montana.

Montana, not to be outdone, had two Super Bowl wins under his belt (and would go on to win two more).

Payton and Montana, and the rest of the audience, were regaled by the sounds of Debbie Harry as musical guest.

Carl Weathers was a professional athlete before he pivoted to acting — he played football for five years. He hosted "SNL" on January 30, 1988.

Weathers is now known, of course, for his role as Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" movies, as well as for playing Greef Karga in "The Mandalorian" before his death in February 2024.

But before that, he played professional football for five years with the Oakland Raiders and the BC Lions (of the Canadian League).

He hosted the January 30, 1988, episode as part of the promo tour for his February 1988 film "Action Jackson" and was also fresh off his part in "Predator" as Dillon.

The musical guest for season 13, episode 10, was Robbie Robertson.

Wayne Gretzky, arguably the most famous hockey player of all time, hosted on May 13, 1989.

Gretzky appeared as the "SNL" host in May 1989, right after his first season on the Los Angeles Kings had concluded — his first season playing for an American team. 

Gretzky was joined by Fine Young Cannibals, of "She Drives Me Crazy" fame.

Tennis player Chris Evert was the first female athlete to host the show. She hosted on November 11, 1989.

Evert appeared on the show just one month after she had retired from professional tennis on October 9, after 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

That season 15 episode also starred the Eurythmics as the musical guest.

Michael Jordan took his turn on the 30 Rock stage on September 28, 1991, just a few months after winning his first NBA championship.

Jordan and the Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship on June 12, 1991 — then Jordan took his talents to NYC for the premiere of season 17 in September. Jordan was joined by musical guest Public Enemy.

Charles Barkley has hosted "SNL" four times, most recently on March 3, 2018.

The 11-time NBA All-Star hosted for the first time during the season 19 premiere on September 25, 1993 — the same year he was voted the NBA's overall MVP. The episode's musical guest was Nirvana.

He returned almost two decades later on January 9, 2010, during season 35. It was the first episode to air in the 2010s, and Alicia Keys was the musical guest.

Barkley returned two years later for the 11th episode of season 37, this time accompanied by Kelly Clarkson, on January 7, 2012. Earlier that day, he was a guest commentator for the NFL Wild Card playoffs, which was taped next door to "SNL."

His fourth appearance on the show was on March 3, 2018, during season 43, and he was joined by musical guest Migos.

Nancy Kerrigan hosted "SNL" on March 12, 1994, a few weeks after she won a silver medal at the Olympics and two months after the brutal attack in Detroit.

Kerrigan hosted "SNL" after earning a silver medal in figure skating at the 1994 Olympics in February. It also came after a few less-than-stellar media gaffes, including complaining about participating in a Disney World parade and dissing gold medalist Oksana Baiul.

Kerrigan hosted the 15th episode of season 19, which boasted Aretha Franklin as musical guest.

Boxer George Foreman made his "SNL" debut on December 17, 1994, two months after he became the oldest fighter ever to win a World Championship.

At 45 years old, Foreman became the oldest fighter to ever win a World Championship when he bested Michael Moorer on November 5, 1994. The next month, he headed over to Studio 8H to try his hand at hosting "SNL," accompanied by musical guest Hole, during the ninth episode of season 20.

One month after he won his first Super Bowl, Deion Sanders hosted "SNL" on February 18, 1995.

At the time, Sanders was a cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers. He earned his first Super Bowl ring on January 29, 1995. Only a few weeks later, he made the cross-country trip to Manhattan and hosted this season 20 episode, with musical guest Bon Jovi.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has hosted five times: March 18, 2000; April 13, 2002; March 7, 2009; March 28, 2015; and May 20, 2017.

Johnson is more well-known for his acting career than his wrestling one at this point, but when he made his "SNL" debut in 2000 with musical guest AC/DC, he was still credited as The Rock and was fully entrenched in WWF fighting.

The next time he appeared, in 2002, he had made his feature film debut in "The Mummy Returns," and he was there to promote his first leading role in April 2002's "The Scorpion King," with musical guest Andrew W.K.

Johnson returned seven years later with musical guest Ray LaMontagne in 2009 to promote "Race to Witch Mountain." He made another hosting appearance in 2015 in season 40 with musical guest George Ezra — this time, for his role in "Furious 7."

Most recently, he joined the Five-Timers Club in 2017, hosting the season 42 finale, accompanied by Katy Perry, promoting none other than "Baywatch."

New York superhero and one of the most famous Yankees of all time, Derek Jeter, hosted on December 1, 2001.

Though the Yankees lost the World Series that year, Jeter was still a local hero to many New Yorkers that season, especially after the devastating effect that 9/11 had on the city and the country. The 2001 World Series was the first professional sports championship that was played after the attack.

The baseball player brought the laughs, alongside musical guests Shakira and Bubba Sparxxx in season 27, episode seven.

Jonny Moseley, a famed freestyle skier, hosted the post-Olympics show on March 2, 2002.

Though Moseley just missed medaling at the 2002 games (he placed fourth), he had earned a gold medal in 1998, and he'd made a name for himself as the first skier to medal in both the X Games and the Olympics — he's been named one of the most influential skiers ever.

He hosted episode 13 of season 27, with musical guest Outkast.

NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon traded the track for the stage on January 11, 2003.

Gordon appeared as the "SNL" host smack in the middle of his illustrious racing career — he'd already won the Daytona 500 twice and the Winston Cup four times.

In perhaps the most 2003 episode of "SNL" ever, Gordon was accompanied by musical guest Avril Lavigne, who performed her hit, "Complicated."

The reigning US Open Tennis champion Andy Roddick hosted "SNL" on November 8, 2003.

Roddick earned his one and only Grand Slam title in September 2003, a few weeks prior to his hosting gig. He was joined in this season 29 episode by Dave Matthews & Friends, and his fellow tennis pro, John McEnroe, who made multiple cameos throughout the episode.

Of course, McEnroe is known to a whole new generation as the beloved narrator of "Never Have I Ever."

Tom Brady was fresh off his third Super Bowl win when he hosted the April 16, 2005, episode of "SNL."

Brady was well on his way to cementing his GOAT status in football, but, in classic Brady fashion, he just had to take it a step further by trying out a whole new skill: sketch comedy. The quarterback had just won his third Super Bowl in February 2005 against the Philadelphia Eagles when he hosted the 17th episode of season 30.

Brady was joined by musical guest Beck.

Cyclist Lance Armstrong hosted an episode on October 29, 2005, while his fiancée Sheryl Crow was the musical guest.

During the fourth episode of 31, "SNL" essentially became a date night for Armstrong and Crow, who, at the time, were one of the biggest celebrity couples. They split the following year.

Armstrong was tapped to host the show after winning the Tour de France in July, his seventh win and his final race before his (first) retirement. This win would later be stripped after Armstrong's doping controversy in 2012.

Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning hosted an episode on his 31st birthday, March 24, 2007.

He was also the newly crowned Super Bowl MVP — just a few weeks before, his team, the Indianapolis Colts, had beaten the Chicago Bears in February.

The football legend was not only joined by musical guest Carrie Underwood, but also by his brothers Eli and Cooper, his father Archie, and his mother Olivia to wish him a happy birthday later on in the show.

LeBron James was not yet the basketball powerhouse we all know him to be when he hosted on September 29, 2007.

Well, technically, James had been the All-Star Game MVP in 2006 before he took his talents to 30 Rockefeller Plaza to host the season 33 premiere on September 29, 2007, but he didn't yet have his four NBA championship titles.

The future "Space Jam: A New Legacy" star was joined by musical guest Kanye West.

For the second year in a row, an athlete hosted the season premiere, as Michael Phelps hosted the season 34 premiere on September 13, 2008.

Phelps was one month off his record-breaking performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he won eight gold medals. During his appearance on the show, he was joined by some all-star cameos — famously, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin for the first time.

In fact, this was the episode when she proclaimed she could see Russia from her house.

The episode's musical guest was Lil Wayne.

Five years after his older brother hosted, Giants quarterback Eli Manning took on hosting duties on May 5, 2012.

Also like his brother, Manning hosted the sketch show during season 37 after he won the Super Bowl, this time in February 2012 against the New England Patriots.

As "SNL" is filmed in New York, having the Giants quarterback in the studio to host was a real hometown hero moment — and his Giants teammates Chris Snee, David Baas, David Diehl, and Shaun O'Hara joined in on the fun.

The musical guest was equally, if not more iconic: Rihanna.

Ronda Rousey became the first female wrestler to host "SNL" when she appeared in Studio 8H on January 23, 2016.

Rousey hosted the 11th episode of season 41, a few months after she had fought the infamous match against Holly Holm, which resulted in Rousey leaving UFC for over a year — and, on a more positive note, a few months after she had been named the best female athlete of all time by ESPN.

Rousey was joined by musical guest Selena Gomez.

John Cena became the second wrestler host of 2016 when he tried out hosting during the December 10 episode.

Cena had a very busy 2016 — he began appearing on the reality series "Total Bellas" alongside then-girlfriend Nikki Bella, hosted the reality competition "American Grit," hosted the 2016 ESPY Awards, and then capped it off with "SNL," all while appearing at WWE events.

The wrestler was joined by Maren Morris as musical guest.

NFL star JJ Watt hosted the February 1, 2020, episode.

In one of the final in-studio episodes of season 45, Watt, then a defensive end for the Houston Texans, hosted the show alongside musical guest Luke Combs.

His episode was the night before Super Bowl LIV.

Newly minted two-time Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce hosted on March 4, 2023.

Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, hosted the episode with musical guest Kelsea Ballerini. His parents, Donna and Ed, and his brother, Jason, also made cameos.

Of course, since his episode aired, he's picked up another Super Bowl ring — and another ring on his left hand, too.

Jalen Brunson, Knicks legend and NBA Finals MVP, will host the premiere of season 52 on September 26, 2026.

New Yorkers will cap off a wonderful year to be a Knicks fan with Brunson's episode of "SNL." He'll be joined by musical guest Katseye.

• My husband and I finally redid the outdoor space of our fixer-upper home in Connecticut.
• We tore down the old deck and replaced it with a stone patio, which saved us about $33,000.
• The project cost us $27,000, and we now have a fantastic entertaining space that we love.

In 2023, my husband and I packed up our shoebox-sized apartment, said goodbye to our fast-paced Manhattan lifestyle, and headed to our new, adorable coastal Connecticut suburb. We purchased a fixer-upper and embraced it.

Our house was built in the '80s and came complete with linoleum kitchen floors, a compartmentalized dining and living space, and a dark-brown wooden back deck that had creaky steps.

Vision became our newest best friend, so we rolled up our sleeves and looked at each task as an exciting opportunity to make the house entirely our own.

Multiple renovation projects — and three years — later, the inside was just about done, and it was time to give the outside space its own personality.

Our newly renovated home deserved the same TLC on the outside as we gave it on the inside

The first spring in our new home, I spruced up the deck with an outdoor rug, a small sofa, two chairs, and fringed umbrellas as a sort of Band-Aid.

The deck was old and installed when the house was built in the '80s. It was too small for entertaining — and the overall aged condition of it was honestly a vibe killer.

Three years after purchasing our home, the backyard became a priority. After all, we were eager to spend most of our time outdoors enjoying the nice weather, and we wanted to make that area as nice as the inside.

We envisioned an outdoor space where we could entertain, kick back and relax, and make the most of our backyard.

But alas, we faced a crucial crossroad: Should we replace our deck with a new, larger one, or install a patio? We chose the latter and wouldn't have it any other way.

We saved a significant amount of money choosing a patio over a deck

An earlier renovation project we worked on involved swapping out our dated front porch for a new one with dark hickory-colored Trex decking and a cable railing to match our coastal aesthetic.

Based on the $14,000 price tag for labor and materials we invested in our front porch, we estimated that a new back deck built to the size we wanted — roughly five times our 8-by-10-foot front porch — would cost us over $60,000.

This estimate, along with our vision for aesthetics, solidified our decision to install a patio in our backyard. We ended up spending a little over $27,000 on a 600 square-foot (20 by 30 feet) patio, saving us an estimated $33,000 or more.

A patio made perfect sense for our dream of backyard entertaining and relaxing

From fine-tuning the right layout and stone pavers to selecting furniture that would optimize the space, we put much more thought into our patio than initially expected.

Our backyard genuinely deserved some extra love, and we gave it exactly that. It's now a peaceful oasis, complete with a backdrop of glacial rocks covered with ivy and lush foliage. In the future, we envision bountiful strawberry-vanilla hydrangeas spilling over the patio's back wall.

We decorated our new space with stone planters, lanterns, a plush six-seater sectional, Serena and Lily-esque throw pillows, a coordinating dining table, and fringe umbrellas.

Our patio also transformed how we entertain at home, from holiday barbecues to garden cocktail parties with friends. It serves as a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors.

And the best part? It has no boundaries, as it spills into our yard for games, flower picking, and cozying up around the fire pit.

When we're not planning social gatherings, we're sunbathing, curling up with a good book, or savoring wine at sunset. The money we saved was used to construct a new front walkway and fire pit area in the back.

• A version of this story originally appeared in the AI Insider newsletter.
• Sign up for Business Insider's weekly AI Insider newsletter here.

OpenAI recently published one of the clearest signals yet about which workplace skills may become most valuable in the AI era.

In a report on how its researchers use AI, the company shared data showing which tasks are being absorbed by AI and which still rely on people.

The biggest automation gains this year came in coding, technical support, monitoring computer runs, and analyzing results. By contrast, AI is still doing relatively little work deciding what projects to pursue, where to invest resources, or how to set priorities.

This offers a glimpse of where the value of work may shift.

Companies can measure whether code was written, products shipped, or bugs fixed, making those tasks easier to automate. Deciding what should be built in the first place is harder. It requires judgment, context, tradeoffs, and a willingness to take risks.

As OpenAI put it: "People still set our research priorities, judge which ideas and results to pursue, and decide whether to scale, pause, or deploy systems."

In other words, the future of human work may shift away from execution and toward making the right decisions.

Sign up for the AI Insider newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com

The Longhorns and Volunteers will clash in this weekend's most-anticipated SEC showdown. We've highlighted everything you need to know about how to watch Texas vs. Tennessee, including global live streaming options.

If you don't want to scroll any further, you can live stream the game on ESPN Unlimited in the US, and on DAZN in the UK and other regions. You can access your usual streaming options from anywhere with a VPN, such as NordVPN.

What channel is Texas vs. Tennessee on?

This weekend's Texas vs. Tennessee game will air on ABC in the US. The game is scheduled to kick off on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.

How to watch Texas vs. Tennessee in the US

Cord-cutters can catch ABC through a live TV service, like YouTube TV or Fubo, or the network's direct sports streaming counterpart, ESPN Unlimited.

ESPN Unlimited costs $32 a month and unlocks full live streams for all ESPN networks, along with ESPN on ABC games and streaming-exclusive programming. You can learn more in our ESPN streaming service guide.

ABC is also available in several live TV streaming services, including YouTube TV and Fubo, two of our top recommendations. YouTube TV carries ABC and 100+ other channels in its Main plan, which typically costs $83 a month. However, a limited-time deal will discount the first five months of service down to $68 a month for new customers. ABC and 30+ other channels are also available in the cheaper Sports plan, which typically costs $65 a month. A limited-time deal will knock the Sports plan down to $45 a month for six months for new users. Both plans unlock ESPN Unlimited live streaming and offer a free trial for first-time customers.

Fubo is another popular live TV service. ABC and around 30 other channels are available in the Sports + News plan, which costs $65 a month when available. ABC is also available in the pricier Pro and Elite tiers, which unlock 200+ channels. All of these plans come with a free trial and introductory month offers for new customers. Subscriptions also unlock access to ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost.

How to watch Texas vs. Tennessee in the UK and other regions

In the UK and other international markets, DAZN live streams loads of college football games every week. Not every game is guaranteed coverage, so it's always a good idea to double-check that the game you want to watch is available. Texas vs. Tennessee will definitely be shown in the UK this weekend, so fans are in luck. DAZN NCAA College Sports subscription prices vary from region to region.

How to watch Texas vs. Tennessee from anywhere

If you're a football fan traveling abroad right now, you can still access your usual streaming options by utilizing a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are handy cybersecurity apps that let people temporarily change their virtual location. This way, their favorite websites and apps work overseas the same way they would back home. Since the platforms we've recommended today require country-specific payment methods, this option will work best for those who are just traveling away from home right now.

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs around. It's fast, easy to use (even for beginners), and has a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more in our NordVPN review.

How are the teams doing?

Both teams have had strong starts to the season. Texas is currently ranked No. 1, following wins against Texas State, Ohio State, and UTSA. Tennessee is No. 14, following wins against Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State.

Where does the game take place?

The Tennessee Volunteers will host this weekend's game. The match-up will take place at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

Who is favored to win Texas vs. Tennessee?

Texas is the favorite to win today's game. According to DraftKings (at the time of writing), Texas is -198 on the moneyline, while Tennessee is +164.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

For true coffee lovers, brewing isn't just a morning routine — it's a personality trait. Whether they're dialing in espresso grind sizes, obsessing over single-origin roasts, or simply seeking a fun desk mug, finding the right gift means skipping the generic novelty junk.

While most true coffee buffs likely have the basics covered, like the best coffee maker or espresso machine, we rounded up 21 editor-approved gifts for coffee lovers that can elevate their daily brew, expand their coffee knowledge, or add a touch of whimsy to their counter space. Good coffee doesn't have to be complicated, and neither do the gifts.

Cozy latte cubes

Teaspressa - Instant Latte Cubes

Add a little whimsy to their daily ritual. All they have to do is pop in one of these sugar cubes to turn their drip coffee into a latte. This set includes three flavors: Cinnamon Hazelnut, Biscotti Cookie, and Orange Vanilla Cream. Try individually or layer them in together, and add a splash of milk.

These statusy iced coffee cups

Nespresso Iced Tumbler

Coffee is best enjoyed in a fun cup, and these Tritan (aka durable and drop-proof) ribbed (for great grip) cups with a domed lid (leakproof) make a great case for toting along for your morning commute. While we've spotted it on resale sites for double the price, it's currently in stock in every color. And if you want to go all-out and pair it with the best Nespresso machine, we've compared the top models.

A coffee subscription

Trade Coffee Subscription

Help them find their new favorite roast and explore independent roasters and coffee shops from across the country. Once they take a flavor profile quiz, Trade will send them freshly roasted coffee (whole or ground beans) on a set cadence that accounts for their preferences and helps expand their coffee palate.

A coffee grinder for the freshest beans

OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

Forget pre-ground beans and improve their daily coffee prep. The closer to brewing after grinding, the better the flavor. The OXO Brew Conical Burr Grinder is our favorite budget coffee grinder, but you won't feel any compromises here. It can hold up to 12 ounces of coffee and has 43 grind settings suitable for drip, cold brew, French Press, and even espresso.

A way to show off their mug collection

Handmade Mug Stand

If they love coffee, it only makes sense that they likely have an extensive mug collection to match. Instead of indulging them with another mug, why not provide them with a way to show off their favorites with this handmade wooden mug stand?

An automatic pour over machine

Cosori Juni Automatic Pour Over Machine

Depending on their level of coffee obsession, we don't doubt they've tried every method of preparation, but what about an automatic pour-over — the next era of coffee gadget to get excited about? Beyond being extremely eye-catching on their counter, this is the intersection of coffee and technology. The glass basket rotates around the water spigot and vibrates to recreate the precision of hand-crafted pour-over techniques, while a smart connected feedback system (where users can rate the acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and body) will help guide them to their perfect cup.

A coffee and chocolate tasting set

Driftaway Coffee + Chocolate Pairing Box

Chocolate and coffee are the ultimate combination. This pairing box from Driftaway Coffee, a Brooklyn-based roaster, pairs three 2-ounce bags of coffee with single-origin dark chocolate bars from Raaka Chocolate, made in small batches with unroasted, vegan ingredients. The experience includes a tasting and pairing guide with recommendations to help you notice how flavors shift and complement each other.

A coffee table book about coffee

The World Atlas of Coffee, 3rd edition

Widely considered required reading for any coffee aficionado, the third edition of world-renowned coffee expert James Hoffmann's The World Atlas of Coffee charts coffee production and its influences across 35 countries and the various ways of preparation. For anyone looking for a deeper glimpse into the nuances of coffee, this book can shift them from casual appreciation to true knowledge.

A coffee-scented candle

Paddywax Cappuccino Candle

Presented in the most giftable box, Paddywax's Cappuccino candle smells of brewed coffee beans and cocoa powder, followed by decadent notes of salted butter and toasted caramel, a sweet, gourmand scent that makes their space smell like their favorite cuppa. Once the soy candle burns, the ceramic vessel can be repurposed as a latte cup or a cute trinket dish.

A knockbox for their espresso pucks

Auden Arctic Knockbox

If they're getting serious about their espresso prep, a dedicated knockbox is an affordable addition to their kit for dumping espresso pucks without having to carry their portafilter over to the garbage.

An iconic NYC-inspired coffee cup

Ceramic Greek Coffee Cup

The lore and history of this iconic coffee cup run deep; at one point, it was the familiar option served at every NYC deli and coffee stand. Channel the single-serve take-out classic into a hearty, reusable ceramic vessel.

Coffee syrup with globally-inspired flavors

Transcendence Coffee Syrup

The perfect sidekick for their coffee station, these coffee syrups from Transcendence Coffee turn their daily latte into a third-wave coffeehouse treat. Instead of too-sweet, artificially flavored syrups, all of Transcendence Coffee's globally inspired syrups are made with pure cane sugar, whole spices, and no preservatives. Flavors include Miso Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Social, or French Lavender Madelaine. Beyond coffee, you can pour it into tea, desserts, and cocktails to elevate the flavor.

A funky version of the best French press

Bodum - x World Market 8 Cup French Press

Bodum makes some of the best French Presses, admittedly. Typically, they follow a classic, utilitarian design, but we love this spunky Memphis-inspired take with a teal lid, yellow handle, and orange plunger knob. It's a cheerful way to start their day.

A mug that will keep their coffee from going cold

Ember Mug 3

Ember recently relaunched the mug that put them on the map. The third generation of its heated mug now includes temperature adjustment either on the mug itself or using the accompanying Ember app, a top-rack dishwasher-safe convenience, and a sliding lid. The mug can hold at its ideal temperature for up to three hours on a single charge. This is a big upgrade over the previous generation, which had a battery life of just 1.5 hours and was hand-wash only.

Proper coffee storage

Fellow Atmos Vacuum Coffee Canister

While it can be tempting to leave beans in their bag, especially if the container reseals, once it's opened, the best way to keep whole beans fresh for longer is to store them in an opaque, airtight container. Fellow's vacuum coffee canisters have an integrated vacuum pump that seals in air and reduces oxidation. It's available in several sizes, but the 0.7-liter can hold up to 11 ounces, or a typical bag of beans.

A cutesy bag charm

Stoney Clover Lane Dunkin' Iced Coffee Bag Charm

For the friend who never leaves the house without an iced Dunkin' in hand, this embroidered charm from the Stoney Clover x Dunkin collab lets them wear their caffeine addiction on their sleeve—or their tote bag.

Excellent coffee on the go

AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press

If they're a frequent traveler or an outdoors enthusiast, just because they're not near their everyday setup, should they have to sacrifice their morning coffee? An AeroPress is one of our favorite methods for single-serve coffee. Its versatility is unmatched, brewing drip/French Press, cold-brew, and even espresso-style coffee in minutes. This travel set includes a portable 3-in-1 brewer, a lightweight, microwaveable mug with a silicone lid, and a travel filter holder.

Encourage their mini-me to unleash their future barista

Espresso Treats Wooden Coffee Stand Playset

If their mini-me is always in tow on the way to the coffee shop, this pretend-play coffee shop will let them practice taking your coffee order and get creative, dreaming up all the coffee concoctions they can squeeze onto the specials board.

A comfy sweatshirt

Ralph's Coffee Sweatshirt

No trip to NYC is complete without a visit to Ralph's Coffee; everything just feels right there. A cozy Ralph's Coffee Sweatshirt (perhaps packaged alongside a bag of their medium roast) is exactly what we'd like to settle into this fall.

The lingering scent of coffee

Tom Ford Café Rose Eau de Parfum

Tom Ford's Café Rose is not your typical floral rose fragrance. This scent layers dark roast coffee, earthy patchouli, and smoky incense, creating a scent that's both sophisticated and sultry.

A craft to show their love for coffee

The Embroidered House Croissant Iced Coffee Needlepoint Canvas

Analog hobbies, like needlepoint, continue to reign in 2026. Here, they can work on their coffee-themed canvas while sipping on their cold brew.

• Kelsey Fiegle spent seven years as a UX designer until a layoff forced her to take on extra work.
• After quitting and applying to 100 new jobs, she joined her husband in game development.
• Fiegle's dress-up game drew millions of plays, and the couple now lives a traveling lifestyle.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelsey Fiegle, an independent game developer behind Vortella's Dress Up. She developed the game with her husband, Wes Thorburn. Their games are available on the browser gaming platform Poki. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I spent seven years as a user experience designer at a Chicago creative agency. When two people on my team were laid off,

I was expected to take on their work.

I remember thinking, "I can't do the work of three people."

I left without another job lined up. My husband, Wes Thorburn, who was already developing games independently, thought we could make games together, but I wanted to find another tech role first.

After about 100 applications, I decided to give the dress-up game I had been building a real shot, and it changed my life entirely within the month.

Client work wore me down

Wes and I met in a game design class while I was studying abroad in Australia in 2013. Neither of us was pursuing game design. I took the class because I needed extra credit and thought it sounded fun.

After we got married and settled in the US, Wes started experimenting with web games while waiting for his work permit. He eventually released games on Poki, and they began bringing in enough money to help pay our bills. I helped him with sound, 3D modeling, and user experience design while keeping my agency job.

For a long time, I was the agency's only UX designer. Some days, I tracked time for 10 different clients. There were weekly presentations, deadlines, and projects that changed when a client mentioned a requirement late in the process.

I learned a lot and had a really good team, but the work was stressful. I'd pour my heart into a project, only to find out it was all wrong because the client had forgotten to tell us something.

Once, a client needed work finished on short notice. I worked all Saturday and Sunday to get it done. When the client saw it on Monday, they decided they needed a week to review it instead of two days. Moments like that wore me down.

A layoff became the last straw

At a game developer conference in 2023, Wes and I asked the Poki team what kinds of games they wanted to see more of. They said dress-up games. I liked making things in 3D, so I began building a 3D dress-up game alongside my full-time job.

I had been trying to get more help for my team, so I wouldn't have to work so much. Then the agency laid off two of my coworkers and expected me to pick up their work.

I liked my team and didn't want to leave them in a difficult position, so I gave the agency a couple of months to find another solution. But they didn't, so I couldn't keep going.

Wes told me, "Kelsey, you can do this. We could do this together. It'd be fine. We could pull this off." I wasn't sure. I was applying hard for jobs because I wanted an in-house tech role, not another agency job.

It was difficult to make that move. Going through interviews and getting rejected hurt my confidence, especially when I really wanted a particular job. I told myself that if I reached 100 applications without finding anything, I would try game development.

That's what happened. I spent about four months working full time on my dress-up game. I needed income, including money for health insurance, so I eventually released it even though I didn't feel it was finished.

"Vortella's Dress Up" launched in December 2024. I was shocked at how well it did. It got about 10 million plays in its first month.

The game gave us freedom

Poki team members suggested that the game could do even better if it were multiplayer. Until then, Wes and I had mostly worked on separate games. He had experience building multiplayer features for his pizza game, so we decided to develop my game together.

Today, the game gets roughly 10 million to 15 million plays a month, though that changes with the season. It has so far reached 276 million total plays from 63.1 million unique players, with 50.6 million hours of total playtime. We keep adding clothing, minigames, and other features, and try to update it at least twice a month.

Wes and I had always wanted the flexibility to spend time with his family in Singapore and Australia. We visit them each year and add other destinations when we can. We've traveled to Vietnam and Hong Kong, visited relatives in Italy and Germany, and stopped by Poki's office in Amsterdam.

I think about the tech job I wanted so badly during my search. If I were offered it now, I'd turn it down. I have a way better job.

• My son was born when I was 19, and we grew up together.
• I've tried to show him what's possible if he's willing to work for it.
• I recently took him to a Michelin-star restaurant to show him the life he can have if he succeeds.

My first child was born a few days after I turned 19. Looking into his eyes as I held him, I told myself I wanted to give him a better life than I had.

I was a homeless teenager, and I had to raise myself. I had to figure everything out and start my adult life from desperation and struggle.

I wasn't going to let my son, Michael, experience the same things. I promised myself I would show him a better life and what's possible through my actions.

That's why I recently took my adult son to a fine-dining experience in Bangkok.

We grew up together, and he got to see my growth

By the time he was born, I had started my first business, and it grew quickly. As Michael grew up, he saw the small businesses I started and came to work with me.

My son was curious and asked questions about entrepreneurship, money, and what it means to live a good life. We had great conversations on father-son workdays.

His mother and I eventually got divorced. I worried it would put emotional distance between us and undo the lessons I was teaching him, but that wasn't the case. We kept building our relationship after the divorce.

Michael graduated from high school, went to college, and got an adult job. I was glad to see him applying what I taught him and putting in the work to build his life.

I moved outside the US when I became an empty nester

After years of traveling and living in a dozen countries, I settled in Bangkok, Thailand.

My son recently came to visit me in Thailand, and I wanted to remind him about the conversations we've had about what's possible.

Michael came to see his old man, and I took him around the city. I showed him all the touristy things in Bangkok, and he was excited to be on vacation from his job.

I took him to a Michelin-star restaurant

I've had many fun experiences traveling to 89 countries and have eaten delicious food in many places, but I've never eaten at a Michelin-star restaurant.

Michael and I went to Sühring, where I paid $900 for this three-Michelin-star fine-dining experience.

The service, the absolutely delicious food, and the time with my oldest child, enjoying the finer things in life, are something I'll never forget.

We took our time during the 3.5-hour meal. We savored each course and continued our lifelong conversation about goals, dreams, working hard, and what's possible if you're willing to take action.

But the meal was the real conversation: Each course's creativity used taste, texture, presentation, and flavor to create a unique eating experience.

I got to try German Whisky for the first time. It was expensive, but sipping it made me feel bougie.

Each course and the service gave us an experience we normally don't get. I sat there motivated to work even harder so I could have more experiences like this. I shared that with my son.

Even though it was expensive, it was worth every penny to show him the life he can achieve

I got to show Micahel he can experience the finer things in life if he's willing to work for them. It made the price worth it.

My son saw firsthand that my business's success could let me spend $900 on a meal without thinking about the cost.

I didn't get these kinds of experiences growing up, and it affected my mindset negatively. I started my adult life with so many limiting beliefs because I didn't have anyone to show me otherwise.

Thank goodness for therapy, which helped me overcome my past trauma and learn to see what's possible for my life.

I'm grateful for this Michelin-star experience, despite the price. My son left Thailand with a vivid life lesson in the best way possible. I feel I'm doing my part as a father to raise a strong young man.

• In their 70s, Kathie Schwartz and her husband found their three-story home difficult to navigate.
• They moved into a smaller one-story home and built a 480-square-foot tiny home in the backyard.
• The tiny home will eventually house a live-in caretaker, allowing them to age in place.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kathie Schwartz, 72, who built a tiny home in her California backyard. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I wanted to get ahead of planning for old age. My husband and I are in our 70s and in very good health, but we've been losing friends and going to a lot of celebrations of life. At our age, that's pretty common.

After one celebration of life, my husband looked at me and said, "Promise me you'll never put me in a home." That was kind of my jumping-off point: What were our options?

I started thinking about whether our home was still right for us and whether we were living in the right place. I had gone through it with my parents and watched friends go through it, too.

At the time, we were living in a three-story, 3,600-square-foot home in Truckee, California, near Lake Tahoe. In the winter, we could get 22 feet of snow in our yard. There was one year we didn't see our front door for three months. At a certain age, there's a limit to how long you can live in that kind of snow.

We decided it was best to downsize and move, especially as many of our friends were leaving the area.

We don't want to live in a retirement community

At first, we considered living in a retirement community. We visited places all over — Nevada, Central California, and other areas where older people go for low taxes and to have a resort-style lifestyle.

I'll tell you, while these places have everything you could need, there's just something weird about them.

One of the places we tried out was a beautiful development in Arizona. It was in the middle of nowhere. You drive through nothing, and then all of a sudden, the gates open, and there are waterfalls, palm trees, stadium pickleball courts, mahjong rooms, and golf courses.

They had beautiful model homes lined up on a block. You could pick everything, from the furnishings to the lot you wanted, and they would just plop the whole thing down for you.

We stayed there for two or three days. As we were leaving, the gate opened, and beyond it was just the desert. My husband stopped the car at the gate, looked at me, and said, "There is no way I'm ever living here." I said, "I hear you." That crossed it off the list.

First, we downsized to a much smaller home

We eventually decided to move into a home we owned in Petaluma, California. It's a single-story, 1,100-square-foot house built in 1924. We'd bought it 35 years earlier and had always used it as a rental property.

It was quite a shock to go from our 3,600-square-foot Truckee home to 1,100 square feet. But this little home is worth well over $1 million. If we wanted a place with extra bedrooms or guest rooms, we'd be looking at close to $2 million just to get something comparable to our old home.

The house has a backyard, but it wasn't much of one. For a while, I kept thinking, "Okay, what would I put back there? How could we use it?"

Around that time, a friend of mine who lives with her mother bought a large piece of property. Her mother still wanted to maintain her independence, so she built her a tiny home in the backyard.

While my friend was researching and planning the construction, we talked about it all the time. It inspired me to build one of our own, though it took a while to convince my husband.

Then we built a tiny home in our backyard

We decided to build with Colorado-based Studio Home. For about a year, I played around on their website, designing what I envisioned. Eventually, we hired a landscape architect and decided to build a 480-square-foot unit, the largest we could on the property.

The permitting process took about a year before we could begin construction. And then, of course, there were so many decisions to make: what kind of windows we wanted, what finishes to use — it was a lot.

Once construction started, though, it went pretty quickly. The foundation took the longest, along with trenching for the sewer and electrical lines.

We completed building in 2022. The home has a kitchen and a bathroom, and instead of building a separate bedroom, I put in a Murphy bed. In all, the project cost about $280,000.

Adding this tiny home to our property was truly one of the best real-estate decisions I've ever made. Not only did it increase the value of our property, but it has also given us so much flexibility.

We plan to age in place here

We use our tiny home for many things. First, it serves as a guest house when people come through town, since our main house is too small to comfortably host guests. Living in Petaluma is expensive, so building the tiny home was a more practical option than trying to find a larger house.

Second, I teach mahjong, so I host classes there. And third, our longer-term goal is that, if I eventually need to hire someone to help care for us — as we don't have children — they could live in the tiny home. That way, we wouldn't have to move to a retirement community, which can be very expensive.

The goal is always to stay in our home as long as possible. By building this tiny house, we have so many more options depending on my health. It's given us so much freedom.

I have this conversation with my friends all the time. We don't have to go the route our parents went, right? We're a different generation; we don't need to end up in a retirement home.

We've decided to band together and plan for our futures. We've talked about buying a larger piece of property and putting a bunch of tiny homes on it so we can live together as a community.

As you get older, you want to live somewhere you're comfortable and be around the people you care about. Sometimes the people you consider family aren't necessarily your birth family — your friends become your community and support system.