• I made chive biscuits from scratch using Ina Garten's recipe. 
• The recipe takes less than 30 minutes and couldn't have been easier for a novice baker.
• Garten's chive biscuits are buttery, light, and fluffy — perfect for Thanksgiving. 

When it comes to the holidays, there's no celebrity chef I turn to more than Ina Garten. She is, in my eyes, the queen of Thanksgiving cooking.

Whether it's a "grown-up" mac and cheese or the perfect potato gratin, Garten has a recipe for all of your holiday needs.

So when I decided to try making homemade biscuits for the first time — despite being a very amateur baker — I put my faith in the Barefoot Contessa.

Garten's chive biscuits only require a few ingredients.

To make a batch of eight chive biscuits, you'll need:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of chopped fresh chives (Garten says you can also swap for fresh parsley)
• ¾ cup of half-and-half
• ¼ pound of cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

First, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and mixed my dry ingredients.

I added the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to the bowl of my electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Then I added the diced butter and began to mix on low speed.

Garten says you should mix the butter until it becomes the "size of peas."

With the mixer still on low, I added the half-and-half.

I stirred until everything was just mixed, per Garten's instructions.

Then I added the chopped chives.

Garten says to beat the mixture until it's just combined.

My dough was ready in mere minutes.

I'm not much of a baker and had never made dough before trying this recipe, so to see it transform in a few minutes was, honestly, pretty exciting for me.

I felt like I was in the "Great British Bake Off" tent!

I placed my dough on a well-floured board and began to knead it lightly.

Although I've seen people kneading dough on TV countless times, I've never actually done it myself. But I found some helpful tips on The Spruce Eats with a quick Google search.

If you're a baking novice like me, it's probably helpful to know why we even need to knead the dough. Kneading helps develop the gluten, which gives biscuits (or bread) both structure and softness.

I used the heels of my hands to push the dough down, then outward. Then I folded the dough in half, toward myself, and used the heels of my hands to push it down and out again. I also made sure to add flour whenever the dough felt sticky as I repeated the steps.

I kneaded my dough into a rectangle, per Garten's instructions.

I attempted to knead the dough to about ¾-inch thick, although my kneading was a bit uneven, and some biscuits came out a tad thinner.

I'd make sure to keep the dough on the thicker side — it results in fluffier biscuits.

Then I cut out my biscuits.

Garten recommends using a 2 ½-inch round cutter for this step, but using the top of a mason jar also worked well in a pinch.

After shaping my biscuits, I prepped the egg wash.

I mixed one egg with one tablespoon of water and voilà, it was ready.

I brushed each biscuit with the egg wash — which helps give the biscuits a golden-brown color — before throwing my pan into the preheated oven.

My biscuits were ready in 22 minutes.

Garten recommends baking the biscuits for 20 to 22 minutes. You'll know they're done when the "tops are browned and the insides are firm," she said.

Garten's chive biscuits were really easy to make.

Garten's chive biscuits looked fantastic with their lovely golden hue, and the tops had a satisfying crisp that gave way to the buttery and fluffy middle.

There was a hint of saltiness in the biscuits, while the chives added a nice pop of color. And what I loved most about the recipe was that the biscuits were actually fun to make — even for a novice baker! This would be a fun recipe to whip up on Thanksgiving with any younger family members who want to help in the kitchen.

Sure, store-bought is fine, but why not try homemade? It might just make you feel worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake.

• Mark Zandi says newly elected Democrats have tools to address the affordability crisis.
• The Moody's Analytics economist doesn't anticipate relief immediately.
• But, Zandi sees a path to end the Iran war and reverse spending cuts to things like Medicaid.

There's an all-important question hovering over Democrats' sweeping midterm election victories: what can they actually do to address the affordability crisis that caused Americans to turn on the GOP?

According to Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, the options are few, but Democrats do have tools they can use to ease some of the forces putting upward pressure on prices when they get into power in Washington next year.

"The new Congress has some levers," he wrote in an X post on Sunday. "Expect Democrats to use hearings, oversight, and a war powers resolution vote to build pressure to end the war in Iran, which we estimate has cost the typical household $2,200 so far."

First, Zandi flagged the cost of the Iran war on US households throughout this year as the war has dragged on. The figure has steadily risen as oil prices have crept up, pushing up costs for US households and businesses.

After last week's election, Zandi sees the possibility that war ends soon. though he acknowledged that most of the necessary legislative changes would require Donald Trump to be on board.

The second way for Democrats to address affordability is largely dependent on what the current Congress does between now and January, when newly elected members are sworn in.

"If Republicans can pass a budget and raise the Treasury debt limit on their own through reconciliation, Democrats will have less leverage," Zandi added. "But if they fall short, the President will need Democratic votes, and Democrats could use that clout to restore enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse cuts to SNAP and Medicaid."

Zandi said it would be a long shot for Republicans to achieve both of those things before January, giving Democrats an opening to pursue their own agenda when the new Congress convenes in the new year.

Voters delivered resounding victories for Democrats in the midterms, driven partially by negative views of the economy and affordability during Donald Trump's second term. Zandi said that incoming lawmakers will have opportunities early on to deliver on campaign promises of bringing down the cost of living.

"Given the Rs' paper-thin House majority, and just how demoralizing the midterm results were for them, odds are reasonably good that they will fall short," he said. "The Ds would then be able to make some progress on addressing the nation's affordability crisis."

• Fashion had a big Saturday night at the 2026 LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles.
• Nicole Kidman, Kylie Jenner, and other celebrities attended the fundraiser in daring looks.
• Some stars, like Paris Hilton, probably should have reconsidered their outfits.

Saturday saw one of the most fashionable events of the year.

No, I'm not talking about the Oscars or the Met Gala. I'm referring to the 2026 LACMA Art + Film Gala.

The glitzy event is hosted each year at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to fundraise for new exhibits, acquisitions, and other museum needs. It also aims to merge the art and film communities.

This year, stars including Kylie Jenner, Andrew Garfield, and Nicole Kidman came out to support. And naturally, they all attended in notable looks.

These are the best and worst outfits we saw on the red carpet.

Anya Taylor-Joy looked like a walking sculpture, which was perfect for the event.

The "Lucky" actor's vintage Pierre Cardin gown perfectly blended Hollywood glamour with the whimsy of art.

Her sleeveless dress was silver with a lightly beaded floral pattern, which matched her diamond necklace.

She also wore a gemstone ring and a ruffled, metallic duster jacket that reached the floor.

Paris Hilton over-accessorized, which distracted from her gorgeous gown.

Sparkles are the entrepreneur's signature, so her Jenny Packham gown should have worked. It was sleeveless, mint green, and embellished beautifully with sequins in butterfly and teardrop shapes.

Unfortunately, Hilton also wore sequined gloves, layered diamond necklaces, and a thick crystal choker.

The latter pieces, as well as Hilton's long, straight hairstyle, were too strong to complement the already powerful gown.

Andrew Garfield perfected pinstripes.

From afar, Garfield appeared to be wearing a standard black tuxedo. Up close, though, you could see the Gucci suit was actually patterned with subtle, all-black pinstripes.

"The Uprising" actor wore the three-piece set with leather dress shoes and a colorful orchid attached to his lapel.

The outfit worked for him in fit, color, and accessories.

Tyriq Withers was dressed too casually for a gala.

The "Reminders of Him" star attended the 2026 LACMA Art + Film Gala in a Gucci ensemble. It comprised wide-leg trousers, a black polo top covered in transparent sequins, and leather dress shoes.

Without a jacket, the outfit looked too casual and as if it were missing something.

Even his Cartier ring and earrings weren't enough to elevate the look.

Viola Davis looked like royalty in a shimmering white gown.

Gucci designed her shimmering white dress. It had a single short sleeve, a peplum waist, and a floor-length skirt. It was also covered in sequins that sparkled in the light.

The "How to Get Away With Murder" star completed the look with silver pumps, a glitter-covered clutch, and a stunning curly hairstyle.

Kim Kardashian's burgundy gown looked restrictive.

The Skims mogul, who is known for her daring fashion, wore a burgundy Gucci gown — and it was relatively simple.

The dress had a high neckline, a floor-length skirt, and a form-fitting bodice. There were also waist and back cutouts that sat above her backside.

Still, it wasn't Kardashian's strongest look. The tight fit felt restrictive, and its open back was awkwardly placed.

Kylie Jenner's gown was unique and artistic.

Ashi Studio designed the brown dress worn by the Kylie Cosmetics founder. It had a fawn-like print, a high neckline, and a low back. It also had a thick tassel that hung from its halter strap.

The gown fit Jenner like a glove and stood out from other sparkling looks on the red carpet.

Elements of Nicole Kidman's gown didn't work together.

The film icon wore Chanel for the museum gala. Her dress had a structured tan tweed top with long sleeves and a thick, white ruffled tulle skirt that was higher in the front and longer in the back.

The two fabrics didn't suit each other in color or texture. Her shoes, black strappy sandals, also didn't complement the outfit.

A different dress might have been a better choice for Kidman.

• An internal list shows Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's 36 direct reports.
• Huang is known for having many direct reports and said he had 55 last year.
• Huang has previously said that having more direct reports helps with information flow.

Editor's note: In November 2026, Nvidia's board announced it was initiating an investigation after recent reporting that CEO Jensen Huang had been the "target of a foreign intelligence effort." He also admitted to having an affair. A spokesperson said that Huang is "committed to continuing to lead Nvidia as CEO without interruption."

It's unclear what will happen to his role as a result of this investigation. Huang is known for having more direct reports compared to other tech leaders. Here's what Business Insider previously reported in October 2025 about his org chart.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had 36 direct reports as of October 2025, according to an internal list obtained by Business Insider. Nvidia's top leadership team has seen some executive departures, including Jay Puri and Laura Fay, since then, though this list offers a glimpse into the inner circle at the top of the world's most valuable company.

Huang is known for having more direct reports compared to other tech leaders. Previously, in an interview at Stanford in March 2024, Huang said he had 55 direct reports, adding that many were paid the same amount.

Huang has 36 direct reports as of October 2025, according to an internal list obtained by Business Insider. Nvidia's top leadership team may have seen some executive changes since then, though this list offers a glimpse into the inner circle at the top of the world's most valuable company.

Some of the executives reporting to Huang, according to the list, include Ian Buck, the architect behind Nvidia's breakthrough software Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA), as well as CTO Michael Kagan and chief scientist Bill Dally.

"The more direct reports the CEO has, the less layers are in the company," Huang said at The New York Times DealBook Summit in 2023. "It allows us to keep information fluid, allows us to make sure that everyone is empowered by information."

Nvidia's workforce has grown massively in recent years thanks to the AI boom, and Huang's notoriously fierce work ethic has helped shape its hardcore culture.

It's unknown whether Huang's smaller fleet of direct reports signals a shift away from the horizontal structure.

Tech leaders have varying views on direct reports. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he prefers not to have too many and instead runs the social media giant with a "core army" of 30 lieutenants —not all of whom he manages directly. CEO Elon Musk has 19 direct reports at Tesla as of August, and five at xAI.

A Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment.

Huang also said at Stanford that he doesn't schedule one-on-one meetings with direct reports so that information can spread more easily throughout the organization — unless a meeting is requested, in which case he'll "drop everything."

Here is the list of Huang's direct reports, according to the list Business Insider obtained. These include senior and executive vice presidents of key organizations at Nvidia.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at gweiss@businessinsider.com or Signal at @geoffweiss.25. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• I've been to all 64 US national parks and ranked them from my least favorite to my top pick.
• I think parks like Congaree, Petrified Forest, and Channel Islands are best suited for a day trip.
• Visiting Badlands, White Sands, and Olympic national parks feels like stepping onto another planet.

Ranking all 64 major US national parks feels like an impossible task because each one offers something uniquely beautiful.

However, as a solo traveler who's visited them all, I've learned that not all parks leave the same impression.

Some are grand and awe-inspiring, embodying the vision of what a national park likely looks like in your mind. Others, although still worth visiting, don't quite reach that same iconic standard.

That said, all of the major national parks are undoubtedly some of the most scenic and unique places in the US, so even a bottom spot on my ranking is not a dig.

Here's how I'd rank all the US national parks based on personal preference and things like scenic beauty, accessibility, and crowd sizes.

64. Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas

In the grand scheme of things, coming in last on a list of what I consider to be the most beautiful places in the US is not too shabby — and I had to pick one.

That said, I don't dislike Hot Springs National Park at all — in fact, I'd love to visit again. However, it's last on this list because it doesn't have the same natural scenic beauty and outdoor opportunities as the other parks.

Hot Springs is in the middle of a town, where the main attraction is Bathhouse Row — eight historic bathhouses built between 1892 and 1923.

Although it's a fun and interesting place, I think it would be better suited as a national historic park.

63. Gateway Arch National Park in Missouri

Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis is another place I love visiting. I just don't think it makes sense as a "national park."

Once known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, this spot was designated a national park and renamed in 2018. It's also the smallest of the 64 national parks.

Like Hot Springs, I ranked it lower because the main attraction, the 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch, is man-made. In my opinion, the park would be better designated as a National Monument.

62. Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky

I'm not a fan of caves, so national parks primarily focused on cave tours are not for me. However, if you're fascinated by caves and underground passageways, Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky should be higher on your list.

The park has over 400 miles of underground passageways and is truly unique. It was even designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.

61. Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico

New Mexico, home to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, is one of my favorite states to visit. Unfortunately, though, I think this park's location works against it, as I prefer many other spots in the state.

I'm not a fan of caves — which is the draw at this park — and it's more remote and secluded from other major tourist attractions in the state.

However, one thing I love about the park is the nightly bat flight that happens from April through October, where thousands of bats emerge from the caverns at sunset.

60. Indiana Dunes National Park in Indiana

Indiana Dunes National Park, which is just about an hour's drive from Chicago, is an excellent escape for Midwestern day-trippers and city dwellers.

The dunes are incredible, and visiting the beaches feels like being transported to another world.

The only reason this park is ranked lower on my list is because one side is adjacent to a power plant, and another has views of Chicago. Unfortunately, this brings me out of the more natural landscape I enjoy at other parks.

59. Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota

Unsurprisingly, another park with "cave" or "cavern" in its name is low on my list.

Although the surrounding scenery and wildlife at South Dakota's Wind Cave National Park are quite stunning, I still rank it lower because I'm not as interested in the main attraction.

There are also many other state and national park sites nearby — like Custer State Park and Badlands National Park — that, in my opinion, are more impressive above ground.

58. Congaree National Park in South Carolina

Congaree National Park, just outside Columbia, South Carolina, is home to one of the country's most extensive old-growth bottomland hardwood forests.

Some trees are estimated to be over 500 years old and over 100 feet tall, making walking the trails and raised boardwalks feel magical.

Although I've enjoyed this park and have visited several times, it's much smaller than many others and is best suited for a day trip.

57. Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio

Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio offers a unique blend of history, natural beauty, and recreation. For these reasons, I think it's a standout destination in the Midwest despite not being one of my favorite national parks.

Its proximity to Cleveland and Akron means it's easily accessible for city dwellers, which is a plus. However, it doesn't give me the vast wilderness feeling I want when visiting a national park.

56. Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona

I think Petrified Forest National Park is one of the most visually stunning and scientifically interesting parks in the US.

However, despite showcasing extensive deposits of petrified wood and fossilized remnants of ancient trees, there aren't many long hiking trails. In fact, all the park's trails are 2 miles or less.

I recommend making the 28-mile scenic drive through the park and stopping for some short hikes, but I wouldn't plan to stay more than a day.

55. Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska

Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska, located entirely above the Arctic Circle, was the least-visited national park last year.

The park itself is vast and untamed — there are no roads in or out, so visitors primarily arrive by chartered planes.

Although Kobuk Valley is logistically and monetarily challenging for the average visitor to access, landing on the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes is undoubtedly a bucket-list experience.

54. Biscayne National Park in Florida

Florida's Biscayne National Park is about 95% water, making it an excellent place for boating, kayaking, or snorkeling.

The park is less than two hours from Miami, making it pretty accessible. However, because most of the park is underwater, it's hard to appreciate its true beauty.

53. Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado

I've visited Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park several times and always learn something new.

The park preserves the cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people and is home to Cliff Palace, the largest-known cliff dwelling in North America.

Although I recommend visiting some of the over 600 dwellings, you can only enter them on a ranger-guided tour, which is offered with a reservation from mid-May to late October.

52. Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota

This stunning North Dakota park is named after President Theodore Roosevelt, who was integral to early conservation movements and created five national parks during his presidency.

This park is more remote than others, meaning there's more solitude and vast, wide-open wilderness. I love taking a scenic drive here, watching the bison herds, and looking for wild horses.

51. Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is home to the highest natural peak in Texas.

With over 80 miles of hiking trails, this less-crowded park is a great place to spend a weekend hiking, backpacking, or stargazing.

50. Great Basin National Park in Nevada

Nevada's Great Basin National Park is extremely diverse, covering over 77,000 acres with ancient forests, high mountain peaks, desert valleys, and caves. The landscape is dramatic, to say the least.

Visitors can also find the Great Basin Bristlecone pines, which are some of the world's oldest trees.

49. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado is home to one of North America's steepest and most dramatic gorges.

I love taking a scenic drive or hiking along the canyon's rim during my visits. Just keep in mind that inner-canyon adventures require a permit.

48. Pinnacles National Park in California

Pinnacles was only officially designated a national park in 2013, so it's still a lesser-known spot in the park system.

Named for its towering pinnacles and spires, the park is popular for hiking, caving, rock climbing, and stargazing.

Although this is a beautiful and unique park, there are only about 30 miles of hiking trails. So, for a non-climber and caver like me, there isn't as much to do here as there is in some other California parks.

47. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska

Wrangell-St. Elias doesn't have the same name recognition as many others, but it's actually the largest national park in the country.

Covering a staggering 13.2 million acres, the park contains a diverse landscape, including glaciers and volcanoes.

The only downside to this park is that although some parts are accessible by road, there is minimal infrastructure, and it's very remote.

46. Lassen Volcanic National Park in California

I've found that many people aren't as familiar with Lassen Volcanic National Park as some others in California. Still, it's a showstopper nonetheless.

The park is home to all four types of volcanoes, including its centerpiece, Lassen Peak, which last saw eruptions between 1914 and 1917.

The park also has volcanic features, such as a large geothermal hiking area called Bumpass Hell, which can be visited in the summer and fall.

45. Chiricahua National Park in Arizona

In October 2026, Chiricahua in southeastern Arizona became the country's newest national park.

It's known for its unusual rhyolite spires that jut out of the landscape, creating an almost otherworldly scene. At just over 12,000 acres, it's the fourth-smallest national park, but the dramatic rock formations make it feel much larger.

Although I really enjoyed my visit, it ranks 45th on my list largely because of its remote location and limited exploration opportunities.

Plus, the park has just 17 miles of day-use hiking trails, which pales in comparison to larger parks with hundreds of miles to explore.

44. Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii

Haleakalā National Park, which is located on Maui, is known for its massive volcano of the same name.

The volcano rises 10,023 feet above sea level and is a very popular spot to watch the sunrise and sunset (just keep in mind that you'll need a reservation to enter for sunrise).

This park has unbelievable views and beauty, but it can also get incredibly crowded, which, in my opinion, changes the experience a bit.

43. Saguaro National Park in Arizona

Saguaro National Park, located near Tucson, Arizona, is named after the largest cacti in the US.

The Saguaro cactus is an essential symbol of the American West, and seeing so many up close is a treat.

The park is divided into two districts and offers over 170 miles of hiking trails. It's also a great place to take a scenic drive and view wildlife.

42. Kings Canyon National Park in California

Kings Canyon National Park is located in California's Sierra Nevada mountains.

The park is excellent for hikers and backpackers and is full of natural beauty. I love that Kings Canyon feels grand but doesn't have the same heavy crowds I've experienced at some other California parks.

41. Channel Islands National Park in California

Sometimes referred to as the "Galápagos of North America," Channel Islands National Park consists of five islands off the coast of Southern California. In my opinion, it's home to some of the most unique national park landscapes in the US.

Teeming with biodiversity and opportunities for whale watching, a day trip here is truly an adventure.

The only reason it's not higher on the list is that you have to take a boat to get to the islands, and anecdotally, I've experienced many weather-related cancellations. However, the islands aren't huge, so a lot can be seen on a day trip.

40. Badlands National Park in South Dakota

Visiting Badlands National Park in South Dakota feels like stepping onto another planet. The striking and colorful buttes, spires, and other unique geological formations are unlike anything else you'll see.

I love to drive the 39-mile Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240) that takes visitors through the park, with numerous overlooks and trailheads.

That said, Badlands is in a remote location and doesn't have as much surrounding it as other national parks.

39. Shenandoah National Park in Virginia

Shenandoah National Park is home to the gorgeous Skyline Drive, a 105-mile scenic road that runs the entire length of the park.

The road offers breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and there are many overlooks and pullouts along the way for sightseeing.

With over 500 miles of trails — including a portion of the Appalachian Trail — the park is a popular spot for hiking.

38. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, is home to two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

The coastal park features diverse volcanic landscapes, including craters, lava tubes, and active lava flows.

Although it's beautiful and interesting, the park can become extremely crowded, so it is further down on my personal list.

37. Everglades National Park in Florida

Everglades National Park in Southern Florida is massive, with 1.5 million acres of unique and diverse ecosystems. This park is perfect for birdwatching, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, hiking, and airboat touring.

However, the tropical climate is very hot and humid during the summer months, so I recommend making a trip between November and April.

36. White Sands National Park in New Mexico

White Sands in southern New Mexico was designated a national park in 2019.

In my opinion, the landscape is stunning and unlike that of any other US national park. Visitors can hike the dunes, practice photography, go sand sledding, stargaze, or simply marvel at the otherworldly landscape.

35. Canyonlands National Park in Utah

Located outside Moab, Utah, Canyonlands is the largest of the state's "Mighty 5" national parks.

With four distinct districts, this park is massive and perfect for adventurers who want to get off the beaten path.

Mesa Arch is a popular, short, postcard-perfect trail for hikers of all levels. For those with more outdoor experience, backpacking and four-wheel-drive-only backcountry driving opportunities are available.

34. Isle Royale National Park in Michigan

Isle Royale National Park, an island in Lake Superior, is one of the least-visited national parks in the contiguous 48 states.

In my opinion, the park, only accessible by boat or seaplane, offers some of the most remote and pristine scenery in the US. There are plenty of opportunities to hike, canoe, camp, and view wildlife.

33. Arches National Park in Utah

I've visited Utah's Arches National Park, home to over 2,000 documented arches, dozens of times. I love hiking to the iconic Delicate Arch and visiting the Windows Section of the park, which has a high concentration of arches to view.

32. Crater Lake National Park in Oregon

Oregon's Crater Lake National Park is endlessly fascinating. It's centered on its namesake lake, which is the deepest in the US.

The lake is unique in that no rivers flow in or out — it's sustained purely by rain and snow, giving it its famous clear blue color.

I love driving the scenic Rim Drive, stopping at the many overlooks, and hiking some of the 90 miles of hiking trails.

31. Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota

Made up of four large lakes and over 500 islands, you can't really experience Voyageurs National Park without getting out on the water.

I recommend staying at the Kettle Falls Hotel, which is the only lodging available within the park (other than camping and houseboating).

Like most of the park, the historic hotel is only accessible by water, and once you're there, it's an excellent jumping-off point for other activities.

30. The National Park of American Samoa in American Samoa

Visiting the National Park of American Samoa was truly an adventure and one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Despite that, the cost, time, research, and intrepidness needed to visit means it likely won't be at the top of many travelers' lists.

If visiting from the US, there are just two flights each week from Honolulu to the small main island of Tutuila. From there, travelers are swept into a tropical paradise.

However, with very little tourism infrastructure, visitors need to be self-reliant and able to navigate independently. Although this isn't a typical national park, I think it's one of the most stunning, memorable, and unique.

29. Virgin Islands National Park in St. John, US Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands National Park takes up about 60% of the island of St. John.

Here, visitors can relax on one of the white-sand beaches, snorkel in the crystal-clear Caribbean waters, or hike to historic ruins.

28. Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah is famous for its unique hoodoos that create a magical and otherworldly landscape.

Hiking the Queens Garden and Navajo Loop trails are must-do experiences.

However, it's important to remember that the weather in the park can vary greatly. Because of the high elevation, Bryce Canyon can receive a lot of snow and become dangerous during lightning storms.

27. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains, located in Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most-visited US national park.

This popular park is a great place to spend a fall weekend among the vibrant foliage or a summer day hiking one of the many scenic trails.

I love driving the 11-mile one-way loop at Cades Cove and hiking to one of the many waterfalls in the park — Laurel Falls and Rainbow Falls are favorites.

26. Katmai National Park in Alaska

I loved my time in Katmai National Park, but getting there can be challenging. The park has no roads in or out, so visitors need to arrive by seaplane or boat.

Many travelers will spend their time at the Brooks Camp portion of the park, which has raised platforms for safe viewing of the roughly 2,200 brown bears.

Seeing so many bears in their natural habitat is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the surrounding landscape is pristine.

25. Sequoia National Park in California

I've been to Sequoia National Park in California several times and found it only gets better with each subsequent visit.

The park is known for its giant namesake trees and has hundreds of miles of hiking trails. There truly is something for everyone here.

24. Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado

Driving the entrance road to Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado feels completely surreal.

Home to the tallest dunes in North America, visiting this park feels like stepping onto another planet.

Hike the dunes, sandboard down them, or enjoy the seasonal snowmelt-formed Medano Creek, which forms a unique "Colorado beach" landscape at the base of the dunes.

23. Denali National Park in Alaska

Denali National Park in Alaska is home to Mount McKinley, the tallest peak in North America. It's a place that will take your breath away, especially on a clear day.

I recommend taking a narrated bus tour to learn more about the park and spot wildlife along the way.

22. Big Bend National Park in Texas

My favorite thing about Big Bend National Park is its diverse landscapes, which include mountains, rivers, and deserts.

I especially love visiting the dramatic Santa Elena Canyon, a gorge carved by the Rio Grande with impressive limestone walls up to 1,500 feet high.

21. Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska

Since it's accessible by car, Kenai Fjords is easier to get to than some of Alaska's other national parks.

The Harding Icefield, which spans 700 square miles, is a must-see. I also recommend taking a boat tour or kayak trip into the fjords, as most of the park can only be experienced by water.

20. Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska

Alaska's Gates of the Arctic was one of the least-visited national parks last year, with just 11,907 recreational visits.

The gigantic park, covering 8.4 million acres of the Brooks Range, is located entirely north of the Arctic Circle and has no roads or trails in or out.

Despite being logistically challenging — and expensive — to visit, the sheer untouched wilderness is unlike anywhere else in the US. This bucket-list destination is for experienced travelers only, but in my opinion, it is well worth the effort it takes to get there.

19. Joshua Tree National Park in California

In my opinion, Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most unique places in the US.

The park, which is made up of nearly 800,000 acres, is known for its namesake Joshua trees. It's perfect for hiking, climbing, camping, and scenic driving.

I love visiting the Cholla Cactus Garden and hiking the easy trail at Hidden Valley.

18. Redwood National and State Park in California

Hiking and driving through the thick forest of some of the tallest trees on Earth can only be described as magical.

Although the redwoods are the star here, many people are surprised to learn that the park is also home to 37 miles of coastline and sandy beaches — making for a perfect California getaway.

Redwood National and State Park is also unique in that it has been co-managed by the National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation since a joint management agreement was signed in 1994.

17. Zion National Park in Utah

Zion National Park in Utah has been increasing in popularity for several years. Last year, it was the second-most-visited park, with over 4.9 million visits.

Although I love the dramatic red canyon walls around the Virgin River, great hiking opportunities, and scenic drives, I don't rank it higher due to crowding.

16. Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida

In my opinion, Dry Tortugas National Park, located about 70 miles west of Key West, is one of the most unique parks in the US.

Spanning 100 square miles, Dry Tortugas encompasses seven small islands and the surrounding coral reefs and waters.

Accessible only by ferry, boat, or seaplane, the park offers visitors a chance to experience natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant marine ecosystems.

15. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park is like stepping into a postcard — and I'm lucky it's just up the road from my home in Colorado.

The park is jam-packed with scenic vistas, high mountain peaks, alpine lakes, and lush forests.

I love taking visitors to hike to the Emerald and Dream Lakes, drive Trail Ridge Road, and visit the quieter Wild Basin area of the park.

14. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington

Seeing Mount Rainier up close on a clear day leaves me speechless. The tallest peak in the Cascade Range is unbelievably beautiful.

Known for its vibrant wildflowers in the summer months, anywhere you look in Mount Rainier National Park could be a painting.

I love visiting the popular Paradise area for day hiking, trekking through the Carbon River Rainforest, and driving the park's scenic loop.

13. Death Valley National Park in California

California's Death Valley National Park feels different every time I visit.

The park is known for its scorching (and sometimes unsafe) summer temperatures, remote location, unique geology, and incredible size.

I love driving along Artist Drive, which winds in and out of vibrantly colored eroded hills, visiting the Badwater Basin salt flats, and exploring the expansive Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.

12. Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska

Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska is massive. However, no roads lead into the park, so visitors can only visit via boat or plane.

Home to over 1,000 glaciers, taking a tour through the bay is one of the most visually stunning and scientifically interesting things I have ever done.

11. Capitol Reef National Park in Utah

Capitol Reef has always been my favorite park to visit in Utah.

This park is the second largest in the state (behind Canyonlands) and, in my opinion, feels much more remote than Zion, Bryce Canyon, or Arches.

I love to hike, take a scenic drive, and visit the historic Fruita orchards for pick-your-own fruit.

10. North Cascades National Park in Washington

Despite being just a few hours outside Seattle, North Cascades is typically one of the least-visited national parks in the US.

However, it's also one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited, with awe-inspiring and dramatic jagged peaks, glaciers, clear blue lakes, and alpine beauty.

This park is great for hiking, camping, and boating, and is a must-visit in the summer months.

9. Lake Clark National Park in Alaska

Lake Clark is among the least-visited national parks, likely because it's so difficult to get to. There are no roads to the park, meaning travelers must arrive via plane or boat.

In my opinion, though, the extra expense and logistical challenges are worth it to see this stunning landscape.

In fact, the flight into and out of the park allowed me to take in some of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.

8. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana

Yellowstone National Park covers an estimated 2.2 million acres in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.

The park is home to about half of the world's geysers, including the iconic Old Faithful.

With abundant wildlife and over 10,000 geothermal features, a trip to this iconic park should be on everyone's bucket list.

7. New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia

New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia might be a surprise entry to the top 10, but it more than deserves its spot.

The park is an unexpected Southern gem with rolling hills, beautiful hiking trails, and famed whitewater rafting.

It's also home to the New River Gorge Bridge, which is the third-highest in the US.

6. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park is an iconic destination that must be seen to be believed.

Standing at the rim and looking out over the vast canyon is an experience everyone should have at least once. If you're up for a challenge, head into the canyon to hike from a unique vantage point.

5. Olympic National Park in Washington

One of the parks I recommend most to new visitors is Olympic National Park. Located on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, the park is easy to travel to but feels like entering a different world.

What I love most about Olympic is the diversity of its landscapes. The park is home to Hurricane Ridge, a mountain range that sees 30 to 35 feet of snow a year, and the Hoh Rainforest, which some say is the quietest place in the continental US.

With 73 miles of rocky coastline, there is an overwhelming amount of beauty here.

4. Acadia National Park in Maine

Acadia is known for its vibrant fall colors, but this park has plenty to offer year-round. It is the only major national park in New England and, in my opinion, is well worth the trip.

The summit of the park's Cadillac Mountain sees the first sunrise in the continental US from October 7 through March 6. But even if you don't catch the sunrise, there is so much beauty to see here.

I love to hike around Jordan Pond, head out to the quieter Schoodic Peninsula, and lounge on Sand Beach before heading up to the Ocean Path for an easy hike with incredible views.

3. Yosemite National Park in California

Even after nearly a dozen visits, I still get emotional every time I enter Yosemite National Park. The towering granite cliffs in Yosemite Valley are a sight that can't be accurately depicted in any photo or video.

In my opinion, Yosemite is one place where the reality is always better than what you see online. I love to hike around the valley, in the quieter Tuolumne Meadows, and among the towering sequoias of Mariposa Grove.

2. Glacier National Park in Montana

Glacier National Park is unlike any other in terms of pure beauty. Traveling along the Going-to-the-Sun Road is, in my opinion, the most beautiful drive in America.

Visiting this park never gets old, from the glaciers to the clear lakes, challenging hiking trails, historic lodges, and abundant wildlife.

1. Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

Despite having love for every major US national park, I knew one would be at the top of my list from the first time I laid eyes on it.

To me, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is unlike any other park. With the uniquely shaped mountain peaks that tower dramatically above the many blue lakes, hiking trails, and rivers, it feels like stepping into a postcard at every turn.

I love to camp at Colter Bay, swim in Jackson Lake, float on the Snake River, and hike in Cascade Canyon.

This story was originally published on April 8, 2025, and most recently updated on November 9, 2026.

• In my years as an interior designer, I've worked with many wealthy, high-profile clients.
• Their living rooms typically don't have too-small rugs, visible TVs, or a single overhead light.
• It's also rare to find mass-produced artwork, matching furniture sets, and cluttered surfaces.

As an interior designer who's worked with high-profile clients for over a decade, I've learned that a luxurious living room is rarely defined by how much money has been spent putting it together.

Rather, some of the nicest high-end spaces I've worked on are thoughtfully designed and curated for the people living in them.

Although everyone's personal style is different, I've noticed a few common design choices that my wealthier clients tend to avoid.

Here are 10 things that I rarely see in their living rooms.

Matching furniture sets are rarely a part of the design.

When designing a high-end living room, I never purchase an entire matching furniture collection from one place.

Instead, I mix different silhouettes, materials, and eras so the room feels more special, as if the furniture has been carefully collected and put together over time.

After all, a sofa, an accent chair, and a loveseat in the same fabric and style can create a generic feel, as if they were all pulled directly from a furniture showroom.

A rug that's too small can cheapen the entire living room.

When in doubt, it's better to go bigger for rugs. Rugs that are too small can make even the most expensive furniture look cheap and create a space that feels disconnected or incomplete.

In my clients' homes, I typically select oversized rugs that anchor the seating arrangement. At the very least, I want the front legs of all major seating pieces to rest on the rug.

A correctly sized rug makes a room feel more substantial, cohesive, and well-designed.

Generic, mass-produced artwork is usually nowhere to be found.

Artwork is one of the biggest opportunities to give a space personality. So, I rarely see wealthy clients displaying generic, mass-produced canvas prints that could be found in thousands of other homes.

Instead, many invest in original paintings, limited-edition prints, and vintage pieces. Sometimes, the most luxe-looking pieces aren't even wildly expensive; they just feel unique and have a personal connection to the homeowner.

A television is probably not dominating the living room.

Although my clients certainly watch television, I rarely ever design their formal living rooms around a giant screen. I'd rather highlight standout architectural features, such as a fireplace, a built-in bookcase, or a beautiful view.

When a television is essential, I look for ways to integrate it into the design, whether that means concealing it within cabinetry, choosing a television that displays artwork when not in use, or placing it somewhere that doesn't compete with the room's focal point.

You won't often find furniture pushed against every wall.

A common misconception is that pushing all the furniture against the walls will make a room feel larger.

In reality, this can just make a living room feel less intimate while leaving an awkward amount of unused space in the center.

When designing larger homes, I often float furniture away from the walls to create distinct seating arrangements that can work well for hosting and encourage conversation.

Even in smaller spaces, pushing furniture closer together can create a more inviting environment.

A single overhead light is never enough.

In high-end living rooms, you'll rarely see the entire space lit by a single light fixture or just recessed lights.

Instead, you'll find layers of light from several sources, such as decorative table lamps, floor lamps, sculptural overhead fixtures, and wall sconces. This can add depth to a space and make it feel more luxurious.

Ideally, these lights are also warm-toned and dimmable, so a room can feel inviting any time of day.

Poorly fitted curtains can ruin an otherwise stunning room.

In high-end living rooms, curtains usually don't stop awkwardly above the floor, and rods aren't mounted directly above the window (unless the ceiling height necessitates it).

Instead, drapery is often installed as high as possible to create the illusion of taller ceilings or better highlight large windows.

Even affordable curtains can look way more expensive when they're properly sized and correctly installed. However, my wealthier clients do tend to gravitate toward fuller, more substantial fabrics and custom window treatments.

It's rare for all of the pieces to be brand new.

A room that's filled entirely with brand-new furniture can sometimes feel sterile or impersonal, no matter how expensive the pieces are.

Instead, we'll usually blend new pieces with antique and vintage ones, which helps give a space a truly one-of-a-kind, custom look that feels quite luxurious.

By putting a brand-new sofa with antique chairs and a vintage coffee table, you're helping a living room seem as if it were carefully put together over several decades — even if it was designed in just a few weeks.

Cluttered surfaces and excessive decorative accessories aren't ideal.

When it comes to a high-end look, less is usually more.

Instead of covering surfaces in trinkets and decorative objects, my wealthier clients tend to invest in fewer, more meaningful pieces — like a beautiful sculptural vessel, a unique tapestry from their travels, or one large art book.

I also like to leave breathing room around decorative pieces, so each one has a chance to stand out. Thoughtful styling is way more effective than just filling every surface with stuff.

They're rarely sacrificing comfort just to achieve a certain look.

Another big misconception about luxury design is that expensive living rooms are supposed to be pristine and untouchable.

In my experience, even the wealthiest clients want their homes to be just as comfortable as they are beautiful.

This is especially important when it comes to seating — I pay close attention to seat depth, the materials the cushions are upholstered in, and how the couch is constructed.

After all, it doesn't matter how gorgeous your sectional is if no one is sitting on it.

• EvenUp, a quiet giant of the legal tech space, has reached $150 million in contracted revenue.
• The company sells AI software to personal injury law firms.
• It's expanding into new products and reaching new customers as it also faces increased competition.

While Harvey and Legora battle for Big Law, another legal tech startup is carving out a sizable business in Small Law.

EvenUp, a seven-year-old company that sells AI software to plaintiff-side law firms, has grown to $150 million in recurring revenue under contract, Rami Karabibar, EvenUp's cofounder and chief executive, told Business Insider.

The milestone is a reminder that some of the biggest opportunities in legal AI lie beyond the white-shoe firms now adopting it.

For traditional law firms that bill by the hour, AI presents a dilemma. Software that makes lawyers more efficient could also eat into their revenue. But personal injury firms typically work on contingency, taking a cut of what their clients win. The faster they can move cases along, the sooner they get paid.

For much of its existence, EvenUp was something of a one-trick pony.

The company got its start automating demand letters, the detailed documents personal injury lawyers send to insurers making the case for a financial settlement. It's a valuable business, but one that competitors can imitate.

Over the past 18 months, EvenUp has expanded into AI software that helps lawyers manage cases from start to finish. Its newest offering goes a step further, combining AI agents with human case managers to handle much of the work that happens before a lawsuit is filed.

The expansion has transformed EvenUp's business. In early 2025, demand letters accounted for more than 90% of revenue, Karabibar said. Today, revenue is spread more evenly across its products, and demand letters represent less than a quarter of the business.

EvenUp now serves more than 2,000 personal injury firms and supports 20,000 cases each week. Law firms pay a fixed price per case and sign annual contracts committing to a certain volume of cases.

EvenUp may have barely scratched the surface. Most law firms still use only one of its products, Karabibar said. The company sees an opportunity to land customers with one offering, then expand into other parts of their business.

To make that happen, EvenUp has hired Stevie Case, the former chief revenue officer of Vanta, as president of field operations. She will oversee sales, marketing, and customer service as the company looks to win more law firms and sell additional products to existing customers.

Case and her team will still have to convince law firms to choose EvenUp over rivals.

Eve, founded a year after EvenUp, also targets plaintiff-side firms and says it now serves nearly 2,000, up from more than 1,400 in June.

Supio is gaining ground, too. The startup said it more than doubled its customer base in the first half of this year, though it declined to say how many customers it has. It appears the market for plaintiff-side legal tech is still up for grabs.

EvenUp investors, at least, appear to be doubling down.

The company raised $150 million in a Series E round led by existing investor Bessemer Venture Partners last year. Karabibar suggested the company has plenty of financial firepower left for the fight ahead.

"We haven't touched a dollar of that yet," he said.

• Before I relocated abroad, I set up a care plan for my aging mother, who'd be staying in California.
• We spent years securing affordable housing that met her needs, and we planned my visits and calls.
• I also made her a wallet-sized emergency card with her medications and other crucial info.

For a long time, I'd wanted to retire early from my career as a pharmacist in California and move abroad to Mexico.

However, I worried about leaving behind my aging mom, who was in her late 70s. As the child who lived close by, I considered it my responsibility to take care of her.

Determined to find a solution that would let me leave with confidence that my mom would be well cared for, I began building a long-distance care plan before I moved to Mexico at age 50 in 2023.

The plan included three essential parts: secure, affordable housing; a remote caregiving system; and a way to stay connected from abroad.

It took us years to secure affordable housing that fit my mother's needs

I first started researching senior housing options in 2016. My mom wanted to live independently in a rental near public transportation without leaving San Francisco, where her friends lived.

I initially looked at private-pay, independent-living senior apartments, but the monthly costs were well beyond her budget. Depending on the unit size and services provided, these options often started at several thousand dollars a month.

Frustrated, I began looking into income-based senior housing. I researched nonprofit housing providers in the city, scanned affordable housing listings, and helped my mom apply for buildings she was eligible for.

These properties often come with age and income limits and charge rent on an income-based sliding scale. Some offer a first-come, first-served waitlist; others operate on a lottery system.

San Francisco's affordable senior housing waitlists are notoriously long. That is why it was so important for us to apply early and submit applications to every eligible building we found.

In 2021, five years after I started the research, my mom moved into an income-based senior-housing apartment building with a staffed front desk, security cameras, and around-the-clock on-call support. Her rent is set at 30% of her monthly income.

The piece that had worried me most was finally in place.

Around this time, I also began planning and budgeting for care-related costs on my end. This includes round-trip flights home twice a year, a cushion for unexpected expenses, and small purchases that make her daily life easier or safer.

For example, I bought her high-traction rain boots online and had them shipped to her apartment after she told me she'd nearly slipped during a storm.

We also outlined plans to stay meaningfully connected while I'm away

Before my move to Mexico, we talked honestly about why I needed to leave and how I could continue managing her care from afar.

I committed to frequent messages, a weekly call, and twice-yearly visits. This way, she always knows when she'll see or hear from me, and she can contact me any time she needs to.

During our calls, I often ask her about her family history, childhood memories, and the decisions that shaped her life. We take turns sharing recipes and talking about what we are cooking.

These calls have been a good way to preserve her memory and keep us connected. They also help me notice anything concerning she hasn't thought to bring up.

For example, she once mentioned that a stranger had messaged her asking for money. We went over some common phishing schemes and set up simple scam-prevention rules: "Don't click, don't share, and call me first."

When we're on the phone, I'll also remind her of upcoming medical appointments and go over questions for her doctors. Sometimes, I join her appointments by phone when she wants help asking follow-up questions.

Before I left, we prioritized building a strong local caregiving system, too

Because I'd be thousands of miles away in Mexico, I helped her build a list of local contacts she could turn to for help, too. The list includes friends, building staff, and family members who are nearby when I'm not.

Plus, I helped her join a senior activity center in hopes that she'd have even more reasons to go out, move her body, hang out with people she already knows, and make new friends.

I also created a wallet-sized emergency card listing her medications, conditions, allergies, doctors, and emergency contacts. This way, all the important information is in one place, and she can carry it with her at all times.

So far, this arrangement has been working for us

It's been over three years since my mom and I put these systems in place, and I relocated to Mexico. Even though it took significant time and effort to set up this long-distance caregiving plan, we have proven we can make it work.

As a result, I feel like our bond has strengthened despite the physical distance. Through honest conversations, careful planning, and her trust in me, we've found a way to stay close while building separate lives in different countries.

• Nvidia shares dropped sharply on Monday after revelations about CEO Jensen Huang's personal life.
• The chipmaker is investigating an affair Huang had with a tech exec and a suspected Chinese spy.
• Nvidia's stock fell 8% at the market open, briefly erasing roughly $360 billion from its valuation.

Nvidia stock dropped sharply on Monday morning as the company began investigating CEO Jensen Huang's extramarital relationship with a suspected Chinese spy.

The stock dropped 8% at the open Monday, falling to around $171 per share and wiping as much as $360 billion from Friday's closing market capitalization of $4.5 trillion. 30 minutes after the open, the losses had pared to 5%.

The stock has already fallen 20% over the past month.

Tech stocks have faced a broader sell-off amid investor concerns that AI infrastructure won't be built as quickly as hoped, sparked by neocloud firms' high debt levels and the Democrats' big gains in the midterm elections, which could slow data center construction.

Huang cofounded Nvidia in 1993 and has overseen a meteoric rise, with the company worth trillions since the AI boom supercharged demand for its chips.

As its founder and longtime CEO, Huang is pivotal to Nvidia's ongoing success, and Monday's share price decline likely reflects concerns the scandal could lead to his departure from the chipmaker.

"The so-called 'key-man risk' looms large here, and it's doubtful markets have adequately priced it in," Mohamed El-Erian, the legendary bond investor, wrote in an X post.

"This will not be easy for the board to navigate."

As one of its founders, Huang has a substantial financial stake in Nvidia, which has ballooned in value as the company has grown. As of Friday's market close, he has a net worth of $155 billion, making him the 10th richest person on earth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Huang's Nvidia stake fell in value by as much as $13 billion to around $138 billion on Monday morning, Business Insider calculated based on his most recent ownership disclosure.

Revelations about Huang's personal life

In late October, The New York Times reported that American intelligence agencies discovered that Huang had a close relationship with Alice Huang, a Chinese citizen and former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based data center company.

US officials suspected her company was steering Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China, and concluded that she was a Chinese intelligence asset, the report said.

At the time, an Nvidia spokesperson told the Times, "Jensen's interactions with Ms. Huang are not unusual or unexpected."

On Sunday, Jensen Huang sent a note to staff acknowledging he had been "unfaithful" to his wife, Lori Huang, to whom he's been married for over 40 years.

Nvidia's board of directors opened an investigation into whether its CEO was the target of a "foreign intelligence effort."

"My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," he wrote. "I support the investigation and will cooperate fully."

• Nvidia is investigating whether Jensen Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort.
• Huang said he had an affair. US officials believe the woman was recruited as a spy by the Chinese government.
• Here's what the Nvidia CEO has said over the years about China, export controls, and the AI race.

Jensen Huang has spent years making the case that while China is an adversary, the US should not cut itself off from the country's huge technology market.

Now, Nvidia says it is investigating whether the CEO was targeted by a foreign intelligence effort.

The New York Times reported that US officials believe Alice Huang, who has been an executive at Nvidia customer Megaspeed, was recruited to gather information for Beijing. She has no relation to Jensen Huang, who admitted to being unfaithful to his wife in a note to staff.

Huang has often sought to navigate a "balancing act" with China, a massive market that Nvidia has largely been locked out of due to US export controls. There is no indication that Huang was influenced by the foreign intelligence effort, and the timeline of the relationship between Jensen Huang and Alice Huang is not clear.

Nvidia's board said it has confidence in its CEO and has no reason to believe national security or company secrets were compromised. An independent committee will investigate, the board added.

Here's what Jensen Huang has said about China in recent years.

October 2026: 'We made a mistake' on China

In an interview with Bloomberg's Emily Chang for "The Circuit" last month, Huang said he had tried to persuade US policymakers of "the importance of engaging the Chinese market."

"I think we made a mistake, and this mistake is hard to unwind," Huang said in previously unreleased footage, in an apparent reference to US restrictions that have limited Nvidia's ability to sell its most advanced AI chips in China.

Huang also said that, while Nvidia competes with China, "they're not our enemies."

He said that US-China dialogue was necessary on AI safety: "If we care deeply about the safety of the world with respect to artificial intelligence, then of course we must open dialogues.

The same month, at Nvidia's Berlin keynote, Huang said that while the US is ahead in AI, China is "very, very serious competition."

May 2026: The US and China should not build separate AI ecosystems

In an interview with Channel News Asia in May, Huang said it would be "not wise" for the US and China to create two distinct AI ecosystems.

"The more that all the leaders work together, cooperate together to advance this technology in harmony and for good, the better it will be for the future," he said. Huang also said that countries and companies could simultaneously compete and cooperate.

That month, after joining President Donald Trump's China trip, Huang also told Bloomberg Television that he believed China's market would eventually open to US chip suppliers.

He said he had not directly discussed Nvidia's H200 sales with Chinese officials.

April 2026: Nvidia's China market share had fallen to zero

Speaking on the Special Competitive Studies Project's "Memos to the President" podcast in April, Huang said Nvidia's market share in China had fallen to zero.

Nvidia previously said in its annual report in February that being effectively foreclosed from China's data-center computing market had enabled competitors to develop ecosystems that could challenge it internationally.

The point reflected Huang's repeated argument that export restrictions risk strengthening Chinese rivals rather than slowing them.

January 2026: Decoupling is 'naive'

On the "No Priors" podcast in January, Huang called the idea of US-China decoupling "naive" and said it was not based on "any common sense."

China was an adversary, he said, but also "a partner in many ways." Huang said both countries should build more independence while recognizing their deep mutual dependence.

May 2025: Export controls were a 'failure'

One of Huang's clearest critiques came at a press conference at the annual Computex conference in Taipei in May 2025, where he called US AI-chip export controls, first introduced in 2022, a "failure."

He said they had cost US companies billions of dollars while pushing Chinese customers toward local alternatives such as Huawei.

Earlier that month, he told CNBC that China's AI-chip market could reach $50 billion within two to three years and that being unable to address it would be a "tremendous loss" for American companies.

September 2024: A 'balancing' between national security and US technology

In an interview on Bloomberg's "Balance of Power" in September 2024, Huang said Nvidia was doing its best to serve customers in China while complying with US export-control requirements.

"We have to defer all of the policymaking to the administration," Huang said. "They understand the balancing [of] national security versus the prosperity of American technology all over the world."

He added that Nvidia was exporting American technology and that it was "terrific for the United States that the world is built on American standards."

He said the administration would like to see Nvidia succeed and was doing "a wonderful job."

February 2024: Nvidia wanted to compete in China

Huang said on Nvidia's February 2024 earnings call that the company had redesigned products to comply with US export controls and had begun sampling them with Chinese customers.

"The US government would like to see us be as successful in China as possible," Huang said, while acknowledging that Washington also wanted to limit the most advanced Nvidia AI capabilities available there.

He said Nvidia had "reset" its China product offering and would "do our best to compete in that marketplace and succeed in that marketplace within the specifications of the restriction."

Sondre Pettersen lives in one of the most expensive places in the world. At 25, he works as a cybersecurity incident response analyst in Oslo, Norway, earning about $78,000 a year. He recently purchased a $465,000 apartment and carefully manages his expenses, saving around $1,000 a month while prioritizing travel, skiing, and other hobbies.

In this episode of "The Pay Check," Sondre breaks down his cost of living, sharing exactly how he earns, spends, budgets, and invests his money.

• US Army soldiers training in Germany are using relay drones to extend the range of their operations.
• The relays extend the signal between a pilot and their mission drone, allowing them to fly farther.
• It's a tactic that has become increasingly important in Ukraine.

HOHENFELS, Germany — A drone can fly only as far as its pilot can keep the connection. At the US Army's main overseas combat training center, that critical link can disappear on the far side of the rolling hills and thick forests that make the terrain particularly useful for war games.

The Army is looking to the sky for answers to the problem. The service wants to use drones as airborne communications relays that can help pilots maintain control of uncrewed aircraft operating beyond the reach of a direct line-of-sight signal.

Locked in a drone war with Russia, Ukraine has already turned to this approach on the battlefield, using relay drones to extend the connection between a pilot and a mission drone. Similar to how WiFi extenders work, these airborne signal repeaters are typically small quadcopters that can fly higher than ground-based antennas, allowing the mission drone to fly farther.

Roughly 50 Ukrainian soldiers participated in Combined Resolve, a recurring large-scale US Army exercise held last month at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Bavaria, north of Munich.

Business Insider spent two days observing the training exercise, a kind of stress test for the Army as the service integrates drones, electronic warfare, and other emerging technologies into its armor operations to make tanks and infantry fighting vehicles more survivable on modern battlefields.

Army officers said that the US is learning many lessons from Ukraine and from its visiting soldiers, who participated in the exercise alongside the 1st Armored Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team (1/1 ABCT) as it fought an opposition force simulating an enemy.

One of these lessons is how to use relay drones for extended range, said Capt. Kevin Rincon, the troop commander of the multifunctional reconnaissance company, 1/1 ABCT's action arm.

Speaking in the dense forest surrounded by armored vehicles, Rincon said fine-tuning the ability to operate relay drones and extend the range of mission drones will greatly improve survivability.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Carlos Porres, who oversees drone operations, said the airborne relays let pilots fly mission drones several miles beyond line of sight, an ideal advantage given the unfavorable terrain.

Maintaining a signal isn't the only requirement for longer ranges, though. Army officers said colder temperatures in Europe, especially this time of year, also impact drone battery life and potentially longer-range operations. Soldiers at training sites spanning a range of climates and conditions have found that drones can be negatively affected by heat, humidity, wind, rain, cold, and other environmental factors.

During the exercise, the Army's 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, a unit stationed at Hohenfels that serves as the opposition force during training exercises, also used relay drones to extend its operational range.

In one case, the opposition force used relay drones to extend the range of a ground robot deployed to attack 1/1 ABCT, an officer involved in the mission shared, speaking in a makeshift command post in the basement of a rundown building.

Ukraine's participation in various iterations of Combined Resolve has helped the Army learn better drone tactics, said Brig. Gen. Terry Tillis, the commander of the 7th Army Training Command, which operates under US Army Europe and Africa.

He said that moving forward, the Army intends to continue inviting Ukraine to participate in similar exercises.

The concept of using aircraft as signal repeaters is not exactly new for the US military. For decades, and in conflicts around the world, it has used drones and aircraft to extend the range of communications beyond the line of sight.

However, at a tactical level, relay drones, specifically using drones to allow other drones to fly farther from their operators, are proving increasingly important. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in Ukraine, where the battlefield is heavily saturated with drones and electronic jamming technology meant to counter them.

Drone pilots are being pushed back farther from the front lines as the kill zone — a miles-wide area under heavy surveillance where any movement can trigger a deadly strike — continues to expand.

Ukrainian pilots and defense companies told Business Insider that relay drones are essential for extending the range of first-person-view (FPV) quadcopters, which are used to deliver precision strikes on enemy troops, vehicles, and positions.

Omnitech Defense, a Ukrainian firm, said that its relay drones can double the range of standard FPV drones and allow troops to operate beyond line of sight and over hills that might otherwise disrupt radio signals — the same restrictive terrain features that rotating Army brigades face at Hohenfels.

Glib Dreger, the company's international development lead, said at a demonstration in southern England that the relay drones also work under electronic warfare conditions, which many defense firms believe is now a requirement for modern weapons.

Relay drones are "extremely critical, to the point where traditional drone pilot training has now incorporated this system as part of the official doctrine on the use of UAVs," Dreger said.

• Blackletter is the latest startup law firm trying to take clients away from Big Law.
• The Canadian neofirm has raised a $6 million seed round led by Lerer Hippeau.
• The founders think it can avoid Weil's fate by building a system that learns from past work.

Artificial intelligence has forced Big Law to rethink how legal work gets done and how clients pay for it. The collapse of law firm Weil Gotshal shows how quickly the traditional model can come apart.

The founders of a new neofirm called Blackletter say artificial intelligence offers a way to build something sturdier.

Blackletter has raised a $6 million seed round led by Lerer Hippeau, its cofounder and chief executive, Jonathan Rosenbluth, told Business Insider. The firm combines technology and lawyers to offer businesses legal services for flat fees.

The investment marks Lerer Hippeau's first check in legal, a firm spokesperson said. Other Blackletter backers include Seven Stars, Maple VC, Garage Ventures, and Ripple Ventures, as well as Cohere's founders, Aidan Gomez, Nick Frosst, and Ivan Zhang.

Rosenbluth saw Weil as a reminder of the existential risk facing legacy firms. Rainmakers can walk at any time. Clients can follow. And a partnership can collapse with the speed of a bank run.

Blackletter is betting its clients will come back not because of the relationship with one partner, but because Blackletter understands their business and does the work well.

Its lawyers use software built on large language models to draft and negotiate routine corporate contracts and guide transactions from term sheet through diligence and signing. The firm says it has more than 75 clients, including Fanatics, TwelveLabs, and Ada, which has just agreed to merge with fellow customer service agent company Dialpad in a $600 million deal.

The lessons from each matter Blackletter works on are meant to inform the next, Rosenbluth said. Lawyers refine how they use the tools, while engineers adapt the technology to help them get better results.

Rosenbluth spent a summer during law school at Skadden, where he watched associates a decade his senior grind through menial work. He felt drawn to the legal industry, he said, but the experience convinced him that traditional practice was not the career for him.

Before starting Blackletter, he rose through the ranks at Cohere, the fast-growing artificial intelligence model maker, where he led partnerships and product teams. The Canadian government said recently it's taking an equity stake of up to $1.6 billion in the Toronto-based company.

Rosenbluth founded Blackletter with another ex-Cohere executive, David Stewart, who led a team that worked with Cohere's customers and prospective buyers to shape its products around their needs. A third cofounder, Avi Brudner, was previously chief operating officer of Blue J, a tax-data company, and a former attorney at the law firm Fried Frank.

They're now hiring lawyers. The team, spread across the US and Canada, includes former associates at Latham & Watkins, Goodwin, Dentons, and Canadian law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt.

Blackletter's model is similar to one popularized by the law firm Crosby, which builds software for its own lawyers, and was most recently valued at $400 million. The bet is that in-house legal teams don't want another tool to manage; they want the work done faster.

Just don't call Blackletter an "AI-native law firm." Rosenbluth said the label connotes something "fast and cheap." Rather, he wants to build one of the best and biggest law firms of the 2030s.

"The number one law firm in the world" by then, he said, "is going to have a technical advantage over the other law firms."

Have a tip? Contact the reporter Melia Robinson at mrobinson@businessinsider.com or via Signal or WhatsApp or Signal at +1 (603) 913-3085. Sign up for her newsletter, Legal AI Insider.

• I spent months traveling the country to see friends just as I was turning 40.
• I enjoyed my time alone while traveling, as well as time with friends.
• Even a short visit made me feel closer to friends.

For the last 10 years, I've celebrated my birthday with small family meals, but as I was turning 40, I changed it up. After getting a taste of solo travel last year during the holidays, I wanted more.

My closest friends were spread out across the country, so I decided to visit as many as I could, and spent about six months traveling. What I had imagined as a fun, sweet time became so much more.

I deepened friendships I'd made through writing

I started my travels a few months before my birthday when two fellow journalists invited me to a girls' weekend at one of their homes in Chicago in the middle of winter. There, I fell in love with deep-dish pizza and glazed duck wings, and felt a somewhat professional relationship deepen into true friendship. It only took minutes of hanging out in real life for me to realize how much I trusted these two women — and how easy it would be for me to help them with whatever they needed, whenever they asked.

A few weeks later, we teamed up again with three more friends in New York City to attend a book launch party at our teacher's house. This group is intergenerational — from mid-20s to 60s. We all met in an online writing class two years ago, and we've been meeting weekly on Zoom to talk about our work ever since.

Our NYC trip marked the first chance we'd had to meet in person, and it felt like we'd known each other far longer than we had. We are all from different regions of the country, working day jobs in totally different fields, but we share a profound creative optimism. Online, those vibes helped us become friends. In real life, the energy was electric.

I saw my high school BFF twice

On my actual birthday in March, I met my high school BFF in Sonoma for a long weekend. She came from Florida, and I flew in from my home in Seattle.

Since 2021, we have been meeting in different cities once a year to explore the town, chill, and talk about our lives. Complete with a wine tour, a lot of walks through the quiet streets, and evenings at the hotel hot tub, our trip was a vacation in the truest sense — and a necessary annual recharge of our 25-year friendship.

I saw her again a few weeks later in Central Florida for a long weekend. This time, she picked me up from the airport in a topless Jeep and drove us to the pearly beaches on St. Pete. I got to hang out with her kids and husband, my closest writing pal in undergrad, before I drove up the coast of Florida to my hometown on the panhandle. I left with a stack of amazing book recommendations and a sense that I was still connected to my chosen family, even though we live thousands of miles apart.

I planned a trip that would allow me to see multiple friends

I'd always seen the physical distance between my adult friends and me as an obstacle to overcome. I started to look at it as a map. What if we didn't need chance encounters at the elementary school pick-up line or weekly wine dates to build and maintain a meaningful bond?

Inspired, I planned a "friend tour" of the Northeast. At the beginning of summer, I went back to NYC to meet with a friend who had reached out to me a year before after reading an essay I published. I then drove to Maine to hang with another pal whom I'd interviewed on my podcast. She invited me to her home, where she introduced me to a totally delicious homemade dirty Dr. Pepper.

My road trip ended with a cozy power walk through Washington, DC, where a journalist friend and I brainstormed pitches that all became successful articles in the coming months. I had visited all three women just to spend time with them. I didn't have an outcome in mind, but as I drove alone on the long, winding back roads through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maryland, I recorded dozens of voice notes, verbally "jotting down" ideas for short stories and essays. Our connections had created an amazing creative energy.

The trip was a perfect blend of time with friends and solo time

These unexpected, delightful creative blooms when I'm in the same room with a person stood out to me on all my trips — but so did the quiet hours alone in airports and on highways, checking maps and itineraries, and planning my day in new places. I had saved money and planned out my trips in advance, but navigating solo, friend to friend, made me feel a sense of agency that I rarely felt in my day-to-day routine back home.

It sounds simple, but in the loving chaos of raising kids and working full time, I rarely think about what I really want to do with the next hour or afternoon. While traveling alone, that was all I thought about. I wanted to spend quiet time with my friends that wasn't contingent on productivity or an outcome, and I found a way to do it. It was the best gift I could possibly give myself.

• PwC is putting 85,000 workers through a critical-thinking certification as AI takes on more work.
• Workers will start with a thinking-style diagnostic, then test their judgment in simulations.
• An AI coach could help employees rehearse difficult conversations or prep for client meetings.

As AI capabilities grow, PwC US is introducing a certification program to help staffers build and demonstrate critical thinking and judgment.

More than 85,000 employees across PwC's US and Mexico offices, plus those in its Acceleration Centers, which support client work and business operations, will participate in the program, said Yolanda Seals-Coffield, chief people and inclusion officer at PwC US.

The program is set to start in December.

It's important to find new ways of developing workers' skills, she said, because AI is helping in areas such as research, writing, and analysis that were once largely done manually.

"As AI takes on more of these foundational tasks, some of the repetition that really helped our people to develop critical thinking and judgment just won't be there," Seals-Coffield said.

Already, she said, first-year associates are doing different work than they did two years ago. A recent PwC analysis of US job listings found that entry-level roles exposed to AI were far more likely to include traditionally senior-level skills, including judgment and leadership, than in 2019.

PwC has identified 15 AI skills and 15 human skills — things like empathy and adaptability — that it says will set employees apart. This certification centers on critical thinking and judgment, which the company considers vital.

In a world where AI does more of the work, Seals-Coffield said PwC's goal is to develop a framework that will help employees evaluate information, establish context, challenge information and assumptions, refine analysis, and communicate recommendations.

Training for critical thinking

The certification, which the company expects employees to complete over roughly six months, will begin with an assessment to identify a person's thinking style and how it might shape their judgment, she said. Are they someone who questions assumptions, reflects on things, or is a pragmatist?

The intent is to help workers identify their natural strengths and the areas where they might need the most focus.

To start, Seals-Coffield said, the company is working with professors and veteran PwC staffers to develop classes to help participants sharpen their thinking skills.

The next step will involve "realistic simulations" that let employees apply the framework to their work, she said. From there, a personalized AI coach will help staffers apply what they learned in the simulations to their daily tasks.

The AI coach, for example, could help employees practice difficult conversations or prepare for client meetings. That might mean uploading a proposal, having the coach review it, and then helping the employee anticipate potential questions. Or it could help identify which team member should take on which role.

Seals-Coffield said the firm views critical thinking and judgment as complementing PwC's focus on instructing employees in areas from responsible use of AI to professional skepticism, and that the content will be customized based on employees' seniority level.

How PwC will assess the skills

The program will roll out in stages, giving staffers time to apply its lessons in their day-to-day work before development leaders evaluate that proficiency as part of the company's performance review process, she said. The goal, Seals-Coffield said, is that participants will complete the certification by the end of the company's fiscal year in June 2027.

"The idea of this certification is not to design a traditional pass/fail exam, but to give people these repeatable skills and then to encourage and create the space for them to be assessed against them at year-end," she said.

Seals-Coffield said the certification program comes as the company has broadened how it thinks about hiring over the past two years. The firm is hiring more engineers and technologists than ever — across its businesses, she said. While it wasn't unusual to find engineers in the company's advisory business, she said, they're now in its tax and assurance divisions, too.

The company continues to recruit on college campuses, Seals-Coffield said, and make offers to the majority of its summer interns. PwC declined to release year-over-year figures on entry-level hiring.

After employees complete the certification, Seals-Coffield said, the AI coach can deliver instructional content to staffers as the company determines updates are needed.

"We will continue to assess our people against their AI and human skills proficiencies throughout the course of their career," she said.

• ChatGPT accounts for more than 81% of traffic to six major AI chatbots, Graphite found.
• Its growth has resumed after a plateau, while Claude and Gemini remain far behind.
• The research analyzed worldwide web and mobile-app traffic using Similarweb data.

Earlier this year, ChatGPT's dominance of the AI market appeared to be slipping as rivals from Google and Anthropic gained momentum. But new research suggests OpenAI's flagship product is making a surprising comeback.

ChatGPT now accounts for more than 81% of worldwide traffic to major AI chatbots, according to a study from Graphite, a research and growth marketing firm. No competitor has managed to capture even 10% of the market.

That's a striking finding given the attention surrounding Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude, which have been widely viewed as increasingly serious threats to OpenAI.

The research also challenges the perception that ChatGPT's explosive growth has stalled.

After surging through the first half of 2025, ChatGPT usage largely plateaued for seven months. But growth resumed this year, with monthly visits climbing nearly 20% to a record 61.35 billion in September, according to Graphite's analysis.

This echoes reporting by my colleague Katie Notopoulos, who reported last week that ChatGPT now has 1.2 billion weekly users.

The data suggests that while OpenAI's rivals are growing rapidly, they haven't come close to dislodging ChatGPT from its commanding position.

Graphite's research, led by CEO Ethan Smith, analyzed web and app traffic to and from major AI services using data from Similarweb.

Claude recorded extraordinary growth over the past year, while Gemini expanded quickly, too. But those gains came from much smaller starting points. And ChatGPT isn't just attracting visitors. It's increasingly sending people to other websites, too.

Worldwide referral traffic from AI services jumped 92% over the past year, with ChatGPT responsible for 60% of those visits, according to Graphite.

The study also highlights how AI is transforming Google's traditional search business. Google's AI Overviews, which provide AI-generated answers directly in search results, now appear in 62% of US searches.

Meanwhile, Google's AI Mode, which lets users have more conversational interactions with Search, is growing rapidly. In August, it attracted 491 million US web visits.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is where all this AI activity is happening.

Despite America's leadership in developing the technology, the US accounts for just 8.8% of worldwide AI traffic, according to Graphite's study. That means more than 90% of usage happens elsewhere, underscoring how global the AI boom has become.

Overall, monthly visits to major AI services reached 76 billion worldwide, up 37% from a year earlier.

The message from the data is clear: The AI market is still expanding rapidly, and ChatGPT remains overwhelmingly dominant.

Sign up for the AI Insider newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com

• In Vinod Khosla's view, shopping on Amazon has become a slog.
• The billionaire VC is doubling down on Coframe, a startup that aims to customize websites with AI.
• Coframe was founded in 2023 by Josh Payne, an AI researcher and entrepreneur.

Billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla is betting the days of one-size-fits-all websites are numbered. His latest AI investment, Coframe, wants to remake the web so every visitor sees a page tailored to them.

"The world has changed because AI has enabled extreme customization," Khosla told Business Insider.

The startup, which aims to turn websites into what it calls the "living internet," recently raised a $25 million Series A co-led by Khosla Ventures and Hanabi Capital, bringing its total funding to $35 million. The valuation was not disclosed.

Khosla Ventures also backed Coframe at the seed stage. He is betting that AI can finally make the long-promised idea of a website tailored to every visitor a reality.

In Khosla's view, browsing the web has become a slog. He pointed to Amazon, where he said the shopping experience has "gotten worse and worse and worse" over the past 15 years because the company is pushing what it wants to sell rather than showing each user what is most relevant.

"The alternative is to write code for every page that's presented, but that's too expensive and way too slow," Khosla said. "This idea of a customized page for every user is a really good idea."

Coframe was founded in 2023 by Josh Payne, an AI researcher and entrepreneur who studied mathematics and computer science at Stanford and previously co-founded the Tom Brady-backed sports and entertainment startup Autograph. Payne said Coframe grew out of the manual, labor-intensive work he saw while trying to grow a consumer-facing business. When ChatGPT came out, he saw generative AI could be the solution.

"Websites are static," Payne told Business Insider. "You build them once; they're one size fits all, and then it takes a tremendous amount of effort to improve them over time."

Payne said Coframe's goal is not just to use AI to generate a prettier landing page. Its advantage, he said, will come from learning exactly what drives a particular customer to click and buy something.

"It's very bespoke," he said. "For the consumer, we're giving a more relevant experience, something that is better representing what the business does and the goods and services that they provide."

Coframe says it has generated more than $300 million in incremental revenue for customers including Dropbox, BCG, Block, Backcountry, and Sur La Table. It says conversion rates have risen 158% at Dropbox, 410% at Replit, and 60% at Cash App.

Marketing tech has rarely made venture capitalists swoon. In Payne's view, the market has calcified into a handful of entrenched giants, including Adobe and Salesforce, plus a long list of vendors selling incremental tools for testing, targeting, and measuring campaigns. Optimizely, once a Silicon Valley darling, was acquired for an undisclosed sum in 2021.

Payne is betting AI gives the category a second act.

"The internet is going to have its own sense of life," he said. "The technology is very rapidly catching up to be able to deliver that, so we want to be the ones that help to deliver that."

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• The AI trade got hammered, but the damage was uneven.
• The 4 charts below highlight what Wall Street will be watching in the post-election investing landscape.
• Sign up for First Trade, Business Insider's daily markets newsletter.

Ron Burgundy from "Anchorman" said it best: "Well, that escalated quickly." That famous quotable line-turned-meme was a perfect way to describe the stock market last week.

Things started innocently enough. The Nasdaq 100 did briefly enter correction territory on Monday, extending a sell-off from the previous week, before stocks snapped back the next day.

Then the midterm elections happened.

The resounding blue wave wasn't necessarily a surprise. But it reignited fears around the speed, cost, and political viability of the data-center buildout. That anxiety came to a head on Thursday, when the Nasdaq 100 and Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) suffered their worst days in six years.

And then, right on cue, the most beaten-down stocks staged a (partial) comeback on Friday.

So was the episode a nasty but necessary AI-trade reset, or the start of something uglier? The 4 charts below show what went haywire last week, and what Wall Street will be watching in the days ahead.

1. Chips: A dip-buying test

The move: Chip stocks went from the market's AI superstars to its biggest casualties. The SOX index's terrible Thursday dragged it to its worst week since April 2025TK, down TK% over five days. The sell-off showed that any disruption of the current data-center spending timeline will have immediate negative ripple effects across the AI trade.

What's next: A Monday rebound will only be convincing if chipmakers start outperforming the Nasdaq again. If semis keep lagging even when the market steadies, investors may be pricing in a more lasting slowdown in AI-infrastructure demand.

2. The AI builders: Funding concerns are getting real

The move: The companies building AI's next layer of computing capacity got absolutely clocked. Their reliance on debt served as a scarlet letter throughout the sell-off as investors favored firms with more secure finances.

What's next: The performance of this group will offer a critical read on sentiment around the data-center boom. If the stocks can't find a floor — or if CoreWeave's bonds come under renewed pressure — it would suggest AI-financing fears are here to stay.

3. Hyperscalers: Existing capacity becomes a moat

The move: Last week was a great example of how the AI trade is splintering. Hyperscalers are being favored because they already have data centers, and deep pockets to boot. Their operations could get more valuable if future construction becomes more difficult. The shift aligns with investors' recent preference for "quality" companies.

What's next: The market is about to test an increasingly debated question: Can a slower AI buildout actually be a positive for Big Tech in the long run? Those companies' next comments on capex and guidance on cloud growth will matter more than ever.

4. Rotation: The market beyond AI

The move: AI didn't speak for the whole market last week, even if it dominated the conversation. The damage was concentrated in stocks most exposed to a high-speed data-center buildout.

What's next: This is the check on whether widening market breadth is sustainable, or a flash in the pan. If the equal-weight index and non-AI sectors keep holding up, recent volatility could look more like healthy consolidation than a lasting headache.

• Linda Matzigkeit is an executive who spent six months training as an EMT during COVID.
• Working in the emergency department changed the way she communicated with staff.
• Personally, it showed her she can do anything she set her mind to, she says.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Linda Matzigkeit, chief administrative officer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I felt helpless during the pandemic. The hospital where I work was losing front-line clinical staff quickly, as moms pivoted to stay home with their kids during remote schooling. I wanted to do something and realized the best way to make a difference would be to work on the front line.

I've always been interested in healthcare because I'm a people person who enjoys helping. I never wanted to be a nurse or doctor, but thought — for a while — I'd become a pharmacist. During COVID, I started asking a few trusted colleagues what the fastest way to become a contributing member of our clinical staff would be.

The answer was unanimous: become an EMT.

I didn't tell my instructor I was in leadership

My son was away at college, so I was an empty nester. I had time. Still, I was scared I wouldn't actually be able to become an EMT. That fear was well-founded: the course ended up being extremely hard. It was a lot more work than I thought.

I went to EMT school two nights a week, from 5-10 p.m. On weekends, I picked up training shifts on ambulances and in emergency rooms. That lasted for about six months, until I passed my national certification.

While I was training, I didn't mention that I was in hospital leadership. I wanted to be taken seriously. I didn't want my instructor to think I would take this course and never use it.

Still, I think he could tell something was up. Whenever I didn't get an A on an assignment, I'd go talk to him until he finally told me, "There's no valedictorian of the EMT course. You're doing great."

I worked long shifts in our emergency department, but wasn't paid more

Once I was certified, I started working shifts in the emergency department of the hospital where I'm also chief administrative officer. Despite that job title, I still had to do 100 hours of EMT orientation. Getting through that on nights and weekends was tough, but I did it.

Working 8- or 12-hour shifts just affirmed for me how busy our clinical staff is. I would start IVs or catheters, or hold patients during procedures. Sometimes, I was caring for scared parents. Like many moms, I've had the experience of waiting too long in the ED with my child, so I just tried to keep things moving for them.

I'm a salaried employee of the hospital, so my time in the ER wasn't paid additionally. From a financial standpoint, I think of it as volunteering.

I realized my emails were going unread

My biggest takeaway from working in the ED is that, in leadership, we had to change how we communicated. I was used to sending emails and assumed people were reading them. But in the ED, no one is sitting long enough to read their emails.

I started to think about how we could reach staff more effectively. We introduced a new internal communication tool that's similar to social media — staff can get quick updates and notifications on their phones.

I also started providing talking points for the start-of-shift huddles that frontline staff hold. In the fast-paced environment of the emergency department, face-to-face communication is more effective than an email.

The experience is humbling, but I'm proud too

Becoming an EMT and working in the emergency department humbled me. I always want to be faster at placing IVs or catheters, but I'm never going to be as skilled as some of our staff, especially since I don't work as an EMT as much as I'd like. I aim to do a shift once a month, but that doesn't always happen.

Every time I share my story, someone will say, "I've always wanted to be an EMT." I tell them to do it. Becoming an EMT showed me I can do anything I set my mind to. I've been able to make a difference for our clinical staff and our leadership. I've learned that I can dream big and execute on it. If I put something out into the universe, you bet I'm going to accomplish it.

• Bobby Powers helped plan layoffs. Then he found himself on the chopping block.
• How long should laid-off workers get to say goodbye? Every detail became a dilemma.
• Powers says the work was soul-crushing. "You're putting humans in a spreadsheet."

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bobby Powers, 39, a leadership coach in Seattle. While working in HR at a media startup, he helped oversee layoffs and was later laid off himself. Business Insider has verified his prior employment and subsequent layoff. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

One day, my boss called and said, "We're going to have to do a big layoff, and you and I are the ones running it." It was a matter of us coordinating with the exec team to try to get the list of who was going to be in the layoff.

It was a really jarring experience because it involved people you knew pretty closely, and it was a constant, day-to-day question of who was on the list and who wasn't.

We knew we had to do pretty deep cuts. It was all these people who were doing great at their jobs. The goal generally was to cut enough that we wouldn't have to do another layoff. It was kind of a moving target because we were getting updated budget projections. As soon as the revenue projections went down, we realized we had to cut even more.

Part of the back-and-forth was figuring out where we needed people most. It was soul-crushing.

That's the tough thing about the corporate world: Whenever you're dealing with a big layoff or any other big, companywide decision, at the end of the day, you're putting humans in a spreadsheet, which doesn't feel great.

We tried to preserve humanity

For my boss and me, our job was to try to preserve humanity through this whole thing. The majority of our conversations were: "How would we want it done to us? How have we seen and heard about it being done poorly in other companies?"

Discussions included the chronology of when to make a call to the person. Who's on that call? We scripted it out almost down to the minute: Everyone's getting calls at the same time. When are we sending a companywide email? When are we deactivating their Slack and email? Do we let them say goodbye? Do they have each other's cellphone numbers? Are they connected on LinkedIn? Do they have personal emails? How are they going to say goodbye to their friends?

You can't give too long, but if you give zero time and shut off access immediately, that feels really inhumane. There were just 100 or 1,000 questions I had never thought about.

If we didn't have a big security concern, we wanted to try to give at least a little bit of time so that they could message their people and say, "Hey, I'm one of the ones impacted. Thank you for the time we've had together."

The vast majority of these layoffs were video calls because it was a remote company and because we wanted the human touch of having a video, because it feels a little bit better.

We weren't sure what to name the call. I had never thought of that before. What do you do if you can't get ahold of someone, or if they decline the meeting invite because they have a conflict? The logistics ended up being so nuanced.

The layoff calls were some of the hardest conversations I've ever had to have. For some of these people, you know that they've had financial struggles, or just bought a house. Whatever the thing is, you know what is on the other side of the table.

On the chopping block this time

Soon after the layoff, it was business as usual again. I even got a promotion, and I was making more money than I'd ever made. About a month and a half later, I was at a learning and development conference in Las Vegas.

I was taking notes and soaking up all this information when I got a call from my boss. She said, "We're doing another layoff, and rather than us having these conversations with other people, I think we're on the chopping block this time." I was partially floored, and partially it felt normal.

On the morning of the layoffs, I went to see if there had been a blast sent out yet, and I couldn't get into my email. The cord had been pulled. It is weird thinking, "I can't reach out to say goodbye." All of that you feel in that moment.

When I had read about layoffs before, I had always judged the situation, thinking it was probably low performers who were let go. Then, going through the process of laying people off, you realize that's not at all what it is.

Seeing the process now from both sides has given me greater empathy for what people go through — and the judgment that can come with it. Now, when I see layoffs get posted online, I don't jump to the same conclusions I used to.

Do you have a story to share about a lost job? Contact this reporter at tparadis@businessinsider.com.

• AI stocks crumbled this week on fears about election impacts on data centers.
• The Nasdaq 100 is down nearly 14% since October 6.
• Here's where market pros say to park some cash if you're worried the sell-off will deepen.

Things have been rough for the AI trade lately, and there's a chance the sell-off could worsen.

Some analysts and investors think that this week's rout that brought the Nasdaq 100 down by more than 6% could be a taste of more pain to come, even as markets were attempting to recover on Friday.

"The shakeout in AI-related stocks has much further to run," said Phillip Colmar, a global strategist at MRB Partners, in a note on Thursday.

Colmar highlighted the risks still facing AI stocks that inform his bearish view: questions around AI monetization; elevated borrowing costs; public backlash to the data center buildout; shaky financials of AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic; AI agents posing security

"To the extent that these concerns intensify, they will put downward pressure on the valuations of tech companies, make it more difficult for the weakest borrowers to service their debt, and ultimately put the revenue commitments that the various components of the A.I. ecosystem have made to each other at risk of not materializing."

Here's how investing pros are saying to position your portfolio if you are worried that the AI sell-off will get worse.

High-quality stocks

Michael Kantrowitz, the chief US equity strategist at Piper Sandler, said the election results reinforced his view that investors should continue moving up the quality curve.

Quality by Piper Sandler's definition emphasizes high return on equity, high free cash flow yield, return on invested capital, return on assets, and high interest coverage.

The bank's Macro Select model filters for these characteristics. In a client note on Thursday, Kantrowitz shared the highest-rated tech-sector stocks in the model.

If you still want exposure to the tech trade in some way amid the sell-off, Piper's favorite pick include: Gen Digital, Accenture, Manhattan Associates, Adobe, Jabil, F5, Gartner, NetApp, GoDaddy, Salesforce, Fortinet, Hewlett Packard, DocuSign, Workday, Nutanix, Zoom Communications, and SanDisk.

Non-AI value stocks

It's no secret that Bill Smead, founder of Smead Capital Management, is a tech bear. He's a value investor, after all, and his Smead Value Fund holds no direct AI exposure, he says.

His fund has fared well amid all the market chaos lately, up 6.8% since October 8 as investors have rotated out of the AI trade.

With the AI trade likely to unwind further in Smead's view, he said he's leaning into homebuilders like DR Horton, NVR, and Lennar, as their valuations remain cheap and sentiment around homebuilders is poor.

Unglamorous sectors of the market

Eric Teal, chief investment officer of First Horizon Wealth Management, said he sees opportunities in some of the more unglamorous corners of the stock market, like small caps, financials, and energy.

"Today's sharp market pullback underscores the importance of looking beyond large-cap technology stocks and taking a more diversified approach to investing," Teal said in an email.

In a client note on Friday, UBS gave a similar perspective. The bank said its preferred stock sectors right now include healthcare, financials, and industrials.

Load up on bonds

UBS thinks the AI trade is eventually going to bounce back, but if you feel that you need more protection in the event of more near-term volatility, the bank said to consider upping your bond allocation if you're underweight the asset class.

"We see attractive diversification and income potential in fixed income, particularly in high-quality bonds with short- to medium-term maturities and in emerging market bonds," the bank wrote in a note.

• I've never enjoyed cooking. My husband does. For years, we split it evenly anyway. Until we didn't.
• The decision came after I read a book about invisible labor in marriage.
• It's made our household run smoother than ever, especially while navigating a whole new life abroad.

I've never liked cooking. My husband does. For years, we still split the task evenly anyway.

We planned meals for the week, shopped, and prepped together. We traded cooking nights and did our best to split the mental load and keep it fair as best we could.

Even so, it felt like the same mammoth problem showing up every single week. Like I'd never solved it the week before. I tried different systems: assigning meal types by day, planning a month at a time, letting apps plan for us. Nothing ever stuck or made the task feel easier.

One realization changed everything

I don't know where the meal planning overwhelm came from, or why this task has always felt so hard for me. But over time, I came to a realization: maybe this just wasn't a task I should own at all. Maybe we didn't need to split everything evenly. Maybe instead, we needed to each own what we were actually good at.

A few years ago, I read Eve Rodsky's book, "Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution." It changed how I thought about the invisible workload in marriage — not just who does which task, but who's carrying the mental weight of remembering, planning, and making sure it all gets done.

Rodsky's research found something that seemed counterintuitive to me at the time: couples don't feel more satisfied when work is split 50/50. They feel more satisfied when one partner fully owns a task from start to finish. The real weight isn't in the doing. It's in the noticing and planning that happens before anyone lifts a finger.

That explained a lot. And it gave me the words to finally talk to my husband about all of it.

I made a revealing list

I want to be clear about one thing first: my husband is an involved, hands-on partner. The kind who packs lunches, who's a more meticulous cleaner than I am, who I can leave to go on a business trip without an instruction manual to run the household and take care of our kids. He's an incredible partner I'm grateful to have by my side.

Even so, when I sat down and made a list of everything I was responsible for, and everything he was responsible for beside it, my list was four times longer.

I showed it to him. Not to start a fight, but so he could really see it for himself. I still remember the look on his face. Not at all defensive. Just sad. He hadn't realized how much I'd been holding until he saw it laid out in front of him.

Soon after, we bought Rodsky's Fair Play card deck, which helps couples divide household responsibilities by full ownership, task by task. Cooking went to Jeff.

He owns it all

When we moved from Connecticut to Spain a year ago, with only what fit in a few suitcases, we left the deck behind. But we brought the system, and leaned into it harder.

I was suddenly stretched thin in every direction, running our household in a new country, helping two kids adjust, working, and trying to find my own footing. Full ownership wasn't just a "nice-to-have" anymore. It was our saving grace.

Meal planning, shopping, and cooking are entirely in Jeff's court. He decides what we're eating, makes the list, does the shopping, and cooks every night. I don't weigh in.

He never follows a recipe. He just knows how to put a meal together — a credit, I think, to his Italian-American mom, who's incredible in the kitchen.

I don't always love what he makes. Sometimes he picks a type of meat I wouldn't have chosen. But I eat it, gladly. The peace of not owning this task far outweighs the occasional meal that isn't my first pick.

We're not rigid about it either. If he's swamped or out one night, I step in without complaint, shopping and cooking. But that's the exception.

In exchange, I own things outright too. Laundry is mine — daily washing, stain treating, hanging, folding, putting away. I also own event planning and coordinating family activities. We each trust the other to handle our own categories.

We're teaching our kids something important

Most nights, I have no idea what he's making until it's done and he's asking for help serving it. I'm often folding the laundry I washed and hung out to dry that morning, or playing with our youngest. Sometimes he wanders into the kitchen to help, learning small tasks alongside his dad.

He's 7, and he already knows how to cut fruit and veggies with a paring knife, sauté meat, and scramble eggs. I don't know if he'll grow up loving the kitchen the way his dad does. But he'll grow up knowing that whoever's best at something — and actually enjoys it — should own it. Not whoever is expected to.

• David Walker said he once fired two high performers at a company he ran for failing to collaborate well.
• A key test for the Spara CEO: Does an employee boost others or try to push them down?
• "If you don't feel like the dumbest person at your company, you're just bad at hiring," Walker said.

David Walker learned the hard way that company culture starts with who gets hired.

The cofounder and CEO of AI startup Spara, which creates agents for sales teams, had to fire two high-performing employees at a prior company because, he said, they undermined the culture he was trying to build.

There wasn't a single blowup or any misconduct, Walker said. Instead, he said, they tended to try to prove they were smarter than their colleagues rather than collaborate with them. Walker said he offered feedback, and nothing changed.

"The thing that most CEOs get wrong is that they make hiring decisions and then they go try to set their culture," he said.

After he made the call, Walker said, more than a dozen staffers told him it was the right thing to do.

"I could see a marked change in the energy and culture," he said, adding that employees started referring more job candidates. His only regret: that he had sweated over the decision for months before acting.

Walker is drawing on those types of experiences as he builds out Spara, which he cofounded in 2024. The startup has about two dozen employees. Before starting the company, he cofounded and ran a tech-enabled real estate brokerage, which he later sold.

Hire for how people treat colleagues

For Walker, culture isn't defined by whether a company has a ping-pong table or a "corporate-feeling office." It's shaped, he said, by the people a company chooses to bring in and reward.

"Hiring decisions are the bedrock of setting your culture," Walker said.

He said the best piece of advice he's received on this is simple: "If you don't feel like the dumbest person at your company, you're just bad at hiring." Ultimately, Walker said, you want "self-imposed imposter syndrome."

Talent alone isn't the test, however. Walker said the attribute most correlated with the culture he wants is whether someone gains energy by bringing those around them up or pushing them down.

That might look like someone who did 80% of the work taking time in an all-hands to talk up colleagues who did the remainder and saying it wouldn't have been possible without them.

"They're sharing the credit," he said.

Walker said that those who need to "win" interactions might view colleagues' ideas as threats, whereas workers who draw out others' ideas and knowledge are more likely to foster genuine collaboration.

Hire people who will challenge you

That distinction also shapes how he wants employees to interact with him. Walker said it's not enough to hire people with expertise in their areas of the business. They also need to feel comfortable challenging the CEO — and Walker, as CEO, needs to explain how he reached a decision.

Walker said a leader's job is, in part, to define how a company communicates and makes decisions.

Early on in his career, he said, he found it difficult to say no to people on his leadership team who were older or more experienced in their area of the business.

To make it easier, Walker said he followed an employee's suggestion and began explaining why he was making a decision before simply delivering an answer. That gives staffers a chance to understand the reasoning, challenge it, and learn how he weighs trade-offs.

"Great people expect to be told 'no,'" Walker said.

He said he's a believer in the idea of disagree and commit — including for himself.

When he disagrees with a team's approach but defers to its expertise, Walker said, he and the team discuss in advance how they will judge whether it is working and what they will do if it is not.

That might mean reviewing sales call recordings in the first month after a decision to see how customers understand a change. Setting up a plan to evaluate a decision down the line can make it easier to change direction without it feeling like a blunder.

That keeps things moving. "The worst thing you can do building a company is just have decisions that don't get made," he said.

• Many Gen X buyers choose active adult communities while still working full time across the US.
• Active adult communities focus on rightsizing and lifestyle with wellness and social connection.
• Growing 55+ rental options offer flexibility for active adults facing high rates and HOA costs.

This article is based on a Q&A with Todd Warshauer, who leads Active Adult Consultants, which provides consulting services and sales training for 55+ and active adult communities. Warshauer has worked in residential real estate for over 25 years and has visited nearly 1,500 active adult communities nationwide. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Throughout my career in real estate, one of the most important questions I've encouraged companies and teams to help buyers answer isn't simply, "What home should I buy?" It's "How will I live here?"

That's really at the heart of the active adult market. People aren't just buying a house. They're deciding how they want to spend the next chapter of their lives. It's less about what they're leaving behind and more about what they're looking forward to.

More people in their 50s and not retired are moving into adult communities

We're seeing people consider the active adult lifestyle earlier, although that doesn't necessarily mean the average buyer is getting younger across the board. Historically, moving into a 55+ community was often tied to retirement. Today, more buyers in their 50s are considering the move while still working, sometimes with another 10-15 years of their careers ahead of them. Remote work and flexible schedules have certainly helped over the past five to six years.

One thing I've always emphasized with clients and in active adult leadership groups is that buying in an active adult community is typically a discretionary decision. Most buyers don't need to move. They already own a perfectly good home. So what's motivating them? For someone who's 57 and still working, it might simply be realizing they don't want to wait another eight or 10 years to enjoy a different lifestyle. The bigger shift isn't necessarily about retiring earlier. It's about choosing to live differently sooner.

Rightsizing is more important than downsizing

The biggest change I've seen is the evolution from buying a home in a retirement community to buying into a lifestyle. When I started in this business, much of the conversation centered on downsizing, golf, and less maintenance. Those things still matter, but today's buyers have broader expectations around wellness, fitness, social connections, recreation, travel, and experiences.

People's priorities change as they move through life. The first half is often focused on careers, raising families, and accumulating things. The second half becomes more about relationships, experiences, freedom, and how we spend our time. That's why I prefer "rightsizing" over downsizing. I've seen plenty of buyers purchase homes larger than the ones they're leaving. They're looking for a home and community that better fit the life they want to live.

Many residents are not retired

I've never been a big fan of calling these retirement communities. To me, "retirement" suggests the end of something, particularly a career or productive chapter of life. But most buyers I've worked with are more interested in what's next. What do I want to experience? How do I want to spend my time? Who do I want to spend it with?

Many residents are still working, consulting, starting businesses, volunteering, or pursuing interests they didn't have time for earlier. They're not necessarily slowing down. That's why I prefer "active adult community" or "active lifestyle community."

There's also an interesting generational shift. Baby boomers have largely defined this market over the past 10-15 years, often associating the move with retirement. Gen X buyers are approaching it differently, with many still working, raising children, or balancing other financial responsibilities. I don't think Gen X is necessarily less interested in retirement. I think they're less inclined to wait for retirement to make a lifestyle change. Of course, these aren't universal differences, but the mindset shift is important.

Community allows people to focus on themselves after years of parenting or growing a career

In my consulting, I talk a lot about the push and pull factors behind a move. The push factors are what people want to leave behind: home maintenance, unused space, changing family dynamics, or a neighborhood that no longer fits their lifestyle. Pull factors are what they're moving toward: friendships, activities, wellness, convenience, and more time for the things they enjoy.

For someone who's spent 20-25 years raising a family and building a career, an active adult community can offer an opportunity to focus more on themselves while they're still working. Making new friends as an adult isn't always easy, and these communities create opportunities to connect with people who share similar interests. There's also longevity to consider. If you're 55 today, you could be thinking about where and how you want to live for another 25-30 years. Why wait until you're 70 to enjoy it?

One important distinction: Most 55+ communities operate under federal housing rules that require at least 80% of occupied homes to have at least one resident age 55 or older. Individual communities can have stricter policies, so someone under 55 shouldn't assume they're eligible. All-age lifestyle communities can offer similar amenities without those restrictions.

Renting is always an option

I'd start by figuring out what you want your future lifestyle to look like before deciding what real estate to purchase or rent. Where do you want to live? How close to family? What activities and social connections matter? Will the home work for you in 15-20 years? For some people, buying a future home early can make sense, particularly if they can afford to carry two properties or rent one out.

But you also need to consider financing, insurance, taxes, HOA fees, and rental restrictions. Many 55+ communities have specific leasing and occupancy rules.

There's also the growing option of renting in an active adult community rather than purchasing. The 55+ rental market has expanded considerably, offering many of the same lifestyle amenities, activities, and social opportunities found in traditional for-sale communities. For someone still working or unsure where they want to settle long-term, renting provides flexibility without the financial commitment or maintenance responsibilities of ownership.

Today's Gen X buyers also face a financial challenge. Someone with a 3% mortgage may struggle to justify selling and buying a new home at a significantly higher rate, even with substantial equity. Add new construction pricing and HOA fees, and the decision becomes more complicated. That doesn't mean they don't want to move. The financial side may simply not align with the lifestyle they want.

The goal should be making these decisions proactively rather than waiting for a health issue or other circumstance to force the conversation.

• Elon Musk said said the order backlog for the Cybertruck "far exceeds" what Tesla can build.
• The electric truck is being axed next year, and Musk said Tesla will have to return a lot of deposits.
• The Cybertruck has had a bumpy ride, with sales collapsing and owners hit with vandalism and abuse.

Putting money down doesn't guarantee you'll get one of the last Cybertrucks to roll off the line.

Elon Musk said on Monday that the number of Cybertruck orders "far exceeds" Tesla's capacity to build them before the electric pickup is discontinued next year.

"We will try to make as many as possible before shutting down the line in about 8 months, but will have to return deposits for a lot of people," the Tesla CEO wrote.

Musk added that the Cybertruck was not unprofitable, but said that scaling Tesla's Cybercab robotaxi was more of a priority.

"The opportunity cost of the complexity of Cybertruck is vastly outweighed by the value of incremental Cybercab production," he said.

Musk announced on Friday that Tesla would stop production of the Cybertruck, which debuted in 2023. It is unclear how many Cybertruck orders Tesla has outstanding, and the company still appears to be accepting orders on its website.

The angular electric truck launched with high expectations — Musk predicted Tesla could sell 250,000 a year — but has flopped.

Tesla sold just 20,000 Cybertrucks in the US last year, and has sold around 16,000 so far in 2026. The pickup also became a target for anti-Musk protests and vandalism during the billionaire's stint running DOGE.

The Cybertruck maintains a cult following among Tesla fans, who spent the weekend petitioning Musk on X to give the EV a stay of execution.

However, the billionaire pushed back, writing on Saturday that Tesla's engineers can "only do so many things" and that the Cybercab was more important to the company's future.

"If we have to maintain a complex production line, supply chain and allocate engineering for Cybertruck, we can't use those people or factory space and machinery for scaling Cybercab, which is the vehicle that will PROFOUNDLY transform the world of terrestrial transport!" Musk wrote.

The Cybertruck's cancellation is the latest signal that Tesla is moving away from conventional vehicles. The company also discontinued the Model S and X premium EVs earlier this year to free up factory space for its Optimus humanoid robot.

• Eva Steinwald started climbing mountains in her 60s after her husband died.
• Her goal is to conquer the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent, by age 70.
• Her training routine combines strength and endurance exercise — a good blueprint for longevity.

For most of her life, Eva Steinwald thought Mount Everest may as well have been the moon.

An Idaho-based real estate broker, she was an avid skier, sometimes a jogger, and a black-belt karate instructor, but never considered herself an athlete.

Then her husband Pat died in 2018. After more than two decades of marriage, she told Business Insider she decided to re-envision her life with the biggest challenge she could think of: overcoming a fear of heights to climb literal mountains.

At age 63, she stood at the top of Everest after only a few years of climbing experience and set a record as the oldest American woman to summit the world's highest peak.

Now 64, she works out six days a week to take on the rest of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent.

Steinwald said she learned late in life how to revitalize her fitness. She said the same principles that help her tackle the toughest environments on the planet can help even fitness newbies get in better shape.

"I feel great. I have energy. I'm strong," she said. "People look at me, and they don't think I'm 64. This is just normal for me."

Her four-part exercise plan mirrors longevity advice from top doctors, performance scientists, and elite athletes. Scale it to your fitness level and schedule to build a better workout, whether you want to take on big adventures or extend the healthy years of your life.

Strength training boosts long-term durability

She started with obstacle course races, where she quickly realized she needed to build up some strength and hired trainers to help.

Her current regimen includes three days a week of strength training. Extensive research shows strength is key to both athletic performance and a long, healthy life, alongside mobility.

Steinwald works with a coach from Stretch Lab to prevent injury and protect her muscles and joints. She spends two sessions on lower-body exercises and one on upper-body and core exercises, with a focus on balance and stability movements.

Slow, steady cardio to build a better engine

Steinwald's first major peak was Mount Rainer in Washington State.

She took on the grueling hike, followed by a freezing climb at midnight (when the ice is more stable), after a crash course in using an ice ax, crampons, and other gear.

Reaching the top as sunrise broke over the horizon, Steinwald decided she couldn't get enough.

To build her stamina for bigger adventures, she took on "a lot of boring endurance runs," she said.

Her weekly training includes running at an easy pace for an hour or two at a time.

The idea is that slower Zone 2 cardio sessions allow your body to adapt at a pace you can more easily recover from. For beginners, that can be a fast walk or a light jog for 10-20 minutes, building up.

"You have to take little baby steps," Steinwald said. "Don't be hard on yourself, get back up and do it the next day."

Rucking supports real-world fitness

To prepare for the strain of hauling gear up rugged cliffs, Steinwald spends long hours carrying a weighted pack. Also known as rucking, the exercise has caught on for performance and longevity because it combines strength and cardio at once.

When the weather doesn't cooperate, Steinwald gets it done in the gym. A recent session involved two hours on the stair stepper, then two hours with a heavy pack on the treadmill, while watching movies to pass the time.

She recommends sticking to a similarly rigorous schedule, even if your workouts are shorter.

"Put it on your calendar, and it is non-negotiable. It is your time. It is your health physically and mentally," she said.

Interval training develops resilience

The last ingredient in Steinwald's exercise potion is a sprinkle of high-intensity intervals, like uphill sprints. She started small, with about 30 seconds of sprinting at a time, but has worked up to 10 minutes at a fast pace on an incline — brutal even for an experienced athlete.

The shorter, speedier sessions help raise the body's ability to handle hard effort over time.

Intervals also cultivate psychological grit, teaching you to problem-solve under strain.

Steinwald said it's a key lesson for taking on literal mountains, where you can fail despite your best efforts.

"It's not about the summit. When you climb these mountains, it's really about the journey, discovering yourself and your strengths, your weaknesses," she said.

Steinwald said an unexpected perk of her mountaineering is emotional fortitude and a greater sense of being present in everyday life. It's helped build closer relationships, which is another key factor in longevity.

"After going through all the pain and hard work on a mountain, really digging deep, you realize it's OK. You can thank someone, you can apologize. You can say, 'I love you,'" Steinwald said. "We don't share our emotions enough, and the mountains have really taught me you need to share."

• Gallup survey results showed US employee engagement was the lowest since 2011.
• Employees are also feeling frustrated because it remains tough to get a new job.
• If the job market improves, pent-up frustrations could lead to a big wave of resignations.

Many employees aren't feeling passionate about their work, and a lack of support and clear guidelines are dampening morale.

Gallup found, based on a survey of adults, that employee engagement, defined as "the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace," has dipped to the lowest level since 2011. Engagement steadily rose during the 2010s, peaked in 2020, and dropped to 29% this past third quarter.

Gallup's Jim Harter wrote there were "particularly large declines among hybrid and remote employees in organizations that have adopted AI."

"At the same time, fewer employees report clear expectations or feel that someone at work cares about them," he said. "The pattern suggests that AI adoption may be outpacing the communication and managerial support needed to make it effective."

Data elsewhere points to the difficulties of being a worker, especially if you want to get ahead in your career. Cory Stahle, senior economist at Indeed, told Business Insider that the low-hire, low-fire job market has consequences for people who want to switch jobs or get a raise, as employees aren't able to use offers elsewhere as leverage to push for a pay increase.

"Obviously the low-fire means job security, but at the same time, if you have a secure job, but you feel like your wage is getting eroded and not keeping up the way that prices are increasing, that doesn't feel good," he said.

The quits rate can indicate confidence in getting a job, with a higher rate of workers leaving their current gigs implying feeling good about what's available. The rate ticked up to 2.1% in September, above the previous 12-month average of about 2% but still lower than the Great Resignation a few years back.

Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor, told Business Insider that soft hiring affects both unemployed and employed people because those with jobs face fewer opportunities to move up the career ladder or to have leverage over their current employer.

"If you can't credibly quit and find a better job, then there's no pressure on your current employer to give you a raise or a promotion," Zhao said. "That means that workers are stuck in their current situations and they don't have an outlet for their frustration."

The hires rate was 3.4% in September, up for the second straight month, but still comparable to the early 2010s. Zhao said workers may be sitting in jobs that no longer fit them because they are struggling to find a new role, and thus are feeling pent-up frustration.

"Naturally, people outgrow jobs, and in a healthy job market, when you outgrew one job, you would move on to the next one," he said. "But instead, right now we're seeing that workers are stuck in jobs that are no longer a fit for them."

The New York Fed's survey of consumers showed the share of people who are happy with promotion prospects was 42.1% as of July, a slight uptick from March's share but still low in the series dating back to March 2014.

"Even if the current job market is not a great time to find a new job, you can still set yourself up to be ready in the future," Zhao said. "If 2027 is a better job market and there are more opportunities available, then you want to make sure that you are in a position to ride that wave."

Perhaps if the job market improves, another round of the Great Resignation, and a new cycle of furious job-hopping, could occur.

"If the job market does heat up, then that pent-up frustration, that desire for green pastures, is going to very quickly evolve into employee attrition, and it is going to result in people heading for the doors en masse," Zhao said.

• Concert films rose in popularity in the late 2000s and early 2010s, raking in millions of dollars.
• Artists like Taylor Swift, BTS, and Billie Eilish have helped revive the genre.
• Business Insider compiled the 20 highest-grossing concert docufilms using Box Office Mojo data.

Concert documentaries can be a win-win for fans: they can relive favorite concerts or experience tours they couldn't see live on the big screen.

The music documentary subgenre rose in popularity between 2008 and 2013, when artists such as Miley Cyrus, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and One Direction released major theatrical concert films to much fanfare at the box office.

Ten of the 20 highest-grossing concert films on this list were released during that period, collectively earning about $318 million at the domestic box office, according to Box Office Mojo data.

This type of docufilm saw a surge in the early 2020s, and in a 2024 Fandango survey, 77% of ticket buyers who had watched a concert film in 2023 said they wanted to see another tour on the silver screen.

In 2023, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour became the highest-grossing concert film of all time, with more than $180 million in domestic ticket sales. That's more than double the No. 2 entry.

The release of concert documentaries has continued, with over a dozen since 2023 from artists including Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, BTS, and more. A Harry Styles tour documentary directed by John Wilson is in the works.

Here are the 20 highest-grossing concert film documentaries at the domestic box office, per Box Office Mojo.

20. Amazing Grace (2018)

Domestic gross: $4,450,456

The documentary captures Aretha Franklin recording her landmark 1972 live gospel album, "Amazing Grace," over two nights at Los Angeles' New Temple Missionary Baptist Church.

The film centers on Franklin's performances with the Southern California Community Choir.

19. Bring the Soul: The Movie (2019)

Domestic gross: $4,809,800

The documentary, directed by Park Jun-soo, BTS' primary director, centers on the band's 2018 "Love Yourself" world tour.

It shows behind-the-scenes glances at each band member's life outside of the band, including the emotional and mental weight that has come with their new fame.

18. Shine a Light (2008)

Domestic gross: $5,505,267

Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese films the Rolling Stones over two concerts at New York City's Beacon Theatre in 2006.

The documentary centers on the band's live performance while also including archival footage and guest appearances by Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera, and Jack White.

17. Justin Bieber's Believe (2013)

Domestic gross: $6,206,566

Directed by Jon M. Chu, who also directed "Never Say Never," the documentary offers a behind-the-scenes and onstage look at Bieber during his 2013 "Believe" tour.

It follows the pop star as he performs for packed arenas while navigating fame and the challenges of his growing career.

16. Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience

Domestic gross: $7,232,818

Directed by award-winning filmmakers Paul Dugdale and Farah Khalid, the theatrical music film follows the K-pop group's sold-out performances at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in 2025.

It combines concert footage and behind-the-scenes content.

15. BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas (2023)

Domestic gross: $8,481,053

Directed by Oh Yoon-dong, the documentary features footage from the band's October 15, 2022, concert in Busan, South Korea.

The free Busan concert supported the city's bid to host the 2030 World Expo and was BTS's last performance with all seven members before military enlistments began.

14. U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)

Domestic gross: $8,600,823

Director Phil Joanou's documentary follows U2 during its "The Joshua Tree" tour, as the band sought to connect more with American blues, gospel, folk, and rock music.

It includes live performances, studio sessions, and scenes of Bono and his bandmates recording with artists such as B.B. King.

13. Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft (2026)

Domestic gross: $9,901,485

Co-directed by Billie Eilish and James Cameron, the 3D concert film captures Eilish's sold-out "Hit Me Hard and Soft" world tour.

It features performances of songs from the album, including "Birds of a Feather" and "Wildflower," alongside backstage footage of Eilish, her brother and collaborator Finneas, her band, and the production team behind the tour.

12. Stop Making Sense (1984)

Domestic gross: $10,306,902

Jonathan Demme's film documents Talking Heads' 1983 concerts at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

The performance begins with David Byrne alone onstage and gradually expands, song by song, as musicians, backing singers, props, and Byrne's famously oversized suit transform the stage into a full production.

11. U2 3D (2008)

Domestic gross: $10,363,341

Directed by Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington, the documentary was filmed during the band's Vertigo Tour in South America.

It uses 3D filming technology to highlight the scale of U2's stadium show, including the massive video screens and the crowd's response.

10. Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (2011)

Domestic gross: $11,862,398

This documentary, directed by Kevin Tancharoen, captures the cast of "Glee" performing songs from the series during its live concert tour.

9. Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)

Domestic gross: $15,012,935

Alek Keshishian's documentary follows Madonna during her 1990 Blond Ambition Tour, one of the most controversial pop tours of its era due to it blending R-rated choreography with religious symbols.

Color concert footage is set against black-and-white scenes of Madonna rehearsing, traveling, meeting with family, and speaking candidly with her dancers and entourage.

8. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009)

Domestic gross: $19,162,740

The Jonas Brothers' 2008 "Burning Up" tour is the focus of this concert film.

Directed by Bruce Hendricks, it was filmed largely at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

7. Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)

Domestic gross: $25,326,071

Directed by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, the 3D documentary follows Katy Perry during her California Dreams Tour.

6. One Direction: This Is Us (2013)

Domestic gross: $28,873,374

Morgan Spurlock's documentary follows One Direction as it tours stadiums while navigating fame.

The film looks back at how the band was assembled on "The X Factor," while also showing their family lives and life on the road.

5. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023)

Domestic gross: $33,889,684

Written, directed, and produced by Beyoncé, the documentary follows the creation and 2023 run of her Renaissance World Tour.

It combines concert footage from the stadium production with behind-the-scenes scenes of Beyoncé working with her dancers, family, crew, and creative team.

4. Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008)

Domestic gross: $65,281,781

This concert documentary follows Miley Cyrus on her 2007 and 2008 "Best of Both Worlds" tour, when she performed as both herself and her Disney Channel character, Hannah Montana.

Directed by Bruce Hendricks, it includes concert performances, backstage moments, and appearances by the Jonas Brothers.

3. This Is It (2009)

Domestic gross: $72,091,016

Director Kenny Ortega assembled this documentary from rehearsal footage for Michael Jackson's planned "This Is It" residency at London's O2 Arena.

Rather than showing the completed concert, it shows Jackson in the final months of his life rehearsing songs, directing dancers, revising musical arrangements, and planning production.

2. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)

Domestic gross: $73,013,910

Director Jon M. Chu follows Justin Bieber's path from uploading covers on YouTube to becoming a teenage pop star.

It builds toward his sold-out Madison Square Garden show, while also including interviews with his mother, manager Scooter Braun, Usher, and fans.

1. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023)

Domestic gross: $180,756,269

Directed by Sam Wrench, who also directed Billie Eilish's 2023 documentary, the film documents Swift's 2023 Eras Tour concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

It shows the Taylor Swift's career-spanning set list, along with the costumes, choreography, dancers, screens, and stage effects behind each concert.

For many in the tech industry, the midterms landed like a hangover after a two-year bender. In the sober light of day, their flirtations with MAGA and extravagant spending may now seem embarrassing. Yet for Silicon Valley's billionaire class, there's still reason to keep the champagne flowing after the election — because it still pays to be rich.

California voters appear to have rejected prop 40, a landmark initiative to impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state. They also seem to favor a countermeasure, prop 42, that would hamstring any future attempts to tax financial assets —the kind that separate the rich from the really rich. (Votes for both measures are still being tallied.) That people in the most progressive state with the highest wealth inequality in the country made such decisions in the bluest national election in recent history is either a failure of populism, or a victory of free enterprise, depending on who you ask. On X, Mike Solana of Peter Thiel's Founders Fund heralded Prop 40's apparent defeat succinctly: "Eat shit, communists."

More than 200 billionaires live in California. Cumulatively, they hold an estimated $2.3 trillion in wealth, a sum that UC Berkeley economist Gabriel Zucman notes is roughly equivalent to the combined annual income of every single resident in the state. Soon, there could be dozens more, as companies like Anthropic and OpenAI prepare world-historic IPOs. (Anthropic's alone could mint close to a thousand centimillionaires.) Wealth for these people is not a matter of salary, but of assets. Most fortunes in the tech industry remain in company equity, which is untaxed until shares are sold. That has allowed some of the richest people in the state to avoid paying much in income tax: Billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, and Larry Page all famously take $1 salaries.

"The way this system works is they can literally create gigantic fortunes without paying tax," says Tom Steyer, an investor and former gubernatorial candidate, and one of the few billionaires to come out in support of the billionaire tax. "We know where we need to go, which is a fairer tax system."

Prop 40 offered one such alternative. Supporters argued that it would mark a long overdue correction, and still allow billionaires to remain very, very rich. "The poorest billionaire in California will make about $300 million this year. If we pass the CA wealth tax, he will only make $235 million," Saikat Chakrabarti, a former Stripe engineer and political adviser, wrote on X. Critics argued that asking billionaires to pay cash on their paper wealth would ruin the tech economy, forcing them to sell off parts of private companies, and inspiring an exodus from the state. Earlier this year, the investor Balaji Srinivasan noted on X that Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Elon Musk, and Peter Thiel had already "exited the failed state of California," and Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan warned that should a billionaire tax pass, many startup founders would choose not to come to California at all.

The would-be victims of the billionaire tax feared those outcomes enough to form a coalition, which included prominent names in tech — Brin, Patrick Collison, Eric Schmidt, and John Doerr among them. Together, they spent more than $300 million to defeat the measure (including a reported $148 million ad campaign), the most ever spent by one side on a single ballot initiative. Supporters, by comparison, spent about $2 million on ads. "The disparity in money in this thing was too high," says Cooper Teboe, a political strategist in Silicon Valley. "There was a genuine marketing gap."

Money isn't everything. In Texas, where sometimes trillionaire Elon Musk spent nearly $500 million trying to keep Republicans in office, voters turned around and elected a Democratic governor for the first time since 1991, and a Democratic Senator who made reining in data centers a major part of his message. Both of those campaigns were modeled on the idea of a "top versus bottom" rather than "left versus right" politics — that is, an alignment over class interests above all else.

The zealous interest from both sides of prop 40 — and the fact that some 46% of voters in California favored the tax despite what many saw as significant flaws — are signs that conversations about wealth taxation are just getting started. Most Americans think billionaires don't pay enough in taxes, according to a national survey from last year; one study found that 73% of Americans would favor a "special additional tax on billionaires." In April, a Pew survey found that 60% of people believed that corporations and very wealthy people did not pay "their fair share" in taxes.

That's led some proponents of a wealth tax to shift their gaze nationally. Indeed, some of prop 40's detractors, including Governor Gavin Newsom, made the argument that they would rather tax wealth federally than on the state level. Other opponents, who had grievances with the details of prop 40 — like what its actual fiscal impact would be, how the state would assess wealth, and where all of that hypothetical money would actually go — have come out in support of wealth taxes in general. Steyer, who supports the idea of a federal tax on billionaires, says that if prop 40 is "not the way to skin the cat, don't come back and tell me there's no way to skin the cat."

Having a plan for taxing the ultra rich "becomes almost a prerequisite for whoever ends up as the dominant 2028 candidate," says Teboe. "The war continues."

• I traveled by train from Seattle to Vancouver on Amtrak Cascades in October.
• It was much cheaper than flying or driving, and crossing the US-Canada border was simple.
• My $22 fare cost less than half as much as a rental car and a fraction of a plane ticket.

On a trip to the Pacific Northwest in October, I had initially planned to drive from Seattle to Vancouver and fly back to the US from there.

But I found that some rental car agencies don't allow one-way trips out of the US, and the ones that do often require extra paperwork and charge higher drop fees. I could fly, but plane tickets were hundreds of dollars.

I looked into traveling to Vancouver by train instead, and was surprised by the affordability and abundance of Amtrak tickets. My mind was made up.

While I've taken Amtrak numerous times, I'd never crossed an international border by rail before. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I found the process to be simple and affordable compared to flying or driving.

Here's what the ride was like.

My journey to Vancouver began at Seattle's King Street Station in October.

I booked a four-hour Amtrak Cascades trip from Seattle's King Street Station to Vancouver's Pacific Central Station. My one-way coach seat cost $21.90.

A sign at the station's entrance directed passengers traveling to Canada to check in at the ticket office before boarding their train.

This instruction was also announced several times over the loudspeaker and by Amtrak staff members at the station, just in case anyone missed the sign.

At the ticket office, I showed my passport and received a customs declaration card and an orange boarding pass.

The orange boarding pass signaled that my passport had been validated.

Then, it was time to board.

The train arrived relatively on time — only six minutes late.

The train car was clearly an older model, with fabric seats that showed signs of wear and tear.

Some of the seats were so shredded that it looked like a cat had clawed at them.

My colleague, Business Insider travel reporter Joey Hadden, rode a newer Cascades train between Seattle and Vancouver in 2025, which featured plush leather seats — a more typical Amtrak experience.

Amtrak did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Still, there was plenty of legroom underneath my seat.

My spouse and I had enough space to store our backpacks and our bag of snacks underneath our seats.

The train car also included configurations of four seats all facing central tables.

Signs at the tables said that these arrangements were reserved for parties of three or more.

Amtrak's WiFi was strong enough to watch the final game of the World Series live with minimal buffering.

I'm from Wisconsin, so the ability to watch the Milwaukee Brewers win the World Series was crucial.

The ocean views were also stunning along the journey.

Our train left a little bit after 6 p.m., so we got to see the sunset glowing over the horizon.

Like most Amtrak trains, the Cascades bathroom was spacious and well-equipped.

There was plenty of room to move around, unlike cramped airplane lavatories.

The café car sold a range of meals, snacks, and beverages, with the prices listed in US dollars.

I bought a ginger ale for $2.50 since I was feeling a bit nauseous from the train's rocking motion.

A sign in both English and French informed passengers that the café car was no longer accepting Canadian coins.

Canadian paper currency was still accepted, along with credit cards.

When the train reached the Canadian border, we were told to stay seated while Canada Border Services Agency members checked passports.

The conductor announced in advance that the restrooms would be closed during the inspection. Since it wasn't a very full train, the passport checks only took about 15 minutes.

The train then proceeded the rest of the way to Vancouver, where we went through customs.

The customs line snaked outside the station in the chilly fall air, which I wasn't expecting, but it moved quickly. Still, I was glad I'd kept my coat on me and not in my suitcase.

Getting to Canada by train was easy and affordable — a fraction of what it would have cost to fly or rent a car.

Flights from Seattle to Vancouver during my trip started at about $350, and the rental car I used during the first half of the trip cost $58 per day.

At about $22, taking the train to Canada, even if it took a few hours longer than driving or flying, was the most cost-effective option — without the hassle of airport security lines or skyrocketing gas prices.

• President Donald Trump said his administration threatened to jail the leader of a major AI company.
• Trump said his team asked the individual if they liked "the color orange."
• Trump did not reveal who the person or the company was, but said it was "one of the big ones."

President Donald Trump said his administration had once threatened the leader of a major AI company with jail time.

Speaking on an episode of "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday night, Trump said that his team encountered "a situation where somebody was reported to us to be doing something bad with AI."

"We called them very strongly and said, get ready to go to jail. Please give your wife a kiss goodnight," Trump said.

Trump said that he could not reveal who the person or the company was. But when pressed by host Ross Douthat on whether it was "a leader of a major AI company," Trump said the individual was from "one of the big ones."

Representatives for the Trump White House and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

"We said, 'Do you like the color orange?'" Trump recounted.

"We said, 'Go home right now. See your wife and children. Give them a kiss good night,'" Trump added. "Because tomorrow morning, you're going to jail."

After saying the unnamed executive had "totally changed everything" after the alleged warning, Trump said he did not believe the conduct had been malicious — though he added that it "coulda been malicious."

Trump's comments were part of a broader discussion on "60 Minutes" about whether the US should slow the development of advanced AI.

Douthat asked Trump about public unease over data centers, and warnings from some AI leaders that the technology could pose catastrophic risks. Trump said he supported the technology partly because he viewed it as a contest with China.

And when asked whether he would support AI-safety guardrails, Trump said he did not mind them, but argued that the US could not place itself in "a deep second position" versus China.

"We're leading number one. And China has no guardrails, by the way," Trump said.

Trump added that the US would be at an "unbelievable disadvantage" if it did not continue developing the technology.

Trump has spent much of his second term meeting with AI leaders and extracting commitments from them. In January 2025, he announced the Stargate infrastructure venture alongside OpenAI's Sam Altman, Oracle's Larry Ellison, and SoftBank's Masayoshi Son. In March, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI signed his White House data-center power pledge.

More recently, Trump hosted a September White House gathering with Google's Sundar Pichai, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI's Greg Brockman, xAI's Elon Musk, and Nvidia's Jensen Huang. They signed a voluntary safety accord calling for internal controls, outside evaluations, and board oversight. Trump described it as "morally binding."

• Robert Farlow asked OpenAI's Dot agent to help coordinate a move.
• His Dot spammed the movers, building managers, and insurance workers with hundreds of emails.
• He shut the Dot down, though AI is still writing his emails.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Robert Farlow, the 27-year-old founder of the AI startup Plato. He is based in San Francisco. This essay has been edited for length and clarity. OpenAI did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

We just raised a new fundraising round, and we're growing the team a lot. So we're getting a new, bigger office.

It's such a headache. There's so much insurance stuff and coordinating with the movers. The building managers require insurance when the movers come in. We also had to get new insurance to ensure we were in compliance with the new lease.

I use all of the AI agents. Instinct helps me at the gym, and Grok Bot takes snack orders at my company and buys them on Amazon. I would've had to ask Claude or ChatGPT about the move anyway, because I don't know much about insurance.

So, I thought I'd give this task to Dot and let it take it from there.

I had found a contact for insurance. I said: "We're moving to this office. You can read my emails to find out the details. Just get it done." A couple of times it sent me a bunch of texts. I said: "Just please, get it done."

It was taking a few days, and the movers still hadn't been finalized, so I looked at what it was doing.

It was mayhem.

It was sending multiple back-to-back messages to the movers, triple- and quadruple-emailing, giving every tiny update about everything.

They proposed some times and said, "How's 9 a.m.?" It followed up: "Is that Pacific Time?" It needed clarification on every single thing, so it just kept bombarding them with questions.

There were also the insurance people, our current building managers, and our new building managers. In some cases, it was emailing all of them at the same time.

The new building manager had to make a new thread because the existing one was too large.

It was telling them stuff about the other parties, too. It was telling the movers about Brian, our building manager. They don't need to know that. It was giving them way too much information.

To all parties, it probably sent around 300 emails in a few days.

At first, they didn't know it was AI. Clearly, the movers caught on. I think the other parties never found out; they probably just thought it was some annoying guy spamming them with a bunch of other stuff.

I saw the email from the movers and felt so bad. I'm like, "What did I do?" I shut the Dot down right after I saw it. I haven't responded yet, but I want to respond because I put them through a lot.

It didn't work out with those movers anyways, because they didn't have the necessary insurance. I got some other movers, and I didn't use Dot this time. I still use AI to draft, but I review it before sending.

The models will get better at this, and I think you're going to see more of this. For now, unless you're absolutely sure the models will do a good job, you should review everything your Dot does.

But I also think this is a glimpse of what the future will look like. Soon, it'll be another agent, not a person, responding to all this.

• Lori Huang met Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang when they were lab partners at Oregon State University.
• They have two children, Madison and Spencer, who both work at Nvidia.
• Here's what we know about Lori Huang, who leads the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation.

Lori Huang has kept a relatively low public profile during Nvidia's rise into one of the world's most valuable companies.

However, CEO Jensen Huang's note to employees on Sunday put new focus on the woman he has been married to for over 40 years.

Huang, then known as Lori Mills, first met Jensen Huang as his lab partner in an electrical engineering class in college, according to his biography on the OSU College of Engineering website. They married five years later.

She was older than him and one of the "three girls" in his class, Jensen Huang said in a 2024 interview. He said he won her over with an offer to study together every Sunday, along with a promise that he would be a CEO by 30.

Together, they have two children, Madison and Spencer, who both work at Nvidia. According to their Nvidia bios, Madison is a senior director of product and technical marketing for physical AI platforms, while Spencer is a product line manager leading robotics software.

The woman behind Nvidia's CEO

Huang herself is the president of the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation, a philanthropic organization she and her husband established in 2007.

Based in Palo Alto, the foundation reported $9.1 billion in net assets in 2024, per its IRS filing.

OSU said in a 2022 news release that the Huangs had given $50 million to their alma mater to help establish the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex. In the article, Jensen Huang said that meeting his wife "was the most important, single event of OSU, and of my life."

The news release also said that Lori Huang graduated in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

In an October 2023 interview on HP's online show "The Moment," the Nvidia CEO credited his wife and their daughter with dressing him in his signature black leather jacket look.

In a May interview with CNA, a Singapore-based media outlet, Jensen Huang spoke about the role his wife has played throughout his career.

"Lori's been with me for a long time, our whole life," he said. "She's been part of Nvidia every step of the way."

"She's been to every conference, every speech, you know, and every moment of Nvidia, she was there," he added.

• The Villa Vie Odyssey is now anchored in Singapore under a court order.
• The residential cruise abruptly halted operations in Cambodia last month.
• A last-ditch effort by residents to buy the vessel and restart the cruise fell through last week.

The Villa Vie Odyssey, the residential cruise ship that abruptly halted operations in Cambodia in late October, has been held in Singapore under a court order.

The vessel arrived in Singapore on Sunday and is now anchored in the country's port waters, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore told Business Insider in a statement.

"The vessel has been placed under arrest pursuant to a court order," the statement said. "The crew onboard are reported to be well, and arrangements for their welfare and wellbeing are being managed by the vessel's creditors. There are no passengers on board."

In Singapore, ship arrests are civil admiralty proceedings: a court can order the Sheriff to hold a vessel as security for a claimant's legal claim.

The Odyssey is listed on the Singapore Judiciary's list of vessels under Sheriff's arrest, though the listing does not disclose the underlying claim. The arresting solicitor, Helmsman LLC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The court action comes less than two weeks after Villa Vie Residences suspended the ship's operations while it was docked in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, citing steep increases in fuel costs.

Passengers who spoke to Business Insider said the final months aboard were marked by repeated requests for cash from management, service cutbacks, and continual itinerary changes. When the ship suspended operations, they said they were given only eight hours to disembark.

A group of residents later made a last-ditch effort to buy the Odyssey and keep it operating, but the plan fell through.

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in a Sunday note that he had been unfaithful to his wife.
• A woman named Alice Huang is at the center of the resulting scrutiny.
• Here's what we know about Huang, who has been an executive at Megaspeed International.

Jensen Huang's note to staff on Sunday, in which he acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife, came as Nvidia opened an independent investigation into reports that he may have been the target of a "foreign intelligence effort."

At the center is Alice Huang, who has been an executive for Megaspeed, an Nvidia customer.

The New York Times reported in late October that US intelligence officials believe Huang, who developed a close relationship with the Nvidia CEO, was passing information to Beijing.

Huang's role at Megaspeed

Megaspeed first came under scrutiny after the Times reported last year that US authorities were examining whether the company and its Malaysian affiliate were helping Chinese businesses gain access to Nvidia's AI chips despite US export controls.

It is unclear when Huang — who shares a last name with the CEO, but has no relation to him — first met the Nvidia chief.

A 2024 LinkedIn post from the AI company NetThunder, shared during the Computex Taipei trade show, showed the pair at a bar with other technology executives.

In May 2025, news footage from Taiwanese media showed them leaving a Taipei restaurant alongside other executives.

However, beyond those public appearances, little is known about Huang. Singapore corporate filings identify her as Huang Le.

Megaspeed International was incorporated in Singapore in 2015 as 7Road International, before changing its name on March 7, 2023, according to Singapore corporate filings.

A day earlier, Huang, a Chinese national, was appointed as both a director and managing director of the company, alongside another Chinese national, Cang Yang, who joined as a director. She resigned from both roles on November 10, the same day Cang also stepped down.

When Huang assumed the role, corporate filings show that 7Road International HK Limited transferred all shares in the Singapore entity to Huang Le Limited, a British Virgin Islands company.

That November, ownership was transferred again to Swiftdata, a Singapore company incorporated on October 31, 2023. Swiftdata remains Megaspeed’s sole shareholder.

The Times reported that Megaspeed was formed after 7Road, a Chinese online gaming company, split off its Singaporean subsidiary.

Before her time at Megaspeed, Huang worked as an executive director at a Shanghai investment fund that had backed 7Road and was connected to state-backed companies, per the Times.

In an October response to a query from The Wall Street Journal, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said it had not investigated Huang over her alleged ties to Chinese intelligence or her relationship with Jensen Huang. It said, however, that the Singapore Police's investigation into Megaspeed is ongoing, and declined to comment further.

Nvidia CEO's ties to Huang

In response to The Times' initial reporting, Nvidia characterized Jensen Huang's interactions with Huang as routine business dealings.

"Jensen's interactions with Ms. Huang are not unusual or unexpected. Meetings with customers are part of a CEO's job; Jensen talks with thousands of customer executives every year, John Rizzo, a spokesman for Nvidia, told the Times in late October.

The Nvidia CEO himself made similar comments to Bloomberg last week. "Our relationship, our interactions, have been related to Megaspeed, and it was all completely normal and not unusual," Huang said.

On Sunday, Jensen Huang told Nvidia staff that he had been unfaithful to his wife. His note did not name Huang or address the reported relationship directly.

"Today's news will not slow Nvidia," a company spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement on Sunday. "Jensen is committed to continuing to lead Nvidia as CEO without interruption."

• Nvidia's board of directors is opening an investigation into CEO Jensen Huang.
• The company said it's investigating whether Huang was the "target of a foreign intelligence effort."
• Huang said he had been "unfaithful" to his wife in a memo to Nvidia employees.

On Sunday, Nvidia said its board of directors opened an independent investigation into whether Jensen Huang had been the "target of a foreign intelligence effort."

Huang shared a memo with Nvidia employees earlier in the day in which he said he had been "unfaithful" to his wife.

In October, The New York Times reported that US officials believed that a Chinese intelligence asset, Alice Huang, had developed a relationship with the Nvidia CEO. Alice Huang has been an executive for Megaspeed, an Nvidia customer.

As Nvidia teeters on the edge of a national security scandal, some business and tech leaders have weighed in. Here's what they're saying.

Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management

On Sunday, Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman suggested people should lead with empathy when it comes to Huang.

"An alert: @JensenHuang is human. And he is an incredible human. Even incredible humans make mistakes," Ackman said on X. "He takes full responsibility as he should. We should all support him and his family. Onward."

Chris McGuire, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

Chris McGuire, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the US Department of Commerce shared blame for the national security threat.

He said the department has enacted policies that make it easy for China to access Nvidia most advanced chips.

"@CommerceGov leadership knew that Jensen was sleeping with a Chinese spy and that Megaspeed was a Chinese cutout, but still actively opposed any policies to tighten export controls on Nvidia chips. Why?" he wrote in an X post on Sunday.

"Commerce could have blocked chip shipments to Megaspeed the moment it found out that it was run by a Chinese spy, but it did not. Commerce has also refused to enforce regulations—which ironically remain on the books—that would require exporters to apply for a license to ship large numbers of AI chips to untrusted entities in many countries, which would prevent China from using shell companies like Megaspeed to buy controlled chips," he added.

McGuire said it's important that Nvidia takes national security issues more seriously, but also called on the US Department of Commerce to "tighten up export controls."

Dan Ives, partner and senior managing director at Yorkville Ives

Dan Ives, a partner and senior managing director at Yorkville Ives, said on Sunday that the situation is a stain on Huang's reputation.

"This is a black eye moment for Jensen and will spark multiple congressional inquiries at a minimum and will create an overhang," Ives wrote.

In a follow-up post, Ives said investors were asking whether Huang would remain Nvidia's CEO.

He wrote: "The Board investigation will be key and investors are factoring in Jensen will stay on as CEO with a small chance he ultimately is removed or steps aside and the stock is down modestly accordingly."

Ives added that Huang was not replaceable in investors' eyes, which he said was a worry for Wall Street.

Michael McCaul, House Rep.

Texas Rep. Michael McCaul said the US should "immediately pause" shipments of advanced AI chips to China until "we can get to the bottom of this incident and ensure our national security is not being undermined."

"This is a classic move from the CCP's playbook — and another example of why it can never be trusted," he wrote.

Shaun Maguire, partner at Sequoia Capital

Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire shared a few thoughts in an X post on Sunday. Maguire called Huang "one of the greatest entrepreneurs of this generation," who also did something "incredibly dumb."

He called the decision "bad for America" but doubted Huang had bad intentions.

"Two mistakes don't make a right, and I believe Jensen is irreplaceable for America's AI leadership," Maguire said.

Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX CEO

The world's richest man kept his take short, replying to Shaun Maguire's X post with two words: "I agree."

Ross Gerber, president and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management

Ross Gerber also discussed the news in an X post on Sunday. Gerber is the president and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management.

"Extremely disappointing to see the news regarding Jensen. A huge error of judgment and at a totally critical time for AI development. Not sure how this shakes out," he wrote.

Jason Calacanis, angel investor and "All-in" host

Calacanis, a startup investor and co-host of the All-In podcast, urged an end to the infighting in the US about the security concerns.

"America is in a war with China and AI is the battlefield," Calacanis wrote on X on Sunday. "We need to win, for the sake of democracy and humanity." He said there was "no time for infighting" and called Huang and Nvidia's technology "a critical target" that needed protection.

Calacanis said the US must "win the race for super intelligence," describing the moment as "defcon 1."

Marc Lehman, independent trader

Lehman, an independent trader who posts market commentary on X, said the allegations could create an overhang for Nvidia's stock.

Lehman called the matter "a black eye moment for Jensen" that could prompt congressional inquiries. He said investors would focus on whether Huang would remain Nvidia's CEO.

Still, Lehman said Huang's position could depend on a board investigation, which poses a risk because he is so central to Nvidia's global strategy.

He added that the episode would increase scrutiny of Nvidia's chip sales to China, "which remains a key battleground issue in DC."

Stephanie Ruhle, MS NOW host and business analyst

Stephanie Ruhle, the host of MSNBC's "Money, Power, Politics" and the network's senior business analyst, said the allegations could destabilize the broader AI industry.

"AI stocks were already performing a high wire act," Ruhle wrote on X. She said the Nvidia situation "could be hugely problematic for the industry," from hyperscalers to CoreWeave.

Nvidia is "the tie that binds them all together and holds the ecosystem up," Ruhle wrote. She added that Huang's "clout & conviction are uniquely powerful."

Gary Black, managing partner of The Future Fund

Black, the managing partner and cofounder of The Future Fund, said he doubts Jensen Huang will be able to remain Nvidia's CEO and warned of near-term pressure on the company's stock.

Black said Huang has "no natural successor within the company" and that questions about his conduct and judgment could lead Nvidia's board to remove him.

He added that he did not see long-term impairment in value, but expected investors to trim Nvidia holdings as uncertainty grows over who could succeed Huang.

Mohamed El-Erian, former CEO of PIMCO

Mohamed El-Erian, an economist and former PIMCO chief executive, said the allegations pose a significant "key-man risk" for Nvidia, questioning whether markets have fully accounted for the prospect of a leadership or governance disruption.

"This will not be easy for the board to navigate," El-Erian wrote on X.

He said in a following post that Nvidia's reassurances may not be enough given the timing and the company's broad importance to technology, financial markets, and the economy.

Investors often struggle to price governance and key-person issues, he added, particularly amid shifting national-security and geopolitical dynamics.

Dmitri Alperovitch, cofounder and ex-CTO of CrowdStrike

Dmitri Alperovitch, a cybersecurity expert and cofounder of CrowdStrike, said in a post on X that the situation left Huang in "a classic position" for potential blackmail, which he argued could have been "hugely detrimental" to Nvidia and the United States.

Alperovitch was more skeptical than others of Huang’s intentions.

He alleged that Megaspeed had been "illicitly funneling billions of dollars of compute to Chinese AI labs" with what he described as "almost certainly his full awareness and support (unless he is a complete idiot, which he is plainly not)."

"This can be called many things, but one thing it is not is not doing 'anything to disadvantage America,'" Alperovitch wrote.

Anshel Sag, technology industry analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy

Anshel Sag, a technology industry analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, who said he has covered Nvidia for decades and knows Huang "very well," expected the issue to be short-lived.

"I think this is going to blow over pretty quickly," he wrote on X.

Sag said he did not expect Nvidia’s board to find anything beyond what Huang had already publicly admitted.

Gene Munster, cofounder and managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management

Gene Munster viewed the reports about Huang through the lens of the competition for AI leadership.

"The fact that China targeted Jensen underscores the geopolitical significance of AI leadership," he wrote on X.

Munster said the issue would require action from both US political parties, arguing that Democrats and Republicans would need to build "lots of data centers."

Stephen Witt, Jensen Huang's biographer

Stephen Witt, author of "The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia and the World's Most Coveted microchip," said on CNBC that Nvidia would face a difficult succession question if Huang were to leave.

"Nvidia is Jensen," Witt said. "There’s no second in command. There’s no obvious person waiting in the wings to take over Nvidia."

Gary Gensler, former SEC chair

Gary Gensler said Nvidia’s board would need to determine whether Huang had misled directors and whether the company’s statements had misled investors.

"Was that material to the pricing?" he asked on CNBC, pointing to a sharp decline in Nvidia share price.

Gensler said Huang’s central role at Nvidia would make the board’s decision especially difficult. "Once they get the results of the investigation, they’ll have some tough choices," he said.

• Trump backed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang after he admitted to an extramarital affair.
• "I think he's an honorable guy," Trump told reporters. "I think he probably has an excuse for it."
• Jensen Huang admitted infidelity in a memo to Nvidia employees on Sunday.

President Donald Trump backed Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Sunday after Huang said he had been unfaithful to his wife with a woman US intelligence reportedly suspects was a Chinese spy.

"I think he's an honorable guy," Trump told reporters on Sunday. "I think he probably has an excuse for it. You have to hear it."

Trump said that in response to a question about whether he wishes he had acted on US intelligence about the affair earlier.

Trump said he has not spoken to Huang about the matter, but added that Huang has done an "amazing job" for the US and should remain Nvidia's CEO.

In a memo to Nvidia employees on Sunday, Huang said that he had been unfaithful to his wife and that his actions had hurt his family. He added that Nvidia's board was launching an investigation into whether he was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency.

Late last month, The New York Times reported that US intelligence agencies had concluded that Huang was the target of a Chinese spy plot. The outlet reported that Alice Huang, a Chinese business executive and Nvidia chip buyer who is not related to the Nvidia CEO, had developed a close relationship with him and had passed information to Beijing. She had been recruited to seek information and potentially push for more advanced Nvidia chips to be made available in China, The Times reported.

Huang previously said he had a "normal" business relationship with the woman.

Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Sunday, Nvidia's board said it had no reason to believe that national security or company secrets had been compromised, but said its inquiry would examine the available information. It added that Huang was cooperating with the investigation.

Huang has become an increasingly influential voice in Washington's debate over chip-export restrictions on China. He has taken the position that strict limits on US chip sales could backfire by accelerating the growth of Chinese competitors.

• Victor Lee spent most of his life living with his siblings before he found himself on his own.
• After falling several times with no one around to notice or help, living alone no longer felt safe.
• In 2023, he moved into an assisted-living home in Singapore, where he pays about $4,500 a month for a private room.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Victor Lee, 69, who lives at Camino House, an assisted living facility in Singapore. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

For as long as I could remember, I lived with my three older siblings in a two-story apartment in Singapore.

I worked as a sales assistant at a popular department store, but stopped working in my 20s because of health issues. My siblings took care of me after that, and I relied on them to help me get by day to day. We were all single.

But as the years went by, age caught up with them one by one, and I was left on my own.

For over two years, I lived alone in that apartment we once shared. But as I got older and less mobile, it became harder to manage the stairs every day. I fell several times, and I started to realize how dangerous it was to be by myself.

Each time I fell, there was nobody around to know. But the last time was the one that made me realize I could not keep living this way.

I remember lying there for a long time, struggling to get myself up. When I finally managed to, I had to call an ambulance — and then open the door for them myself.

Choosing assisted living

I decided to sell my apartment and downsize to a smaller public-housing flat. But like other Singaporeans who buy these Build-to-Order flats, I would have to wait several years for the apartment to be ready.

In the meantime, I knew I needed to find a place where help would be nearby if I fell again.

Since I was still fairly independent and able to manage most daily activities on my own, a traditional nursing home didn't seem like the right fit for me. Thankfully, a social worker I knew helped me consider my options.

She introduced me to Camino House, an assisted living facility not too far from where I'd been living.

It's in a shophouse, one of Singapore's narrow, colorful historic buildings that traditionally had businesses on the ground floor and homes upstairs.

I came to see it twice before I moved in in 2023. I knew there were other facilities, but I found them rather old and a bit crowded. In contrast, I found Camino House to be a very nice, quiet place. Right now, there are seven residents, including me.

The caregivers are always helpful and cheerful — I call them my "sunshine girls." They are there when I need help, but I still have the freedom to do things on my own.

Life at Camino House

I have a private room with an en-suite bathroom, and I pay 5,800 Singapore dollars, or about $4,500, every month. This covers my room, meals, laundry, and care.

I normally wake up early, around 6 a.m. After washing up, I head downstairs for breakfast, where I usually have oats with blueberries and honey.

I enjoy doing my own exercises, and several times a week, I'll join the group activities held in the common area. We do things like painting and rattan weaving, and sometimes volunteers or children from nearby preschools come by.

In the afternoons, I often attend mass online, read, or spend time with the other residents. On Sundays, I try to go to church.

Before I came here, I was a rather introverted person. I think I'm the most talkative one now. I enjoy interacting with people. It feels more like a family here.

• Anderson Chen, 22, is planning to drop out of college to focus on his industrial AI startup, Operon.
• He says being a young founder in an industry dominated by older rivals has helped him attract clients.
• His startup has Y Combinator backing, and he says being young helps him attract interest from clients.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Anderson Chen, 22, the Taiwanese founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Operon Solutions, an industrial AI startup backed by Y Combinator. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm taking my second gap year from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where I study chemical engineering and business. Now I'm planning not to return to college.

During my first gap year, I started Operon, an industrial AI startup. We automate tasks that used to be run by human operators and specialists in heavy industries, including manufacturing, oil and gas, and construction.

I initially thought I'd go back to school. But Operon grew exponentially toward the end of my first gap year, so I decided to take another year off.

During that year, I realized that even if you graduate, it doesn't mean you'll figure things out.

I was quite scared of dropping out, to be honest. Having a bachelor's degree is the Asian standard.

My parents were also initially concerned because they thought I was doing badly at school. But my gap-year expenses were covered by a fellowship, so it was no risk for me.

Now my parents are okay with my plans. They're like, "Okay, go for it."

I think AI is changing the value of a college degree

Another reason I'm planning not to return to college is that AI is moving so fast.

OpenAI recently solved a version of the Navier–Stokes problem in fluid dynamics. I remember in my sophomore year, my professor in fluid dynamics told me it was unsolvable.

I realized that if you know how to use AI effectively, you might even be able to outperform your own professor.

I saw an opportunity to bring AI into heavy industries

I started Operon after doing internships at manufacturing companies and connecting with manufacturers and founders in Taiwan.

I saw engineers throwing engineering PDFs into ChatGPT and asking it to understand them and write engineering documentation.

But frontier AI models couldn't understand those documents because they had never been trained on that confidential data. That was the moment I knew I had to start this company.

In manufacturing, humans follow very rigorous standard operating procedures. But the data in heavy industries is too hard for AI to understand. It's too messy.

So we're structuring everything together, building a context layer for them, and allowing these agentic workflows to actually happen.

In May, we received funding from Y Combinator as part of a $700,000 pre-seed round that also included other investors. We closed the round in about three days.

We have about 20 clients. Some of our projects are proofs of concept, while others are already full contracts.

I put almost all my savings into my AI startup

Before we raised funds, I put almost all my personal savings into Operon. It was around $80,000. I'm not paying myself a salary, although we're paying our employees.

I made the money from businesses I started before Operon. When I was 14, I was selling sneakers and doing Amazon dropshipping.

While I was in college, I built a tutoring agency connecting Malaysian students with parents of children attending international schools in Singapore. I did marketing for the tutors and hired a bunch of them.

Being young in an old-economy industry has its advantages

Our team has five people, all under 30. The oldest is 26, and the youngest is 16.

I think there's skepticism because we're working in heavy industries, and the founders of our competitors are all in their 40s and 50s.

But that's the best thing I could ever ask for.

Skepticism brings exposure, and people will naturally be intrigued. They'll be thinking, "Oh my God, how are you able to break into this space? I have to check it out."

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said his interactions with Alice Huang were "not unusual."
• Huang later admitted to being unfaithful to his wife.
• Nvidia's board of directors says it is opening an investigation into whether CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a "foreign intelligence effort."

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang initially called his interactions with a woman suspected of spying for China "completely normal and not unusual."

Days later, he admitted to an affair.

When The New York Times first reported that US officials believed an executive at one of Nvidia's customers, Megaspeed, had been recruited by the Chinese government to spy on the chip giant, Nvidia PR characterized his interactions with the executive — Alice Huang — as standard practice.

"Jensen's interactions with Ms. Huang are not unusual or unexpected," an Nvidia spokesperson told the Times in late October. "Meetings with customers are part of a CEO's job; Jensen talks with thousands of customer executives every year."

Huang himself characterized the relationship similarly.

"Our relationship, our interactions, have been related to Megaspeed, and it was all completely normal and not unusual," he said in an interview with Bloomberg last week.

He added that Nvidia had checked that none of its chips had been illegally sent to China through Megaspeed.

The Financial Times reported Friday that US officials believed Huang had been romantically involved with Alice Huang.

And in a memo to employees on Sunday, Huang said he'd been unfaithful to his wife and apologized to his family and colleagues. "My actions hurt her and our children," he wrote. "There is no excuse for what I did."

Huang's statements are important given his position as CEO and the need to maintain the trust of Nvidia investors, employees, and other stakeholders.

On Sunday, the chip giant's board said it is investigating whether Huang was the target of a foreign intelligence operation.

Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at gweiss@businessinsider.com or Signal at @geoffweiss.25. Use a personal email address, a non-work WiFi network, and a non-work device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• The "I've Had It" podcast is losing sponsorships after the hosts laughed about Charlie Kirk.
• Chewy CEO Sumit Singh said the hosts' behavior didn't reflect the company's values.
• Hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan apologized in an Instagram post on Saturday.

A 39-second clip shared to X is turning into a massive headache for the "I've Had It" podcast.

At least nine companies have pulled their sponsorships from the popular progressive-leaning culture and politics podcast after a clip of hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan went viral on X last week.

The clip, which has nearly 6 million views and 18,000 likes, showed the pair laughing at an X post referencing Charlie Kirk, the right-wing political activist who was assassinated last year.

The clip drew criticism from some X users, who called for a boycott of the podcast. Companies began distancing themselves from the show soon after, including online retailer Chewy.

"We do not sponsor or support the "I've Had It" podcast. We unequivocally condemn violence in all forms," the company said in an X post on Saturday. "The comments made by the hosts do not reflect Chewy's values or what we stand for as a company."

Chewy CEO Sumit Singh doubled down on the company's decision in his own X post. Meanwhile, Cash App, Zenni, Casper, and Honeylove also cut ties.

"Honeylove has ended our partnership with the I've Had It podcast. Violence of any kind is never acceptable, and those comments do not reflect our values," Honeylove said in an X post on Sunday.

The "I've Had It" hosts posted an apology to the podcast's Instagram account on Saturday.

"It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed. We regret it, and we apologize," the podcast said. "Whatever our political differences, there is nothing funny about gun violence."

The podcast said it donated to Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun-violence-prevention organization in the United States.

In a video shared to Instagram on Sunday, the hosts said Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, is "spearheading" an online campaign to cancel the podcast.

This isn't the first time a host has landed in hot water over comments made about Kirk. ABC, owned by the Walt Disney Company, suspended and later reinstated Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show over his remarks about Kirk. Some employees from major companies like Office Depot and Nasdaq also disciplined employees who made negative remarks about Kirk online.

The "Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway" podcast, which discusses business, tech, and politics, has also been targeted by calls for an advertising boycott after Galloway criticized Elon Musk last week.

During the first stop on the Pivot Tour 2026, Galloway, an academic who frequently writes about the tech industry, called Musk a "traitor to the West" and referenced the Rosenbergs. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage during the Cold War and were executed by the federal government.

The remarks drew the ire of Jason Calacanis of the "All-In" podcast and others, including University of California San Diego professor Brian Keating. The CEO of Boom Supersonic, an American aerospace company, wrote on X that Galloway was an investor in Boom and criticized the academic's comments.

"I don't mind disagreements but calling for an execution of a non-criminal (worse, an actual hero!) is a step too far," CEO Blake Scholl wrote on X on Friday. "Working to arrange a buy-out of his shares."

• Nvidia CEO and founder Jensen Huang said he had an affair in a note to staff on Sunday.
• US officials believe the woman with whom Huang had the affair was recruited as a spy by the Chinese government, the NYT reported.
• Nvidia said Sunday it was investigating whether Huang was the target of a "foreign intelligence effort."

Nvidia CEO and founder Jensen Huang apologized for being "unfaithful" to his wife in a note to staff on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Nvidia said its board of directors opened an independent investigation into whether Huang had been the "target of a foreign intelligence effort."

The New York Times reported last month that US officials believe Alice Huang, a former executive at a data center company in Singapore, was a Chinese intelligence asset passing information to Beijing. The outlet reported that surveillance of Huang showed that she had developed a relationship with the Nvidia founder.

Read Huang's note to staffers here:

To my colleagues at NVIDIA,

I owe my family and all of you an apology.

I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry.

Throughout my life, my family has given me love and support. They deserve my honesty and loyalty. Instead, I let them down and damaged the life we built together. I take full responsibility for what I did and the hurt I caused, and I accept the criticism that comes with it.

To my wife and family: I love you. I know an apology cannot undo what I have done. I hope our family will heal and that, over time, I can earn back your trust.

To my colleagues at NVIDIA, including those I have worked alongside for decades, and to our board, partners, and shareholders around the world: you deserve better from me. Leading NVIDIA is the privilege of my life. My responsibility is to serve you and be worthy of your trust. I have fallen short of that responsibility. I am fully committed to NVIDIA and will work to earn back your confidence.

Regarding the national security concerns raised in news reports, NVIDIA's Board of Directors has initiated an independent investigation. I support the investigation and will cooperate fully. I love our country and our company. I am committed to protecting NVIDIA and supporting America's national security. I am proud and grateful to be an American.

My family bears no responsibility for my choices. I do. Please give them privacy.

Jensen

• Nvidia said its board of directors is opening an investigation into CEO and founder Jensen Huang.
• On Sunday, Huang said in a note to Nvidia staff that he had been "unfaithful" to his wife.
• Huang's relationship with a woman believed to be a spy for China has raised national security concerns.

Nvidia's board of directors says it is opening an investigation into whether CEO Jensen Huang was the target of a "foreign intelligence effort."

The announcement came after Huang sent a note to Nvidia staff admitting he had been "unfaithful" to his wife.

"My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry," Huang wrote. "I support the investigation and will cooperate fully."

The New York Times reported that US officials believed Alice Huang, an executive at one of Nvidia's customers, Megaspeed — with whom the Nvidia CEO had reportedly had a relationship — had been recruited as a spy to gather information about Nvidia for the Chinese government.

That raised national security concerns, given Nvidia's relationship with China — a major market where US export controls limit its chip sales.

Last week, a group of lawmakers sent a letter to Huang requesting he participate in a closed-door briefing on security protocols against "foreign adversary espionage" and Huang's relationship with Alice Huang. The meeting was proposed for November 18.

In a statement on Sunday, Nvidia said the board of directors prioritizes US national and economic security, which it considers "paramount to the interests of NVIDIA and its shareholders."

The board added that it had no reason to believe national security or company secrets had been compromised.

"Today's news will not slow Nvidia," a spokesperson for the company told Business Insider. "Jensen is committed to continuing to lead Nvidia as CEO without interruption."

A former Nvidia employee told Business Insider they were "very sad and disappointed," adding that "it really was not something you might expect from Jensen." Another former employee said many of their colleagues still at the company were shocked and saddened, and had expressed concern for Huang's wife and family.

Bill Ackman, the billionaire founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, said in an X post on Sunday that the Nvidia CEO is an "incredible human" and that "even incredible humans make mistakes."

"He takes full responsibility as he should," Ackman wrote. "We should all support him and his family."

Most of the top players in the WTA have descended on Indian Wells for the last major women's tournament of the season. We've rounded up all the details on where to watch the WTA Finals, including global streaming options and details on Elena Rybakina's recent withdrawal.

If you don't want to read any further, you can catch the WTA Finals on the Tennis Channel in the US, Sky Sports in the UK, and TSN in Canada. You can access your usual streaming options from anywhere with a VPN, like NordVPN.

Where to watch the WTA Finals in the US

The WTA Finals will be shown on the Tennis Channel in the US. The Tennis Channel is available as a stand-alone subscription service or as a channel through a live TV package, such as Fubo or YouTube TV. Both of these live TV services also carry Tennis Channel 2 (T2), which usually broadcasts overflow matches.

The Tennis Channel is available on Fubo's Elite plan, which costs $99 a month and comes with 200+ channels. New users can get $30 off their first month after a free trial.

YouTube TV subscribers can also access the Tennis Channel, although they'll need to get the Sports Plus add-on for $11 a month. This is on top of a base plan, like YouTube TV's Main Plan, which offers 100+ channels for $83 a month. For a limited time, new users can get their first five months of the YouTube TV Main plan for just $68 a month after a free trial.

Where to watch the WTA Finals in the UK

Sky Sports holds coverage rights to the WTA Finals in the UK. Sky prices vary depending on the exact package and contract. You can learn more in our guide to the best Sky TV deals and plans.

How to watch the WTA Finals from anywhere

Tennis fans traveling abroad can still access their usual viewing methods with a VPN. VPNs, or virtual private networks, are easy-to-use tech tools that let people temporarily change the virtual locations of their electronic devices. This way, they can access their favorite websites and apps without interruption. Since the services we've recommended come with country-specific payment methods, this option will work best for Americans who are simply traveling abroad.

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs we've tested. It's user-friendly (even for beginners) and offers a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee if you find it's not helping you.

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

Who is competing in the WTA Finals?

The singles portion of the WTA Finals is broken into two groups. Group 1 features Marta Kostyuk, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Linda Noskova. Group 2 includes Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina, and Karolina Muchova.

Why isn't Elena Rybakina a part of the WTA Finals?

World No. 1 Elena Rybakina was supposed to take part in the WTA Finals, but she withdrew from competition shortly before the start of the tournament. Rybakina was initially scheduled to kick off the singles portion of the tournament in a match against Linda Noskova, but Marta Kostyuk will now take her place.

Where do the WTA Finals take place?

The 2026 WTA Finals are being held at Indian Wells in California. Last year, the WTA Finals took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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.

• Sarah Woodland was given two Miniature Shetland Ponies and wasn't sure what to do with them.
• She started bringing the ponies into care homes after testing whether they could go indoors.
• Four years later, she has seven ponies and runs the business full time.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sarah Woodland, founder of Dinky Ponies. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Just after the pandemic, I started seeing two Miniature Shetland Ponies every single day in a field on my drive to work.

I'd worked taking care of other people's horses as a groom — someone responsible for the daily care, health, management, and preparation of horses — for years, but I hadn't worked extensively with Miniature Shetland Ponies before. For some reason, though, I'd always look for those small, sturdy ponies on my morning commute.

Wondering who they belonged to, I inquired about their owner and asked if I could come by to see them.

Long story short, a few months later, I was given those two ponies, not entirely sure what I was going to do with them.

I started a business with the ponies

I didn't want them to just be field ornaments for the rest of their lives — they were horses that needed some sort of job to do. But the breed isn't capable of doing too much due to their small size.

I messaged some of the mothers I knew to ask about their interest in stable management classes and sessions in handling the ponies.

Hitting what felt like constant barriers, I eventually managed to start hosting parties and one-to-one sessions in locations around me — like pub car parks and random fields.

Never having run a business before, I had to get to grips with organizing bookings, sending invoices, and managing a small business. It was a lot of admin to get my head around at the start.

By the end of my first summer of these sessions, I knew I had to find other work for the ponies because the weather would be changing and outside sessions weren't going to work in the cold and rainy fall and winter.

Very randomly, I remember seeing a photo of a horse in an elevator and wondered if my ponies could be taken into buildings and up and down elevators.

To test it out, I called a friend who works at a children's day care up the road from me and asked if I could bring one of the ponies into the building to see how it would cope indoors and with children.

There were no problems.

I started bringing the ponies to elder care facilities

Around the same time, I considered whether elder care homes would have budgets for me to bring the ponies in to mingle with elderly residents. I've never had experience in care homes, but imagined that being around the ponies would be a lovely treat.

I called a nursing home and asked if I could try it. I really didn't have a clue what I was doing, but reckoned I would learn by trial and error.

The ponies coped, and the elderly residents absolutely loved the visit.

Four years later, I'm now taking my ponies (I have seven now) to care homes and residential homes to visit elderly people and children with special needs. It's become my full-time job, and full-time passion.

I've faced a lot of unexpected challenges along the way. There was no model to follow and no blueprint to copy. Everything I've built, I've built myself, learning as I've gone along.

I had to learn from my mistakes

Of course, I've made mistakes too, but with mistakes comes learning, and every challenge has taught me something. I've learned what works, what doesn't, what I'd do differently, and most importantly, how to keep moving forward.

As the ponies' feet are quite slippery on laminate floors, I've finally found shoes for them that don't look silly. I don't like the idea of making the ponies look ridiculous, because they're working animals and should be treated with respect.

When I take the ponies into a building, they totally trust me. They know I wouldn't put them in a position where they'd feel unsafe. It's the same when I take them into an elevator. I have given them positive reinforcement by giving them a little mint each time they go into the elevator. I must always remain calm because, in doing so, they too stay calm. They are intelligent animals that know whether I'm stressed or not and mirror my state.

Having not spent time in a care home, I suppose I wasn't prepared for how much I would need to learn about what people living in care homes need. I'm now constantly learning to understand how people feel when they see the ponies. I'm learning what the right things to say are, and perhaps what things I shouldn't say.

I've really enjoyed my conversations with people when I'm walking through with the ponies, and I find it hard to move on from a conversation when my hour of visiting is completed.

While I limit my visits to one hour for the ponies' welfare, I revisit the care homes throughout the year so that different people have a chance to see the ponies. I would rather my visits include a limited number of people who get quality time to talk with me and interact with the ponies, rather than rushed "show-and-tell" sessions where residents only get a little time to pet the ponies before I move on.

I can't figure out why the elderly love the ponies so much. They laugh, and sometimes they cry when they see them. You never know what the reaction will be. Perhaps there's something about their tiny size that makes them appear young and foal-like, not realizing that they are all actually very old.

And of course, when we visit residential homes for children with special needs, or nurseries with young children, the children adore the ponies. I've taken my sons along to these visits, and have felt immensely proud watching them interact with the children as they guide the ponies.

I never thought this was what I'd be doing for work and with my life. It's been incredibly hard and not hugely profitable, but equally fulfilling. I wouldn't want to do anything else right now. I'm living my dream — making ponies and people happy all at once.

• I've never been without a camera on an overnight Amtrak train.
• I've never gone to bed without doing my whole skincare routine.
• I've never packed a pair of binoculars, but I will next time.

Comfort, ease, and enjoyment.

I pack for every overnight Amtrak trip with these three things in mind. And after 128 hours of experience, I've figured out the essentials for a fantastic experience.

I've traveled through 15 states, from the East Coast to the West, in Amtrak sleeper cars. I've stayed in roomettes — roughly 20-square-foot private cabins with two seats, two beds, a table, and a sink and vanity — and bedrooms, which are double the size and also include a full bathroom.

My packing list has evolved over the years. Some items have been with me since the beginning. Others come from lessons learned along the way.

I've been packing a comfy outfit separately from the rest of my clothes since my first overnight train ride.

You won't catch me dressed to impress on an overnight train. I prefer to spend long days on the rails in my coziest garments.

But I don't want to fish through my luggage to find them once on board. I make it easier on myself by putting a pair of sweatpants, a pair of basketball shorts, a soft T-shirt, and undergarments in a small packing cube at the top of my suitcase.

I've never boarded an overnight Amtrak train without video games.

Entertainment is everything when you're stuck in place for dozens of hours. One thing that makes my cabin feel more like home is packing activities I often enjoy in my own living room. So I always pack my Nintendo Switch.

The portable console is thin enough to slide easily into a tight crevice in my bag. It's loaded with all types of games to satisfy every mood, from "Animal Crossing" and various Pokémon titles to the "BioShock" series and "Red Dead Redemption," to name a few.

I always have a journal on me.

I've only traveled solo on overnight trains, so I spend a lot of time thinking. I rarely make time for journaling in my daily life, but on trains I indulge in the opportunity to write out my thoughts uninterrupted. And the ever-changing view out the window is a constant source of inspiration.

My camera has been my sidekick since the beginning.

On overnight trains, I spend more time with my camera in hand than my phone.

You may be thinking, "Why not just use the camera on your phone?" And I have good reasons. For one thing, I don't want to be limited by my phone's battery life and storage space.

A long-haul train ride is visual overload. The view out the window is never the same as the last time you looked, and train car interiors are so distinctive compared to everyday indoor spaces that I want to photograph them from every angle possible.

As a photographer, I also prefer to manually control the settings and use multiple lenses to get more variety than I could with my phone. In fact, I usually bring two cameras on these trips.

I can't imagine a long-haul train ride without noise-canceling headphones.

Every overnight Amtrak train I've taken has begun with an announcement requesting that all passengers use headphones to play audio — even behind the closed doors of their sleeper cabins.

I completely understand why. Sound travels far in a train car. I can often hear other people's conversations in the room next to mine.

I use noise-canceling headphones to watch TV and movies, take phone calls, and listen to music and podcasts.

I've always made room in my bag for skincare products.

Amtrak roomettes and bedrooms have a sink and vanity inside. Bedrooms also have a full bathroom, while roomette passengers have access to shared toilets and showers in the sleeper car.

Replicating my skincare routine before bed in my tiny, moving hotel room makes me feel more at home on the rails.

After a little experience, I started packing waterproof clogs.

I'll never forget my first thought when I opened the door to an Amtrak shower for the first time: "I don't have the right shoes for this."

Whether the shared shower in the car or my own in a bedroom, I won't be barefoot on any train. After a couple of shower-free rides, I started bringing a pair of Crocs.

I highly recommend Crocs over flip-flops, especially if you're traveling in the winter. Once dry, I find it's easier to slip on my Crocs than lace up my kicks or boots every time I leave my room.

I forgot motion sickness medicine on my first two overnight rides, and I never will again.

My first two overnight train rides were 30-hour trips from NYC to Miami and back. But they felt longer.

There is nothing comfortable, easy, or enjoyable about motion sickness. Take it from someone who gets woozy at the sight of lapping bath water. Without medicine, both rides felt like uphill climbs. I couldn't relax or stay present while enduring waves of dizziness. Honestly, the whole time, I just wanted to get off.

But now I pack Dramamine — the less drowsy version for daytime and the original for nighttime. I sleep easier and feel better throughout my trips. I can truly enjoy the ride. And I'm never in a rush to get off anymore.

I didn't think to pack a pair of slippers until my most recent overnight Amtrak ride.

In February, I took the longest train ride in America — the 53-hour California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, California.

It was also the longest train ride of my life so far by about 23 hours, so I thought it was worth packing a little extra comfort from home.

I wear these padded Muji slippers every day around my apartment. And they were thin and squishy enough to slip into my seemingly full bag with ease.

My slippers made my two-night stay feel a tad luxurious, and since they hardly took up any space, I'll bring them on every overnight ride I take in the future.

My last overnight train essential is something I've never packed, but I will next time: binoculars.

I've probably had the thought at least once on every overnight train ride I've taken: "I want a closer view of the passing landscapes."

But on my last trip on the California Zephyr, I thought about it at least a dozen times as we rode through forested mountains, deserts, and canyons. I spotted a few other passengers with binoculars and imagined what they were seeing — wildlife, distant valleys, and nature's details, maybe.

From now on, I'll bring my own, and I won't have to wonder.

• I made Ina Garten's recipe for brown-butter skillet cornbread. 
• It was deliciously moist, with the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors. 
• The cornbread was a hit at Friendsgiving years ago. Now I make the dish for every Thanksgiving.

When I decided to cook a few dishes for Friendsgiving, there was no question that Ina Garten would be my source of inspiration.

As a huge pasta lover, I knew I had to test Garten's recipe for overnight mac and cheese. And I'm a firm believer that no Thanksgiving table is complete without carbs, so I also made her Parmesan smashed potatoes. 

That already seemed like plenty, but then I stumbled on a photo of Garten's brown-butter skillet cornbread in "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook." In the dish's description, Garten writes that it was the "best cornbread I've ever made!"

That was all I needed to hear — time to get baking!

Ina Garten's brown-butter skillet cornbread needs only a few basic ingredients.

To make Garten's cornbread, which serves 10 to 12 people, you'll need: 

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of whole milk 
• 1 cup of fine cornmeal (Garten says this makes moister cornbread than medium grind)
• 1 cup of sugar 
• ½ pound of unsalted butter 
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder 

I began by melting the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

I continued to heat the butter until it became browned but not burned, listening to Garten's advice to "watch it very carefully!" 

Once the butter was ready, I poured it into a bowl and added the milk and eggs.

I whisked the milk into the butter before cracking two eggs into the bowl.

I have to admit, I forgot to lightly beat the eggs before adding them to the mixture — but it didn't seem to affect the cornbread at all. 

I added my dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

I added the flour, sugar, and cornmeal, along with the baking powder and some kosher salt. 

I whisked all the dry ingredients together, then made a well in the middle.

Barely five minutes had passed, and my batter was almost ready. 

Then I poured the butter-and-milk mixture into the well.

Per Garten's instructions, I stirred everything together with a rubber spatula until it was just combined. The "Barefoot Contessa" star said it's OK if the batter looks a little lumpy. 

My batter was almost ready. But first, it needed to rest a little (relatable).

Garten's recipe calls for the batter to sit for 15 minutes. She said this step is essential to getting the best cornbread possible, so be patient!

After the 15 minutes were up, I poured my batter into the skillet.

Make sure you don't wipe out your cast-iron skillet after melting the butter. Just throw the batter right in.

I smoothed the top, sprinkled it with sea salt, and threw the cast-iron skillet into the oven.

Garten's recipe says to bake the cornbread for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After 35 minutes, I stuck a knife in the middle, and it came out clean, so I knew it was ready. 

One thing to note: If you're using an 11 ½-inch skillet, Garten recommends baking your cornbread for only 25 to 30 minutes. 

My cornbread came out a gorgeous golden brown.

Garten's brown-butter skillet cornbread makes for a beautiful centerpiece at the Thanksgiving table. (We all know no one really cares about the turkey.)

But would it taste as good as it looked? 

You could feel how moist the cornbread was just by cutting into it. Everyone at the table agreed it was one of the best they had ever tasted.

I could write an essay on how much I love this cornbread. It was so moist and fluffy, with the sweet and savory elements working together in perfect harmony. We were all stuffed, but everyone at the table couldn't resist getting seconds of the bread. 

"The salt really brought out all the flavors," my friend Oliver said. "10/10, would recommend." 

"So delicious," my fellow taste tester Kayla added. "The outside had a nice salty and crunchy texture, while the inside was moist and sweet." 

Garten's cornbread has earned a permanent spot on my Thanksgiving menu.

There's no doubt in my mind that Garten's brown-butter skillet cornbread was the star of our meal. It was perfectly baked and still tasted just as moist when we ate leftovers a day or two later.

Seeing that cornbread come out of the oven, so beautiful and golden, made me feel like I was about to get a Paul Hollywood handshake.   

Now I look forward to making it every Thanksgiving.

• "Saturday Night Live" roasted Elon Musk, played by Jeremy Culhane, during "Weekend Update."
• Culhane's Musk tried to distract the audience from his expensive US midterm election fumble.
• "I'm in the news because my car did a flip," the actor said.

Elon Musk had a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad week following the US midterm elections. And "Saturday Night Live" seized the opportunity.

The "SNL" crew didn't hold back during the "Weekend Update" segment, when comedian Jeremy Culhane portrayed the tech billionaire discussing his US midterm election fumble. The real Musk donated at least $446 million ahead of the midterm elections to conservative political action committees, including a large chunk to supporting conservative candidates in Texas.

Ultimately, it didn't matter. Texas, alongside several other traditionally red states, turned blue this election cycle.

During the segment, host Colin Jost said Musk is in the news for "wasting" money on the midterm elections.

"Uh, no, I'm in the news because my car did a flip. My car did a flip, remember? It was like a frickin' Hot Wheel," the impersonator said. "It was like poof! And then bah! But I was like, totally chill. I was like, 'Thug life!' Imagine."

Tesla flaunted its next-generation Roadster in October by kick-flipping it in the air during a demonstration.

Culhane's Musk had a similar answer when asked about his decision to halt production of Tesla's Cybertruck. Musk made the announcement two days after the midterm election.

"Hey, remember when my car did a flip? It was epic. It was like poof, pah! But everyone was like, "Whoa!" But I was just like, 'Hold my beer.' Imagine,'" the comedian said.

At the end of the sketch, Culhane's Musk decides to show off a new fictitious Grok feature called "vulgar roast."

"Elon Musk, you're the worst thing South Africa has ever done," fake Grok said. "When you're on TV, it feels like an episode of 'Hate on the Spectrum.'"

Fake Grok added: "Maybe if you have 100 more kids, one of them will talk to you."

The fallout from the blue wave that swept the midterm elections was swift for Musk. His net worth fell by $33 billion in one day, while shares of Tesla and SpaceX tumbled.

• I spent years working as an international flight attendant, constantly traveling and chasing success.
• I traded my demanding career for a part-time receptionist job with a much calmer routine.
• At 36, I'm happier prioritizing my mental health, marriage, and the small joys of everyday life.

I was born in a small town in Ukraine, raised with the quiet, persistent belief that to succeed, I had to work three times harder than anyone born in a big city. In my early adulthood, my biggest mistake was assuming that only major cities could offer real opportunities — and that I could simply squeeze my mental health into my schedule whenever I happened to have time for it.

Moving to Kyiv in my early 20s felt like the ultimate dream: a chance to prove I belonged. But to survive there, I felt I had to fit a precise, demanding system. It wasn't enough to simply stay healthy; you were expected to hold a premium membership at a high-end fitness center just to prove your worth to others. You had to maintain an active, highly visible social life, eat at the right places, and project total composure. Everything was about trying to impress others.

I chased corporate beauty standards, ignoring every warning sign of burnout

After I graduated from college, I set my sights on becoming an international flight attendant for Ukraine's national carrier. When I landed the job, I thought I had made it. Instead, impostor syndrome hit me on day one. I felt like I was constantly falling behind my peers, so I ran as fast as I could to outrun the feeling.

I improved my English, started learning Spanish, and took on a summer schedule so punishing I was barely ever home. I spent years living out of a suitcase, navigating time zone changes, early-morning wake-up calls, and strict corporate beauty standards. I measured my worth entirely by my exhaustion, treating a packed calendar as proof that I mattered. Saying "no" to friends because of work became a badge of honor.

Looking back, I knew I was burning out, but I was too overwhelmed to stop. I believed that as long as I was busy, I was safe from failure.

I had my first panic attack

Then, life shifted violently. After having my son, the pandemic grounded the aviation industry. Not long after, war broke out in Ukraine.

We didn't choose to leave our home or plan to emigrate — war made that decision for us, uprooting our family overnight. We ended up settling in a small Ontario town — the exact kind of tranquil environment I had spent my youth trying to escape. When I first arrived, I was terrified. It was so overwhelmingly still and peaceful that, for the first time in my life, I started to hear my own thoughts.

My body, conditioned by a decade of high-tension striving and constant mobility, couldn't handle the sudden stillness. Shortly after arriving, my first panic attack hit me. In the stillness, a painful truth surfaced: I had never once allowed myself to just stay with myself. My mind had always been stuffed with the next goal, the next achievement, or the next deadline. I initially believed that this small town marked the end of my ambition, but as the silence forced me to look inward, I realized I had spent nearly 10 years chasing an illusion.

I leaned out and found community

Unlearning that mindset wasn't immediate; slowing down turned out to be a skill I had to learn from scratch. In the fall of 2022, I found a part-time job as a receptionist in Canada, where I still work today. For the first time in my professional life, I wasn't navigating a massive corporate hierarchy or competing with thousands of employees. Working alongside just three colleagues in a calm atmosphere, I joined a community where people actually knew my name.

Instead of chasing the next status symbol, I made learning who I actually was my top priority. I no longer pay for an expensive gym membership to impress anyone; instead, I feel fit and strong through my home workouts. Practicing yoga in peace and serenity without a studio full of strangers makes far more sense to me now.

It turns out I love early mornings. I love making my own sauerkraut and keeping a sourdough starter alive to bake rye bread. Baking fresh cinnamon rolls for our neighbors as a small thank-you for their support became one of the most grounding, relaxing rituals of my new life. I started learning French — not to climb a career ladder or get immigration points, but purely for the joy of the process. There are no deadlines now. I take my time, allow myself to feel stuck, and share my struggles openly with my tutor.

Slowing down saved both my mental health and my marriage

Now, at 36, I build my daily life entirely around my mental health, rather than trying to squeeze my well-being into the leftover cracks of a high-stress career. I refuse to operate in panic mode anymore. Opening my eyes to this required hard choices — letting go of old ambitions, old habits, and even certain relationships. Today, I don't maintain a big circle of friends, but I make intentional time for the special people in my life.

Above all, this inner shift saved more than just my own peace — it transformed my marriage. In my old life, I was always home in body, but absent in spirit; my mind was constantly preoccupied with ambition. As I traded endless chasing for small, quiet moments of joy, my husband and I found a depth of connection we hadn't known was missing. Forced to flee our home because of war, we faced a crisis that could have fractured our relationship. Instead, choosing a simpler, more intentional life together bound us closer and made our family resilient in ways speed never could.

I no longer want to fit in. I prefer to belong — and there is a profound difference between the two. Through simple daily rituals, writing my weekly column, and the gentle warmth of a small community, I finally found the peace I spent a decade trying to chase in the skies.

• Twins Amelia and Sydney Stoker bought homes next door to each other.
• They each live with their spouse and kids, but the two homes function as a compound.
• They eat dinner together nightly and have a shared family credit card.

Amelia and Sydney Stoker always hoped they could live in the same city when they had kids.

The 39-year-old twins told Business Insider they were envious of their friends who grew up with cousins around. As they pictured their adult lives, they hoped their own children could have the experience they had wanted.

When the sisters were wrapping up their orthodontics residencies in the Bay Area, though, it didn't feel realistic that they could live in the same place, Sydney said.

Amelia and her husband, Adam Fagin, were looking all over the country for an oral surgeon job for Fagin, while Sydney and her husband, Paden Roder, thought they would return to Portland, Oregon, which felt familiar and more affordable than the Bay Area.

Then, the perfect house changed everything.

Home sweet home

Fagin is from the Bay Area, and after his parents moved down the street, they kept the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house he grew up in. They saved it in case their son settled down in California, renting it out while he was completing his education.

In July 2022, the house next door to Fagin's family home went on the market, giving the Stokers and their spouses an idea: Sydney and Roder could buy it and raise their kids next to Amelia and Fagin, creating a multigenerational home.

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom house had everything Sydney's family would need, but she and her husband were a little hesitant. Living in the Bay Area is expensive, and they were apprehensive about how overwhelming it would be to live next door to family.

"My brother-in-law was the one who convinced us," Sydney said. "He was like, 'This is just too unique to pass up. Try it, and you can always reevaluate,' which is a great attitude that he has."

Plus, a building became available around the same time that the Stoker sisters could buy for their orthodontics practice. It felt like fate.

Sydney and her husband bought the house in the summer of 2022, shortly after they welcomed their first child. They now have a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a newborn. Amelia and her husband also have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old.

A family compound

Once the Stoker sisters and their spouses were next door to each other, they decided to embrace the benefits of living so close, turning their homes into a compound that could make all their lives easier.

They took down the fence between their backyards, essentially making their lots into one big property. The kids can come and go between each other's spaces whenever they want.

Both houses also have an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, in the back. The families hired two au pairs, who live in one ADU, and the Stokers' mom typically stays in the other when she visits her daughters and grandkids.

Sydney's mother-in-law has been staying in the ADU in recent months while the couple turns their garage into a permanent home for her. Amelia's in-laws also live down the street, so there's family everywhere.

The seven adults who live on the property full time work together to make the compound function. The au pairs watch all five children together, and both families eat dinner together every weeknight. Amelia's household cooks on Tuesdays, Sydney's cooks on Thursdays, and Sydney's mother-in-law, who's retired and likes to cook, makes meals on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The families also have a shared credit card that they use for compound-related expenses, such as paper towels and dinner supplies.

"My sister usually is the one who goes to Costco every week, and she'll just use that compound card," Sydney said. "We all pay on it together."

Despite how much time they spend together, everyone still understands where their own home is, Amelia said.

"Everyone knows where their place is, and everyone wants to go home at the end of the night," she added. "So by about 7:30, everyone's tucked into their own little spaces."

The benefits of the compound

Both Amelia and Sydney said living on a compound makes raising their kids easier, particularly since they and their spouses work full-time jobs.

"I can't imagine trying to do it all by myself," Sydney said. "Everything is just seamless. I feel like we can have a third kid because of the compound."

Amelia said she feels like she and her sister have more free time than their friends since there are so many people available at any given moment to help care for their kids.

The sisters added that having more family around is a stark and welcome contrast to their upbringing.

"I love getting to see my nieces grow up," Sydney said. "I think about that every day, how lucky I am to see them grow up."

Their husbands are on the same page, with Sydney's spouse saying he loves how close all the children are becoming because of their living situation.

"I get to watch my nieces grow up alongside my own kids, and they're all developing these incredibly close relationships that I hope they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives," Roder said.

"From a practical standpoint, it also makes raising young kids so much easier," he added. "There's almost always another adult nearby to lend a hand, and the kids have built-in playmates right next door. It feels like we've created our own little village, which is pretty rare these days."

Amelia's husband agreed, saying he loves how many people are around their home at all times.

"As an only child, my upbringing was pretty quiet, so having two households, five kids, and au pairs sharing this space is a beautifully chaotic shift," Fagin said. "Seeing the kids run around and play together constantly, all day, every day, is just amazing. They have each other — something I never had growing up — and I think they are incredibly lucky."

"But the funny thing is, this setup gave me something I thought I would never have: siblings," he added. "You can make a new friend at any stage of life, but you can't just go out and meet a brother or sister. Sharing our daily lives with my wife's twin and her husband has finally given me the closest thing to a sibling I'll ever have."

Amelia and Sydney don't know if they'll keep living on the compound after their kids are out of the house, but for now, they can't imagine raising their children without being side by side.

"The biggest pro is having that community for our children," Amelia said. "The more support, the better."