• Sotheby's is auctioning the basketball from the New York Knicks' dramatic NBA Finals Game 4 win.
• This is the ball OG Anunoby tipped in after a missed shot by Jalen Brunson to secure the Knicks' comeback victory.
• Sports memorabilia appraisers told Business Insider that the ball could fetch millions of dollars.

A basketball from one of the biggest moments in Knicks history is about to hit the auction block.

Sotheby's is set to auction the ball from OG Anunoby's game-winning basket in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, with bidding opening June 30. It's the same ball Anunoby tipped in after a missed shot by Jalen Brunson, helping the Knicks secure a 107-106 comeback win.

While Sotheby's did not disclose an estimated sale price, two sports memorabilia appraisers told Business Insider the ball could sell for millions.

Michael Osacky, an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers and a USPAP-compliant sports appraiser, told Business Insider the ball could fetch between $2.5 million and $4.5 million.

Osacky said the ball's value stems from its role in one of the most talked-about moments of the NBA Finals and what led to the end of the Knicks' 53-year championship drought.

"The timing is perfect. Ideally, something like this needs to be sold within days or weeks of the 'event' happening. If the auction was delayed until the start of the season when the team receives its NBA Championship rings, the value would decrease by 20% to 30%," Osacky said.

Moreover, New York City's large population of multimillionaires and wealthy collectors could further boost demand for the piece of sports history, he added.

"The winner will probably have it displayed at their office for colleagues, clients, and friends to see," Osacky said.

Bradley Calleja, president of Curio Advisors, which specializes in fine art and collectible appraisals, estimated the ball could sell for between $3 million and $4 million at auction, with a replacement value for insurance of $5 million.

"The OG tip-in has become a viral moment with a major social media impact, which will stand the test of time since it's not related to any breakable record — it's the ball that finally brought a championship back to NYC," Calleja told Business Insider.

There are few comparisons for a ball with this kind of provenance, he said.

In 2019, the ball used to score Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final career points fetched $270,050. Last year, the basketball used when Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant won their first NBA title together for the Lakers in 2000 sold for $508,000.

"I believe that the moment and historic significance of the OG Knicks ball is far more impactful than either of those sales, and it should be valued in comparison with the most expensive baseballs ever sold," Calleja said.

That includes Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball, which holds the record at $4.392 million, Freddie Freeman's 2024 World Series walk-off grand slam ball, which sold for $1.56 million, and Aaron Judge's 62nd home run ball, which went for $1.5 million, Calleja said.

The ball is part of a larger collection of Finals memorabilia up for auction at Sotheby's, including game-worn jerseys and pieces of the Madison Square Garden court used during Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.

• Companies including Meta, Amazon, and Walmart have said they're trimming staff this year.
• Many firms, like Wix, have cited the rise of AI as a reason they need fewer staff.
• See the list of companies letting workers go in 2026.

More than 35 companies have laid off employees so far in 2026, continuing the trend of significant workforce reductions across a broad range of industries, including tech, media, finance, and retail.

Some, including Block, Coinbase, and Standard Chartered, have cited the impact of artificial intelligence as a key reason for the layoffs.

Target, meanwhile, is shifting resources from its supply chain into stores as part of the new CEO's turnaround strategy to improve the shopping experience and return to growth.

More than 100 other companies have filed legally mandated WARN notices about job cuts to come in 2026, according to WARN Tracker. Some of the cuts are part of previously announced reductions.

The moves come as artificial intelligence, public policy, and broader economic conditions are driving sweeping changes in the business landscape.

A World Economic Forum survey last year found that some 41% of companies worldwide expected to reduce their workforces in the next five years because of the rise of artificial intelligence. The survey also found that jobs in big data, fintech, and AI are expected to double by 2030.

Last year, Business Insider tracked layoffs at around 65 major companies, including Amazon, Meta, Paramount, and Starbucks. In 2026, we'll continue to track additional job cuts based on company announcements, WARN notices, and our own reporting.

Here are the companies with job cuts underway in 2026, listed in alphabetical order.

Amazon is laying off thousands of employees

Amazon said in January that it would eliminate around 16,000 corporate roles globally.

Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology, described the January move in a company memo as part of broader efforts to cut back on bureaucracy inside the company.

The cuts followed mass layoffs from October 2025, when the tech and retail giant shed 14,000 roles.

In May, Amazon's Selling Partner Services team slashed additional jobs as it continued to reshape its organization.

"Following a recent review, we've made the difficult decision to eliminate a relatively small number of roles in our Selling Partner Services team," a spokesperson told Business Insider.

Angi is cutting 350 jobs

Angi, the popular contractor listing site once known as Angie's List, said in January that it was cutting around 350 jobs "to reduce operating expenses and optimize the organizational structure in support of long-term growth." The company also said it's making the cuts "in light of AI-driven efficiency improvements."

In a January 7 SEC filing, Angi said that the cuts would save between $70 million and $80 million in annual spending. The layoffs will cost the company between $22 million and $30 million, according to the filing.

Atlassian is cutting 1,600 employees

Atlassian, the enterprise software company and maker of Confluence, said on March 11 that it will be cutting about 10% of its workforce as it invests in AI to reshape its organization.

CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes said in a statement that about 1,600 employees will be affected by the cuts.

"We fundamentally believe people and AI create the best outcomes. Our approach is not 'AI replaces people,'" Cannon-Brookes said. "But it would be disingenuous to pretend AI doesn't change the mix of skills we need or the number of roles required in certain areas. It does."

The company expects to incur $225 million and $236 million in restructuring charges, according to an SEC filing.

Citi's job cuts continue this year

Citi will cut more jobs this year as part of its plan to reduce its workforce by 10%, or 20,000 employees.

In a statement on January 13, the bank said that it will continue to reduce head count in 2026.

"These changes reflect adjustments we're making to ensure our staffing levels, locations and expertise align with current business needs," a spokesperson for Citi said.

The plan was detailed in the company's January 2024 earnings report and could save the bank as much as $2.5 billion.

Cloudflare lays off 20% of its global workforce

Cybersecurity company Cloudflare on May 7 said it plans to cut roughly 20% of its global workforce, affecting more than 1,100 employees.

In an internal memo, Cloudflare executives said the company's use of AI has climbed more than 600% over the past three months, and that the rapid shift has forced the company to reconsider its structure.

"We want to be clear that this decision is not a reflection of the individual work or talent of those leaving us," Cloudflare executives wrote in the May 7 memo. "Instead, we are reimagining every internal process, team, and role across the company."

The company's shares fell more than 14% in extended trading following the announcement.

Coinbase is cutting 14% of staff

The CEO of Coinbase, Brian Armstrong, said in a letter to staff on May 5 that 14% of its staff would be cut, largely because of AI.

"AI is changing how we work. Over the past year, I've watched engineers use AI to ship in days what used to take a team weeks," wrote. "The pace of what's possible with a small, focused team has changed dramatically, and it's accelerating every day."

Armstrong said this would mean fewer layers and faster decisions in the company. No pure managers, he said — all leaders will now be required to get stuck in and "get their hands dirty."

"AI is bringing a profound shift in how companies operate, and we're reshaping Coinbase to lead in this new era," he added.

Crypto.com laid off 12% of its workforce

Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek said in March that the company laid off 12% of its workforce, including "roles that do not adapt in our new world."

"Companies that move immediately and pair the best AI tools with top-performers will achieve a level of scale and precision that was previously impossible," Marszalek wrote in a post on X. "This is where we must go."

Dell cut 10% of its workforce

Dell cut its workforce by 10% for the third year in a row, the company said in its annual filing with the SEC.

As of January 31, 2026, the company had 97,000 employees, down 11,000 from the same time last year. The decline includes both layoffs and attrition, Business Insider reported.

eBay is expected to lay off 6% of its employees

eBay is set to eliminate about 800 jobs globally, making up 6% of its workforce. The company told Business Insider that it's taking steps to better align with its strategic priorities.

"We are grateful for the contributions of the employees impacted and are committed to supporting them with care and respect," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Epic Games is cutting 20% of its workforce

Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, said in March that it would lay off more than 1,000 people — about 20% of its workforce — as engagement with the game declined.

CEO Tim Sweeney said in a memo that the layoffs "aren't related to AI."

"To the extent it improves productivity, we want to have as many awesome developers developing great content and tech as we can," Sweeney said.

Estée Lauder is deepening its cuts, now to as many as 10,000 roles

Estée Lauder said in its May earnings report that it will deepen its previously announced cuts, which are now expected to affect up to 10,000 jobs.

More than two-thirds of the reductions are in cashier and demonstration roles at lower-performing retail and department stores.

Expedia laid off some employees

Expedia confirmed to Business Insider that it had laid off some employees on January 26 and had also posted new job openings. It's unclear how many of its workers were affected by the cuts.

"We are eliminating roles as well as opening some new roles as we remain disciplined about assessing the skills we need for the future," an Expedia Group spokesperson said in a statement. "We are also simplifying our structure and reducing organizational layers to move faster and with more accountability. These are not easy decisions, and we are grateful for the contributions of our colleagues who are impacted."

Freshworks is cutting 11% of staff

The San Mateo, California-based software company said in its early May earnings report that it would cut 11% of its staff in the second quarter. The company had about 4,500 employees at the end of 2025.

The cuts aim "to streamline the Company's organizational efforts and product development process" and increase AI across the company, according to the filing.

On an earnings call, CEO Dennis Woodside said about half the company's code comes from AI.

"Like many other software companies, that is definitely changing how we build products, how fast we can build products, and the amount of people that we need to build products," he said.

The company's stock slumped 35% from May 2025 to May 2026.

General Motors is axing 600 salaried employees

General Motors is cutting 600 salaried employees from its global IT division.

A spokesperson said the layoffs would enable it to "better position the company for the future," by ensuring GM has employees with expertise in AI-native development, data engineering, analytics, cloud engineering, prompt engineering, and AI workflows.

GoPro is laying off 145 employees

On April 7, GoPro said it would lay off about 145 employees as it tries to cut operating costs and restructure operations.

The layoffs make up 23% of its global headcount of 631 employees, the camera maker said in a regulatory filing.

The cuts will start in the second quarter of the year and will largely be completed by the end of 2026. The restructuring is expected to result in a charge of $11.5 million to $15 million.

The company cut about 15% of its staff in August 2024 to cut costs.

Groupon is reducing up to 400 positions globally

Groupon said on May 21 that it would cut up to 400 roles globally as part of a restructuring plan, according to a financial filing. It previously said it planned to rebuild as an "AI-native company."

The cuts are expected to happen by the end of the third quarter of 2026. Groupon is looking to generate $10 million to $12 million in gross savings in 2026.

"Up to half of this year's savings will be reinvested into AI infrastructure, talent density, and the tools and teams building the next version of the company," a spokesperson told Business Insider.

Groupon had 1,734 employees worldwide at the end of 2025, according to its annual report.

Heineken has a multi-year plan to reduce its workforce

Heineken is cutting 5,000 to 6,000 roles over the next two years to boost productivity and bring down costs, according to its latest full-year earnings report.

The company told Business Insider that the divisions and regions where the layoffs are due to take place are yet to be confirmed.

Heineken said in its 2025 report that it faced "subdued consumer sentiment" in the Americas, alongside a "challenging year" for brewers in Europe.

Intuit is laying off 17% of its workforce

Financial software company Intuit announced on May 20 that it would be cutting 17% of its full-time workforce.

The company shared a memo from CEO Sasan Goodarzi to employees that listed five reasons for the culling, including reducing management layers, focusing roles on "high impact work," and closing down two of its offices.

"These changes are a necessary evolution to reduce complexity and architect an organization that operates with the velocity required to fuel our growth engines," Goodarzi wrote in the memo, shared in a blog post on Intuit's website.

Laid-off employees in the US would receive 16 weeks of base pay, plus two additional weeks of pay for every year they have worked at Intuit.

The company said in a May 20 earnings report that restructuring costs from the layoffs would be about $300 million to $340 million.

Kenvue cuts 3.5% of workforce

Consumer healthcare brand Kenvue, which produces Tylenol, plans to cut 3.5% of its staff. Kenvue had about 22,000 employees globally, per its latest annual report.

The company wrote in a mid-February SEC filing that its board aimed to reduce complexity and drive operational efficiencies.

The company's layoffs and restructuring efforts are expected to cost $250 million in 2026, per the filing.

LinkedIn is laying off staff and 'scale back' other investments

LinkedIn CEO Daniel Shapero told employees on May 13 that it was laying off employees, and those in affected roles would receive a calendar invite. The jobs included positions in the Microsoft-owned company's Global Business Organization, marketing, engineering, and product teams.

"We need to reinvent how we work, with agile teams focused on our highest priorities, and by shifting investments toward areas such as infrastructure to fulfill our mission and vision over the long term," Shapero said in the memo.

Shapero also said LinkedIn would "scale back" investments in areas like marketing campaigns, customer events, and underutilized office space.

Lululemon laid off 100 part-time employees at its customer service center

The athleisure giant said it laid off 100 part-time employees to "strengthen the business." The affected roles are in the company's North American contact center.

"After careful consideration, we have made the decision to transition our North America GEC to a full-time employee staffing model. As a result, approximately 100 part-time positions in our GEC have been impacted," a Lululemon spokesperson said.

Meta lays off workers at Reality Labs and other divisions

Meta began laying off employees across multiple teams on March 25, including Reality Labs, Facebook, recruiting, sales, and global operations.

The cuts come as the company ramps up spending on AI infrastructure and talent, alongside broader cost-cutting efforts. Meta said the changes are part of ongoing restructuring to better align teams with company goals, while exploring other roles for affected employees where possible.

Meta first began preparing to slash jobs within its Reality Labs division, the unit responsible for Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse ambitions, in January, three people familiar with the matter told Business Insider at the time.

Two employees said that teams working on virtual reality headsets and Horizon Worlds, the company's VR social network, would be disproportionately affected.

Meta has shifted away from virtual reality in recent years in favor of spending hundreds of billions of dollars on beefing up its AI capabilities.

Nike laid off workers in two rounds

Nike is cutting roughly 1,400 jobs, mostly from tech, as part of a broader push to streamline operations and revive growth.

In a memo to staff on April 23 obtained by Business Insider, Chief Operating Officer Venkatesh Alagirisamy said the layoffs are tied to the company's "win now" turnaround plan, which focuses on improving culture, product, marketing, marketplace strategy, and in-person retail. He described the effort as entering its "final stretch."

This is Nike's second layoff in 2026. Nike said on January 26 that it planned to lay off 775 employees across Tennessee and Mississippi, citing efforts to "streamline" its distribution center operations.

"We are sharpening our supply chain footprint, accelerating the use of advanced technology and automation, and investing in the skills our teams need for the future," Nike said in a statement to Business Insider.

Oracle's headcount fell 13% in a year

Oracle's workforce shrank by roughly 21,000 employees, or 13%, over the past year, bringing its headcount to 141,000 as of May 31, according to a 10-K filing released on June 22.

"The adoption and deployment of AI technologies across our operations have resulted, and may continue to result, in reductions to our workforce," Oracle wrote in the filing.

Oracle also disclosed that restructuring costs surged in fiscal 2026. The company spent $1.84 billion on severance and other exit costs, up from $374 million in the prior year.

The reduction in workforce comes as Oracle continues to invest heavily in AI infrastructure.

Papa Johns is restructuring

Papa Johns said it is laying off 7% of its corporate staff amid a broader restructuring.

The pizza chain said it will also close 300 locations in North America through 2027, starting with 200 this year.

"Optimizing our restaurant portfolio and strategically closing underperforming restaurants are among the most impactful actions we can take to improve restaurant profitability and fleet health," Papa Johns CFO Ravi Thanawala said during the company's fourth quarter earnings call on February 26.

Pinterest is expected to lay off 15% of its workforce

Pinterest announced a global restructuring plan that includes layoffs affecting less than 15% of its workforce, according to a January securities filing. The cuts come with reductions in office space.

"We are making organizational changes to further deliver on our AI-forward strategy, which includes hiring AI-proficient talent," a Pinterest spokesperson said.

"As a result, we've made the difficult decision to say goodbye to some of our team members. We are grateful for their service and supporting them with separation packages and benefits," they added.

Saks laid off 16% of its corporate staff, among other job cuts

Saks Global, the beleaguered parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman, conducted several rounds of layoffs as it closed stores and trimmed its corporate staff

In April, the company cut about 16% of its corporate staff, representing less than 4% of its total workforce.

"Following the strategic actions we've taken to secure long-term financial stability, sharpen our focus on luxury and full-price selling, optimize our operational footprint, and exit non-core businesses, we are right-sizing our corporate organization to align with our go-forward strategy," a Saks spokesperson told Business Insider.

The cuts followed Saks's closure of dozens of stores and fulfillment centers in the first quarter, resulting in layoffs.

Saks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January.

Standard Chartered plans to eliminate 15% of corporate functions over the next 4 years

Standard Chartered plans to cut 15% of corporate function roles over the next four years, the company said on May 19.

The bank, headquartered in London, credited AI as a driver for the reductions.

"It is not cost-cutting, but it is replacing, in some cases, lower-value human capital with the financial capital and the investment capital that we are putting in," CEO Bill Winters said in a media briefing, Reuters reported.

The company added in a statement: "We are combining the best human talent with AI, investing to support our people into higher-value roles."

T-Mobile cut some jobs

T-Mobile cut some staff in early 2026, though the scope of the layoffs is unclear. Some workers posted on LinkedIn saying they'd been affected by the changes in January.

"As the next step in our evolution, we're making some changes while continuing to hire to ensure we have the right focus, structure, and momentum to keep changing the industry through innovation and our long-standing focus on customers," T-Mobile told Business Insider in a statement.

Tailwind cut 3 of its 4 engineers

Tailwind, a popular web tool, said it cut three of its four engineers in January, citing an AI-driven decline in revenue.

"75% of the people on our engineering team lost their jobs here yesterday because of the brutal impact AI has had on our business," CEO Adam Wathan wrote in a GitHub comment on January 6 that made waves in the tech community.

Target is cutting 500 roles from its distribution and regional offices

Target confirmed to Business Insider in February that it would cut 100 district office roles and 400 supply chain positions. It plans to invest instead in additional labor hours at stores to improve the shopping experience and return to growth.

The store improvement effort is a signature priority of the retailer's new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, who started on February 1.

In November, Fiddelke said the company intends to invest an additional $1 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, an increase of 25% from 2025.

UPS said it will eliminate 30,000 jobs

UPS CEO Brian Dykes told analysts during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call that the company plans to reduce its operational workforce by 30,000 in 2026.

"This will be accomplished through attrition, and we expect to offer a second voluntary separation program for full-time drivers," Dykes said.

He told analysts that the company has identified 24 buildings for closure in the first half of 2026 and will continue to evaluate additional buildings for closure.

Walmart said it would cut or relocate 1,000 corporate jobs

Walmart told employees on May 12 that it would cut or relocate about 1,000 corporate jobs to address redundancies and duplicate roles.

Suresh Kumar, Walmart's chief technology and development officer, and Daniel Danker, executive vice president of AI acceleration, product, and design, announced the changes in a memo.

"We've made changes to simplify how the work is organized, make ownership clearer, and better align roles to the work and skills we need going forward," the memo said.

The move follows Walmart's May 2025 decision to cut 1,500 corporate roles as part of an effort to "remove layers and complexity."

The company employed 2.1 million people as of January.

WiseTech is cutting 30% of its workforce

Logistics software maker Wisetech is cutting 2,000 jobs, or 30% of its staff, citing AI-driven efficiency gains.

In a conference call on February 25, CEO Zubin Appoo embraced AI and said that it means more productivity, in less time, and from fewer employees. The Sydney-based company employed about 7,000 people, according to its annual report released in October.

"I am prepared to say this clearly: the era of manually writing code as the core act of engineering is over," Appoo said. AI is "unlocking levels of efficiency gains across WiseTech that were previously out of reach."

Wix CEO said the company is set to cut 20% of its workforce

Wix, which provides website-building software, is reducing its workforce by 20%, the CEO told employees in a memo published on X on May 28.

The Israel-headquartered company employs about 5,300 workers.

CEO Avishai Abrahami cited the "fast evolution of AI capabilities" as a reason for the cuts and said the company needed to become a "faster, leaner, and flatter organization."

Workday is cutting jobs

Workday is cutting about 400 jobs, and said on February 4 that the move will help the enterprise software company redirect resources toward priority areas.

The layoffs will primarily affect customer-facing roles that are "non-revenue generating," Workday said in a regulatory filing.

The cuts represent roughly 2% of its workforce and are expected to result in about $135 million in charges in the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended in January.

Workday announced a larger round of layoffs about a year ago, citing the need to invest more heavily in strategic areas such as AI. The company reported about 20,600 employees as of late October.

Is your company conducting layoffs? Got a tip?

• Companies like Snap, Block, and Wix cited AI as a factor in recent layoffs.
• In early June, GitLab said it would cut 350 employees in an overhaul to meet the "agentic era."
• Cisco announced about 4,000 layoffs on May 13, citing intensifying competition in the AI era.

Worries about AI one day replacing human workers have intensified recently — and as it turns out, that future may be here.

A number of companies have recently announced staff cuts and cited AI efficiencies as a major rationale.

A March report from career transition firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas found that, so far this year, AI has been cited in 8% of job-cut plans.

Amid this rash of layoffs, some have asked whether AI is replacing so many roles once held by humans or whether some degree of "AI washing" is at work. OpenAI's Sam Altman said some companies are blaming AI for layoffs that would've happened regardless.

An MIT study released last year said that 95% of corporate AI investments have generated "zero return" so far.

As some companies replace human workers with the technology, they may end up hiring more people because of it — or rehiring at least some of the roles they eliminated. A 2025 survey conducted by consulting firm Robert Half found that 29% of 2,000 hiring managers said they reopened positions that had been previously got rid of after implementing AI.

Here's a list of companies that have done AI-related layoffs:

Angi

Angi, the popular contractor listing site previously known as Angie's List, said in January that it was cutting roughly 350 jobs in part because of "AI-driven efficiency improvements."

The company added that the cuts were part of a plan "to reduce operating expenses and optimize the organizational structure in support of long-term growth."

Atlassian

Atlassian announced cuts of 1,600 jobs in March, totaling about 10% of its global workforce. The move comes as the Australian-American software company says it is restructuring to focus on AI and enterprise growth.

In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said the reduction was part of a broader effort to reposition the business for what CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes described as the "AI era."

"It would be disingenuous to pretend AI doesn't change the mix of skills we need or the number of roles required in certain areas. It does," Cannon-Brookes wrote in a message to employees.

On the "20VC" podcast in October last year, prior to the cuts, Cannon-Brookes said he planned to have more engineers at the company in five years.

"They will be more efficient, but technology creation is not output-bound," Cannon-Brookes said.

Block

In a post on X in February, billionaire and Block CEO Jack Dorsey said he was slashing nearly half of Block's workforce, cutting its over 10,000-person staff to under 6,000. The move came as he said business was strong and profits were growing, but a new way of working was emerging.

"We're already seeing that the intelligence tools we're creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company," Dorsey said in his memo on X.

In the company's earnings call following the memo, Dorsey said that more companies will follow suit by using AI to drive efficiency gains. Block is already ahead of the trend that "all companies will eventually" adopt, the CEO said.

Cisco

Cisco said on May 13 that it would cut "fewer than 4,000 jobs" as the networking company reorganizes around artificial intelligence, according to a memo CEO Chuck Robbins sent to employees.

"The companies that will win in the AI era will be those with focus, urgency, and the discipline to continuously shift investment toward the areas where demand and long-term value creation are strongest," Robbins said in the memo. "This means making hard decisions — about where we invest, how we're organized, and how our cost structure reflects the opportunity in front of us."

The layoffs, which account for less than 5% of Cisco's workforce, were announced alongside a stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings report in which the company raised its revenue outlook amid surging demand for AI infrastructure.

In the memo, Robbins said Cisco is redirecting investments toward areas "where demand and long-term value creation are strongest," including silicon, optics, security, and employees' use of AI across the company.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare announced on May 7 that it will be slashing more than 1,100 roles as it reorganizes for the "agentic AI era." The cybersecurity company said in a memo that its AI usage has increased by over 600% in the last three months, and employees across departments run thousands of agent sessions each day.

"That means we have to be intentional in how we architect our company for the agentic AI era in order to supercharge the value we deliver to our customers," the company said in the memo to staff.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince responded to a critical post on X, saying that "very few engineers or customer-facing sales people impacted by our layoff."

He wrote that the company will continue to hire "like crazy in those roles," as it did as a startup. Cloudflare employed 5,483 people as of the end of March, meaning the cuts affected about 20% of its workforce.

Coinbase

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong announced that the company will be slashing 14% of its workforce, or about 700 workers.

In a post on X on May 5, Armstrong shared an email that he said he sent to workers earlier that day. In the post, he cited two factors: a volatile market and AI changing the way people work.

"Over the past year, I've watched engineers use AI to ship in days what used to take a team weeks," Armstrong said, adding that, "the pace of what's possible with a small, focused team has changed dramatically."

Armstrong said the company isn't just reducing head count and cutting costs, but "fundamentally changing" the way it operates. The CEO said Coinbase is rebuilding itself "as an intelligence, with humans around the edge aligning it."

He shared plans to concentrate the workforce around AI-native pods that will manage fleets of agents. Armstrong said the company will also experiment with "one person teams" of engineers, designers, and product managers.

Crypto.com

Crypto.com announced on March 19 that it would cut 12% of its staff. The CEO, Kris Marszalek, wrote in a post on X that those impacted were in "roles that do not adapt in our new world."

"We are joining the list of companies integrating enterprise-wide AI," Marszalek wrote on X. "Companies that move immediately and pair the best AI tools with top-performers will achieve a level of scale and precision that was previously impossible. This is where we must go."

The company previously cut jobs in 2022 during a cryptocurrency slump and another 20% of its workforce in 2023, following the collapse of FTX.

GitLab

On a June 2 earnings call, GitLab said it is cutting 350 employees, or about 14% of its workforce, as part of an overhaul it announced last month.

The coding software company, which had 2,580 employees as of January, said in May that it was restructuring to meet the "agentic era." GitLab added that it wanted to remove up to three layers of management and reinvest savings from the restructuring into internal AI resources.

The company said it also expects to exit 22 countries and reduce its team members' geographic footprint by about 37%, opting for customers in those regions to be served by partners.

In June 2025, GitLab's chief financial officer, Brian Robins, said that AI coding has been good for its business, as customers added more employees to their subscriptions and produced more code, which GitLab's services help manage.

HP

HP said it's reducing the size of its corporate workforce due to AI initiatives. In an earnings report last November, the company said it plans to cut between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs by the end of 2028, estimating the changes would save around $1 billion.

HP's earnings presentation at the time said part of its strategy was to cut costs through "workforce reductions, platform simplification, programs consolidation, and productivity measures" and to increase customer satisfaction, innovation, and productivity with "artificial intelligence adoption and enablement."

IBM

Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, told The Wall Street Journal last year that it had replaced hundreds of human resources employees with AI.

More recently, the company announced last November that it would cut thousands of workers in the fourth quarter of 2025, affecting a "single-digit percentage of its global workforce." Its CEO, Arvind Krishna, said the company is shifting priorities to hire more people around AI and quantum. He also said the company plans to increase hiring among recent college graduates over the next year.

Krishna has also said that AI adoption has led the company to hire more employees in programming and sales.

In 2023, Krishna told Bloomberg that IBM had halted or slowed hiring for back-office roles, like in human resources, that could be replaced by AI.

"I could easily see 30% of that getting replaced by AI and automation over a five-year period," he told the outlet at the time.

Oracle

Oracle said in a June 22 filing that AI is contributing to workforce reductions. The company's headcount fell by roughly 21,000 employees, or 13%, over the past year. Oracle reported 141,000 employees as of May 31.

The cuts come as Oracle invests heavily in AI infrastructure.

"The adoption and deployment of AI technologies across our operations have resulted, and may continue to result, in reductions to our workforce," Oracle said in the filing.

The company spent $1.84 billion on severance and other restructuring costs in fiscal 2026, up from $374 million a year earlier.

Salesforce

Salesforce cut fewer than 1,000 workers in February, including employees from marketing, product management, data analytics, and its Agentforce AI product.

In an episode of "The Logan Bartlett Show" released last August, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said the company was using AI agents in its customer support division to replace humans and handle more sales leads.

"I was able to rebalance my head count on my support," he said in the interview. "I've reduced it from 9,000 heads to about 5,000 because I need less heads."

A Salesforce spokesperson previously told Business Insider that Benioff was referring to an organizational transformation that took place over several months to reshape its customer support function.

After deploying Agentforce, the company no longer needed to "actively backfill support engineer roles," the spokesperson said, adding that it successfully redeployed hundreds of employees into other areas of the company, like professional services, sales, and customer success.

Snap

In a memo to employees released in a regulatory filing on April 15, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said the company would cut 1,000 employees, or about 16% of its global workforce. The CEO cited "rapid advancements" in AI and "small squads" using it to become more efficient.

Spiegel said Snap would also close more than 300 open roles, and that US-based employees would receive four months of severance, healthcare coverage, and equity vesting. In an investor update included in the company's filing, it said the layoffs would result in roughly $500 million in annualized cost savings.

Standard Chartered

Global bank Standard Chartered announced plans on May 19 to slash 15% of its staff by 2030.

CEO Bill Winters said in a media briefing in Hong Kong that the move isn't a cost-cutting effort, but rather, "replacing, in some cases, lower-value human capital with the financial capital and the investment capital that we are putting in," Bloomberg reported.

"We don't have job losses, but we do have job role reductions in favor of the machines, and that will accelerate as we go forward into AI," he said at the briefing.

The company added in a statement: "We are combining the best human talent with AI, investing to support our people into higher-value roles."

Wisetech

Zubin Appoo, the CEO of Wisetech, said the logistics software maker is cutting 2,000 jobs, or 30% of its staff, because of AI-led efficiency.

In a conference call on February 25, Appoo said that AI enables greater productivity in less time and with fewer employees. The Sydney-based company employed about 7,000 people, according to an annual report released in October.

"I am prepared to say this clearly: the era of manually writing code as the core act of engineering is over," Appoo said. The technology is "unlocking levels of efficiency gains across WiseTech that were previously out of reach."

In some parts of the workforce, such as customer service, one in two workers will disappear, he added.

Wix

Wix announced it would be cutting 20% of its workforce, citing currency challenges and AI. In a post on X on May 28, Wix CEO Avishai Abrahami shared the layoff memo he sent to the team, saying that the first reason for the cuts was that the "exchange rate between the Shekel and the US dollar has shifted significantly."

He also cited "the fast evolution of AI capabilities."

"This is not just about adopting new tools - it is about rewiring how companies are built, how they think, how they manage and how they operate," Abrahami wrote in the post.

Abrahami said the company will operate leaner and flatter, and will continue to take steps toward an AI-native way of working. The company previously employed just under 5,300 workers, meaning roughly 1,000 roles will be affected.

Correction: May 19, 2026 — An earlier version of this story included Klarna. The company says it has not done AI-related layoffs.

• Critical Role is rolling out the fourth season of "The Legend of Vox Machina" on Prime Video.
• It takes years to make animations for each season, but the cofounders say AI is out of the question.
• "A computer cannot be passionate" or replace the value of art, chief creative officer Matt Mercer said.

It's a long wait in between seasons for Critical Role's animated series — but the eight cofounders of the media and gaming outfit say they'll never use AI as a shortcut.

The cofounders of Critical Role spoke to Business Insider ahead of the fourth season of "The Legend of Vox Machina" — an Amazon-backed animated show based on the team's long-running "Dungeons & Dragons" livestream.

In 2019, the group raised a record $11.3 million via a Kickstarter to jump-start the animation wing of their business, which started in 2015.

Even with tools readily available on the market, the team says AI has no place in their process.

"A computer cannot be passionate. And the whole reason that Critical Role is here isn't just because of great stories or because of a magnificent fantasy realm. Ultimately, it's because of us being friends caring about each other and being so invested in this story together," Matt Mercer, the team's chief creative officer, told Business Insider.

Travis Willingham, Critical Role's CEO, said the crew thought it was important to give people an opportunity to not only put their talents on display, but also learn from each other and hone their craft.

"We've been the incredible recipients of watching those people at the highest level do their work. To me, that's something that can never be replaced by a machine or a program," Willingham said.

The group works with writers and artists based in and outside the US. The cofounders are involved in character design and write episodes for the show, with help from the team of cowriters.

Cofounder Liam O'Brien co-wrote an episode this season with Critical Role creative director Marisha Ray, a rollicking heist titled "De Rolo's Eleven."

"We crave other people telling stories. That's what we've done from the very beginning and AI is promising us perfection in a facsimile," O'Brien said. "And I think what we love about the characters in our story is they are flawed and have so many wrinkles and problems. And I don't know that that promise of perfection even appeals."

The series' main roles are voiced by the eight Critical Role cofounders, who originated the characters in a "Dungeons & Dragons" campaign they had as a friend group.

A decade on, the game they played in Mercer and Ray's living room has turned their friend group into the co-leaders of a multi-arm gaming and media company. In the last 11 years, the team has streamed thousands of hours of their "D&D" campaign, creating a fanbase that has fueled live tours and books and given them the resources to publish their own game, "Daggerheart."

They've embarked on international tours to play tabletop games live to an arena-sized audience of thousands of fans. There's also a Critical Role video game and more episodes of their second Amazon-backed animated series, "Mighty Nein," in the works.

The last three-episode tranche of "The Legend of Vox Machina" drops on Wednesday.

The show has been renewed for a fifth season.

• After years living in the Middle East, David Ellis moved to rural Japan at 50 to keep a promise to his wife.
• After the move, he built a new career promoting hidden destinations near Mount Fuji.
• What began as a difficult professional tradeoff became a rewarding career reinvention centered on tourism.

When I returned to Japan at 50, it was to keep a promise.

Fresh out of university in 1990, I had the opportunity to teach English through Japan's Ministry of Education. I had no idea how to teach, but I wasn't about to pass up the chance to live in Asia.

I expected to leave Japan on my own after a few years. Instead, I met the woman who would become my wife.

It happened in an unusual way. While we were rock climbing about 50 feet off the ground, a friend asked me in broken English if I wanted a lover. It struck me as a funny time to ask, but I was intrigued.

Through a friend of a friend, we were introduced, and we married a couple of years later. More than 30 years on, we're still together.

The next chapter of our life as a couple began

My wife and I embarked on a shared adventure that took us to the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where I worked as a university lecturer.

When we lived in the UAE, we seized every opportunity to meet people from all corners of the globe. These friendships endure today.

Life rarely goes as planned. In the early 2000s, before we had kids, my wife's older sister was diagnosed with lung cancer and died just 90 days later. After that, my wife told me that our plans would have to change — we'd have to return to Japan when her parents got older. I agreed, and we got on with our lives.

Then, almost 15 years later, in 2015, my wife said, "The kids and I are moving back to Japan. Are you coming?" So my wife, 12-year-old daughter, 8-year-old son, and I moved to rural Japan.

An unexpected reinvention

Until then, I'd always felt I was the master of my own fate, so it was difficult to take a backseat and allow my wife to write the next chapter of our family's story. But family is my priority, so I capitulated.

Life in the Persian Gulf had been cosmopolitan and exciting. I didn't know how to survive, let alone thrive, in Yamanashi Prefecture, where my wife is from, 90 minutes west of Tokyo by express train.

About a year after arriving in Japan, I began to see opportunities in the area's overlooked tourism potential. One day, I stumbled upon a nearly abandoned village tucked into the foothills of the Japanese Southern Alps. There was a stunning shrine there, weathered but still standing.

Further up the road, I found a mountaintop lake filled with brightly colored koi. Deeper in the forest, a 1,200-year-old shrine revealed itself at the top of a long stone staircase, guarded by a tree that has stood for over a millennium. Nearby, a thundering waterfall completed the scene. What struck me wasn't just the beauty but the absence of people. Even some locals don't know these places exist.

I realized the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could be an opportunity to showcase rural Japan to international visitors, so I started a blog, Close to Mount Fuji. Through it, I began receiving offers from locals and foreigners to collaborate on projects.

It all led to a bigger surprise: becoming a guide for Butterfield & Robinson, a travel company I had admired since university. As a student, I dreamed of joining one of its tours. Decades later, I was leading them.

I manifested the world I wanted in a place I hadn't chosen

At the beginning of the pandemic, I received an email from a stranger who had seen me on TV promoting local tourism. He invited me for a ride in the mountains. As it turned out, he was a fellow Canadian and the head coach of Japan's Olympic triathlon team. He encouraged me to invest in a carbon-fiber road bike, and before long, I was cycling up mountains and through stunning valleys, feeling a sense of freedom.

Today, I guide cyclists through Japan. None of this reinvention was easy, but it has been rewarding. The travelers who join my tours continually challenge my assumptions and inspire me with their stories.

I also host guests at two small Airbnbs on my property and lead tours throughout the Mount Fuji region. Many travelers are searching for experiences beyond the major sights. They want something quieter, more personal, and less scripted.

Sometimes that means a walk through Aokigahara Forest away from the crowds. Other times it's paddleboarding on a spring-fed lake beneath Mount Fuji or a drive into the mountains.

I've learned to trust serendipity. When I discover a hidden gem and share it with others, I still feel a childlike excitement.

When my wife told me she was moving back to Japan, she reminded me that she had spent years overseas, far from her family, for my sake. She asked me to make the same sacrifice.

At first, I saw the move as giving something up. Instead, it became a liberation. With my wife's support, I built a life filled with new challenges and unexpected opportunities. Rather than going out into the world, the world now comes to me.

As I head into my 60s, I can't think of many other ways I'd rather be living.

Traditional "marketing" is now only a sliver of the CMO job.

The top marketers of 2026 are part brand-builder, part data scientist, part cultural weathervane, and part AI wrangler.

"It used to be one, two, or three-dimensional," Comcast's Jon Gieselman said of marketing. "Now, it feels like it's 20 or 25, and you increasingly have to become more of a technologist these days to really drive the business in a way that's going to keep up with everyone else."

Business Insider's annual list of the most innovative CMOs spotlights marketers, including Gieselman, who are pushing their brands into new territory and delivering measurable business results.

This year's 25-person class made insurance funny, fruit feel premium, "dad sneakers" cool again, and a green language-learning owl impossible to ignore.

It features marketers who harnessed AI to personalize soda ads, reshape search strategies, and shrink campaign production times.

AI is "empowering marketers to be more strategic, more creative, more connected to the people they serve," said Coach's Joon Silverstein, another of this year's selections.

The list features some execs who don't have CMO job titles — such as chief brand officers and chief growth officers — but are the most senior marketers at their organizations. It was drawn from our reporting and more than 100 nominations from industry insiders.

Scroll down to reveal Business Insider's most innovative CMOs of 2026, listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Asad Ayaz, Disney

Ayaz has overseen marketing for some of the world's biggest entertainment launches in the past year, helping Disney become the only studio to top $6.5 billion at the global box office.

The run was fueled by blockbuster campaigns for "Lilo & Stitch," "Zootopia 2," and "Avatar: Fire and Ash."

Ayaz's approach paired large-scale storytelling with fan-driven activations designed to turn movie releases into cultural moments. The "Lilo & Stitch" campaign made Stitch a viral sensation by having the mischievous character crash real-life and virtual environments. Meanwhile, "Zootopia 2" expanded the film's reach into everyday culture through brand partnerships and fan activations, especially in China, where it broke Hollywood box-office records.

For "Avatar: Fire and Ash," immersive experiences — including a 27-foot installation of the Nightwraith predator creature at the film's premieres and major sports broadcasts — brought Pandora to life for audiences worldwide.

Ayaz also led the global campaign for Disneyland Resort's 70th anniversary, using immersive experiences and cross-platform storytelling to celebrate Disney's legacy across generations.

In January, Ayaz was named Disney's first chief marketing and brand officer to unify its messaging across Disney Entertainment, Disney Experiences, and ESPN, the first time the company's marketing across film, streaming, parks, sports, consumer products, and global brand initiatives had been led by a single person. It was another first for Ayaz, who had become the company's first chief brand officer in 2023, and signaled continuity as the company transitioned in March to a new CEO, Josh D'Amaro.

Shortly after that promotion, Ayaz presided over a marketing restructuring and layoffs, part of companywide cuts, that he said would let the company better serve customers.

Ayaz is also guiding Disney's upcoming participation in the America 250 campaign and the ongoing expansion of the D23 fan community.

Mary Beech, Thorne

Beech's role, as chief growth officer, combines marketing, e-commerce, and the wellness brand's international expansion. After experiencing a heart attack at 34, Beech redefined her relationship with her health — an experience that informs her strategic lens and leadership philosophy.

Beech's marketing strategy builds on the insight that while consumers are more invested in their health than ever, they are increasingly overwhelmed by — and often distrustful of — the information available to them. She saw this gap as an opportunity to reposition Thorne from simply a supplements brand to a health and wellness resource for younger consumers.

Under her leadership, the company has expanded into new partnerships, including with the Miami Open and Unrivaled, the three-on-three women's professional basketball league. Recent brand ambassadors have included the NBA player Jrue Holiday, tennis player Ben Shelton, and singer-songwriter Ciara.

In April, Thorne launched a campaign featuring ballet dancer Misty Copeland and actor Lana Condor to spotlight two of the most-searched areas of women's health: libido and perimenopause. It honed in on their own realities with both, while leaning on Thorne's scientific expertise, to help women feel supported — and to promote its Perimenopause Complete and Women's Libido Boost formulations.

Thorne surpassed $1 billion in retail sales in 2025. This year, Beech is focused on extending this momentum, including expanding the company's AI-powered personal wellness offerings.

Kipp Bodnar, HubSpot

Bodnar saw early on that AI search and chatbots were redefining how consumers discovered brands.

He's the driving force behind HubSpot's answer-engine optimization strategy and has become an influencer in the field in his own right by chronicling his experiments with AI.

For example, he published a blog post walking through exactly how he used ChatGPT to plan an entire marketing campaign during a single flight, sharing the prompts, the process, and the results.

Inside HubSpot, Bodnar's AEO strategy is paying off. The company said leads sourced from AI channels convert three times better than those from traditional search. HubSpot ranked third for citations on AI platforms within the "business and professional services category" in Semrush's annual brand visibility index report, published in August.

HubSpot grew its active customer base by 16% in 2025, while full-year revenue grew 19% to $3.13 billion.

Last summer, Bodnar commissioned a dedicated AI transformation workstream within the marketing department as part of a plan to make every marketer an AI practitioner. The project involved role-specific AI training and the creation of a center of excellence so the entire team could share what was working.

Bodnar has also helped HubSpot take on a more expansive approach to customer acquisition. The company has launched more than 10 YouTube channels and scaled its LinkedIn presence.

Bodnar shares how marketing industry shifts are unfolding on the "Marketing Against the Grain" podcast he cohosts, which has more than 90,000 YouTube subscribers.

Andrea Brimmer, Ally Financial

Brimmer has been an evangelist for using investments in women's sports to grow Ally's business. She had aimed to spend equally on women's and men's sports by 2027, and reached that goal in 2026 — a full year ahead of schedule.

As the first partner of Unrivaled, the women's three-on-three pro basketball league, Brimmer helped attract 20 other sponsors. A Hansa study for Ally found that women's sports fans are 50% more likely than the general public to have a favorable opinion of Ally.

She's also sought to make banking more than a transactional experience with "Money Roots," a free financial education program Ally launched in August 2024 to help people understand their psychological relationship with money. The Money Roots program reached 3,364 participants in 2025.

Elsewhere, Brimmer's team used a proprietary company AI tool to cut the time to produce ad campaigns and content by an average of 34%.

Looking ahead, Brimmer is expanding Ally's Refer a Friend program, which rolled out in 2025 following a 2024 pilot. The bank saw that customers referred by a friend were three times as likely to refer someone else as those who became customers in other ways.

Leandro Barreto, Unilever

Barreto, in January, became the youngest CMO in Unilever's history, and also its first Latino CMO.

He's been transforming Unilever's marketing using an approach he calls "poetry and plumbing," fusing cultural creativity with the systems, data, and AI capabilities required to power it.

A defining change under Barreto's leadership has been the shift from broadcast advertising to a greater emphasis on social media and influencer marketing. Unilever CEO Fernando Fernández set the bar high, outlining last year a strategy for the consumer-goods company to work with 20 times as many influencers as it had previously.

As of December, Unilever said it was working with "close to 300,000 influencers" around the world. Barreto has been redesigning the marketing organization to embed community managers, influencer specialists, and content leaders across its top 24 markets.

Barreto's efforts on Vaseline are an example of his strategy in action. Building on its award-winning "Vaseline Verified" campaign, in which Unilever's experts tested viral Vaseline hacks in the lab, Barreto and the team launched Vaseline Originals, turning ideas from the online community into real products. Those included a brow tamer, inspired by beauty creator Jen Chae, and highlighter jelly, building upon YouTuber Lauren Luke's primer hack. Both creators launched the new products in March on TikTok Live, where they sold out in minutes.

Earlier this year, Unilever's Dove brand asked Redditors for their unfiltered feedback on its Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum mask and published a selection, positive and negative ("I hate the smell, it's like an old lady") on New York billboards.

The Unilever marketing team is also taking advantage of its recently announced five-year partnership with Google Cloud, using tools like Vertex AI and its Gemini models.

Craig Brommers, American Eagle

"I do think that 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' will be on my marketing gravestone — it is a once-in-a-lifetime campaign for the ages," Brommers recently told Business Insider in an interview.

It was certainly among the most talked-about ads of the last year. The July campaign, which leaned on punny wordplay and unsubtle glimpses of the "Euphoria" actor's cleavage, drew ire from online critics who said the ads were "regressive" and "offensive," and a "eugenics dog whistle."

Brommers and his team didn't apologize or pull the campaign. They stuck to their guns and released a statement saying the campaign "is and always was about the jeans."

Their confidence paid off. On its next earnings call, American Eagle credited the "great jeans" campaign and its Travis Kelce collab for driving an "uptick in customer awareness, engagement, and comparable sales." Its stock soared.

"The important thing for a CMO to remember in those particular times is to look at hard facts as opposed to just listening to social media and the mainstream media," Brommers told Business Insider. "What we saw was business growth."

Round two of American Eagle's Sweeney campaign launched in April, with an ad that nodded to last year's controversy.

American Eagle also credited Brommers' other high-profile campaigns, including partnerships with Travis Kelce and Martha Stewart for holiday ads, for getting the fashion brand "back on the map" and helping it reach a record $5.5 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025, which ended January 2026, up 3% on the prior year.

More recently, American Eagle has leaned into the popularity of country music among Gen Z, sponsoring the Stagecoach music festival and launching a campaign with the musician Ella Langley, the week her song "Choosin' Texas" topped the charts. Brommers said in a recent interview that shoppers were visiting American Eagle's stores and specifically asking for the jeans Langley wears in the ads.

Brommers has pivoted toward performance marketing tactics following a sales decline at the American Eagle namesake brand during the spring season. Influencer marketing is playing a key role. The company recently said the AE Creator Community, which launched in February, is exceeding expectations.

Kim Chappell, Bobbie

Chappell has helped make Bobbie one of the fastest-growing baby formula brands by combining humor and advocacy.

Chappell led the company's largest marketing initiative to date, "The B is for Bobbie," featuring Cardi B as Bobbie's "chief confidence officer," giving her unfiltered encouragement to parents. It contrasted with the sanitized ads typical of baby formula. The company said the campaign boosted trust among Gen Z parents by 147% and generated 1.8 billion press and social media impressions in its first week, citing Morning Consult data.

The campaign also invited parents to share stories about paid leave and maternal health via a hotline, resulting in more than 1,000 voicemails that Bobbie delivered to lawmakers to lobby for a package of maternal health bills.

Chappell said the company feels responsible for advocating for systemic issues that impact all new parents, which she considers bipartisan.

"That will not change," she said. "At the same time, I think it's also important that you don't take yourselves too seriously. Levity in parenthood is important. It's very intense and can be a lonely time."

Under Chappell's leadership, Bobbie expanded from a direct-to-consumer subscription business into retail distribution at Target, Walmart, and Costco, seeing triple-digit retail growth year over year in 2025. Bobbie cited Nielsen data showing that it was Target's fastest-growing formula brand in 2025. It also pointed to Nielsen data showing that 90% of Costco shoppers who purchased Bobbie were new to the brand, highlighting its ability to appeal to shoppers beyond the coasts.

Chappell said Costco speaks well to the "price-sensitive, crunchy mom" and that Bobbie was "filling that space in the formula aisle that wasn't previously there."

Chappell also led Bobbie's Transparency Tracker, an initiative that lets customers look up quality and safety data for an individual can of formula, as well as Bobbie for Change, its advocacy arm that lobbies on issues such as paid leave, maternal health, and feeding equity.

Kristyn Cook, State Farm

Cook shook up State Farm's ads approach, using sports and humor to win over younger people who are ditching traditional insurers for lower-priced competitors.

Cook — whose parents were State Farm agents and who worked as one herself early in her career — oversees over 18,000 independent agents and thousands of employees.

She ran contextually relevant campaigns like "With the Assist" that aired around women's sports and featured star athletes like Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins, showing how the insurer can make everyday life easier.

As part of its "Not the Same" campaign, State Farm used Jason Bateman to show that just like Bateman isn't Batman, not all insurance is created equal. For a Super Bowl LX version of the ad, Cook enlisted stars like Jon Bon Jovi and Keegan-Michael Key to broaden the ad's appeal. The Big Game ad ranked 13 out of 54 with viewers, per USA Today's Ad Meter, during advertising's biggest showcase.

Cook has leaned on top creators to win Gen Z. She brought State Farm's original reality TV competition show "Gamerhood" from Twitch and YouTube to Amazon's Prime Video, tapping Kai Cenat and other creators and streamers to face off in gaming and real-life challenges. That season, the show's fourth, increased Gen Z's interactions with the brand by nearly 13%, according to Morning Consult data.

State Farm also announced its first deal with Netflix, a co-branded campaign starring the characters of the streamer's basketball comedy, "Running Point."

Looking ahead, Cook plans to continue "With the Assist" with more NBA and WNBA partnerships while bringing back "Gamerhood" for a fifth season.

Chris Davis, New Balance

While sneaker giants like Nike and Adidas battle newcomers, including On and Hoka, the company known for the "dad shoe" is growing strong.

The 120-year-old private company reported that 2025 sales grew 19% to $9.2 billion as Nike lost market share. New Balance revealed that since 2020 it's grown sales by 180%.

Davis, who was appointed CMO in 2020, shifted the company's focus from direct-response ads to brand marketing, realizing he had to build an emotional connection with customers. He has embarked on an aggressive store-opening plan — which included opening 80 new locations in 2025 — and didn't shy away from raising prices.

He's forged partnerships with a small, elite group of star athletes, including the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, tennis' Coco Gauff, Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg, and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

The dad shoe has been having a moment, with even Gucci and Balenciaga jumping in with their own versions. Davis has pushed New Balance into pop culture through collaborations with fashion house Miu Miu and athletes, including Gauff.

Jon Gieselman, Comcast/Xfinity

Gieselman gave the broadband company a shot of entertainment and cultural relevance, a shift in a category historically driven by pricing and product specs.

As head of growth strategy for Comcast's Xfinity's residential connectivity businesses, he oversees product strategy, marketing, sales, acquisition, retention, and base management.

Soon after joining in 2025, he launched the Xfinity "Imagine That" campaign, which involved a series of ads that leveraged NBCUniversal's iconic films and characters, and helped raise the brand's Ace Metrix score — which measures ads based on factors deemed likely to influence consumer behavior, including relevance and likeability — to its highest level of the year.

One ad imagined Frankenstein discovering connection through Xfinity technology. Comcast estimated the ad reached nearly 100 million people and it delivered an Ace Metrix score more than 90 points above its 2025 average of 540.

A "Wicked: For Good" campaign had Jeff Goldblum bringing "Oz-level magic" into his home with Xfinity technology, with Goldblum and costars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo amplifying the ad on social media.

Gieselman's most visible moment came with Xfinity's first Super Bowl ad in 2026. The spot reunited the stars of 1993's "Jurassic Park" and depicted Xfinity preventing the park's collapse. It ranked in the Top 10 of USA Today's Ad Meter for the game.

Gieselman followed up the Super Bowl ad with stunts like dinosaur projections across San Francisco's Hobart Building, a motion-sensing T. rex billboard on Market Street, and a "live" velociraptor roaming the city.

Sean Gilpin, Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai has been leaning into electrification, and Gilpin has been helping the company navigate an uncertain time for the broader EV market.

Hyundai achieved its third straight year of record sales, placing heavy emphasis on its hybrid and EV portfolio in its marketing. Its 8% sales lift outperformed the wider US vehicle market, which grew 2% last year. Electrified vehicles accounted for 30% of Hyundai's retail sales, while hybrid sales were up 36% year over year.

Gilpin has been raising the bar for how the Hyundai brand shows up during big media moments.

This summer, during the FIFA World Cup, Hyundai's "Next Starts Now" campaign includes TV ads during the games featuring the South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min and a Boston Dynamics Atlas robot, partnerships with key influencers, out-of-home buys, digital ads, and in-person fan experiences.

Earlier this year, to launch the Palisade Hybrid, Hyundai debuted its "Make Everyday Epic" campaign starring actor and filmmaker John Krasinski. The campaign, which launched during the NFL conference championship weekend, reflected Gilpin's efforts to shift Hyundai's marketing toward more premium, cinematic storytelling.

He's also embraced unusual marketing formats. Rather than shooting a traditional "vehicle walkaround" to launch the Ioniq 9, Hyundai created an escape room competition in which three families raced to solve puzzles to win the car as a prize. The campaign generated 2.4 million total views across all of Hyundai's social channels. It was a particular hit on YouTube, with the three episodes delivering an overall view count 569% above the average for Hyundai's long-form content on the platform.

"Sean is not afraid to make bold, smart decisions that many other marketers would shy away from," said Jason Sperling, chief creative officer at Innocean USA, Hyundai's creative agency. "He understands both the necessity and potential of shaking up long-standing processes — and secures the support to make it happen."

Fadi Karam, Fruitist

Fresh fruit and berries have long been considered a commoditized category, where brands barely matter, and loyalty is low. Using his experience leading marketing for major brands, including KitKat, San Pellegrino, and Perrier, Karam set out to prove that branding could matter in the fresh produce space, too. (Fruitist rebranded from Agrovision in April 2025.)

Under Karam, Fruitist profiled a dataset of 18 million consumers using AI algorithms and developed a set of customer segmentations that showed a small share of shoppers drove a disproportionate share of berry consumption.

From there, the company built a person-based identity system using Dentsu's Merkury tool. On top of this sits an AI-based predictive engine that learns from internal and external data to identify who to target, how to personalize ads to them, and where the company should invest its marketing dollars.

One example of the data strategy at work was this year's launch of Fruitist's super-premium berry line, which was informed by profiling that identified a customer willing to pay materially more for exceptional quality. Within a few weeks, sales per store were roughly as strong as Fruitist's best-selling "Jumbo" berry product, per Nielsen data, even though the Jumbo product had been in the market for five years.

Karam has also been working to expand Fruitist beyond its loyal customers to new, younger consumers. In August, Fruitist launched Snack Cups to make fruit easier to carry in lunchboxes and gym bags. He formed partnerships to link Fruitist to health, performance, and culture, including with the Brain Health Initiative, World Economic Forum, USC Athletics, and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who joined the company as both an investor and brand ambassador.

In 2025, Fruitist said it grew to more than $400 million in annual revenue. The company declined to share the 2024 figure. It also raised a $150 million investment round, led by JP Morgan Asset Management. Fruitist was the fastest-growing berry brand in the US, per NielsenIQ's Retail Measurement data, for the 12 months ending September 27, 2025.

Later this year, Karam will launch Fruitist's first direct-to-consumer channel, allowing consumers to order fresh blueberries and have them delivered to their homes the next day.

Mark Kirkham, PepsiCo Beverages US

Kirkham, who looks after Pepsi, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, and Poppi, has been pushing PepsiCo into new categories while keeping its classic soda top of mind.

With young people trading sugary drinks for "better-for-you" options, Kirkham led PepsiCo's bet on Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, which the company considers its biggest innovation in 20 years.

PepsiCo said a limited, online-only Black Friday launch in fall 2025 sold out in under 30 hours and that initial sales have been strong since it rolled out to major retailers in February.

Pepsi Prebiotic shares characteristics of PepsiCo's recently acquired Poppi, whose ad campaigns have helped nearly double awareness of the brand, from 28% to 48% in 2025, according to PepsiCo's internal tracking.

Kirkham has made other moves to jump on the performance-drink trend, introducing protein-enhanced versions of Starbucks ready-to-drink products, Propel, and more.

He's also reinvigorated PepsiCo's mainstay drinks. Pepsi Zero Sugar starred in a Super Bowl ad, "The Choice," that put Coke's polar bear mascot in a blind taste test in a throwback to the original 1975 "Pepsi Challenge" campaign.

The ad played well with audiences and critics and helped make Pepsi Zero Sugar one of the company's fastest-growing drinks. The company said Pepsi Zero Sugar grew 30.8% in 2025, nearly double the zero-sugar cola category overall, and reached more than 1 million new households.

Lara Krug, Kansas City Chiefs

America's most famous couple: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Krug, who became the Chiefs' first CMO in 2021 after roles at AB InBev and L'Oréal, oversees everything from brand marketing, digital, social, and content production to influencer partnerships, live events, international growth, and consumer products.

Under her leadership, the Chiefs crossed 1 million subscribers on its official YouTube channel at the end of 2024, making it the first NFL team — and the second US pro sports team — to hit the milestone. The team added 4 million social followers in 2025, ranking first in TikTok followers among NFL teams.

Krug also seized on the cultural momentum sparked by Taylor Swift's appearances at Chiefs games, helping broaden the franchise's appeal with women and casual fans. She partnered with Hallmark Media on "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story," a 2024 Christmas TV rom-com that drew bigger audiences than many college football games. She then helped launch Foolish Club Studios, the Chiefs' in-house production arm focused on scripted and unscripted programming. Today, the team said, women make up 57% of the Chiefs' fan base — the highest share in the NFL.

Krug has helped drive the Chiefs' international expansion. Through the NFL's Global Markets Program that gives teams marketing rights to boost overseas awareness and fan growth, she expanded the Chiefs' marketing presence in 2025 to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain, for a total of seven countries — one of the broadest international presences in the league.

Josh Line, Yahoo

Line has been amping up Yahoo's marketing to make the company feel more forward-looking and less of a "remember them" brand.

He's been elevating Yahoo's product launches through brand extensions since becoming CMO in March 2025. Last summer, for example, to mark the rollout of a Catch Up feature in Yahoo Mail, Yahoo created an "Anti Email Email Club" streetwear collaboration with Anti Social Social Club. Yahoo said the Yahoo Mail iOS app hit an all-time high for daily active users the day after the campaign launched.

In July, Yahoo played on the dreaded "I hope this email finds you well" phrase with content from TikTok creator Nick Adams and custom merch and giveaways from the Away suitcase brand, including a case with the wording "I hope your email never finds me!"

Later that summer, the internet company teamed up with Liquid Death to create the Yahoo Fantasy Guillotine Leagues fantasy football game, where players competed for survival each week.

Line has also been embedding Yahoo with pop culture. To introduce the new AI-powered planner feature in Yahoo Mail, the company worked with Cardi B on a campaign that tapped into what it dubbed "FOMSI": Fear of Missing Something Important.

Line said the "Cardi B Busy" spot was Yahoo's most-viewed, engaged-with, liked, and commented-on ad of all time, and helped drive Yahoo Mail up the app store rankings. The campaign delivered more than 10 million views and 600,000 likes across Yahoo's TikTok and Instagram accounts in the first two days after its airing.

Yahoo said it has seen a 141% increase in total engagements across its socials — including likes, comments, reposts, shares, and saves — over the last year, demonstrating the brand's momentum.

Later this year, Line has more activity planned around the recent launch of Scout, Yahoo's AI answer engine. In May, Yahoo launched a Mother's Day ad campaign on Instagram and TikTok based on the insight that parents field dozens of questions a day from their kids.

"We are at the beginning of the journey of Yahoo getting back out there from a marketing perspective," Line told Business Insider.

Kelly Mahoney, Ulta Beauty

Mahoney is making loyalty and personalization Ulta Beauty's key growth engines, with a helping hand from AI.

She's on a mission to grow the Ulta Beauty Rewards loyalty program to 50 million members by 2028, up from 46.7 million in January. Ulta Beauty Rewards now represents roughly 95% of the company's total sales and has a 70% retention rate.

Ulta Beauty delivered a strong sales rebound in its 2025 fiscal year, which ended in January, up 9.7% to $12.4 billion, after a sluggish 2024. On its March earnings call, the Ulta leadership team credited marketing several times, with CEO Kecia Steelman saying the company had "reinvigorated" its brand.

Mahoney is transforming the loyalty program into what she calls a "relationship engine," using first-party data and AI to personalize the experience to each member and anticipate their needs.

Through Ulta Beauty's AI Center of Excellence and partnerships with Adobe and Google's Gemini, Mahoney is making the discovery of new beauty and wellness products more intuitive. Experiences include conversational search, its GLAMlab virtual try-ons, and predictive recommendations powered by Ulta's proprietary "Beauty Graph." Elsewhere, it recently launched on TikTok Shop as a new sales channel.

Mahoney is dedicated to connecting Ulta with key cultural moments. Rather than a traditional broadcast ad buy during this year's Super Bowl, Ulta styled Cardi B's makeup look for her appearance during Bad Bunny's halftime show. Cardi B posted a "get ready with me" pre-game video on her Instagram. Ulta created shoppable buying guides and linked up with top creators for content and other activations at the TikTok Clubhouse, held at 1 Hotel in San Francisco.

Ulta said the push drove more than 81 million impressions on social media and an estimated $4 million in PR and social media earned media value — a calculation of how much attention it created organically without needing to use paid advertising.

Looking ahead, Mahoney is expanding the "Wellness by Ulta" in-store concept, focused on education-led holistic well-being. She's also leaning into the growing cohort of Gen Alpha beauty and wellness consumers with age-appropriate experiences that let parents and guardians play an active role, such as in-store birthday parties and dermatologist-approved product guidance.

On the AI front, Mahoney wants to expand Ulta Beauty's presence in the agentic commerce space, where AI agents can help drive brand discovery. Ulta was one of the first 20 retailers to partner with Google's Universal Commerce Protocol.

Vineet Mehra, Chime

Mehra is showing how marketers can operationalize AI throughout their entire marketing and customer experience operations — and he's vocal about sharing the results with the wider industry.

He told Business Insider that AI is enabling a "Golden Age of marketing" because marketers can quickly turn their ideas into actual projects.

Under Mehra, the company created an AI-powered creative and content production platform that embeds tools such as Midjourney, Runway, and Veo 3. The platform has helped Chime cut its reliance on agencies. In the past 12 months, Chime reduced the time to produce creative campaigns by about 60% and production costs by roughly 30%, Mehra said.

Mehra describes his approach as "performance storytelling" — creating brand marketing that resonates with consumers while delivering measurable business results.

In September last year, Chime launched its in-house studio, In the Green, which produces branded entertainment rooted in subcultures such as fashion, sports, and gaming.

For example, Chime debuted an original YouTube series called "Mama, I Made It," which showcased people's financial success through the lens of their moms. The premiere episode featured the artist Big Sean, who also performed a free hometown concert in Detroit to mark the launch. Other guests have included the basketball player Cooper Flagg, the YouTuber and actor Lilly Singh, and singer-songwriter GIVĒON — as well as their mothers.

"It's been a huge win for us when we take not just subcultures, but we sort of mash them together and tell stories in that way," Mehra said.

In December, Mehra was promoted to become the company's chief growth officer, reflecting his success in translating brand awareness into real business results. Chime grew revenue by 31% to reach $2.2 billion in 2025. Active members grew 19% year over year, which represented an increase of 1.5 million.

Jeff Miller, Anduril Industries

Anduril's first marketing VP took an unconventional approach to promoting the defense tech company: telling people not to work there.

First, social media posts appeared from an "employee" complaining about the rigors of their job. Then, billboards with a graffiti-tagged "don't work at Anduril" message popped up in key engineering markets. Company recruiters published synchronized "dontworkatanduril" banners on LinkedIn. A microsite featured a manifesto from an actual employee about the realities of working at Anduril. The point was that working at Anduril is tough and isn't for everyone.

The results were dramatic: a 30% increase in new role applications, 500,000 searches to the company's LinkedIn page, and more than 10 million organic views in the first week across Anduril's social channels.

Anduril employees will star in the campaign's next chapter, debuting in August, which will highlight their actual work and stories.

Miller has also used unexpected partnerships and cultural moments to elevate the Palmer Luckey-founded company, an approach rarely seen in the defense industry, which typically takes a low-profile approach to marketing. Under Miller, Anduril became the premier sponsor of The Ohio State University's athletics department and launched the AI Grand Prix, a global autonomous drone racing competition that the company said attracted 2,700-plus teams from 93 countries.

His team's cinematic film about Fury, Anduril's autonomous fighter jet, became the company's most-watched piece of content, garnering 20 million views. It later screened in theaters nationwide before the blockbuster "Project Hail Mary." Anduril also displayed an image of the jet next to a replica of the Wright Flyer at Dayton International Airport with the copy "FURY: actual size" to call attention to the Fury's relatively small size.

Manu Orssaud, Duolingo

Under Orssaud, Duolingo became a pioneer of culture- and social-first marketing, setting a playbook that other brands have emulated.

Orssaud encourages his team to treat the comments section as their creative brief, using the insights from how people react to Duolingo's marketing to shape ideas and adapt campaigns in real time.

One of the clearest examples of Orssaud's impact this year was Duolingo's Super Bowl campaign. The company didn't buy a traditional big game spot. Once Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime performer, Orssaud and his team launched a multi-phase push that included taking over a New York subway car to encourage passengers to brush up on their Spanish. Duolingo also ran 15-second ads during the AFC and NFC championships, featuring its mascot dressed as Bad Bunny, teaching Spanish phrases from the rapper's lyrics. Duolingo said the campaign led to a 35% week-over-week increase in Spanish-language learning on the app after the Super Bowl aired.

Duolingo reached 50 million daily active users in 2025 and generated $1 billion in annual bookings for the first time. This year, the company is doubling down on user acquisition, including by introducing new courses in areas like music and chess.

Looking ahead, Orssaud recently told Business Insider that he's planning to dial back some of Duolingo's "unhinged" marketing tactics, recognizing that there's a risk in becoming increasingly risqué to maintain the shock factor. Orssaud wants to recalibrate Duolingo's marketing output from "80% unhinged, 20% wholesome" toward a more balanced approach.

Duolingo is in the early stages of building a "creator army." It's begun contacting creators to encourage them to become paid ambassadors and create new TikTok "burner accounts" dedicated to content around the Duolingo brand. User-generated content is where the reach now happens on algorithmically driven social media apps like TikTok, Orssaud said.

He's also focusing on boosting Duolingo's brand visibility in AI search, such as by building a team dedicated to Reddit, one of the top-cited sources in AI answers.

Drew Panayiotou, Keurig Dr Pepper

Panayiotou has leaned on social media trends and fan data to expand on the success of Dr Pepper, which has become the No. 2-selling soda.

Blending football viewership data from Disney with its soda sales data, Panayiotou led Dr Pepper to make thousands of AI-personalized ads tailored to people's team loyalties. The company said the Fansville campaign outperformed its broader national campaign, citing Circana and internal company data.

The former Pfizer and Google marketer, who joined Keurig Dr Pepper in late 2024, has also bet big on cultural moments. Building on Dr Pepper's push into the dirty soda trend, where flavors and other additions are mixed into a base soda, he promoted the launch of Dr Pepper Blackberry in 2025.

And when Romeo Bingham made a Dr Pepper jingle that went viral on TikTok, Dr Pepper worked with the content creator to capitalize, turning it into an ad that ran during the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Elizabeth Rutledge, American Express

Rutledge wants consumers to end their evenings thinking "that was only possible because of American Express."

Under Rutledge's leadership, Amex has forged dozens of partnerships across entertainment, sports, and music.

In March of this year, for example, Amex became the NFL's official payments partner, giving card members access to tickets, perks, and other experiences.

"Eighty percent of our US consumer card members have said that they're sports fans, so I want to be there with them in those moments that matter, whether it's in real life or on the couch," Rutledge told Business Insider in an interview.

This year, Amex also built on a long-running partnership with Harry Styles to give card members ticket access and other experiences tied to his "Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally" album launch and his global tour.

Rutledge's work is resonating with younger audiences. In 2025, Amex posted record revenue of $72 billion, up 10% on the prior year, fueled in part by the strong demand for these types of experiences. Millennial and Gen Z consumers accounted for 65% of its new account openings.

Amex has also been growing its internal creative capabilities through its in-house creative agency, OnBrand. Under Rutledge, the team worked on projects including partnering with F1 Academy to develop a custom livery for a car and a race suit design for Amex's driver. Additionally, it consulted on the designs for the American Express Centurion Lounge Network, including the new lounge concept Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge.

Rutledge is a champion of developing marketing talent through the Amex Marketing U internal training and career development program, which has convened more than 10,000 participants worldwide.

Joon Silverstein, Coach

Coach is on a tear.

Silverstein has helped revitalize the 85-year-old fashion label for a Gen Z audience that's lapping up its famous bags, totes, and a growing range of clothing and accessories.

Silverstein leans on her background as an anthropologist to get inside the minds of younger consumers and understand what drives them. She's also meeting them where they're at: YouTube accounts for nearly 50% of Coach's overall media investment, per a Coach spokesperson.

Spotting a desire among its target audience for a return to reading physical books, in February, Silverstein and the team launched "Explore Your Story," a campaign the company described as its biggest to date. Tapping into the connections between fashion and literature, it featured high-profile brand ambassadors, including the actor Elle Fanning and South Korean rapper Soyeon. Coach created 12 miniature, readable book charms designed to be attached to bag straps. The brand toured the campaign with pop-ups on college campuses and created "Coach Book Nooks" in stores.

Coach said the campaign drove more than 15 million organic engagements and 450,000 user-generated posts. The company said "top-of-mind awareness" — a measure of whether people in surveys mentioned Coach first, unprompted, when asked to list handbag brands — grew by 60%.

Parent company Tapestry called out Coach's brand-building initiatives for helping the company exceed its 2025 fiscal-year targets. Coach grew revenue by 10% to $5.6 billion in the fiscal year ended June 2025, bringing in 4.6 million new customers across North America. About 70% of its new customers were Gen Z and millennials, the company said. In the most recent quarter, ended March 28, Coach's revenue grew 31% year over year.

"Coach is redefining what's possible when you blend consumer obsession with disciplined brand building and creativity, and this is translating into compounding and durable growth," Tapestry CEO Joanne Crevoiserat said last year.

Allison Stransky, Samsung Electronics America

Stransky is helping Samsung try to win over AI skeptics and communicate about the technology in ways that feel understandable and useful.

An example of this is Samsung's "SmartThings Meets AI Home" campaign. Stransky recognized that while consumers were intrigued about AI, many people didn't understand how it could tangibly improve their day-to-day lives. The campaign focused on relatable moments rather than tech specs and showed how AI can help people experience entertainment, simplify home needs, and support their health and well-being. Samsung said the campaign increased first-time website visitors and contributed to a 5% lift in brand perception — a measure of how favorably consumers view the brand — from March to November 2025, according to a study conducted by its media agency, PCG, in partnership with the research firm Kantar.

Under Stransky's leadership, Samsung rose to become YouGov's "Best Global Brand" of 2025, reflecting her efforts to reposition Samsung from a feature-led marketer to a more human brand.

On the performance marketing side of her remit, Stransky led a consolidation of Samsung's search ads strategy. Samsung said the move increased return on ad spend by 20% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025 while reducing cost per click by 23%, despite lower budgets.

Looking ahead, Stransky is focused on delivering Samsung's new marketing vision, "Your Companion to AI Living," which aims to demonstrate how AI serves as a quietly useful, always-on companion across Samsung's products, from wearables to TVs.

Fabiola Torres, Gap

Torres has helped restore Gap's cultural relevance as its business comeback has gained steam.

The former PepsiCo marketer injected dance and music into the affordable basics brand as her team went heavy on partnerships with celebs such as Tyla, Troye Sivan, and Laura Harrier. Gap's first product collab with a creator, Julia Huynh, became a sensation known as the "hoodie that hoodies."

Under Torres, Gap has had a knack for tapping cultural moments.

In the summer of 2025, with the denim ad wars in full swing, a Gap ad featuring the global pop girl group Katseye dancing to "Milkshake" by Kelis went viral, with commenters comparing the more inclusive message with American Eagle's controversial Sydney Sweeney jeans campaign. The company called the "Better in Denim" campaign its most successful ever and said it drove double-digit growth in denim.

Torres uses creators across all phases of the shopping cycle to ultimately drive sales.

"I do believe that creators actually drive a lot of business for us," she told Business Insider.

Gap rode the momentum of Bad Bunny's 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, producing a video with Puerto Rican artist Young Miko that became Gap's first entirely Spanish-language ad.

Elsewhere, Torres' team led tie-ups with chic brands like Dôen and Cult Gaia to reach different shopper groups.

After years of decline, the Gap brand posted its ninth straight quarter of sales growth in the first quarter. The brand is also winning over Gen Z — ranking second among 20 brands making significant inroads with that generation, per Ad Age/The Harris Poll.

Kim Utlaut, Build-A-Bear Workshop

Build-A-Bear made a sales comeback over the past several years, and Utlaut has tapped into comfort toys' appeal to kids and nostalgic adults alike.

Utlaut, who joined in 2024, expanded Build-A-Bear with collaborations with the likes of Harry Potter, Pokémon, Hello Kitty, and the NFL, helping it stay relevant with passionate fan communities and shoppers spanning generations. Leaning into Build-A-Bear's emotional appeal, she led a social campaign around Valentine's Day that promoted the toys' "Record Your Voice" feature to teens and adults.

Adults and teens now represent 40% of the company's business, up from less than 20% a few years ago. Under her leadership, the company also raised prices selectively without alienating customers.

Build-A-Bear said Utlaut's strategy helped grow revenue to a record of $124.2 million in the quarter that ended in August 2025. Results have since been mixed: The company lowered its 2026 revenue guidance after year-on-year revenue dipped in the most recent quarter, which it attributed to the uncertain economy and slower store traffic.

Looking ahead, Build-A-Bear Workshop plans to open 50 new stores in 2026 while continuing to expand internationally across more than 36 countries outside the US. The company is also expanding into non-traditional retail spaces such as cruise ships, amusement parks, and hospitality venues, and recently launched its first wholesale partnership with Walmart.

• Poetica Coffee is facing a civil rights probe after banning a pro-Israel congressman from its cafés.
• The chain posted that they'd barred Rep. Daniel Goldman from stores, citing his ties to AIPAC.
• The Justice Department opened an investigation, calling the action "reprehensible."

The Justice Department said Monday that it's investigating a chain of New York City coffee shops for banning a congressman over his support for Israel.

In a Sunday post on Facebook, Poetica Coffee wrote that it had refunded and barred Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman, from New York's 10th District, saying he was not "ever" welcome at its stores in Brooklyn and the East Village.

"Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee," read the post, which was accompanied by a photo of Goldman at the counter. "Do you see how it doesn't taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?"

It continued: "See, here at Poetica, we don't serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn't recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund—we don't need your money (it's probably coming from AIPAC anyways)."

Screenshots posted online showed that Goldman responded, saying he was sorry to see Poetica's post and that he bought a coffee from the business after a barista allowed his 7-year-old daughter to use the restroom, even though they had not purchased anything prior.

"I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved," Goldman wrote.

According to federal data, Goldman, who is facing a primary challenge from former city Comptroller Brad Lander, received an endorsement and more than $190,000 in direct and earmarked donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee for the 2026 cycle. Facing mounting pressure from Lander, Goldman publicly disavowed the donations and pledged to return the funds, Politico reported.

By Monday evening, the coffee shop's founder, Parviz Mukhamadkulov, had become the subject of a pile-on of negative reviews and a federal probe, with Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, writing in an X post that the division was aware of the incident.

"Federal law prohibits public accommodations such as coffee shops from discriminating against patrons based on their race, religion, or national origin," Dhillon wrote. "These actions are not only reprehensible, they're potentially illegal. The Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation, and will bring an enforcement action if warranted."

Representatives for Poetica Coffee, the Justice Department, and Goldman did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The hottest summer sales event of the year is upon us once again, and we're here for the full four-day show, bringing you our picks of the best Prime Day deals.

Amazon moved the sale to June this year, instead of its usual July window, and there's plenty to see already across tech, home, kitchen, and more. We'll update this page with our favorite picks across categories, focusing on items we've tested for our reviews and buying guides. You can see our full selection of articles in our Prime Day hub.

Prime Day deals are usually much better than any 4th of July sales, so this feels like the biggest chance to bag the best Amazon savings this summer. If you're not already a Prime member, grab a 30-day free trial to unlock the exclusive deals.

We might get some of the best prices of the year on some items, while other deals we highlight include items with what we'd consider a great price right now - one that we'd make a purchase on ourselves or recommend to a friend. Inflation, tariffs, and the RAM shortage have increased prices on a lot of things this year, for example, so we're taking all of that into account when recommending these deals in the current climate to try to help find you the best bang for your buck.

• Browse all deals at Amazon

Tech deals

So far, it's headphones that have been rocking all the best Prime Day tech deals. Once the sale really gets going, we expect to see every Amazon device featured in addition to the smattering of Fire TV Sticks and security cameras.

TVs always come in strong for Prime Day, and we'll be updating the list below throughout the event. We'll keep an eye on back-to-school-friendly laptops and Chromebooks as well, and this might be a great time to buy, despite RAM scarcity driving up the cost of most machines in 2026.

*Note: The price of the AirPods Pro 3 keeps changing today. We've seen it down to $179 for most of the day, but it recently went back up to $199. We're confident it will return to $179 again soon. $199 is a good price, but it shows up regularly, so you should hold out.

Kitchen deals

Just because it's summer doesn't mean we've stopped downing hot coffee every morning, and Prime Day is one of the best times of year to make big savings on simple K-Cup machines or fancy barista-level machines from the likes of Breville. Air fryers of all shapes and sizes are getting major cuts, too.

Home deals

We hope you haven't bought a new vacuum cleaner recently, as there are some monster discounts on a range of cordless, heavier uprights and robovacs. Expect plenty of mattress deals once the sale gets properly underway, too.

• See all deals at Amazon

What time does Prime Day start?

Prime Day 2026 officially starts at the stroke of midnight PT (3 a.m. ET) on June 23. We also saw a raft of deals go live the day before.

When does Prime Day end?

Prime Day 2026 ends at the end of the day on Friday, July 26. Some deals will expire beforehand, especially lightning deals, and some items will only have a limited number of units available at the discounted price, so you could see prices increase before the sale officially ends.

On the other hand, we also see a small number of deals stick around a few extra days after Prime Day, so it's certainly worth a late look over the weekend as well.

Is Prime Day only for members?

Yes, the vast majority of deals will require a Prime membership to enjoy the exclusive price.

Not a member? That's OK, as there's a 30-day free trial that you can use to enjoy the full sale, along with all the other perks like fast delivery, Prime Video streaming, and more. You're under no obligation to keep Prime, and are free to cancel it within the 30 days before you become a paid subscriber.

Is Prime Day worth it?

Yes, especially the Summer version - October Prime Day can be hit and miss, as it's too close to Black Friday, but we always find plenty of highlights in the summer.

So much so, we always tell our friends looking for a TV or laptop, a new air fryer or vacuum, or even just things for the apartment like pet items, cleaning supplies, coffee pods, and the like, to just hold on for Prime Day if they can, as prices get slashed on every category around the site.

• Lucid downsized its workforce by 18% on Monday and eliminated the COO role.
• The company said the cuts were meant to pave the way toward profitability and positive cash flow.
• COO Marc Winterhoff previously said that being capital-efficient is key to its robotaxi bet.

Lucid Motors made a round of cuts that show how the EV maker is tightening its belt as it pursues an ambitious future in the midsize car market and robotaxis.

Lucid said on Monday that it would cut about 18% of its US workforce, including eliminating the chief operating officer role held by Marc Winterhoff. Winterhoff also served as interim CEO for less than two years before Silvio Napoli was tapped for the role in April.

In a securities filing, Lucid said it made the move to advance the company's path toward profitability and positive cash flow.

The cuts come at a pivotal time for the company. Lucid has yet to prove that it can profitably scale its EV business. At an investor day in March, it laid out a sprawling future to diversify its vehicle lineup with sub-$50,000 midsize SUVs and to lay a stake in autonomous driving and robotaxis.

Winterhoff told Business Insider in April that the company's robotaxi bet was deliberately designed to keep spending in check and avoid the kind of capital burn that would be required if Lucid had built a robotaxi operation from the ground up.

"Our strategy is to offer solutions to individual customers and our robotaxi customers fast and, from our side, minimal deployment of capital investment in order to not hamper our way to profitability," he said, adding that robotaxi was a "second leg" for Lucid to stand on next to personally-owned vehicles.

Lucid is pursuing robotaxis through a partnership with Uber and Nuro, targeting a commercial launch in San Francisco later this year. Uber is committing $500 million to supply at least 35,000 vehicles from Lucid, including 10,000 Gravity SUVs, Winterhoff said.

Winterhoff cited speed to market and capital-spending discipline as reasons Lucid chose the partnership route. The COO at the time said Uber wanted a robotaxi that could be ready for commercial deployment by 2026.

"There was literally nobody out there saying, 'Okay, we can do that,'" he said.

Building the autonomous vehicle stack in-house would also require "billions of investment," Winterhoff said, for returns that may not be seen until 2030 or beyond.

Lucid expects to save some cash through its recently announced restructuring plans. The company said in the filing that it expects to generate about $158 million in annualized cost savings.

As part of the cuts, Lucid also said it's eliminating the second production shift at AMP-1, Lucid's manufacturing plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. The company did not specify which vehicle programs or production lines would be affected.

James Picariello, a senior analyst at BNP Paribas Equity Research, wrote in a note on Monday that Lucid remains on a "step road to breakeven." The analyst wrote that the cost-cutting effort suggests demand for the Lucid Air sedan and Gravity SUV remains soft, and the $158 million in cost savings does little to change the company's cash-burn trajectory.

Still, Picariello told Business Insider that he does not see the latest cuts as a direct threat to Lucid's robotaxi plans.

"I don't see any real direct implication from LCID's cost-cutting effort announced today, and its 'contract manufacturer' partnership with Uber/Nuro," Picariello wrote. "LCID should still be able to provide the Nuro-outfitted Gravity's & midsize CUVs as robotaxis to Uber."

A spokesperson for Lucid said that Monday's announcement will not affect the company's robotaxi strategy or its Uber-Nuro partnership.

Winterhoff did not respond to a request for comment.

Jordan and Algeria will face off in a crucial Group J matchup as both teams look to improve their position before the final round of World Cup group-stage play. With points becoming increasingly valuable at this stage of the tournament, the result could have a major impact on the race for a place in the knockout rounds. No matter which team you're backing, read on to learn where to watch Jordan vs. Algeria live.

The meeting brings together two teams with plenty still at stake. Algeria is looking to bounce back after a difficult result against Argentina, while Jordan hopes to keep its hopes of advancing alive after falling to Austria in its opener. The match will stream on FS1 via a live TV service in the US, on ITVX in the UK, and on SBS on Demand in Australia, among others.

We recommend using a VPN to stream the entire tournament (and future sporting events) from anywhere in the world, especially via the free international options below. Follow the full tournament and learn how to watch your team in our where to watch the World Cup guide, or try your chance at scoring a seat in person with our guide to buying World Cup tickets.

*Local channel coverage, like FOX, varies by region on Sling.

Where to watch Jordan vs. Algeria for free

Luckily for fans, there are plenty of ways to catch this match at no cost. In Australia, tune in via SBS On Demand; in the UK, via ITVX. Want some more? Ok, how about Tabii in Turkey and Das Erste 1 in Germany?

In the US, the best way to see it without incurring a fee is to sign up for a free trial of Fubo or YouTube TV. Or you can use a VPN, as detailed below, to access your free live streaming options from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Jordan vs. Algeria from anywhere

Found yourself away during the match? Don't sweat the details — you can access the Jordan vs. Algeria match from anywhere in the world using a VPN (virtual private network). This simple app lets users change their device's location, granting access to their favorite free streaming service from anywhere. It's a helpful tool outside of just streaming the game, especially for avid travelers hoping to access their usual services from abroad and folks interested in cybersecurity.

We recommend NordVPN, one of the top picks in our guide to the best VPNs, for catching the game. Fast, easy to use, and home to a variety of global servers, it'll have you covered for the whole tournament. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Where to watch Jordan vs. Algeria in the US

Just like the rest of the World Cup, the Jordan vs. Algeria game will air on FS1 in the US (some other matches will be available through FOX). To tune into the channel, you'll need cable, an antenna, or a paid streaming subscription. For this game specifically, you can catch it for free by signing up for a free Fubo or YouTube TV trial.

We also recommend Sling TV, but you'll need to double-check that the service covers FOX in your ZIP code to ensure World Cup coverage. If it does, Sling Select ($25 a month) or Sling Blue ($51 a month) are our suggestions, since both also include FS1. Sling Select plans without local channels start at just $20 a month.

A live TV package could be the right solution for your home, since it'll offer you more than just Fox — check out our guide to the best live TV streaming services to find your perfect fit.

Fubo Sports + News ($56 a month) is a great choice, offering Fox, FS1, and about 27 other channels. If you're hoping to find a more inclusive service, Fubo's pricier plans are a good choice with even more channels bundled in. All Fubo plans come with a free trial for new users.

YouTube TV is another solid option. Plans cost $83 a month, but a special deal will knock your first five months down to just $68 a month. Fox and FS1 are also available in YouTube TV's cheaper Sports Plan. All YouTube TV plans come with a free trial for new customers.

Viewers looking for Spanish-language tournament coverage will be best served by Peacock. Plans with sports streaming start at $11 a month.

Where to watch Jordan vs. Algeria in the UK

ITVX and the BBC have split rights for the World Cup. The Jordan vs. Algeria game will be free to stream via ITVX for UK viewers. You'll just need to create an account.

Where to watch Jordan vs. Algeria in Australia

Australian viewers can catch the entire World Cup tournament via SBS On Demand. The free service requires account creation, but no payment.

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

• Clive Davis, legendary music executive and record producer, died on June 22 at 94.
• David Schulhof knew Davis since childhood and went on to co-produce a documentary about Davis' life.
• Schulhof, a music industry exec, says Davis taught him to trust his gut and never lose his drive.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with David Schulhof, the 55-year-old founder and CEO of MUSQ Global Music Industry ETF based in New York City. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up with Clive. I went to school with his kids, and my dad was actually hired by him for a job early in his career. I'll always remember he had this amazing apartment on the West Side that we'd go to every year to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from.

When I was growing up, Clive always shared amazing stories about the artists he worked with, and it really inspired me to join the industry. Although I never worked with him directly at record labels, I learned from him all along the way.

About a decade ago, he reached out to me to co-produce a documentary about his life, "The Soundtrack of Our Lives." The film is now on Netflix.

Clive taught me that as long as you have drive, taste, and work ethic, you can work and succeed until the day you die. In his case, 94 years, Clive, God rest his soul, had the most incredible career in music from the day he was hired at Columbia Records (a subsidiary of CBS) to the day he died.

Clive taught me lessons that helped me in the music industry

I always admired that Clive was a real music man. Not only did he select amazing artists to work with, whether it was Carlos Santana or Whitney Houston, but he also knew how to select the right material to get each artist a hit.

When I started a private equity-backed music publishing company, I made it a priority to have great songs. Clive taught me that.

I'll never forget, he also told me, "Having a hit song is like a three-legged stool. You need the song, the performance, and the production. You can't miss anything there." I've carried that into all of the companies I've worked for and in my entrepreneurial career in the music industry.

His attention to detail was out of this world

Working closely with Clive on his documentary showed me just how tremendous his work ethic was.

He truly wanted to capture the full history of every artist, and just when we thought we were done covering a subject, he'd go into much further detail. I think part of his attention to detail had to do with the fact that he was a lawyer by training.

That level of detail, whether it was being a lawyer, publisher, or documentarian, was a really inspiring quality that came across during my time growing up with him and working with him on the movie.

I got to see Clive a few weeks ago

On May 8, I hosted the Amplify Music Investment Summit, and I had Clive give one of the keynote speeches. He told all sorts of funny stories and was interviewed by his son, and it was wonderful.

It's really great to hear Clive speak because he sounded and dressed like a very educated man from Europe, but then his Brooklyn-isms would come out, and you'd realize he's just a man from the street who really succeeded with hard work.

Both of his parents died very young; he got through college and law school, worked his way up through hard work, and became a tremendous family and business man. Family was everything to him. He was as successful as a family man as he was a music executive.

One of my standout moments with him was his 2012 pre-Grammy party

Of course, Clive also threw amazing parties. I've never seen a room filled with so many successful celebrities and artists at once. I also witnessed some very difficult things at them.

One of his pre-Grammy parties took place on the day that Whitney Houston died, and rather than canceling the party, Clive carried on the show.

I couldn't even believe what I was seeing: the way Clive brought together so much of the music industry on a night when so many people were weeping and in shock. It will go down as one of the greatest, most beautiful yet traumatic signs of resilience in life.

Clive's legacy will live on

There's no other executive I've worked with who's touched nearly 70 years of music. His lessons to me were to trust my gut, use my taste, use my ears, work with great people, and get great material.

My heart goes out to Clive's family. He was a very special man, and his legacy, music, and brilliance will live on for generations. What he did in the music industry can't be done in 10 to 15 years. He did this over a lifetime, and it's tremendous. I'm just lucky to be a small part of it.

What's the best career lesson you've learned from a mentor? Contact this reporter at tmartinelli@businessinsider.com to share your story.

The FIFA World Cup is underway, and the tournament is broadcast around the world in several different languages. We've compiled everything you need to know about how to watch the World Cup in Spanish, including free streaming options.

If you're in the US, you can live stream all matches through Telemundo on Peacock. In Spain, select matches are available for free on RTVE. You can access your streaming options from anywhere with the help of a VPN. Keep reading to learn global viewing options and other details about the tournament.

How to watch the World Cup in Spanish in the US

While the English-language World Cup broadcast rights go to Fox Sports in the US, Telemundo holds the Spanish-language US broadcast rights. The easiest and cheapest way to live stream all 104 Spanish-language matches is via Peacock. Sports-friendly subscriptions start at $11 a month for Peacock Premium, but you can upgrade to Peacock Premium Plus for $17 a month if you're interested in accessing an NBC live stream and ad-free on-demand content.

In a special move, Peacock Select subscribers were able to watch matches from the first couple of days of the tournament, but you'll need one of the Premium subscriptions to watch the full World Cup.

How to watch the World Cup in Spanish in Spain

In Spain, World Cup coverage is spread out a bit, but select matches will be shown on RTVE and live stream on RTVE Play. This is a free streaming option. The platform has prioritized matches featuring Spain's national team, but it has also shown several other notable games. For more comprehensive coverage, fans in Spain will need a paid DAZN subscription.

How to watch the World Cup in Spanish from anywhere

If you're away from the location where your streaming service works, you can still access your watch options (including the free ones) with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are handy tech tools that allow people to temporarily alter their virtual locations. They're especially popular among those looking to keep up with their usual websites and apps while traveling abroad or hoping to upgrade their cybersecurity.

NordVPN is one of the best VPNs we've tested. It's fast, easy to use, and offers a massive selection of worldwide servers. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so it's no sweat if you find that it's not helping you out.

How can you watch the World Cup in English?

As we mentioned above, English-language coverage of the World Cup is available through FOX and Fox Sports 1 (FS1) in the US. If you're looking for English-language streaming options, you can check out our massive where to watch the World Cup viewing guide. We highlight streaming options from around the world, beyond just the US and Spain. You can find viewing options for the UK, Australia, and much more in our roundup.

How much are FIFA World Cup tickets?

It should be no surprise that tickets are pricey, given the rarity and popularity of the tournament. You can learn more about resale prices in our official guide on where to buy World Cup tickets.

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.

A brand-new Paramount Plus deal is available, and it's the best discount on monthly plans that we've seen in years. The limited-time offer can help you save up to 93% on your first two months of service, surpassing last year's Black Friday deal.

The Paramount Plus deal brings monthly subscriptions down to just $0.99 a month for two months. After the two months conclude, plans will automatically renew at their then-standard rates, but you can always cancel before then. The deal applies to both the Essential and Premium tiers, which normally cost $8.99 a month and $13.99 a month, respectively. In contrast, last year's Paramount Plus Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal brought subscriptions down to $2.99 a month for two months, so this is an even deeper discount.

Paramount Plus is an entertainment hub for fans of CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, and Paramount Pictures. The streaming service also has an impressive selection of its own original programming, most notably several Taylor Sheridan hits, including "Yellowstone" spinoffs like "Dutton Ranch." The streaming service also offers live UFC events, Champions League matches, and NFL on CBS games on both tiers.

Learn more about why we think the streaming service is worth it in our Paramount Plus review, and keep scrolling for additional details on the current deal.

FAQ

When does the Paramount Plus deal end?

The Paramount Plus deal ends on June 25, 2026, so there are just a few days left to cash in on the offer.

Who is eligible for the Paramount Plus deal?

The Paramount Plus deal is available to new and eligible former subscribers, so if you're a current customer, you likely won't be able to access it. The best way to confirm eligibility is to start the sign-up process and see what's available to you.

What's the difference between Paramount Plus Essential and Premium?

Paramount Plus Essential and Premium offer similar on-demand catalogs, with one key exception: Showtime programming is only available with the Premium tier. Essential plans are ad-supported, while Premium plans include ad-free on-demand content. Premium also unlocks a livestream of your local CBS station and the ability to download most on-demand programming for offline viewing. Both tiers of service carry live UFC events.

Are there Paramount Plus annual plans?

Subscriptions to Paramount Plus Essential and Premium are also available on an annual basis. However, annual plans are not part of the special limited-time offer, so you'll be paying full price. That said, when there's no deal, annual plans offer decent savings year-over-year compared to what you'd pay if you subscribed to a monthly plan for 12 months straight.

Does Paramount Plus have a free trial?

Paramount Plus used to have a seven-day free trial for all new customers, but the platform got rid of the offer at the beginning of 2026. This means that the current deal is one of the best ways to try out the service without paying full price. If you find that Paramount Plus isn't right for you, you can cancel before your first month is over and have only spent $0.99.

To learn more about the streaming service, you can check out our Paramount Plus guide or go directly to the Paramount Plus website. For additional sales, check out our guide to the best streaming deals.

• A Tesla Model 3 crashed into a home in Katy, Texas, killing a resident inside on Friday night.
• Driver Michael Butler said Tesla's driver assistance tool was active during the fatal crash.
• A Tesla executive said the driver 'manually overrode' the self-driving feature by speeding.

Federal regulators have opened a probe into a collision that killed a Texas woman when a Tesla crashed through a brick home last week.

The driver reported an automated driving-assistance system was engaged at the time. A Tesla official said the driver "manually overrode" the self-driving feature with heavy acceleration.

A spokesperson for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration confirmed that a "Special Crash investigation" — the "most in-depth and detailed level of crash investigation data" collection — has been launched.

The federal regulator said that the cases NHTSA chooses could involve probes into "emerging technologies," including "alternative fueled vehicles," "adaptive controls," and "potential safety defects."

The crash happened around 8:03 p.m. on Friday in Katy, Texas, where Michael Butler was driving a Tesla Model 3, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Saturday.

Authorities said the driver told them he had an automated driving-assistance system engaged.

"Butler failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway, and struck the residence," the sheriff's office said.

"Butler's Tesla entered through the brick residence, at a high rate of speed, and struck M. Avila who was inside the residence," it added.

Avila was flown by medical helicopter to a local hospital, where she later died from injuries sustained in the crash, according to the sheriff's office.

"There were no signs of intoxication on Butler and he was cooperative during the investigation," the statement added.

In an X post on Monday, Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's head of AI, said that the driver "manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area."

"They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash," he said in the post.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to an inquiry regarding Elluswamy's post.

It was not clear which of Tesla's features Butler was using at the time of the crash — the company offers Autopilot and full self-driving capabilities. Tesla says the features are for the "fully attentive driver" who should be ready to take over at any time.

Tesla did not respond to a Business Insider request for comment. Business Insider was unable to contact Butler.

The crash comes as Tesla's driver-assistance features have faced scrutiny in courts and from regulators.

Last year, a Florida jury found the automaker partially liable in a 2019 crash in which a driver hit another vehicle while Autopilot was engaged. In a separate case, a California judge ruled last year that Tesla's branding of the feature as "Autopilot" was misleading, leading the company to change its name.

Update: June 22, 2026 — This story has been updated to reflect that the driver told authorities the automated driving-assistance feature was engaged at the time of the crash; the investigation is ongoing. It also adds a statement from a Tesla executive about the circumstances of the crash.

• Amazon buys ads on ChatGPT to drive users back to its own marketplace.
• Amazon blocks AI companies from scraping its product and pricing data.
• OpenAI's ad business could get a major boost from Amazon's presence.

Amazon wants ChatGPT's users. It just doesn't want OpenAI to have its data.

Amazon has begun buying ads on ChatGPT, making the company one of the highest-profile retailers to appear in OpenAI's emerging advertising business, according to e-commerce analyst Juozas Kaziukėnas.

The ads direct users back to Amazon's storefront, where the company controls the customer experience and transaction.

Kaziukėnas told Business Insider that Amazon's decision to buy ads on ChatGPT is "symbolic" because the retailer has largely avoided participating in AI shopping initiatives that let third-party chatbots and AI agents aggregate its products, pricing, and inventory data.

The move highlights a tension at the heart of Amazon's AI strategy. The company is willing to pay to reach ChatGPT's massive user base, but it continues to protect its own shopping data and limit how AI systems can access and use it.

Rather than helping AI platforms aggregate Amazon's catalog, the e-commerce giant is using them as marketing channels that send customers back to Amazon's online marketplace. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.

Kaziukėnas initially shared a screenshot of Amazon's ad on ChatGPT through a Linkedin post on Monday. It showed the chatbot suggesting several products under a search for a coffee maker, followed by a sponsored Amazon ad promoting "Top-Rated Kitchen Gear."

Amazon has taken steps to restrict AI scraping and data collection efforts that could be used to build competing shopping experiences.

Last year, Amazon stopped providing product feeds to Google Shopping results while updating its code base to block multiple bots, including those from OpenAI, according to Kaziukėnas. Earlier this year, Amazon won a court order to block Perplexity's AI agent.

Amazon's arrival on ChatGPT could also be an encouraging sign for OpenAI's nascent advertising business. Early ad data has shown that ChatGPT users frequently encounter ads when making commercial-intent queries, and advertisers are increasingly viewing the chatbot as a new channel for reaching consumers who are actively researching products.

"To me, this is a sign that OpenAI will have an easier time monetizing shopping intent through ads than the still unproven agentic commerce, which it abandoned," said Kaziukėnas. "Its ads business will grow fast."

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• The Army merged the 7th Infantry Division and 1st Multi-Domain Task Force into a new Pacific-focused command.
• The command combines maneuver forces with drones, sensors, cyber, and long-range fires.
• The Army says the unit is built to operate in the Pacific as a self-contained force.

The US Army has merged two formations into a new Pacific-focused command built to move fast, operate with limited support, and effectively bring drones, electronic warfare, and long-range fires into a future fight.

The command, shaped by years of experimentation, including drills with regional allies, is meant to give the Army a more self-contained force for complex operations across the Pacific.

Army officials announced the establishment of the service's new Multi-Domain Command-Pacific last week, a one-of-a-kind command combining the service's 7th Infantry Division and 1st Multi-Domain Task Force into a new force that brings together traditional maneuver capabilities and weapons across domains like cyber, electronic warfare, space, and long-range fires.

The command, headquartered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, is composed of around 12,000 soldiers, 7th ID's Stryker brigades, which are mechanized infantry forces, and the Multi-Domain Task Force's capabilities. Army officials said the merger would enhance the Army's ability to fight in denied or degraded environments.

Maj. Gen. Bernard Harrington, who leads the new command, shared in a release that the merger brings together the "operational endurance, flexibility, and protection" of Stryker formations with the "long-range sensing and precision fires" of the Multi-Domain Task Force.

"Through our emerging cross domain contact layer concept, our division will employ capabilities such as unmanned surface vessels; long-range, one-way attack drones; and launched effects to penetrate the adversary's anti-access/area-denial network," he said.

The new command "allows us to see, sense, make sense, affect, protect, and sustain a force forward in the Pacific region," Gen. Ronald P. Clark, commander of US Army Pacific, told reporters last week during a media roundtable discussion.

Under this framework, conventional units in the 7th ID would be enabled by the multi-domain weapons of the task force, and in turn could protect and move those weapons, officials said.

The Army put the concept to the test during Balikatan 2026, a large-scale exercise led by the US and the Philippines, and then officially activated the command last week.

During Balikatan, which ended last month, "we used Army watercraft for sustainment, we utilized our unmanned systems," Harrington shared with reporters. "We networked them all together and really provided those multi-domain effects in a real theater environment as a rehearsal of concept."

The Army's new Multi-Domain Command-Pacific also draws on lessons from the Ukraine war and other conflicts, where drones have been used for long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and strikes.

Officials said that they wanted forces to be able to employ a large mass of drones that could overwhelm enemy systems. The Army and US military more broadly have been working on integrating a variety of drones into Pacific warfighting.

The integrated task force "is sensing at those very long ranges," Harrington said, explaining that "it is passing that data to shooters to be able to engage at those very long ranges, and it is all doing that on behalf of the theater Army."

Essential to that effort is the Army's cross domain contact layer, which connects ISR capabilities, artificial intelligence, and electronic warfare into a continuous sensor network that, particularly in the vast Pacific region, can help the Army spot potential threats at greater distances and determine the best way to respond.

The Multi-Domain Command-Pacific change comes amid broader transformation efforts across the Army focused on new technologies and weapons, as well as integrating AI to prepare forces for wars where speed will be a priority, soldiers may be overwhelmed with data from sensors, and critical systems could be consistently denied or degraded.

• Data from Meta's AI training program was accessible across the company, screenshots showed.
• The leak, which exposed employee conversations and keystrokes, is causing backlash within Meta.
• Meta said it has paused the training program while investigating the incident.

Meta is pausing an internal AI training program after sensitive data was accessible across the entire company, according to screenshots obtained by Business Insider.

A screenshot showed that the leak exposed employees' private conversations, performance data, and transcriptions. The incident was classified as a SEV 2 on a scale of 0 to 5, with 0 being the most severe.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the incident and said the company is investigating.

"We have carefully designed this program with privacy safeguards, and while we have no indication at this time that any data was improperly accessed by Meta employees, we're pausing it while we investigate," the spokesperson said.

In April, Meta announced the AI training program, called the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), which was intended to improve the company's AI models by using its staff's keystrokes and mouse movements as training data. The program, which is mandatory for most staff, sparked a backlash from employees who felt uncomfortable with their data being recorded, Business Insider previously reported.

This leak is causing frustration within Meta, according to screenshots seen by Business Insider, with employees critical that data wasn't locked down from the start.

"I am incensed," one employee wrote on Monday about the recent leak in an internal group, according to a screenshot obtained by Business Insider.

"I don't see any evidence of malicious access, but the fact that this data wasn't locked down as originally promised is super frustrating," the employee continued.

The leak is the latest in a string of recent security incidents for Meta. Last month, a flaw in its AI chatbot allowed people to hijack multiple Instagram accounts. A rogue AI agent also caused a severe incident in March, the Information reported.

Correction: June 22, 2026 — An earlier version of this story misstated Meta's severity scale. 0 is the most severe on its scale.

Have a tip? Contact Charles via email at crollet@businessinsider.com or on Signal and WhatsApp at 628-282-2811. Contact Pranav via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1-408-905-9124, or email him at pdixit@businessinsider.com or pranavdixit@protonmail.com. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

School is expensive enough. Thankfully, Amazon is trying to help students and others in their age group cut costs with Prime for Young Adults, an affordable tier designed for users aged 18 to 24 or students. It even offers a full 6-month free trial (rather than the typical 30-day free trial for regular users).

After the six months are up, service renews at half the cost of a regular Prime membership: only $7.50 a month.

Formerly known as Prime Student, the subscription no longer strictly requires a .edu email to qualify. Keep reading to learn how to sign up — and don't forget to follow our Prime Day coverage for the season's best deals.

How to sign up for Amazon Prime for Young Adults

Amazon Prime for Young Adults requires age verification or student status to qualify for the discounted rate and six-month trial. For age verification, you'll be asked to submit proof of identity, such as a passport, driver's license, or ID card.

For student verification, you can choose one of the following to qualify:

• Completed sign-up form
• Use of your .edu email for registration
• Proof of enrollment, such as a student ID or official acceptance letter

The rebrand of Prime Student opens up the service for many more users. You no longer need to be enrolled in an accredited institution to qualify — students over the age of 24 can also take advantage of the discount.

How much does Amazon Prime for Young Adults cost? 

Amazon Prime for Young Adults costs $7.49 a month after a free six-month trial. That's half the monthly cost of a standard Prime membership ($15/month). 

Qualifying existing Prime members can also switch to the cheaper plan — they'll just receive a refund for the remaining months left on their current Prime subscription.

We consider a standard Amazon Prime subscription an excellent deal, but the discounted rate and benefits for Amazon Prime Students make it even more enticing.

Benefits of Amazon Prime for Young Adults

Amazon Prime for Young Adults includes all the benefits of a standard Prime membership: free next-day or two-day shipping on more than 100 million eligible items, unlimited streaming of many popular movies and TV shows, Grubhub Plus, unlimited photo storage, and exclusive offers.

Prime Young Adult members can shop the best deals during Amazon Prime Day events, which include discounts on thousands of items, ranging from Echo and Kindle devices to TVs, AirPods, and clothing. 

Plus, Amazon has deals on back-to-school essentials for college, including tech and dorm items. You can find them all in Amazon's Off to College store, with many items eligible for free Prime next-day or two-day shipping.

See more: How to sign up for Amazon Prime | Best Amazon Prime benefits | How to tell if a Prime Day deal is good | How to find Lightning Deals | Walmart's Prime Day sale

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• On the hunt for a new summer side dish, I tried Ina Garten's tomato feta pasta salad recipe.
• The dish was easy to make, and I found it more flavorful than other pasta salads I've tried.
• I doubled the recipe, and my household enjoyed leftovers for several days.

As a chef, I'm a longtime fan of Ina Garten's classic, riffable recipes. They're usually easy to recreate at home, and often a huge hit with guests.

I've also been looking for a simple side dish to bring to summer cookouts and picnics. When I found Ina Garten's tomato feta pasta salad, I knew I had to give it a shot.

Here's what happened when I tested the dish out for myself. Spoiler alert: I'll be adding this one to my recipe rotation.

The ingredients make this dish stand out from other mayo-based pasta salads.

The recipe calls for short-cut pasta, black olives, feta cheese, and two kinds of tomatoes: fresh and sun-dried. It's key to use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, as they're more tender and flavorful than the dry variety.

As for the pasta shape, Garten recommends fusilli, which has a corkscrew-like shape that soaks up extra dressing. After trying out the recipe, though, I'm confident any short-cut shape could work.

The olives (Garten recommends Kalamata), tomato, and feta all bring major umami to this summertime dish. The salty, briny mix-ins give the salad a distinctly Mediterranean taste, which I found I preferred over the typical mayonnaise-dressed pasta salad.

For the dressing, I grabbed more sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil, capers, and garlic.

I'd also recommend some freshly grated Parmesan and parsley to top the salad off.

The prep work was quick and easy.

As is the case with every good pasta-salad recipe (in my opinion, anyway), prepping the ingredients doesn't take a ton of time or effort.

While I boiled a big pot of salted water for the pasta, I chopped the fresh tomatoes, sliced the olives, and diced the feta and sun-dried tomatoes.

Garten calls for diced whole tomatoes, but I used cherry tomatoes and simply sliced them in half for the same effect.

The dressing calls for a food processor, but it's possible to make it without one.

The best way to make this salad dressing is with a small food processor. You could also try an immersion blender or pitcher-style blender, but expect to spend some time scraping down the sides.

By whizzing more sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and capers in a food processor, I was able to break down the capers and tomatoes to maximize their flavor output.

I ended up with a fairly smooth, reddish dressing that was thin enough to coat every nook and cranny of the pasta.

However, if you don't have any blade-loaded countertop appliances, you should be fine — just give everything a fine chop and a good stir. The dressing won't be as smooth and creamy as Garten intended, but your pasta will still benefit from the flavor-packed ingredients.

I dressed the pasta while it was still hot from the stove.

My pasta finished cooking in the time it took to prepare the dressing.

Although Garten recommends letting the noodles cool first, my pasta-salad-making experience has taught me that tossing hot noodles in an oily, salty dressing maximizes flavor.

I tossed the cooked pasta, salty mix-ins, and dressing together in a large bowl. I then let the pasta cool to room temperature before finishing the dish with Garten's recommended chopped fresh parsley and a generous amount of grated Parmesan.

Here, I made sure to add the cheese after the salad cooled so it wouldn't all melt into a gooey mess. Instead, the Parmesan coated the noodles, mimicking the creamy, rich dressing many of us associate with pasta salad.

Compared to other salads, though, this one is big on savory flavors and pops of briny, chewy sun-dried tomatoes. I loved that the dish felt lighter than a mayo-drenched salad, but just as satisfying.

The oil-based dressing holds up well, too. I doubled the recipe, and my household of two enjoyed pasta for several days.

I'm glad I found this recipe right before cookout season — I'll be bringing this easy, crowd-pleasing dish to every picnic and summer party this year.

This story was originally published on July 4, 2025, and most recently updated on June 22, 2026.

• SpaceX stock dropped sharply on Monday, its third consecutive trading day of losses.
• Share of SpaceX, which briefly surpassed Amazon by market cap, are down 27% in three days.
• The rocket company said it would raise money by selling bonds to repay existing debt.

First, they had lift-off; now, they're coming back to Earth with a bump.

SpaceX shares dropped for a third consecutive trading day on Monday, extending a pullback after the Elon Musk-led company's mega IPO earlier this month.

The stock price dropped nearly 17% on Monday to $154.60, capping off a three-day losing streak that's sent shares tumbling 27% since closing at $211.39 on June 16.

The sell-off follows a meteoric rally that last week briefly pushed SpaceX's valuation close to $3 trillion, leapfrogging Amazon and Microsoft to become the fourth-most valuable company in the world. As of Thursday's close, its market capitalization was $2.4 trillion.

SpaceX's public market debut on June 12, the biggest IPO in history, saw the stock jump 19% in its first day of trading, cementing Musk as the first-ever trillionaire. Retail traders piled into SpaceX stock in the days after the IPO as they looked to get a piece of the rocket, AI, and satellite company.

Even with the recent decline, SpaceX shares are still up nearly 30% from their IPO price.

Some analysts questioned SpaceX's valuation — about $1.75 billion to $1.77 trillion — going into last week's blockbuster IPO. The company posted a $4.9 billion loss in 2025 on revenue of $18.7 billion.

SpaceX raised $85.7 billion in its IPO, but the company is still seeking more money to pursue Musk's cosmic ambitions, which include putting humans on Mars. In a Monday filing, SpaceX said it's raising more cash from bond sales to repay a bridge loan, adding that it held about $100.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of June 19.

• MrBeast's company hired a team from the Andreessen Horowitz-backed startup Pietra.
• They'll help Beast Industries build a platform to match brands and creators.
• The company is racing to diversify itself beyond YouTube videos.

MrBeast has been on a hiring spree as he builds a platform to match brands with creators for sponsorship deals — and diversify his company beyond YouTube.

His company, Beast Industries, recently hired a team from the creator-commerce startup Pietra, including its CEO and cofounder Ronak Trivedi, Business Insider has learned.

Trivedi, who worked at Uber before helping found Pietra, is playing a key role in developing the yet-to-be-named creator platform, a Beast Industries spokesperson confirmed. The rep didn't share the number of hires but called it "significant."

Pietra has raised $36 million to date from Andreessen Horowitz and others, according to Crunchbase. It helps creators develop their own consumer product lines by connecting them with product designers, suppliers, warehouses, and fulfillment companies. The MrBeast spokesperson said Pietra would continue to operate under a new CEO.

Elsewhere, Beast Industries recently hired a chief product and tech officer, Google and Uber vet Shiva Rajaraman for the company. Beast Industries said it has also opened a product and engineering office in San Mateo, California, to work on the creator platform and a planned membership program.

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has been expanding beyond his YouTube channels for a while, into merchandise, a snack line called Feastables, financial services, and more. Donaldson recently announced plans for a membership program and a mobile phone venture. The company has hinted at a potential IPO.

Jeffrey Housenbold, CEO of Beast Industries, spoke about the creator platform onstage at The New York Times' DealBook Summit in December, describing it as a way to connect creators with Fortune 1,000 marketers. A February 2025 investor deck said it was a way to help creators replicate Donaldson's success by giving them "data-driven opportunities" to grow their channels and viewership.

As YouTube's biggest creator, Donaldson offers credibility in matching creators and marketers. He already serves brands and creators with the YouTube analytics platform Viewstats and Vyro, a clipping service that gives brands access to a large creator network.

Marketers have been shifting budgets from traditional media to social media creators. The Interactive Advertising Bureau estimated in November that advertisers would spend $43.9 billion on creators in the US in 2026, almost doubling their 2023 spend. Donaldson would be entering a crowded field, as holding companies, tech platforms, and independent agencies already offer similar services to varying extents.

The Pietra hirings come at a time of change for Beast Industries' tech staff. Several people have recently left Viewstats and Vyro, including Nagesh Nagpal, who was COO at Viewstats.

The company spokesperson said those departures were unconnected to the planned creator platform and that Viewstats and Vyro would continue to operate as separate units.

• Any Air Force plane carrying a US president is called Air Force One.
• President John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet designed specifically for a US president.
• President Donald Trump accepted a luxury jet from Qatar to serve as a new Air Force One.

Nicknamed the "flying Oval Office," Air Force One has long functioned as the president's flying command center, office, and private quarters.

Since the mid-20th century, US presidents have flown on special planes designated "Air Force One" while carrying out their official duties.

The modern Air Force One is equipped with everything the president might need, including office spaces, two kitchens, a stateroom with sleeping quarters, and a fully functional operating room.

A new Air Force One jet, a Boeing 747-8 donated by the Qatari royal family and accepted by President Donald Trump in May 2025, is bringing a new level of luxury — and a new color scheme — to the presidential plane.

Here's how the design of Air Force One has changed through the years.

Before presidents traveled on jet planes, the first-ever aircraft built for US presidents was a Douglas VC-54C Skymaster.

Nicknamed "Sacred Cow," the aircraft operated from 1944 to 1961, flying Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman.

It featured an elevator shaft for Roosevelt's wheelchair, an executive conference room with a bulletproof window, and an electric refrigerator, which was a rare luxury for planes built in the 1940s.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to travel on a jet aircraft in 1959.

Eisenhower's Boeing 707 Stratoliner, nicknamed "Queenie," featured a section for telecommunications, room for 40 passengers, a conference area, and a stateroom.

President John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet specifically designed for the US president, known as SAM 26000.

SAM 26000, a customized and modified version of a civilian 707-320B airliner, was known as a Boeing VC-137C. It included a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

Raymond Loewy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy designed the plane's blue-and-white exterior.

The plane's design featured an American flag on the tail and presidential seals on the nose.

After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on board the SAM 26000 known as Air Force One.

It marked the first and only time a presidential swearing-in ceremony took place on an airplane.

Johnson met with Cabinet members on the presidential aircraft in 1966 in a small seating area.

The small alcove was decorated with a globe decal on the wall and curtains lining the windows.

In 1972, Richard Nixon was the first president to use a Boeing 707 plane with the tail number 27000 as Air Force One.

Nixon stood behind the plane's bar while meeting with military and civilian leaders en route to Vietnam.

When President Gerald Ford took office after Nixon resigned, seats in the rear cabin were upholstered with striped fabric.

Presidents would occasionally make their way back to the rear cabin to chat with reporters.

Ford's office, just off the stateroom, also featured striped furniture.

Ford is pictured with Candice Bergen, the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president.

President Jimmy Carter outfitted the press area with blue carpeting.

Carter talked to reporters on his way back from a trip to Europe in 1978.

President Ronald Reagan used 27000 as his primary presidential aircraft.

In 1983, Reagan met with Secretary of State George P. Shultz and the national security advisor designate Robert McFarlane in a meeting space that featured a magazine rack, teal chair, wood-grain table, and photos of him and the first lady, Nancy Reagan.

Reagan also hung pictures of himself in Air Force One's rear cabin.

The photos showed Reagan toasting with a champagne glass and waving while boarding Air Force One.

New blue-striped curtains matched the blue carpeting and furniture in another meeting area.

The meeting room also included a television set.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush began using new VC-25 planes with the tail numbers 28000 and 29000 as Air Force One.

VC-25 is the Air Force designation for the customized Boeing 747-200B planes.

The presidential office was updated with a stately desk, gray carpeting, and leather chairs.

The plane also featured upgraded electronics and communications equipment.

The staff and secretarial area was decorated with neutral whites and grays.

The staff area featured plenty of phones for official business. Air Force One is also known as the "flying Oval Office."

The new plane's annex could also be configured for medical use.

The annex is pictured in executive configuration, with seating for meetings.

The new planes featured over 4,000 square feet of space, which President Bill Clinton often used to hold meetings.

Clinton met with a delegation from North and South Dakota in 1997 to address flooding in the area.

In the guest area, Clinton's Air Force One featured tan chairs and blue carpeting.

Clinton met with members of Congress to discuss nuclear-waste management in 1999.

President George W. Bush flew 27000 one last time in August 2001 before it was retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The plane flew 444 missions and logged over 1 million miles, according to the Bush White House.

When the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001, the Secret Service kept Bush in the air aboard the VC-25A with the tail number 29000.

Bush insisted on returning to Washington, but the Secret Service refused since they were unsure if more attacks were coming.

In a 2016 interview with Politico, Bush's assistant White House press secretary Gordon Johndroe described Air Force One that day as "the safest and most dangerous place in the world at the exact same time."

Bush conferred with his chief of staff, Andy Card, in the stateroom, designed by Nancy Reagan.

The president's suite included a small bed, a couch and carpeting in light pink, and a desk with a brown leather chair.

Bush walked down a hallway arm-in-arm with Harriet Miers, the assistant to the president and staff secretary.

The hallway was lined with a beige couch with side tables and lamps on either side.

When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Air Force One's conference room had been updated with a TV screen and leather chairs.

The plane has 85 phone lines as well as encryption and scrambling devices to ensure secure communication, CNBC reported.

On the other side of the conference room, a decal that read "Air Force One" was displayed on wood paneling.

Food and drinks are provided by the plane's galley kitchen.

The plane's senior staff room featured more phones, a coat closet, and leather chairs.

Obama met with his chief of staff, Jack Lew, his senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe, and former President Bill Clinton in the senior staff room in 2012.

The presidential office furniture was also updated, with mahogany chairs and sofas replacing the gray.

The carpeting was updated to a subtle star pattern, which also appeared in the conference room.

The plane's guest section was reserved for special visitors, such as members of Congress.

The chairs featured a subtle polka-dot pattern, and the tables folded down to make more space.

The rear cabin for members of the press looked like a standard commercial airliner.

Journalists can wander the rear cabin freely, but they aren't allowed to walk forward to speak to the president — the president has to come back to them.

President Donald Trump proposed new paint colors for the exterior of Air Force One in 2019.

As part of the Air Force's Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program to update Air Force One planes, Trump proposed a red, white, and navy-blue color scheme for the new models, and kept a miniature rendering in the Oval Office.

The Air Force ultimately rejected Trump's darker color scheme because it would have been more costly and caused overheating issues.

Instead, President Joe Biden selected a baby-blue color scheme similar to the current model.

The new VC-25B Air Force One planes are expected to be ready by 2027, according to the Air Force. The long-delayed project has already cost Boeing over $2 billion due to various manufacturing and supply-chain issues.

In Biden's Air Force One, the conference room had the same star carpeting as the plane's presidential office.

Plain beige carpeting continued down the hallway.

The placard in the conference room was updated to read "Aboard Air Force One" with an image of the iconic aircraft.

Biden took his first overseas trip as president in June 2021, visiting Europe for the G7 summit.

In his second, non-consecutive term, Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America while flying above it on Air Force One.

Trump signed a proclamation establishing the name change in his Air Force One office in February 2025.

In May 2025, the Trump administration accepted a gifted Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar to serve as a new Air Force One.

The luxurious plane previously functioned as a Qatari private business jet. It features a large primary bedroom with loveseats and an en-suite bathroom, guest bedrooms, office space, a dining room, and a salon lounge with plush couches.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a May 2025 briefing that the Qatari royal family donated the jumbo jet to the US Air Force and that it was being "retrofitted to the highest standards" to serve as Air Force One. Some estimates put the cost of upgrading the jet for the office of the president at $1 billion, but the US Air Force secretary said in June 2025 that it will cost less than $400 million to retrofit.

Trump, who had pressured Boeing to deliver its new Air Force One planes sooner and criticized the project's "failure" to complete them on time, said he'd be "stupid" to turn down the Qatari plane, worth an estimated $400 million. In July 2025, he said the plane could be ready as soon as February 2026, but that deadline has since passed.

Trump appeared to still be holding out for his preferred Air Force One colors, with the model plane back on display in the Oval Office during his second term.

The model Air Force One is one of many design changes Trump has made to the Oval Office and the White House at large.

In June 2026, Trump unveiled the retrofitted and redecorated Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar with his long-awaited red, white, and navy livery.

After completing its commissioning flights, the former Qatari jet will serve as a Bridge Air Force One aircraft, filling in as the presidential plane until Boeing's new VC-25B Air Force Ones are complete, according to the Air Force.

When Trump leaves office, the plane will become the property of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation.

While revealing the aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on June 19, Trump called the new Air Force One "the world's most luxurious plane" and said it is "representative of our country."

Amazon is home to just about everything, from viral fashion to the latest tech devices. Because of that, getting an Amazon Gift Card is basically free money — there are very few product limitations. Especially with Amazon Prime Day over the horizon, buying from the retailer can actually help you save big on products you'd otherwise pay full price for.

I've broken down how to add your gift card to your Amazon account below. For more Amazon shopping tips and tricks, check out the rest of our Prime Day coverage.

How to add an Amazon gift card to your account

If you receive an Amazon gift card, the easiest way to redeem it is to use the designated link. Log in to your account, enter your claim code, and click the Apply to your balance button. You can use other avenues as well, such as the Amazon app or the gift card section of Amazon's site.

How to redeem an Amazon gift card via the app

These steps work for both the iPhone and Android apps.

1. Open the Amazon shopping app, and tap the person icon on the bottom toolbar to access your account information.

2. On this page, scroll down to where it says Gift Card Balance, and tap the arrow next to it.

3. You'll be brought to a new page where you can redeem a gift card or add a balance to an existing one using your credit or debit card. Tap Redeem another gift card to activate your gift card by entering its code or scanning it.

Alternatively, you can redeem a new gift card straight from the checkout page. In the Payment information section, type or scan your gift card number.

How to redeem an Amazon gift card via the website

The process is pretty similar if you go through Amazon's website.

1. Head to Amazon, and hover your mouse over the Account & Lists option in the top-right. Click Account.

2. Choose Gift Cards.

3. You'll see your current gift card balance and transaction history. To redeem a new gift card, click Redeem a Gift Card and enter its code.

You can also redeem an Amazon gift card right from the checkout page. Under "Add a gift card or promotion code or voucher," enter your gift card number, then click Apply.

How to acquire an Amazon gift card

If you want to get an Amazon gift card for yourself or someone else, here's what you'll need to do:

1. Go to the Amazon gift cards page, and make sure you're logged in to your account.

2. Click on the Amazon Gift Cards section. You can choose between eGift cards, physical gift cards, and printing a gift card at home. You can also browse by occasion.

3. Alternatively, you can choose Reload your balance, located toward the top of the page. From there, you can directly add funds to an existing Amazon gift card.

How to find your Amazon gift card balance

Knowing your gift card balance is important if you plan on using it to cover certain expenses. You can check your Amazon gift card balance using either the desktop or mobile version of Amazon. In either case, you'll have to navigate to your account information and then head to the gift card section.

Amazon gift card FAQs

Do I need to have an Amazon account to redeem a gift card?

Yes, you'll need an Amazon account to make any purchase on Amazon, whether you're using a gift card or not.

I can't see the entire code on the gift card — what do I do?

In that case, you'd have to contact Amazon for help. You'll need to provide the 16- or 30-digit card serial number, your order number (if you know it), the purchaser's name, the recipient's name, and the email address or physical address where the gift card was sent.

See more: How to sign up for Amazon Prime | Best Amazon Prime benefits | How to tell if a Prime Day deal is good | How to find Lightning Deals | Walmart's Prime Day sale

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• Chip and Joanna Gaines are selling the castle they renovated in Waco, Texas, for almost $2.7 million.
• Called the Cottonland Castle, the historic home has four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.
• They previously put the castle up for auction in 2023.

Chip and Joanna Gaines are selling off a fairytale space.

The "Fixer Upper" couple owns several properties in their home city of Waco, Texas, including a 135-year-old castle they bought in 2019.

They renovated the space for their show, "Fixer Upper: The Castle," and they previously tried to auction off the castle in 2023.

Three years later, it's back on the market for nearly $2.7 million. Check out the historic property.

Chip and Joanna Gaines bought a castle in 2019.

As Joanna shared in a blog post, Chip had wanted to buy the Waco, Texas, property called Cottonland Castle for over 20 years before they finally purchased it in 2019.

They spent the next several years restoring and renovating it, as they documented for their Magnolia series, "Fixer Upper: The Castle." 

They completed the renovation in 2022, and they allowed groups to tour the property for $50 per ticket before the show aired later that year.

They put the home up for auction in July 2023.

After offering tours of the property in 2022, Chip and Joanna decided to auction it in July 2023.

Chip and Joanna's company, Magnolia Realty, partnered with Concierge Auctions to auction off the castle from July 20 to July 27, 2023.

They said in a statement at the time that they hoped the person who bought the property would turn the castle into "a well-loved home once again," The Wall Street Journal reported.

However, the auction sale never went through, and they reopened the home for tours six months later, according to Country Living Magazine.

"Magnolia is pleased to share that the Historic Waco Castle is staying in the Magnolia family," Magnolia told the outlet in a statement at the time. "A prospective buyer and Magnolia mutually agreed not to close, and the unique property will not be sold at this time. This decision is made with much enthusiasm and anticipation as the beloved Castle's story continues with Magnolia."

Three years after they first attempted to auction the home, Chip and Joanna put the castle up for sale.

On June 18, the Gaineses listed three of their properties in Waco for sale through their company, Magnolia Realty, including the castle. Representatives for the couple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the listings.

In addition to the castle, Chip and Joanna listed the Hillcrest Estate, a rental property, for $1.7 million, and the Gristmill, a landmark the couple restored, for $935,000.

The castle is the most expensive listing of the bunch, with the couple hoping to sell it for $2.699 million.

"As Magnolia looks ahead to new opportunities in the hospitality space, the timing feels right for these three properties to begin their next chapter," Magnolia Realty said in an Instagram caption about the listings.

The castle was first purchased in 1890.

According to Waco History, the original buyer abandoned the castle after beginning work on it in 1890, and it was abandoned again by a second owner in 1908. 

Alfred Abeel then bought the property in 1913 and worked with architect Roy E. Lane to finish construction of the home, keeping German castles in mind in its design.

Different people owned the property throughout the 20th century, and it fell into disrepair after becoming a historical site in 1977. By the time Chip and Joanna bought the property, it needed a lot of work. 

The 6,176-square-foot house sits on less than an acre of land.

The castle has four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. 

As befits a castle, it also features a tower.

The dining room features restored paneling and historic wallpaper, along with dramatic details such as a large chandelier and an ornate fireplace.

Chip and Joanna wanted to maintain some of the house's original features while making it work for a modern dweller.

For instance, Joanna explained in "Fixer Upper: The Castle" that the kitchen was originally in the basement, which she didn't think would work for a modern dweller.

The kitchen now sits on the main floor, so it's more functional. However, they maintained the original mahogany paneling on the walls, blending old and new.

The area also features a butler's pantry with additional appliances.

The couple transformed every room in the house.

The basement was also completely refinished, and it now includes an entertainment room, guest room, laundry room, and game room (photographed above). 

The castle also has a conservatory and a library, as well as seven fireplaces.

The primary bedroom includes the castle's original flooring.

The upstairs houses a built-in library and three of the home's four bedrooms, each decorated by Joanna.

Some of the home's vintage charm is most obvious upstairs, like the diamond-paned windows and antique tile in the bathrooms, as detailed in the home's listing.

The castle is listed for almost $2.7 million.

The listing states that the home will come furnished, so the future owners can buy a space designed and decorated by Chip and Joanna.

"All furnishings, accessories, and decor have been thoughtfully curated to complement the home's design and are included with the purchase, creating a truly turnkey opportunity," it said.

You can learn more about the castle here.

Amazon Prime offers seemingly endless benefits for families, medication users, and everyday shoppers. At $15 a month, it's a no-brainer, but it's valid to be skeptical. After all, what if you don't use any of the perks? That's where the retailer's sweet free trial comes in.

Newcomers can try Prime for free for 30 days before committing to the monthly subscription. If you're reading this in late June, you've come at the perfect time to use one of the best perks of membership, too: access to all of the retailer's Prime Day deals.

Amazon Prime membership usually costs $14.99 a month, plus tax. Alternatively, you can opt for plans including Prime Annual at $140 a year, Young Adults Prime at $7.49 a month, and Prime Access at $6.99 a month. College students and young adults can even enjoy an extended free trial period of six months.

According to JP Morgan, the estimated annual value is $785, so signing up pays for itself. As a longtime Prime member myself, I definitely see the value in it — each month I save at least $40 in shipping alone. When I factor in the cost of an additional streaming service, music streaming, and grocery delivery, plus the savings I score on exclusive deals, it's a priceless must-have in my life. However, before deciding whether it's worth it for you, I recommend trying the free 30-day trial.

The freebie period is open to new members. Cancellation is easy and can be done at any time through your membership settings. If you haven't used your benefits at all, you may even be eligible for a refund.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Prime Day is only days away, returning for shoppers on June 23 through 26. The four-day event promises all-time lows and incredible savings. Keep tabs on the best deals by following our Prime Day coverage.

Can I shop Prime Day deals during my Amazon Prime free trial?

Thankfully, Amazon doesn't limit Prime Day savings to paid members. That's right, free-trial sign-ups can also score all the event's limited-time savings. With the event only days away, now is a great time to sign up, since the 30-day period will overlap with the sale.

See more: How to sign up for Amazon Prime | Best Amazon Prime benefits | How to tell if a Prime Day deal is good | How to find Lightning Deals | Walmart's Prime Day sale

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• The MBA thinks home prices could soon fall as population growth slows and boomers bring more inventory.
• The industry group pointed to lower household formation in the US, with supply expected to rise.
• Baby Boomers, meanwhile, are expected to add 250,000 homes to the market each year through 2035.

The housing supply shortage that's kept the market stuck in low gear might be on the edge of a reversal, bringing relief to buyers struggling against historically low affordability.

The Mortgage Bankers Association says it sees the potential for home prices to fall in the medium term due to shifts in demographic trends that should add to the US's housing supply. Meanwhile, slowing population growth and lower housing demand will even out the demand side of the equation, the association wrote in a white paper on Monday.

"We argue that the post-financial crisis narrative of a persistent housing shortage may no longer accurately describe market conditions over the decade ahead," a team led by Michael Fratantoni, the MBA's chief economist, wrote. "If construction remains elevated, supply growth could outpace demand growth, pushing home prices lower."

The association said it expects home prices to tick up a relatively muted 1% this year and be about flat over the next two years, suggesting that lower home prices could soon follow.

Fratantoni's team highlighted several ongoing demographic trends they believe are "weakening the foundations of housing demand." Here were the factors they said could slow household formation through the next decade:

• The fertility rate has been declining. The fertility rate is expected to fall to 1.56 births per woman over the next decade, according to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, down from 1.6 births per woman last year. Deaths are also now expected to surpass the number of births each year by 2030, earlier than the CBO originally anticipated, the association said.

• The population is aging. Gen Zers are nearing the age at which most people become first-time homebuyers, but the generation is smaller than the millennial and baby boomer cohorts, according to the MBA.

  Younger Americans have also generally leaned away from homeownership in recent years due to affordability constraints.

• Immigration has been falling, which has also reduced household formation in the US. Net international migration dropped to 1.3 million as of July last year, down from a peak of 2.7 million the prior year, according to the Census Bureau.

• Boomers are expected to slowly give up their homes. The association pointed to one report that estimated the US would see an additional 250,000 housing units a year in the decade following 2025 due to baby boomers aging.
  
  "Boomers will likely be adding to the housing supply as they age further, but we do not expect a 'silver tsunami' that would flood the market," the MBA said, referring to more dire predictions that boomers will unleash a wave of fresh housing supply as they grow older.

In sum, the MBA said it expects the supply of homes to grow between 10.6 million and 14.6 million units through 2035.

Demand for homes, meanwhile, is expected to clock in at 1.13 million units per year from 2025 to 2035, before falling to 802,000 units per year.

"That simple arithmetic has profound implications for how we think about housing supply adequacy," the MBA said, speculating there could be knock-on effects across the mortgage industry as Americans take out fewer loans to finance a new home.

• Uber is the largest shareholder in scooter rental service Lime.
• Lime filed a prospectus on Monday detailing plans for an IPO, targeting a price of $24 to $26 per share.
• Uber also has an option to double down on its investment, according to the filing.

Uber has a lot riding on scooters.

The ride-hailing company, which was an early investor in scooter rental business Lime, is the company's largest shareholder, according to a prospectus detailing plans for an initial public offering that Lime filed on Monday. Uber owns about 14 million shares, or a 24% stake ahead of the IPO, according to the S-1 securities filing.

Uber's stake would be worth about $350 million if Lime prices its IPO at $25 a share, the midpoint of the $24 to $26 target range the company shared in its filing.

Lime said Uber has shown interest in buying up to $20 million in additional Lime common stock as part of the IPO, according to the prospectus.

Uber did not respond to a request for comment.

Precisely how much Uber stands to make on its Lime investment remains to be seen. The companies have not publicly shared how much Uber has invested in Lime over the years. Lime could revise its planned price per share before it goes public. Uber also faces restrictions on how many shares of Lime stock it can sell over the next two years — and thus how much it can cash out — as part of the IPO terms.

Lime and Uber go way back. Wayne Ting, Lime's CEO, previously served as chief of staff to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Uber also invested in some of Lime's fundraising rounds, including leading a $170 million round announced in May 2020.

Many Lime users find a scooter or bike to ride through Uber's app. Such trips accounted for about 14% of Lime's revenue in 2025, according to the prospectus.

That relationship has helped Lime acquire new customers. "By leveraging Uber's existing infrastructure and rider network, we tap into an existing rider base that can drive awareness without upfront marketing costs," Lime wrote in the filing.

The relationship between Lime and Uber might serve as a model. Uber has struck partnerships with around a dozen self-driving car providers over the past few years, from Waymo in the US to Baidu in Asia and the Middle East.

Uber, which already has millions of riders signed up to use its app, can match those robotaxi services with riders, Khosrowshahi has said.

"I do think the aggregator model certainly would be helpful for all of those companies to succeed," he told the "Stratechery" podcast last year.

Do you have a story to share about Lime or Uber? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Nearly 250,000 people moved out of California from 2024 to 2025, per the most recent census data.
• It's not just regular people: Celebrities have left Los Angeles for places like Texas and Florida.
• Here are 28 celebrities who left LA — plus where they moved and why. 

California is the US state with the most people moving out, with an estimated 229,077 people leaving for other states from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, according to the latest Census data. New York was second with 137,586 people leaving.

While California still leads the country in residents leaving, it was much more severe in previous years.

Between 2022 and 2023, nearly 700,000 chose to leave California.

The increased threat of wildfires, coupled with a growing affordability crisis, is prompting them to choose other places across the country.

Recently, even some of the richest people in the world decided they wanted out, as a proposed tax caused several prominent billionaires to abandon the state.

Several celebrities have also decided California is no longer the place for them.

Actor Matthew McConaughey left Los Angeles for a family situation in 2012 but later decided to stay, while Amanda Seyfried ditched the Hollywood scene, moving to a farm in upstate New York.

Some movers have chosen states like Florida, Texas, and New York, while others have chosen different countries entirely.

Former California residents told Business Insider that their reasons for leaving the state included high taxes, expensive home prices, and challenging social and political conditions.

Some celebrities remained tight-lipped when sharing details of their moves, simply saying they're looking for a fresh start. Other high-profile actors, however, admitted that the fast-paced, stressful scene in Hollywood can be another motivation.

Los Angeles, in particular, is experiencing an exodus of wealthier people in search of places where their money goes further.

Take Gus Lira, a managing partner at a private jet charter company, who had a condo in Malibu overlooking the ocean. California taxes were wearing him down, so he decided to move to Nevada.

"For me, really the main reason, and for many of the people that I know, is just taxes," Lira told Business Insider in January. "You can't get ahead when you get $100 and they take $60."

Business Insider compiled a list of 28 celebrities — some in celebrity couples — who left California for greener pastures, presented in alphabetical order by last name. We tried to include both where they moved to and why they left LA.

Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake left LA to shield their kids from the glare of the paparazzi.

The power couple has dealt with the paparazzi for most of their professional careers. But they had enough of their kids also having to endure it.

Since 2018, Biel, Timberlake, and their two kids have lived predominantly at their properties in Tennessee and Montana.

"You get hammered on the East Coast. You kind of get hammered on the West Coast. That's why we don't really live there anymore," said Biel in a May 2024 episode of SiriusXM's "Let's Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa," seemingly referring to her former home of LA. "We're just trying to create some normalcy for these kids."

Ty Burrell moved to Utah to enjoy the outdoors.

Once the popular sitcom "Modern Family" wrapped in 2020, Ty Burrell felt he no longer needed to be in California.

Burrell, along with his wife and two daughters, moved to Salt Lake City after the ABC show finished in 2020.

"We moved here right after [Modern Family] ended, and I don't have any regrets. It's been lovely and a great place to raise the kids," Burrell told People in 2025.

Burrell's wife, Holly, is a Utah native, and though Burrell was raised in Oregon, he didn't consider himself an outdoorsman until moving to Utah.

"So at first, when we moved here, it almost felt like cosplay, like we were pretending to be people who were outdoorsy, and now we really truly love it," he said.

Dean Cain left LA for Las Vegas because of the "incredible taxation" and "horrible regulations for business" in California.

Dean Cain, best known for playing Clark Kent/Superman in "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," was fed up with how things were run in California.

The actor split for Vegas in 2023.

"It's the most ridiculous large government, incredible taxation, horrible regulations for business," he told Fox News Digital in 2023. "Very anti-business."

Cain said California's personal income tax felt especially high.

"I moved to Las Vegas. I live in Nevada now," he added. "I have 10 times as nice a house. I'm not kidding. Ten times as nice a house as I had in Malibu. The house is absolutely stunningly built. Gorgeous, beautiful. Everything is brand new."

Kelly Clarkson didn't just move from LA to New York — she took her daytime talk show with her.

Kelly Clarkson felt she had a new lease on life when she moved to New York City last year.

After finalizing her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock in 2022, she didn't just take her kids east. She also brought "The Kelly Clarkson Show" — it started taping in New York in season 5.

"I was very depressed for the last three years — and maybe a little before that, if I'm being honest. I think I really needed the change," the Grammy winner told People. "I needed it for me and my family as well. My kids are thriving here. We're just doing so much better, and we needed a fresh start."

George and Amal Clooney left LA so their kids could "get a fair shake at life" — they are now French citizens.

The Clooneys have lived the quieter life in Italy and France for years, but always had a home in LA, an English-style estate that George bought from Stevie Nicks back in 1995.

They finally sold that house in 2024 and now spend most of their time at their farmhouse in France with their twins, Ella and Alexander.

George told Esquire in 2025 why they left. "I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood," he said. "I felt like they were never going to get a fair shake at life."

"I don't want them to be walking around worried about paparazzi," he added. "I don't want them being compared to somebody else's famous kids."

In late December 2025, George and Amal became French citizens.

Jesse Eisenberg moved to his wife's hometown of Bloomington, Indiana.

Actor and director Jesse Eisenberg took the pandemic as an opportunity to leave Los Angeles. Eisenberg, his wife, and their son packed up an RV and drove to his wife's hometown of Bloomington, Indiana.

"We have driven cross-country a lot, but we thought it would be prudent to isolate in an RV instead of stopping at hotels," Eisenberg told The Hollywood Reporter in 2020.

Initially, Eisenberg moved to Indiana to help take care of his late mother-in-law after she got sick and also help out at a domestic violence shelter where she worked.

But Eisenberg was happy to be in Indiana.

"I've lived in Indiana for a decade on-and-off and that's where I feel the most comfortable," Eisenberg told CBS News in February. "I'm not somebody who wants to surround myself in an industry that just feels kind of unstable."

Chris Evans wanted to be closer to family in Massachusetts.

Silverscreen superhero and Massachusetts native Chris Evans listed his Los Angeles home in May for $6.99 million, The Wall Street Journal reported, cementing his abandonment of California.

"After over a decade of amazing memories in his LA home, Chris is planning to move to the East Coast to be closer to family," Evans' listing agent Scott Moore said in a statement to People.

Evans married his wife, Alba Baptista, in Cape Cod, and now they both spend most of their time in Massachusetts.

Walton Goggins moved to New York after the pandemic.

"The White Lotus" star Walton Goggins and his wife, Nadia Conners, moved to New York's Hudson Valley during the pandemic in 2021. But, he told Architectural Digest in February, the move was less about California, and more about New York.

"We weren't running away from Los Angeles," he said. "We were running toward something."

"The pandemic opened windows of self-perception and possibility," he added. "It was an opportunity to do something different, not to start over from scratch but to change, to evolve."

Goggins, who was raised in Georgia, chose to live in a 1920s home upstate that resembles a hunting lodge — with an abundance of wood paneling and wood flooring — instead of the glitzy surroundings of Los Angeles.

John Goodman left LA in the late '80s.

John Goodman figured out a long time ago that Los Angeles wasn't for him and has been living in New Orleans since the late 1980s.

Like many, the Emmy winner first visited Crescent City to party. In the late 1970s, he showed up with his fraternity pals. A few years later, as an actor, he was shooting the movie "Everybody's All-American" alongside Dennis Quaid, Jessica Lange, and Timothy Hutton when he met his future wife, Anna Beth. He's been attached to the city ever since.

"I used to come down here every time I'd get a few dimes to rub together, and it felt like I was missing something unless I was here," he told "Today" in 2023. "I consider myself very lucky to be here."

Adrian Grenier left California to work on a farm in Texas.

Adrian Grenier, known mostly from his "Entourage" fame, left California for Texas in 2020.

Grenier traded the glitzy life of Hollywood for a farm 45 minutes outside Austin, Texas, where he prefers a quieter lifestyle outside the spotlight.

"I don't miss anything about that world. Listen, if you go on Instagram long enough, you're going to find some FOMO somewhere, but everyone is just pretending they're living their best life," he told Life Magazine in 2021. "Ultimately, I know that I am, so I don't even tell anybody about it."

Josh Hartnett has been living in the English countryside since the pandemic. He left Hollywood after dealing with a stalker.

The actor recently gained renewed attention thanks to movies like "Oppenheimer" and "Trap," but don't expect to find him hanging out on the Sunset Strip. Since the pandemic, he's ditched LA for the English countryside.

Hartnett and his wife, British actor Tamsin Egerton, have lived in Hampshire since COVID hit, bringing up their four kids. He's living in the UK on a marriage visa, so he can only leave the country for work for around 180 days a year.

After spending his early career in the Hollywood spotlight, Hartnett told The Guardian he loves the village country life where "nobody cares" who you are.

"This is all brand new to me," he said. "I never would have expected it. And time passes quickly. With four children, you have so much to do. In a way, less is happening. But more of the important stuff is happening."

Being outside Hollywood is also safer for Hartnett. He told The Guardian that when he lived in LA, he had experiences with stalkers.

"People showed up at my house. People that were stalking me," he said. "A guy showed up at one of my premieres with a gun, claiming to be my father. He ended up in prison. There were lots of things. It was a weird time. And I wasn't going to be grist for the mill."

Chris Hemsworth moved his family back to his homeland of Australia right when his Marvel fame hit.

Hemsworth figured out LA wasn't for him right around the time the first "Thor" movie came out in 2011.

"We kind of were set up in LA and not enjoying it, you know?" Hemsworth said on the "SmartLess" podcast in February 2026, referring to him and his wife, fellow actor Elsa Pataky. "Like nothing was shooting there. We were filming kind of everywhere else and then you'd come home, and then paparazzi and all the sort of the trappings of, you know, living in that space."

Hemsworth and Pataky moved with their two young children to Hemsworth's native Australia and have been there ever since.

"You know, when you come back from work, you wanna go on a holiday? Like coming home for me is — it feels like a holiday," Hemsworth said. "We have a big farm and horses and motorbikes and surf."

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban moved to Tennessee to be closer to the country music scene.

A year after Nicole Kidman tied the knot with country-music star Keith Urban, the two got the heck out of LA.

In 2007, they moved to Nashville, where the Australian Oscar winner dove headfirst into Urban's world.

"That country-music community is a very warm community," she told People in 2016. "It's very protective. Keith's been a part of it for decades now. It's his home, it's our home."

In September, Kidman filed for divorce from Urban.

Lindsay Lohan left LA for Dubai and now has privacy, peace, and space.

Lohan has lived on both coasts, but she currently prefers to be in the United Arab Emirates, where she lives with her husband, financier Bader Shammas, and their two-year-old son.

In a May 2025 profile in Elle, Lohan said that when she was living in Los Angeles, she would be "stressed" about the paparazzi taking photos of her while at the park with her son. Living in New York, there's a "different kind of energy" but not as much space. Living in Dubai, she gets it all.

"I get the privacy, I get the peace, I get the space," she said. "I don't have to worry there; I feel safe."

Eva Longoria and her family split time between Mexico and Spain.

The star and producer made the decision a few years ago to move out of Los Angeles.

She now splits her time between Mexico and Spain. She told Marie Claire in 2024 that she left Hollywood behind because it felt like that "chapter in my life is done now."

While on "Live with Kelly and Mark" in April, Longoria said she loves traveling to the Andalucía region of Spain to enjoy the small beach bars and restaurants.

Joe Manganiello and Caitlin O'Connor moved back home to Pittsburgh.

Actor Joe Manganiello returned to his hometown of Pittsburgh due to concerns about rising crime in Los Angeles.

Manganiello's fiancée, Caitlin O'Connor, told Fox News Digital in January that they'd been thinking about leaving California for a while.

"The crime in Los Angeles is at an all-time high," O'Connor told Fox News Digital. "We were thinking about it for a long time, and the right house happened to come up. We went to look at it in Pittsburgh, and it was perfect for us."

O'Connor, who also grew up in a Pittsburgh suburb, said that the community aspect of living in a smaller town is unlike what they've experienced in big cities like Los Angeles.

"Pittsburgh is the perfect place to start fresh," she said. "All of our neighbors are so nice, generous, and helpful. In a big city, you don't have that kind of community that we have here."

Matthew McConaughey headed to Texas to help his family.

A few years before the McConaissance led to Matthew McConaughey's best actor Oscar win, he and his wife, Camila Alves, fled Hollywood for his home state of Texas.

The two settled in Austin in 2012 after buying a 10,800-square-foot mansion. According to a profile in Southern Living, it was initially because of a "family crisis," as he needed to help his mother and two brothers. That led to the couple deciding to stay put to raise their three children there.

"Ritual came back," McConaughey said of being back in Texas. "Whether that was Sunday church, sports, dinner together as a family every night, or staying up after that telling stories in the kitchen, sitting at the island pouring drinks and nibbling while retelling them all in different ways than we told them before."

Aaron Paul left LA after the fires and landed in Paris.

"Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul left California — and the US as a whole — for Paris, he told the Daily Mail in November 2025.

The California wildfires were the impetus for leaving California, but he was done with Los Angeles in general, he said.

"When the fires happened in LA, we just knew that we were done with LA, so we sold our house in LA and moved to Paris," he told the Daily Mail.

Paul put his home in Los Angeles's Los Feliz neighborhood on the market in July 2025 for nearly $10 million, and has since cut the price by almost $2 million.

"This is Us" star Chrissy Metz packed up for the Southern hospitality of Nashville.

After 21 years on the grind in LA, Metz packed up and left town when the pandemic hit. She now resides in Nashville.

"There's a lot going on," "The Hunting Wives" star told People in April 2025. "There's obviously great music, great food. I grew up in the South, so I'm used to sort of that hospitality — it feels more communal here. In LA it was always like, 'Oh, you have an audition? What's it for? Oh, you have an audition? What for?' It was all very dog eat dog!"

Glen Powell moved to Texas after making it big in LA.

Glen Powell left Los Angeles and returned to his home state of Texas in 2024.

Powell, who had a breakout role in "Top Gun: Maverick," has lived in Los Angeles for more than 15 years, but told The Hollywood Reporter in 2024 that he's done enough in Hollywood and he feels he can now live elsewhere. "It's like I've earned the ability to go back to my family," he said.

Not only does living in Texas allow Powell to be closer to family, but he's also finishing his degree at the University of Texas.

"I think this is going to be good for my head, heart, and soul," he said.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively left LA after just six months of dating.

When you know, you know. After less than a year of dating, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively packed up their stuff and left Hollywood for the suburbs of New York City.

In 2012, after six months of dating, the couple bought a $2.3 million home in Pound Ridge, New York.

"We don't live in LA. We live on a farm in New York," said the "Deadpool" star in a 2015 interview. "And we don't lead a wild and crazy life. It's not that hard. It's not a big deal."

Julia Roberts hasn't lived in LA for decades.

The Oscar winner realized many years ago that Los Angeles wasn't for her.

Roberts moved to a 32-acre ranch in Taos, New Mexico, in 1995.

The "Pretty Woman" star told Oprah back in 2003 that in New Mexico, everything is "clear."

"Around here, I come and go like it's nothing," she said. "Los Angeles is such a town of show business, and I'm a terrible celebrity. I find it difficult — it's the beast that must be fed."

Amanda Seyfried headed to Upstate New York for a taste of the simple life.

With movies like "Mean Girls" and "Mamma Mia!" in her filmography, you would think Amanda Seyfried would want to lay her head down somewhere glamorous.

But she actually prefers life on a farm.

Seyfried spends most of her time on a farm in the Catskills, a mountain range north of New York City, that she purchased in 2014, Architectural Digest reported in 2023.

"It's insane how much I can feel so accomplished and successful here without having to be in a successful movie," she told The New York Times in 2020.

Sylvester Stallone wanted a new start in Florida.

After decades of living in Los Angeles — including in his first dingy apartment on Balboa Boulevard, which would become the inspiration for his iconic character Rocky Balboa — Sylvester Stallone packed up and left town in 2023.

This was first revealed in early 2024, during season two of his reality series "The Family Stallone".

"After a long, hard consideration, your mother and I have decided, time to move on and leave the state of California permanently, and we're going to go to Florida," Stallone said. "We're going to sell this house."

Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin, gave multiple reasons for the relocation, including the desire for a fresh start after their children moved out of the family home.

Rod Stewart went back to his roots in England.

The legendary rocker decided that at 79 years old, it was time to stop traveling across the pond.

In 2023, he put his sprawling 38,500-square-foot Beverly Hills property, which he has lived in since 1975, on the market.

Selling the home is bittersweet for Stewart: "I don't want to sell it, and the kids don't want me to sell it either," he told People in 2023. "There's too many fond memories. I've lived [in LA] since 1975, and I adore the place."

But he said he's making England a more permanent home since wrapping up his latest world tour and Las Vegas residency.

Eric Stonestreet left Hollywood for Kansas City to get away from the "douchebaggery" of the business.

"Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet did not mince words when he explained why he's been living in Kansas City since the acclaimed show ended after 11 seasons in 2020.

In a September 2024 interview with long-form interview journalist Graham Bensinger, he said a big reason he left LA was to get away from all the fake people in Hollywood.

"What I realized it does is it highlights everything great about our business, the entertainment business," the actor said on what it's like to no longer live in LA. "And it highlights all the douchebaggery of our business. It amplifies it. Because I'm here, I'm dealing with people from here, and I'm going into the store and having all these authentic, real moments, and then I go to Hollywood, and you're reminded of some of the types of people that you deal with."

Hilary Swank moved to a Colorado ski town.

The Oscar winner is loving her new life in the mountains of Telluride, Colorado, on 168 acres with five rescue dogs.

She and her husband, Philip Schneider, bought the land in 2016, broke ground in 2018, and finally completed the home in 2020.

A year later, she put her LA home on the market and has been living it up in the great outdoors.

"I have been looking for land since I was in my mid-20s," Swank told Architectural Digest in 2022. "I find nature to be my happiest place, and animals are my other happiest place. And to be with both of them is everything to me."

Mark Wahlberg moved his family to Las Vegas for a "fresh start."

Boston-born Mark Wahlberg set out to LA years ago to make it as an actor. Over his career, he realized he rarely stayed there to make any of his movies. So, in 2022, he packed up and moved his family to Las Vegas.

He told The Talk in October 2022 that in Nevada his four kids can more easily pursue their hobbies, including golfing, riding horses, and playing basketball.

"We came here to just kind of give ourselves a new look, a fresh start for the kids, and there's a lot of opportunity here," Wahlberg told The Talk. "I'm really excited about the future."

• I dined at Olive Garden and Carrabba's to see which Italian-food-serving chain had better dishes.
• Olive Garden's take on fettuccine Alfredo, chicken Parmigiana, and lasagna came out on top.
• I thought Carrabba's bread was good, but Olive Garden won this taste test for me.

As someone who grew up in the suburbs, restaurant chains like Olive Garden and Carrabba's always had a special place in my heart.

Some get a bad rep and, sure, they may not always be the most authentic, but sometimes there's comfort in knowing exactly what to expect. Plus, they can have some pretty great dishes.

Both chains serve tons of Italian-American classics, and I was curious which had the better bites and dining experience. So, I headed to both an Olive Garden and Carrabba's in the Panama City Beach area of Florida and tried ordering almost the same meal at each.

Here's how they compared.

First, I stopped by Olive Garden for an early dinner.

I started this taste test with my local Olive Garden since I was more familiar with it.

The Italian-inspired chain has more than 900 locations worldwide (most in the US) and is known for its "Italian generosity," in part because its meals come with unlimited breadsticks and salad.

Olive Garden felt welcoming when we stepped inside.

I thought the Tuscan-themed exterior of Olive Garden was warm and inviting.

The restaurant's interior seemed pretty basic, with glowing digital-order tablets at each table. Still, an effort seemed to be made to warm things up with artificial plants, brick accents, and yellow curtains.

My husband and I were greeted and seated immediately as an instrumental of "That's Amore" played overhead.

At Olive Garden, we started with the house salad and breadsticks that came free with an entrée.

After we ordered our entrée to share, our waitress brought out chilled salad plates, a massive bowl of Olive Garden's house salad, and three breadsticks.

She offered to grate cheese onto the salad, which we declined, and said she could bring out more breadsticks if we wanted them.

I was surprised by how generous the salad portion was, especially since we just ordered one entrée. We also could've asked for more at no extra charge.

The salad came topped with red onions, tomatoes, olives, pepperoncinis, and croutons. I thought it was crispy and refreshing, and the chilled plates were a nice touch, especially in the Florida heat.

The buttery breadsticks were warm, just a touch salty, and perfect for sopping up soups and sauces.

Olive Garden's Tour of Italy was a combo plate of classics.

For an entrée, we ordered Olive Garden's Tour of Italy, which came with fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna classico, and chicken Parmigiana.

The dish felt like a perfect opportunity to try a little bit of everything, and it felt like a solid deal at only $21.

Since my partner and I ordered it to share, our server asked whether we wanted the kitchen to divide the dish into two portions. I appreciated the offer, but we opted to have it served as-is and split it ourselves.

I thought the lasagna classico had a nice mixture of textures and flavors, with classic Italian seasonings and tomato sauce. It featured a meat sauce made with pan-seared beef and Italian sausage, along with Parmesan, mozzarella, and Romano cheeses.

The fettuccine Alfredo was creamy without being greasy and was exactly what I expected from a saucy pasta dish. I thought it was good, but it wasn't my favorite out of everything on the plate.

For me, the clear winner on the plate was the chicken Parm. The chicken was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, with just the right amount of cheese and homemade marinara sauce on top.

The tiramisu at Olive Garden was a creamy, dreamy ending to a lovely meal.

We followed up our Olive Garden feast with some tiramisu that cost us $9. The dessert has always been a must-order for us when we've done takeout, so we already knew we loved it.

The restaurant served it with whipped cream and a fine dusting of cocoa powder. The tiramisu was creamy and sweet, with just the right amount of coffee flavor and bitterness from the espresso-dipped ladyfingers.

When the meal was finished, our server packed up our leftovers from the Tour of Italy, along with two breadsticks, and handed us the check with two chocolate mints.

A few days later, we headed to Carrabba's for dinner.

Carrabba's is a smaller Italian-American restaurant chain with around 200 US locations, 66 of which are in Florida. Like Olive Garden, Carrabba's has a family-centric vibe.

According to the chain's website, the Sicilian-American founders' family recipes have been on the restaurant's menu for years.

Carrabba's didn't feel quite as welcoming as Olive Garden.

I appreciated that the Carrabba's I visited had outdoor patio seating, an open kitchen, a main dining room, and a bar area.

However, I didn't find the interiors quite as warm as Olive Garden's, with white tables and bright overhead lights. Perhaps it didn't feel as cozy because the restaurant was so empty, which I found surprising for a Wednesday night.

Carrabba's bread, which was included with the entrée, was my favorite part of the meal.

At Carrabba's, we were served complimentary bread, along with a small dish of dried spices. Our server poured some olive oil from a cruet already on the table onto the spices.

The loaf of bread was warm and fluffy had a crisp crust on the bottom that I enjoyed. It was nice to dip pieces of it into the seasoned olive oil, which elevated the flavor.

A house salad was also complimentary with my entrée, but it didn't impress me much.

Carrabba's house salad featured carrots, shredded red cabbage, olives, sliced pepperoncinis, and a side of creamy Parmesan dressing.

It wasn't bad, but I didn't find Carrabba's house salad as flavorful or as texturally or visually appealing as Olive Garden's.

It was also considerably smaller than the family-style salad we got at Olive Garden.

Carrabba's Italian Classics trio had some hits and misses.

Carrabba's Italian Classics trio, which cost me $25.50, had similar dishes to Olive Garden's three-part entrée and came with fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna, and chicken Parmesan.

Carrabba's entrée presentation wasn't as impressive as Olive Garden's, either, and overall, the flavor was a bit of a letdown for me.

The lasagna was made with two different sauces (pomodoro and meat) and had Romano, ricotta, and mozzarella. Despite its many ingredients, I thought the dish was flat, lacked distinct layers, and mostly tasted like basic tomato sauce.

The fettuccine was cooked well, and the Alfredo sauce was creamy with a nice flavor from the Romano cheese. I thought it was OK, but nothing too memorable.

Carrabba's chicken Parm came topped with the same pomodoro sauce used in the lasagna, along with Parmesan, Romano, and mozzarella. The chicken was crispy and had a pleasant smoky flavor, but I thought the cheese on top was over-toasted and a bit goopy.

The tiramisu at Carrabba's was served with elegant chocolate shavings.

I had high hopes for Carrabba's tiramisu, which sounded delicious on paper and cost us $9.80.

According to the menu, the ladyfingers had been dipped in liqueur-laced espresso and layered with sweetened mascarpone, Myers's rum, and chocolate shavings.

When we got the dish, I noticed the chocolate shavings were also sprinkled on top. But for me, the dessert — particularly the cream — had what I'd describe as a somewhat artificial flavor. I honestly enjoyed the chocolate shavings more than the tiramisu.

We scraped the plate clean at Olive Garden despite being pretty full, but at Carrabba's, we left about half of the tiramisu on the plate.

From the food to the service to the atmosphere, Olive Garden won every category for me.

I came into this taste test as a slightly bigger Olive Garden fan, and my affinity for the chain felt validated by my dining experiences.

I was a big fan of the portions, which seemed larger than Carrabba's, and appreciated the small added touches like chilled salad plates, extra breadsticks packed with leftovers, mints with the check, and even our server's offer to split our shared entrée.

At the time of writing, prices were comparable, though I appreciated that Olive Garden's were lower. Since then, prices of both have shifted: Olive Garden's Tour of Italy would now cost $23, whereas the Italian Classics Trio would be a whopping $28.50.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the flavors of each dish at Olive Garden and definitely plan on returning to the Italian-American restaurant chain when I get the chance.

This story was originally published on October 13, 2023, and most recently updated on June 22, 2026.

Our team at Business Insider covers Prime Day deals every year by tracking discounts on tried-and-tested products from our buying guides and reviews. But beyond tracking our own product recommendations, we also look to our colleagues, friends, and family to understand what people are saving for.

Who better to ask than parents, who are experienced at managing household budgets and making practical purchases? With women controlling or influencing an estimated 85% of consumer spending, I specifically asked the moms in my life what they were hoping would go on sale for Prime Day.

The biggest trend I saw was parents investing in items that would reduce screen time, encourage creative play, or lead to more outdoor activities. One standout is the Yoto Mini, a clever audio player with no screen that two moms have on their list for car time entertainment. Some moms said they were waiting to check deals on the basics (like snacks), but most seem keen on finding ways to keep their kids away from the iPad. Here are the products parents are planning to buy when Prime Day starts on Tuesday.

Yoto Player

The Yoto Player (current price: $109) and the Yoto Player Mini (Current price: $79.99)

Best for: Screen-free entertainment

"My three kids, all under the age of 9, don't have iPads and don't even know how to unlock my phone. We are very much a no-screen family, unless we are watching a movie together. We also love taking road trips and have relied on kids' podcasts and Peppa Pig stories to help keep our kids entertained while on the road.

That said, they are all growing and having different interests, and agreeing on what to listen to is becoming harder and harder.

That's why I want to get all three their own Yoto Player. That way, we can still travel without screens, but everyone has the independence to choose a story, song, or podcast to listen to. I'm also throwing in headphones for each so our car doesn't turn into a cacophony of competing stories.

I really like that the Yoto cards don't have any ads, which is the one complaint I have about listening to kids' podcasts. I always try to skip ahead, but then get whining when I accidentally skip five seconds from the story they are listening to.

Yoto has over 1,000 cards to choose from, and they are small enough that we can bring the player plus several cards on not only road trips, but also planes." — Conz Preti, deputy editor.

Freelance writer Hawys Boobier also has a Yoto on her Prime Day wish list.

"My 5-year-old is a real bookworm and goes to sleep every night listening to her Yoto Player. I really want to get her the mini version so that we can stop lugging the big box around when we travel.

She also gets very car sick, so non-screen-based entertainment for long journeys is always a winner." — Hawys Boobier, freelance writer.

Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Sunscreen

Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Sunscreen (current price: $14.94)

Best for: Sun protection for sensitive skin

"I'm restocking my go-to baby SPF: Blue Lizard Baby Mineral Sunscreen. Not only is it sensitive-skin-friendly with a clean formula that's safe for little ones, but it's reef-conscious, too. Hello, scrapbook-worthy summer memories with my little family, snacks and sun protection included." — Olivia Rose Rushing, freelance style and beauty writer.

Kodak PIXPRO FZ55

Kodak PIX PRO FZ55 (current price: $139.99)

Best for: Beginner photography

"I'm on the hunt for an inexpensive digital camera to hand over to my kids this summer. At 6 and 8, they've outgrown the bulky, plastic-encased shooter I bought when my oldest was 4, and I don't love handing over my iPhone every time they want to film a video or stage a photo shoot.

Friends of ours have the Camp Snap and love it, but the elder millennial in me craves the gratification of seeing an image right after it's taken, and I seem to have passed that need along to my offspring.

I've narrowed down my search to the budget-friendly Kodak PIXPRO FZ55. It's not flashy, but it has a nice screen, the user interface seems easy enough for my kids to navigate, and it should be compact enough for them to carry around without complaining. The camera has more than 7,500 reviews on Amazon, and 80% of them are 5 stars as of the time this story was written.

I'm hoping that being able to play around a bit with the zoom and lighting functions will help my kids elevate their budding photography skills and give them new ways to beat summertime boredom." — Jennifer Beck Goldblatt, senior editor, Health + Parenting

Chicco FastLock Go

Chicco FastLock Go (current price: $79.99)

Best for: Making any table baby-friendly

I'm waiting for Prime Day to buy this Chicco hook-on high chair seat for my best friend's almost-14-month-old, who is at our house for meals at least once or twice a week. Another of our good friends is a nanny, and she recommended it wholeheartedly — especially for traveling and restaurants. She keeps one in her car in case there are no high-chairs available. She showed us how it works, and assuaged our collective concern about whether it would be secure enough, especially on a counter-height kitchen island.

I ultimately chose this model because the seat itself is machine washable, and it comes with a tray for easier cleanup. There's a slightly less expensive version that comes without the tray, but that opens us up to the risk of flying plates, so tray it is! It also holds kids up to 37 lbs, so we should be able to use it for a long time (I'm also 19 weeks pregnant, so I know it will come in handy for us in the future). — Anonymous (this person's identity and pregnancy were confirmed, but the name was redacted to keep their pregnancy private).

Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes and Honest Company Diapers

Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes (current price: $39.97)and Honest Company Diapers (current price: $44.99)

Best for: Stocking up on diapering essentials

"We go through wipes at an alarming rate between diaper changes, post-meal cleanups, and the miscellaneous messes of a 13-month-old. I like buying wipes in bulk so that I'm rarely surprised when we're running low, and Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes seem to be the most cost-effective without sacrificing quality, size, or feel. We also love Honest Company Diapers. They're a little on the pricier side, but we like them for their fit, effectiveness, and, honestly, the leopard print is so cute. They keep my son dry, they don't leak, and since they aren't overly padded, he can move freely." — — Elle Hoffman-Shayowitz, customer success team manager.

JLab Go Sport+ Earbuds

JLab Go Sport+ Earbuds (current price: $29.98)

Best for: Music, sports, and everyday listening

What I am excited about buying for my moody, music-loving teen is a pair of JLab Go Sport+ earbuds. They're inexpensive, which is key for an ADHD kid who loses everything that's not glued to him. I also love that the charging cord is built into the case, giving us one less thing to lose in the chaos pit of his bedroom.

He already has a different model from JLab, but complains that they fall out of his ears all the time, so I think the ear hooks will solve this problem, too. And now, even if he changes his mind about his favorite artist five times before the summer is over, I won't regret my purchase." — Sabrina Rojas Weiss, freelance writer.

JOYIN Recycling Truck Toy

JOYIN Recycling Truck Toy (current price: $33.99)

Best for: Vehicle-loving toddlers

"We were at a friend's place recently, and my transport-loving 1-year-old was glued to this recycling truck toy, so I'll be keeping an eye out for a Prime Day discount. It comes complete with trash cans, it beeps and lights up, and it can even move on its own.

Hopefully, in due course, it will even teach him about the environment, so it's kind of educational, too. Anything that buys hours of fun for him and relative peace for me is welcome in our house." — Hawys Boobier, freelance writer.

Little Spoon Kale Apple Meltable Baby Puffs

Little Spoon Kale Apple Meltable Baby Puffs (current price: $19.96, 4-pack)

Best for: On-the-go toddler snacks

"Summertime with a toddler means getting out of the house and going on adventures as much as possible — and every parent knows that packing snacks is a total must. This Prime Day, I plan on stocking up on some easy-to-grab Little Spoon essentials, like the Kale Apple Meltable Baby Puffs. They're not only yummy and fun for little ones, but made with whole ingredients." — Olivia Rose Rushing, freelance style and beauty writer.

Podoru MagSafe Battery Pack

Podoru MagSafe Battery Pack (current price: $29.99)

Best for: Keeping devices charged while traveling with kids

"We're taking our son on a family trip to Italy soon, and I want to make sure we keep all of our devices charged while traveling. We don't normally allow him much screen time, but an eight-hour flight is an all-bets-are-off situation. I like that this charger has MagSafe functionality for mine and my husband's phones, plus built-in USB-C cables that we can use for my son's tablet and headphones. Not having to worry about misplacing charging cables is a huge plus."— Elle Hoffman-Shayowitz, customer success team manager.

DoubleFill Wicker Insulated Picnic Basket

DoubleFill Wicker Insulated Picnic Basket (current price: $52.99)

Best for: Family outings and picnics

"Last Prime Day, I added an insulated, retro wicker picnic basket to my cart. It fits everything and keeps my daughter's treats cool for hours on end. It's also something so many moms have complimented me on when we're out and about, making it a tried-and-tested must in my eyes." — Olivia Rose Rushing, freelance style and beauty writer.

Eufy Robot Vacuum and Mop

Eufy Robot Vacuum and Mop (current price: $499.98)

Best for: Busy parents

"I've been desperate for a robot vacuum for a while, and this one from Eufy, which is also a mop, gets rave reviews. As a mom of two young kids, I feel like I spend my whole time cleaning, so the prospect of coming down to a sparkling floor in the morning with minimal effort is just too tempting." — Hawys Boobier, freelance writer.

Graco EasyTurn 360 2-in-1 Rotating Convertible Car Seat

Graco EasyTurn 360 2-in-1 Rotating Convertible Car Seat (current price: 349.99)

Best for: Transitioning from an infant car seat to a toddler seat

"Our 13-month-old is a bit small for his age, so we've been able to get some extra time out of his infant car seat. Now, it's about time to transition to a toddler seat. We're eyeing the Graco EasyTurn 360 2-in-1 Rotating Convertible Car Seat. The rotating seat will make it easier to get our son in and out of the car, and the slim design is also great because we drive a Jetta and space is at a premium." — Elle Hoffman-Shayowitz, customer success team manager.

• Lucid Motors plans to lay off around 18% of the company to align "production plans with anticipated demand."
• The cost-cutting push also reached the C-suite: Lucid has eliminated the COO role entirely.
• Lucid has experienced a year and a half of exec upheaval since former Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson stepped down as CEO.

In the era of leaner companies, even the C-suite isn't insulated from downsizing. Just look at Lucid.

The luxury EV maker filed an 8-K to the SEC on Monday detailing plans to cut about 18% of its US workforce — including full-time employees, contractors, and hourly manufacturing workers at its AMP-1 factory in Arizona.

But the restructuring is also notably impacting its C-Suite, with Lucid announcing "the elimination of the Chief Operating Officer position." As a result, Marc Winterhoff, Lucid's COO who had served as interim CEO earlier this year before resuming the chief operating role when a new CEO was announced, has departed. Winterhoff did not respond to a request for additional comment from Business Insider.

Lucid is looking to "simplify the company" and "sharpen execution," a spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement.

"These are difficult decisions taken to align production with demand, reduce inventory, and adapt to declining market conditions," a company spokesperson. "They are part of a broader effort to simplify the company, sharpen execution, and position Lucid to become more competitive over time."

Lucid expects the cuts to generate about $158 million in annualized cost savings. Lucid will eliminate the second shift at the plant to align "production plans with anticipated demand," the filing said.

The move comes during a year and a half of upheaval at Lucid.

Longtime CEO Peter Rawlinson abruptly resigned in February 2025, prompting Winterhoff to serve as interim CEO.

Several leaders have since left the automaker: SVP of engineering and software Emad Dlala and SVP of strategy Claudia Gast both left earlier this year. Chief engineer Eric Bach was fired in November after 10 years at the company and has since filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lucid. The EV maker previously called Bach's legal claims "absurd" in a statement on the lawsuit.

The company also cut 12% of its US workforce in February.

On June 1, Lucid officially installed Silvio Napoli — the former boss of The Schindler Group, an elevator maker — as the permanent CEO.

Napoli inherits a long to-do list. The Saudi Arabia-backed automaker is hoping to launch the Cosmos, its first sub-$50,000 mass-market SUV, later this year to challenge the Tesla Model Y and Rivian R2. It also has robotaxi ambitions after inking a partnership with Uber and Nuro.

In the first quarter, Lucid faced a supplier issue that delayed delivery times on its Gravity SUV, while some owners have openly complained about software issues. Lucid continues to receive praise for the engineering of its vehicles, including the Lucid Air sedan, which remains among the most efficient EVs on the market.

For Winterhoff, the elimination of the COO role doesn't mean that he'll be leaving empty handed. In addition to severance, Lucid said it "agreed to provide certain continued security support and have him keep his company vehicle."

The FIFA World Cup has officially kicked off, almost four years since Argentina's victory, and Lionel Messi and his crew are attempting to defend their title against a stacked field. We've scoured the viewing options and rounded up everything you need to know about where to watch the World Cup, including free and global streaming options for all 104 matches.

If you don't want to scroll any further, we've got you covered. You can live stream every game on FOX and FS1 via FOX One or a live TV service in the US, for free on SBS On Demand in Australia, and for free across BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the UK, among many other viewing options around the world (which we'll break down below). You can access your streaming options from anywhere with the help of a VPN. Keep reading to learn more about the tournament, whether you're hoping to watch from home or attend in person.

Where to watch the World Cup for free

Several countries around the world will offer free access to World Cup coverage. In Australia, all matches will be available for free on SBS On Demand. In the UK, all matches will be split across BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

Other regions offer select games for free, often focusing on their national team and major late-tournament matches, while the rest are available via a paid service. In Spain, select matches will be available for free on RTVE Play. In Italy, RaiPlay will offer free coverage of select matches. M6 offers some free matches in France. Tabii in Turkey has plenty of free live streams in Arabic, too.

Want to access some of these free World Cup viewing options from outside the above countries? We'll show you how to get around those geo-restrictions next.

How to watch the World Cup from anywhere

Football fans who are away from the location where their streaming service works during any notable matches can still access their free viewing options with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are handy tech tools that let people temporarily change the virtual location on their electronic devices. They're popular among people looking to upgrade their cybersecurity and keep up with their usual websites and apps while traveling abroad.

NordVPN is our top recommendation and one of the best VPNs on the market. It's fast, offers a massive selection of global servers, and comes with a helpful 30-day money-back guarantee if you find that it's not helping you out.

Where to watch the World Cup in the US

All 104 World Cup games will air on either FOX or Fox Sports 1 (FS1) in the US. FOX offers a direct streaming counterpart, FOX One, for $20 a month with a three-day free trial. You can also sign up for the service as a Prime Video add-on. If you're looking for a service with additional channels or a longer free trial, one of the best live TV streaming services we've tested might be of interest.

Fubo offers FOX and FS1 coverage in its Sports + News plan, along with 25+ other key channels. The streaming package also unlocks ESPN Unlimited access. Sports + News costs $56 a month, but new users can get $10 off their first month after a five-day free trial. FOX and FS1 are also available in the Pro and Elite plan.

YouTube TV is another live TV service with ample FOX and FS1 coverage. Until June 30, a special deal can help new users get $75 off YouTube TV for five months (that's $15 a month off each month over a five-month period). The sale brings the price of YouTube TV's main plan down from $83 a month to just $68 a month. There's also a sports plan with FOX and FS1, which costs $65 a month, but new users can get $10 a month off their first 12 months. The live TV service typically offers a free trial for new customers.

Sling TV also carries FOX and FS1 across several of its plans, with the cheapest being Sling Select. Sling Select starts at $20 a month for 10 channels (including FS1), but it jumps up to $25 or $30 a month when local channels (like FOX) are involved. However, Sling's local channel coverage varies widely by region, so check what's available in your area before signing up. Sling Blue also carries FS1 and FOX (when available). Plans start at $46 a month, but they go for $51 a month with local channels.

If you're looking for Spanish-language coverage, Telemundo has the broadcast rights in the US, and all 104 matches are available to stream on Peacock with Spanish commentary. Peacock's sports-friendly tiers start at $11 a month for Peacock Premium, but you'll be able to watch the first couple of days of the tournament with a pared-down Select plan as well.

Where to watch the World Cup in the UK

Every match at the World Cup will be available for free in the UK. Coverage is split across the BBC and ITV, meaning fans can live stream all matches via a combination of BBC iPlayer and ITVX. These are free streaming options that only require account creation to watch.

Where to watch the World Cup in Australia

It's good news in Australia. All 104 World Cup matches will be available in one place, through SBS, SBS Viceland, and SBS On Demand. That means that you can live stream all of the games via SBS On Demand, which just requires account creation if you haven't already made a login.

Where to watch the World Cup in Spain

RTVE will carry several World Cup matches in Spain. This means that fans will be able to live stream coverage for free on RTVE Play. You'll just need to create an account, and then you're all set to start watching. Coverage will favor games with Spain's national team, along with other marquee match-ups. Football fans in Spain hoping to watch every single World Cup match will need a paid subscription through DAZN.

Where to watch the World Cup in Italy

Select matches will be shown through RAI in Italy, which means that coverage will be available to stream for free via Rai Play. Italian FIFA fans hoping to watch every single match of the World Cup will need a paid DAZN subscription, which will grant access to all 104 matches.

Where to watch the World Cup in Germany

In Germany, select World Cup coverage will be available for free through ARD and ZDF. For full German coverage of the entire tournament, including all early group stage matches, fans will need a paid subscription to MagentaTV.

Where does the 2026 FIFA World Cup take place?

Typically, the FIFA World Cup is hosted by a single country (except for Japan and South Korea in 2002), but the 2026 tournament will be held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In Canada, Toronto and Vancouver serve as host cities. In Mexico, host cities include Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey. US host cities include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Is this a larger World Cup tournament than in past years?

If you've been looking at your TV guide and thinking that there are a lot of matches and teams, you're not alone. 2026 marks FIFA's largest World Cup tournament to date. The tournament was expanded from 32 to 48 teams, nearly doubling the number of matches scheduled to take place. This change increased the number of teams and groups in the group stages and means that knockouts begin with a new Round of 32 before the Round of 16.

Who is favored to win the FIFA World Cup?

Heading into the tournament, Spain is the favorite to win the FIFA World Cup. On DraftKings (prior to the start of the World Cup), Spain led at +450, followed by France (+475), England (+700), Portugal (+800), Brazil (+950), and Argentina (+950).

Previous FIFA World Cup winners

Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, won the 2022 World Cup. Previous winners include France (2018), Germany (2014), Spain (2010), Italy (2006), Brazil (2002), France (1998), Brazil (1994), West Germany (1990), Argentina (1986), Italy (1982), Argentina (1978), West Germany (1974), Brazil (1970), England (1966), Brazil (1962), Brazil (1958), West Germany (1954), Uruguay (1950), Italy (1938), Italy (1934), and Uruguay (1930).

When and where is the next men's World Cup?

The next FIFA Men's World Cup tournament will take place in 2030. Most of the games will be hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, with one match each taking place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. These South American games are in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup, which was held in Uruguay in 1930.

When and where is the women's World Cup?

The next FIFA Women's World Cup is scheduled for 2027. Brazil will host the tournament for the first time. Spain is the most recent women's World Cup winner, beating out England 1-0 in the 2023 final. Prior to that, the USA won back-to-back in 2019 and 2015.

How do you get World Cup tickets?

Getting your hands on World Cup tickets has proven to be no easy task. The tournament is incredibly popular, and the initial FIFA ticket release was a bit confusing. Our team has found that some of the best prices and seating variety come from the resale market right now. You can learn more in our World Cup tickets guide.

2026 FIFA World Cup Schedule

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

• A version of this story originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.
• Sign up for the weekly BI Tech Memo newsletter here.

Isn't capitalism great? Especially the Silicon Valley version: Giving employees a share of the business they help build is one of the most democratic and empowering ways to incentivize hard work.

Out here, hard work can sometimes pay off spectacularly: Workers are rewarded handsomely if their toil results in a much more valuable company and their small stakes rise along with it.

Take SpaceX. You may have heard that working for Elon is hard. Rockets don't launch themselves (at least yet). But after many years and long hours, thousands of employees get to share in the success of what has become the world's dominant rocket company.

The IPO created more than 4,000 millionaires and hundreds of centimillionaires. I can't think of a better way to encapsulate Silicon Valley's version of capitalism than this.

Variations of this happy outcome are happening across the tech industry. For example, this 25-year-old founder is suddenly a billionaire. Anthropic and OpenAI are planning their own IPOs, which could mint many more multimillionaires. Nvidia's surge has made its employees incredibly wealthy, too.

What ties these situations together is equity. The wealth wave washing over Silicon Valley is mostly in the form of stock. Unwinding some of this, and using the money wisely, is a challenge that may be new to many lucky tech employees.

First up: The tax bill can be brutal when selling highly appreciated stock. No one likes paying more tax than they should. Luckily, there are strategies to cushion the blow.

Some techies are paying top dollar for homes in and around San Francisco. Others are donating to charity, or handing money down to kids and other relatives.

The most important thing (and the hardest) is to decide what's important for you and create a plan that covers all the bases.

"We're looking at everything at once: tax mitigation, investment allocation, asset location, goal planning, expense planning, and estate planning," said Joey Carney, a partner and private wealth advisor at Nerd Nation Financial in the heart of Silicon Valley.

"You don't pick a strategy and build around it; you build the comprehensive plan first and let the right strategies fall into place," he added.

Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.

• Inspire Investing says SpaceX doesn't meet its criteria for "biblically responsible investing"
• Its CEO told Business Insider that Palantir passes the investing group's moral audit.
• He says Palantir shouldn't be responsible if its technology is misused.

SpaceX has been the talk of Wall Street since its historic IPO, with both retail and institutional investors piling in, but there's one group that won't be chasing the hype.

Inspire Investing, which focuses on "biblically responsible investing," says it won't be going near Elon Musk's rocket and AI company for one reason: it's social media business. CEO Robert Netzly told Business Insider that X, which is a part of SpaceX-owned xAI, has prevented SpaceX from passing Inspire's "moral audit."

"SpaceX is an impressive company by any financial measure, and I had no doubt the IPO would generate extraordinary excitement," he said. "But I wonder sometimes whether investors have paused to ask what they are actually becoming a partial owner of when they buy."

Netzly said that his team doesn't have any problems with Space'X's missions of sending rockets and satellites into orbit, ethically or financially. However, the company failed the firm's moral audit, the first step in its investment process, due to the type of content that X allows its users to share.

The CEO cited a report from National Center on Sexual Exploitation, which has described X as a vehicle for the dissemination of sexually explicit content. He described the company's behavior as "highly egregious" and added that it had failed to correct course.

"You can't buy Space X without profiting from those activities. As exciting as Space X might be as a rocket company, we have to ask deeper questions."

SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

Netzly said that Inspire also won't be buying Tesla stock any time soon, but for different reasons. He said that Musk's car company doesn't meet the firm's standard because of health benefits it offers for employees who need to travel out of state for reproductive care.

Inspire, however, sees no moral issue with stocks tied to military and defense, with Netzly flagging Palantir as a name it's bullish on. The AI-powered data software maker has inked valuable contracts with the Pentagon and has deals with ICE to assist with immigration enforcement.

That doesn't phase Netzly, though, who says Inspire is focused on other aspects of the company's work.

"Palantir is a technology company," he said. "There is risk with a business like Palantir, for their surveillance technology, and for work that they do to be misused, greatly misused. A business like that needs to be paid special attention to, but similar to a firearms manufacturer, we don't hold the manufacturer guilty for customers who may misuse that firearm."

He noted that Inspire is keeping an eye on Palantir to monitor for activity it would considered unethical, but so far, they remain invested.

Amazon Prime Day is set to return June 23 through 26, bringing with it a wave of incredible savings across the board. Whether you're trying to save on tech, home goods, fashion, or makeup, you'll be able to find just about anything at its best price of 2026. The retailer's best discounts, known as Lightning Deals, are the most notable of price drops you can find during the event and year-round.

The aptly named Lightning Deal is a specific type of Amazon product listing with a limited amount of stock at a significant markdown, with a timer ticking down until it becomes unavailable. Once the deadline arrives, or all of the stock is 100% claimed, it's official: you've missed your chance to score that deal.

Keep scrolling to learn exactly how to snag a highly coveted Lightning Deal when you see it, plus answers to any of your other burning questions before Prime Day.

What is an Amazon Lightning Deal? 

Lightning deals are short-lived, limited-stock deals from Amazon. Not only are these deals set on a timer (usually anywhere from two to six hours), but they also end after they've been 100% claimed. If you manage to add one to your cart, a timer starts, and you must check out within it or lose the deal. 

If the item runs out of stock before you can snag one, there's still hope. You can hop on a waitlist afterward to snag the discount in case any shoppers change their minds, though it's not guaranteed you'll get one. 

How to 'watch' a Lightning Deal

To stay on top of deal availability, you can visit the Upcoming Deals section on your desktop or in the free Amazon app (iOS, Android) to view all deals 24 hours before they go live. 

Click "Watch this Deal" and you'll receive push notifications on your phone when a deal is starting. This will be the best way to ensure you secure a deal during the Amazon Prime Day frenzy. 

What happens if the deal I want is 100% claimed? 

The deals can get snatched up pretty quickly, but there's still hope even if a Lightning Deal has been 100% claimed.

You can click "Join the Waitlist" in order to potentially get the deal anyway. Lightning Deal purchases must be made within 15 minutes of adding an item to your cart. If the purchase isn't completed within that time frame, then the deal will be made available to the next customer on the waitlist. Joining the waitlist won't guarantee you'll be able to purchase the deal, but it's certainly worth a shot. 

If you want to shop Amazon Prime Day Lightning Deals, remember that you have to be an Amazon Prime member first. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime here. 

Are Amazon's Lightning Deals worth buying?

Lightning deals are among the lowest prices we see for items and are therefore absolutely worth buying. 

What kinds of products are Lightning Deals?

Typically, Amazon Lightning Deals span cleaning supplies to smart home gear. The product categories you'll want to keep an eye out for are tech accessories, smart home tech, kitchen tools, and small home appliances. Items like USB-C hubs, indoor security cameras, Echo smart speakers, kitchen scales, and robot vacuums tend to see some of their best all-time prices in lightning deals, but they sell out very quickly. 

Do I need to be an Amazon Prime Member to get a Lightning Deal?

Most times of the year, Lightning Deals are free games for Prime members and non-members alike. During Amazon Prime Day and the Prime Early Access Sale, however, they are Prime member-exclusive.

A Prime membership is $139 per year or $15 per month. Along with Amazon Prime Day access, members get tons of other Amazon Prime benefits, including two-day and same-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and more. If you'd like to sample the offerings before making the commitment, you can try Prime free for 30 days.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2026?

Amazon Prime Day 2026 runs from June 23 to 26. The four-day event replicates the length of last year's deal holiday.

See more: How to sign up for Amazon Prime | Best Amazon Prime benefits | How to tell if a Prime Day deal is good | Walmart's Prime Day sale

Follow our WhatsApp channel and Instagram for more deals and buying guides.

• After living in Switzerland, moving to the US came with several unexpected culture shocks.
• The convenience-driven lifestyle in the US changed how I shop, eat, and think about consumption.
• I learned it's possible to keep the best parts of European living while embracing life in the US.

The first time I walked into a supermarket in the United States, I felt so overwhelmed. There were so many choices! Enormous aisles, bulk-sized products, and overflowing carts were a stark contrast to the smaller, more frequent shopping trips I was used to in Switzerland.

That moment captured a larger reality of our move: Adapting to life in a new country meant adjusting to different habits, expectations, and ways of living.

I am an Australian who moved from Switzerland to the US with my family, and the transition came with several unexpected lifestyle changes. After living in Switzerland for three years and now spending the last five years in the United States, I've had plenty of time to experience both lifestyles firsthand.

Switzerland had shaped how I thought about everything from food and consumption to the pace of life, and moving to America forced me to rethink many of those routines.

Over time, however, I discovered that successful adaptation wasn't about abandoning the lifestyle I valued. Instead, it was about finding ways to preserve the habits that mattered most while embracing the opportunities and conveniences of American life.

It's been tough to prioritize our ideas of Swiss minimalism when the US has so much convenience.

In Switzerland, we bought less and lived with less. Our family lived in an apartment, and we were very conscious that we had limited space to store things we didn't need.

However, in the US, the ease of online shopping and accessing big-box stores made it incredibly easy to accumulate things quickly. We live in a house now, and I have had to become much more intentional about what we bring into our home.

To try to preserve the minimalist lifestyle we had in Switzerland, I leave things in my online shopping cart for at least 48 hours before buying them. This gives me time to reflect on what I need versus what I want.

I've also spent time reading more about decluttering and being mindful of consumption. One habit I've adopted is avoiding single-use purchases whenever possible. For example, instead of buying a shirt with a shamrock that I would only wear once a year for St. Patrick's Day, I'll buy a green top that I can wear throughout the year and style for the holiday as well.

We've traded slow living for a faster pace.

Switzerland taught me to value slower living: long walks, downtime, and fewer activities. I liked that being busy was not glamorized.

While living there, I quickly learned the popular local Swiss-German phrase "Langsam, langsam," which means "slowly, slowly." I heard it often and eventually started saying it to myself whenever I caught myself rushing for no real reason.

However, in the US, everything moves faster: schedules, work, and kids' activities. I had to intentionally carve out moments of slow living again, but it is possible. In some ways, the access to tools and resources that make this doable has made it even more enjoyable.

I now have a bird feeder and bird bath, which remind me to slow down and appreciate nature. Making time to be in the moment while everyone else is boasting about being busy somehow feels more fulfilling.

The way we shop for groceries has shifted so much.

In Switzerland, I shopped for food almost daily. I'd walk to the grocery store and buy fresh ingredients for that day's meals.

We loved eating fresh food, and the expense associated with garbage disposal made us very careful about avoiding waste. Where we lived, we'd have to pay for special bags and pay for the disposal of each instead of a flat fee.

In the US, grocery shopping is a weekly event with huge carts and bulk purchases. I had to rethink how I plan meals to keep food fresh and healthy.

We are fortunate enough to have a big garden, so I am able to grow fruits and vegetables and compost food we don't use. It takes more effort to reduce waste, but it's possible and rewarding.

We've also had to shift our mindset around food.

In Switzerland, to-go coffee is not common. In fact, drinking and eating out are slow rituals. Locals typically sit and enjoy their coffee and meals. I enjoyed this slower approach and learned to eat more mindfully.

Portion sizes are generally smaller, and over-ordering is often frowned upon, which encouraged me to pay closer attention to what I was consuming and how much.

In the US, the prevalence of large portion sizes and processed foods initially surprised me. However, over time, I found healthier grocery options and built routines that helped my family maintain a balanced diet.

It's a conscious decision to ignore the drive-thru culture, and I now appreciate the endless choices available to help me create the lifestyle that works for my family and me.

Still, I must admit, the occasional drive-thru coffee has been a lifesaver when taking my kids to their early-morning ice hockey games.

It's been nice to engage in more small talk, which can lead to valuable connections.

The Swiss are generally not fans of small talk. In fact, our Swiss neighbor barely spoke to us, and we only realized on our last day in Switzerland that she worked for the same company as my husband.

We didn't mind this at the time, but building a sense of community with the locals was difficult. In the US, small talk feels almost unavoidable, and we've found it can lead to strong connections.

The Americans we have now become friends with all started off as strangers who were masters of small talk because each little snippet of conversation revealed a deeper layer about someone's hobbies and beliefs. Before I knew it, I was bonding with neighbors who also enjoy gardening and reading.

So what started as conversations about books led to monthly book-club meetups and a deeper sense of community.

In the end, both places have taught me so much.

What I've learned from our move from Switzerland to the US is that no place is inherently better than another. Every country comes with trade-offs.

Switzerland taught me the value of intentional living, while America showed me the possibilities that come with convenience, opportunity, and community.

The habits that mattered most didn't belong to a place; they belonged to the choices I made every day

• Actors James Van Der Beek, Robert Duvall, Chuck Norris, and Patrick Muldoon died in 2026.
• So did painter David Hockney, "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams, and Grateful Dead's Bob Weir.
• Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, record producer Clive Davis, and mogul Ted Turner also died this year.

Below, we look back at the celebrities we lost in 2026, listed in alphabetical order.

Scott Adams, 68

Scott Adams worked at a telephone company in the 1980s. The experience inspired his beloved comic strip, "Dilbert."

By the end of the decade, the character and his satirical office humor began appearing in comic strips.

At its peak, "Dilbert" was syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers. A cartoon series debuted in 1999, running for two seasons.

Adams gained notoriety when he began writing blog posts praising Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential run. In 2023, "Dilbert" was pulled from newspapers across the US following racist comments made by Adams.

Adams died on January 13 from metastatic prostate cancer.

Brad Arnold, 47

The lead singer of 3 Doors Down, Brad Arnold launched the group into fame with the 2000 rock anthem "Kryptonite," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.

The success led to other hits like "Loser," "Here Without You," and "When I'm Gone." Arnold's vocal range and lyrics focused on love and love lost, which fueled the group to stardom.

Arnold died on February 7 from a type of kidney cancer.

Afrika Bambaataa, 68

A hip-hop pioneer during the 1970s and 1980s, Lance Taylor, known professionally as Afrika Bambaataa, first gained attention as a DJ in the Bronx.

He signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1981 and released landmark songs like "Jazzy Sensation" and "Planet Rock." He would go on to influence the likes of Queen Latifah and A Tribe Called Quest throughout his career.

Bambaataa founded the hip-hop awareness group, Universal Zulu Nation, in the 1970s to steer kids away from gang life. Bambaataa stepped down as the head of the organization in 2016 after accusations of sexual abuse.

Bambaataa denied all claims.

He died on April 9 due to prostate cancer.

Rob Bass, 59

One of the icons responsible for bringing hip-hop to the mainstram, Rob Bass crafted the iconic track "It Takes Two" alongside DJ E-Z Rock.

The track, released in 1988, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and later went certified platinum. In 1989, it was voted the greatest single of all time by Spin magazine.

Bass died on May 22 following cancer.

Nicholas Brendon, 54

Nicholas Brendon was a television actor, best known for playing Xander Harris in all seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

He also starred in "Criminal Minds" and "Kitchen Confidential."

Brendon died in his sleep on March 20 due to natural causes, according to his family's statement.

In 2023, Brendon suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. He also had cauda equina syndrome, which led to several spinal surgeries.

"While it's no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis, and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing," the statement to The Hollywood Reporter read. "Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart."

Peabo Bryson, 75

Two-time Grammy winner Peabo Bryson is best known for his classic love ballads.

Bryson began releasing music in the late 1970s, but one of his first major hits was opposite Roberta Flack on the 1983 duet, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love." He continued hit-making a year later with the smash "If Ever You're in My Arms Again," and in 1991, he topped the R&B charts with "Can You Stop the Rain."

Bryson found global stardom with his renditions of two Disney classics. In 1991, he released the pop version of "Beauty and the Beast," alongside Céline Dion, and a year later, he duetted with Regina Belle on "A Whole New World" from the 1992 release of "Aladdin."

Bryson died on June 2. No cause was given.

James Burrows, 85

An 11-time Emmy winner and co-creator of "Cheers," director James Burrows helped shape modern TV comedy through his work on iconic sitcoms including "Will & Grace," "Friends," and "Frasier."

Known for his comedic timing and elaborate blocking, Burrows got his start directing episodes of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Throughout his career, he directed episodes of "Frasier" (winning an Emmy for the pilot episode), "Will & Grace," "Friends," and "The Big Bang Theory." He directed over 50 pilot episodes.

Burrows died on June 19. No cause was given.

Kyle Busch, 41

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Busch was considered one of the greatest racers of all time.

Busch was hospitalized on May 21, before two upcoming races. Hours later, he was pronounced dead.

Busch died from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

Robert Carradine, 71

Robert Carradine was best known for his roles as Lizzie McGuire's dad and as the iconic geek Lewis Skolnick in the 1980s franchise "Revenge of the Nerds."

As a member of Hollywood's famed Carradine family, Robert was destined for an onscreen career.

He received one of his first screen credits starring in his brother David Carradine's popular 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" and went on to land roles in everything from Samuel Fuller's World War II classic "The Big Red One" to the "Lizzie McGuire" series.

Carradine's family shared statements with Deadline that emphasized being open about his struggles with mental illness.

"We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby's valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder," Carradine's family said. "We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness."

Carradine died by suicide on February 23.

If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or has had thoughts of harming themself or taking their own life, get help. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is also available through the Crisis Text Line — just text "HOME" to 741741. The International Association for Suicide Prevention offers resources for those outside the US.

Bud Cort, 77

Most famous for his role as Harold in the 1971 cult-classic "Harold and Maude," Bud Cort became the epitome of 1970s counterculture thanks to his baby-faced looks, wit, and sophisticated persona.

The dark comedy starred Cort as Harold, a man in his 20s who is obsessed with suicide until he meets 79-year-old eccentric Maude (Ruth Gordon).

Before that, Cort scored bit parts in Robert Altman's "M*A*S*H*" (1970) and "Brewster McCloud" (1970).

After "Harold and Maude," Cort worked steadily for the rest of his life, occasionally showing up in hit movies like Michael Mann's "Heat" (1995) and Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (2004).

Cort died on February 11 following a long illness.

Eric Dane, 53

Long before becoming one of TV's most recognizable heartthrobs, Eric Dane was building his career with guest roles on series like "Saved by the Bell" and "Married… with Children."

He later gained wider attention with appearances on "Charmed" before landing his breakout role as Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan on "Grey's Anatomy." He most recently starred in HBO's "Euphoria," where he played Cal Jacobs, the father of Jacob Elordi's character, Nate Jacobs.

Dane has two children with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. In April 2025, the actor said that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Dane died on February 19 at age 53, his publicist confirmed in a statement to Business Insider.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world," his publicist said.

Clive Davis, 94

A legend in the music world, Davis was responsible for elevating pop music to unthinkable heights by discovering talents like Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, and Alicia Keys, to name a few.

Over his 50-year career, along with being an executive behind millions of album sales, he also won five Grammys, including two for Album of the Year ("The Bodyguard" soundtrack and "Supernatural" by Santana).

Davis died on June 22. No cause was given.

Robert Duvall, 95

Robert Duvall starred in a plethora of timeless classics, including "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "Apocalypse Now," "THX 1138," "The Natural," "Days of Thunder," and "The Apostle."

Duvall will be best remembered for starring in three of director Francis Ford Coppola's iconic films: playing Tom Hagen in the first two "Godfather" movies and Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now," in which he delivers one of the most memorable lines in movie history: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

Duvall was lauded for his acting talent, from not saying a word while playing Boo Radley in his first big screen role in the 1962 classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" to his portrayal of a country singer dealing with alcoholism in 1983's "Tender Mercies," which earned him an Oscar.

He died on his ranch in Virginia on February 15. No cause was given.

Mark Fuhrman, 74

Fuhrman cemented his place in popular culture as one of the lead LAPD detectives on the 1995 murder case of O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Fuhrman found the famed bloody glove on the Simpson estate, and during the trial, he gained infamy when Simpson's defense team used his past racist language to discredit him as a witness.

Fuhrman retired from the LAPD after the Simpson trial and moved to Idaho, where he wrote true crime books.

Fuhrman died on May 12 of throat cancer.

Valentino Garavani, 93

For over six decades, one name has been synonymous with women's high fashion: Valentino.

The Italian designer launched his fashion business in Rome in 1960 and never looked back. Soon, every star wanted to be seen in his creations. They've been worn by icons like Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Sharon Stone, and more.

Though Garavani retired from designing in 2008, his label is still a red carpet staple, as is his famous shade of bright red dubbed "Valentino Red."

Garavani died on January 19. No cause was given.

Donald Gibb, 71

No one defined a bully for a generation more than Gibb's hulking fraternity character Orge in the "Revenge of the Nerds" movies of the 1980s.

Since the original raunchy comedy was released in 1984, Gibb's intimidating size and loud yells of "NERDS!" have become as memorable as the pocket protectors worn by the movie's geeks.

Gibb went on to star opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in his classic 1988 action movie "Bloodsport." He also landed guest star roles through his career on shows like "Quantum Leap," Magnum P.I.," "MacGyver," "Night Court," and "Cheers."

Gibb died on May 12 following health complications.

Anthony Head, 72

Rising up through the UK stage scene in the 1980s, Head found fame when he was cast as Rupert Giles, who became a father figure to Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy Summers in all seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Most recently, he played the bitter former owner of AFC Richmond on "Ted Lasso."

Head's death was announced by his family on June 5. They stated the cause was "complications due to pneumonia."

David Hockney, 88

British painter David Hockney was renowned for his striking portraits and figurative pop art. Many of his best-known paintings, including 1966's "The Splash" and 1972's "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)," were inspired by the bright colors and sun-dappled pools of Los Angeles.

Hockney moved to Los Angeles in the late '60s, and his work became synonymous with the warmth and leisure of Southern California. He was also one of the few popular artists at the time to depict openly gay scenes, and Hockney was outspoken about anti-gay censorship.

Throughout his career, Hockney split time between California, England, and France. He died at his home in London on June 12 at age 88, his publicist confirmed to The New York Times. No cause of death was given.

Jesse Jackson, 84

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and an activist icon who twice ran for president.

Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson experienced Jim Crow segregation on public buses and at school firsthand. It would shape the rest of his life.

His fight for civil rights began in the 1960s, when he helped organize protests and demonstrations across the US and worked closely alongside civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

His decadeslong career as a leading civil rights activist included support for modern national movements, such as the push for voting rights, the fight against racism, and a higher minimum wage.

Jackson ran for president twice, both times as a democrat. He placed third for the party's nomination in 1984 and second in 1988. This marked the most successful presidential runs of any Black candidate prior to Barack Obama.

Jackson announced in 2017 that he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In November 2025, Jackson was treated in a Chicago hospital after complications from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition.

Jackson died on February 17.

Patrick Muldoon, 57

In the 1990s, you couldn't escape the piercing eyes of Patrick Muldoon.

He played Austin Reed on "Days of Our Lives" for most of the decade, and when he wasn't on the soap, he was over on "Melrose Place" playing the villain role of Richard Hart.

If being on two iconic shows wasn't enough, he also showed up on "Saved by the Bell" and had a role in the cult classic movie "Starship Troopers."

Muldoon died on April 19 after a heart attack.

Tom Noonan, 74

Standing at a towering 6' 5", Tom Noonan was born to play the bad guy. And he did just that, starring as the villain in movies like "Manhunter," "RoboCop 2," and "Last Action Hero."

But this actor had more to show off. He showcased his comedy chops as Rodney Dangerfield's degenerate gambling friend in the 1983 comedy "Easy Money," and set up the heist for Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's 1995 classic "Heat."

His knack for storytelling also translated behind the camera. Noonan wrote, directed, and starred in the drama "What Happened Was," which won the grand prize at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.

Noonan died on February 14; no cause was given.

Chuck Norris, 86

Few action stars have Chuck Norris' credentials.

Before he ever stepped in front of a camera, he was a martial arts champion and a black belt in Karate, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, and Tang Soo Do.

His talents would become known the world over in 1972, when he faced off against Bruce Lee in "The Way of the Dragon."

Through the 1980s, Norris became one of the biggest action stars in the world thanks to movies like "A Force of One," "The Octagon," and the "Delta Force" and "Missing in Action" franchises.

In the 1990s, he took over the small screen, playing the lead in the "Walker, Texas Ranger" TV show, which aired in over 100 countries during its run from 1993 to 2001.

Norris was hospitalized on March 19 in Hawaii and died the following day, according to his family. No cause was given.

Catherine O'Hara, 71

O'Hara, who was best known for her roles in "Beetlejuice" and "Home Alone," got her start in the Canadian comedy scene, appearing in the now-legendary cast of "SCTV."

It would mark the beginning of a fruitful partnership with fellow actor Eugene Levy, who became her frequent costar and collaborator in memorable appearances in Christopher Guest films like "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show" and television series like "Schitt's Creek," which earned her an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in 2020.

O'Hara's representation confirmed her death to Business Insider on January 30. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed in a death certificate viewed by People that O'Hara died of a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer listed as an underlying cause.

Valerie Perrine, 82

Perrine found herself cast alongside the biggest stars of the 1970s.

She played the love interest opposite Jeff Bridges in 1973's "The Last American Hero" and Robert Redford in 1979's "The Electric Horseman." She earned an Oscar nomination for starring alongside Dustin Hoffman in 1974's "Lenny."

For most, she'll be remembered best for sharing the screen with Gene Hackman as the secretary to his evil Lex Luthor in 1978's "Superman." She also starred in the sequel. As Ms. Teschmacher, her loyalty to Luthor is questioned when she rescues Superman (Christopher Reeve) after he's chained with Kryptonite.

Perrine died in her home in Beverly Hills on March 23. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015.

Sonny Rollins, 95

One of the most influential jazz musicians in history, Rollins recorded more than 60 albums over his seven-decade career.

His live album, "A Night at the Village Vanguard," is considered one of the greatest jazz albums ever made.

Rollins died on May 25; no cause was given.

Neil Sedaka, 86

Sedaka is responsible for some of the biggest pop songs of the 1960s and 1970s.

The Brooklyn native wrote over 500 songs, including classic hits like "Laughter in the Rain," "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Bad Blood" and the Captain & Tennille song, "Love Will Keep Us Together."

Sedaka died on February 27; no cause was given.

Gene Shalit, 100

Before there was Rotten Tomatoes or even Siskel & Ebert, movie lovers got their recommendations from Gene Shalit.

The iconic movie critic could be seen sporting his signature look of glasses, bushy hair, and big mustache as a staple on the "Today" show from 1973 to 2010. If he wasn't interviewing the biggest movie stars, he was reviewing movies with incredible puns ("'Ishtar' is Ish-terrible.")

His larger-than-life presence left a mark on pop culture: he was parodied as a Muppet and on countless episodes of "SCTV" and "Saturday Night Live."

Shalit died on June 12; no cause was given.

Kiki Shepard, 74

In her 15-year tenure as a co-host on "Showtime at the Apollo," Kiki Shepard was considered royalty at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater.

Known in the building as "Apollo Queen of Fashion" thanks to her dazzling outfits, Shepherd was a fixture on the show from 1987 to 2002.

Throughout her career, Shepard also appeared on TV shows like "Baywatch," "A Different World," "NYPD Blue," and "Grey's Anatomy."

Shepard died on March 16 after suffering a heart attack.

Béla Tarr, 70

Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr became a legend in the arthouse world for his unflinching work featuring several-minute-long takes.

With movies like "Family Nest" (1979) and "The Turin Horse" (2011), Tarr showcased his slow cinema style while focusing on marginalized characters living bleak lives. Tarr pushed the envelope with his style when he made "Sátántangó" in 1994, which had a run time of 450 minutes.

His work influenced several arthouse filmmakers, including Jim Jarmusch and Gus Van Sant's "Death Trilogy" ("Gerry," "Elephant," and "Last Days").

Tarr died on January 6 following a battle with a "long and serious illness."

James Tolkan, 94

You might not recognize the name, but if you're a movie fan, you know the face.

Tolkan's tough-guy persona made a mark on movie history in films like "Top Gun" and the "Back to the Future" franchise.

In "Top Gun," he played Commander Tom "Stinger" Jardian, who famously gives Tom Cruise's character a tongue lashing, saying, "Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash."

In "Back to the Future" and its sequels, he played Principal Strickland, who had zero tolerance for "slackers."

Other credits include "Serpico," "WarGames," "Masters of the Universe," and "Dick Tracy."

Tolkan died on March 26; no cause was given.

Ted Turner, 87

Ted Turner changed the television landscape thanks to his maverick maneuvers to harness the 24-hour news cycle.

After taking over his father's advertising company in the 1960s at the age of 24, Turner embarked on a path to change the media landscape by buying up radio and TV stations around the South. He even bought sports teams including the Atlanta Braves MLB team and the Atlanta Hawks NBA team.

All of that programming would eventually become part of TBS, a "super station" that showed old movies, reruns, and Braves and Hawks games.

Turner then set his sights on the news. He founded CNN, the first 24-hour news channel, in June of 1980.

Over the decades, Turner gained celebrity status, particularly after marrying with Jane Fonda, a union that lasted from 1991 to 2001. In 1991, he was named Time's "Man of the Year." He sold his networks to Time Warner for $7.5 billion in 1996.

Turner died on May 6; no cause was given.

James Van Der Beek, 48

Van Der Beek was beloved all over the world for his role as the titular teen Dawson Leery on the WB series "Dawson's Creek."

The series, which ran from 1998 to 2002, turned Van Der Beek into a star and a teen heartthrob. While "Dawson's Creek" was still airing, he'd cement his stardom playing the lead role of high school quarterback "Mox" Moxon in the 1999 coming-of-age drama "Varsity Blues."

Van Der Beek found steady work the rest of his career in movies like "Texas Rangers" and "The Rules of Attraction, and memorably played a fictional version of himself on the TV series "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," and performed on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2019.

Van Der Beek learned he had stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, and publicly announced his diagnosis in late 2024.

Van Der Beek previously told Business Insider that the news came as a shock, given the subtleness of his symptoms and his efforts to stay as healthy as possible.

"I was doing everything," he said. "I was doing sauna, cold plunge, weightlifting, Pilates. I would dance and also do football training."

Van Der Beek died on Feb. 11.

Bob Weir, 78

Weir was one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead.

The singer-songwriter wrote and/or sang on songs like "Sugar Magnolia," "Playing in the Band," "Truckin,'" "I Need a Miracle," and "The Other One."

After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir went on to form several other bands, including Kingfish, Bobby and the Midnites, RatDog, The Other Ones, and, alongside John Mayer, Dead & Company.

In the summer of 2025, Weir was diagnosed with cancer.

Weir died on January 10.

Frederick Wiseman, 96

For over five decades, Wiseman's brand of non-fiction storytelling put a spotlight on everyday people.

From high schoolers to hospital workers to Air Force cadets training for nuclear war, Wiseman's close to 50-film catalogue is an unvarnished reflection of America over the last half century.

Wiseman died on Februay 16, no cause was given.

• Ex-Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein says he's got his finger on the pulse of three sectors right now.
• The banking legend said on a podcast that he's mostly been invested in tech, energy, and financial services.
• Blankfein's portfolio is 98% invested in what he describes as risky assets like single stocks and ETFs.

Lloyd Blankfein left Goldman Sachs in 2018, but the former top banker hasn't been sitting on the sidelines of the market since then.

Blankfein recently discussed his investing philosophy with Sam Parr on the My First Million podcast, breaking down where he's putting his money and how he's making investment decisions. He says he's focused on three stock sectors in particular, noting that he's often trading stocks every day.

"I'm mostly and have been in tech and energy," he said. "Don't forget, I have a background in trading energy. I'm also in financial services cause I know a lot about it having been in the [the industry]. Those are the three areas that I've been focused on."

Blankfein is still trading even as he warned in March that markets were due for a "reckoning," and that a major shakeup could be looming, pointing to private credit stress in particular. Prior to that, he had said he was worried about another financial crisis.

Now, though, he says he's having fun investing in risky assets in his own portfolio.

"I am 98% in risky assets," he said, noting that he trades a mix of single stocks and ETFs.

While he didn't reveal the individual names that he owns, Blankfein said that he does still hold a significant amount of his Goldman Sachs stock. But regarding his tech investments, he said that he owns most leading hyperscalers and their "second tier" comeptitors.

While he didn't name specific tech stocks, Blankfein doesn't seem worried about rumblings of a bubble in Big Tech, despite some concern that the AI trade may be due for a correction.

"I'm generally bullish, and by the way, it's been good to be bullish on Big Tech," he added. "I'll stop being bullish on it when it stops going up."

• Teacher pay varies widely across the 50 US states and Washington, DC.
• California pays teachers the most, providing them with an average salary of $103,552 in 2024-2025.
• Teachers in California make nearly double what teachers in Mississippi make on average.

Many people consider public school teachers to have one of the most important jobs.

But while teaching is the most common public-sector job, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many educators still struggle to make ends meet. A 2025 Gallup poll found that 21% of polled K-12 educators said they were "finding it difficult to get by on their present income," while 52% reported they were just getting by rather than living comfortably.

A third of K-12 teachers also reported having non-teaching-related jobs, "such as ride-sharing, food service or running a side business," the poll found.

For many teachers, their salaries simply aren't enough, and, due to differences in affordability, housing prices, and tax structures, teacher salaries — and how far they go — vary widely across the country.

In April, the National Education Association released its Rankings of the States 2025 and Estimates of School Statistics 2026 report, which included data such as the number of school districts, student enrollment and attendance, and education expenditures in every state and Washington, DC.

The report also listed the average salaries of public school teachers in 2024-2025, as well as the change in pay from the previous year. For a few states — Connecticut, Montana, and Rhode Island — and Washington, DC, the NEA relied on salary estimates.

Per the report, the state where teachers received the largest average year-over-year raise was Nevada. Though its average salary in 2024-2025 ranked 17th in the country, it grew by roughly $8,000, or about 11.8%, from 2023-24. By contrast, teachers in Oklahoma received a 1% average raise, about $600.

See the average public school teacher salary in every state and Washington, DC.

We also listed how much the average salary increased year-over-year and how the state's average salary ranked among all other states and Washington, DC, with No. 1 being the highest salary and 51 the lowest.

ALABAMA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $62,985

Change from 2023-2024: 1.73% increase

Rank: 35

ALASKA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $81,450

Change from 2023-2024: 4.1% increase

Rank: 11

ARIZONA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $64,291

Change from 2023-2024: 2.5% increase

Rank: 31

ARKANSAS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $59,193

Change from 2023-2024: 1.5% increase

Rank: 45

CALIFORNIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $103,552

Change from 2023-2024: 2.4% increase

Rank: 1

COLORADO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $72,781

Change from 2023-2024: 6% increase

Rank: 19

CONNECTICUT

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $89,593

Change from 2023-2024: 3.6% increase

Rank: 6

DELAWARE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $76,570

Change from 2023-2024: 7.6% increase

Rank: 14

FLORIDA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $56,663

Change from 2023-2024: 3.3% increase

Rank: 50

GEORGIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $71,524

Change from 2023-2024: 5.7% increase

Rank: 21

HAWAII

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $75,860

Change from 2023-2024: 2.2% increase

Rank: 16

IDAHO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $62,786

Change from 2023-2024: 2.1% increase

Rank: 36

ILLINOIS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $78,495

Change from 2023-2024: 3.3% increase

Rank: 13

INDIANA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,661

Change from 2023-2024: 5.2% increase

Rank: 38

IOWA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $65,312

Change from 2023-2024: 4.7% increase

Rank: 30

KANSAS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,470

Change from 2023-2024: 5.5% increase

Rank: 39

KENTUCKY

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $60,594

Change from 2023-2024: 3.9% increase

Rank: 42

LOUISIANA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $56,785

Change from 2023-2024: 1.6% increase

Rank: 49

MAINE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $65,621

Change from 2023-2024: 4.9% increase

Rank: 29

MARYLAND

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $87,409

Change from 2023-2024: 3.6% increase

Rank: 7

MASSACHUSETTS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $93,554

Change from 2023-2024: 2.8% increase

Rank: 5

MICHIGAN

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $71,023

Change from 2023-2024: 2.8% increase

Rank: 22

MINNESOTA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $76,234

Change from 2023-2024: 5.3% increase

Rank: 15

MISSISSIPPI

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $54,975

Change from 2023-2024: 2.4% increase

Rank: 51

MISSOURI

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $57,366

Change from 2023-2024: 4% increase

Rank: 48

MONTANA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $59,305

Change from 2023-2024: 3% increase

Rank: 44

NEBRASKA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $63,326

Change from 2023-2024: 5.1% increase

Rank: 34

NEVADA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $74,812

Change from 2023-2024: 11.8% increase

Rank: 17

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $69,432

Change from 2023-2024: 3.4% increase

Rank: 25

NEW JERSEY

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $84,974

Change from 2023-2024: 2.5% increase

Rank: 9

NEW MEXICO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $69,736

Change from 2023-2024: 1.9% increase

Rank: 24

NEW YORK

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $98,655

Change from 2023-2024: 3.2% increase

Rank: 2

NORTH CAROLINA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $60,323

Change from 2023-2024: 3.5% increase

Rank: 43

NORTH DAKOTA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $60,704

Change from 2023-2024: 3.6% increase

Rank: 41

OHIO

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $70,586

Change from 2023-2024: 3.4% increase

Rank: 23

OKLAHOMA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,931

Change from 2023-2024: 1% increase

Rank: 37

OREGON

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $81,657

Change from 2023-2024: 5.9% increase

Rank: 10

PENNSYLVANIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $79,078

Change from 2023-2024: 2.8% increase

Rank: 12

RHODE ISLAND

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $85,772

Change from 2023-2024: 4.4% increase

Rank: 8

SOUTH CAROLINA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $64,050

Change from 2023-2024: 5.4% increase

Rank: 32

SOUTH DAKOTA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $58,486

Change from 2023-2024: 3.8% increase

Rank: 46

TENNESSEE

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $61,222

Change from 2023-2024: 4.5% increase

Rank: 40

TEXAS

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $63,749

Change from 2023-2024: 2.1% increase

Rank: 33

UTAH

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $72,882

Change from 2023-2024: 5.4% increase

Rank: 18

VERMONT

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $71,871

Change from 2023-2024: 3.3% increase

Rank: 20

VIRGINIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $69,254

Change from 2023-2024: 4.4% increase

Rank: 26

WASHINGTON

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $96,589

Change from 2023-2024: 5.3% increase

Rank: 3

WASHINGTON, DC

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $95,077

Change from 2023-2024: 9.7% increase

Rank: 4

WEST VIRGINIA

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $58,099

Change from 2023-2024: 5.1% increase

Rank: 47

WISCONSIN

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $67,794

Change from 2023-2024: 3.1% increase

Rank: 27

WYOMING

Average public school teacher salary (2024-2025): $65,668

Change from 2023-2024: 3.1% increase

Rank: 28

• Alan Greenspan has passed away at the age of 100.
• Greenspan served as Fed chair across four presidents, and is best known for his "irrational exuberance" warning.
• Even though he's been out of the position for 20 years, his warning still rings true today.

"Irrational exuberance" continues to loom large over financial markets nearly three decades after Alan Greenspan coined the phrase.

We learned Monday that Greenspan, former Fed Chair, died at 100 years old from complications of Parkinson's disease. He led the Fed from 1987 through 2006, running the central bank during booms and busts that spanned four different presidencies.

I spoke to Greenspan a decade ago and got him to reflect on his famous December 1996 speech, in which he used the words "irrational exuberance" to suggest that stock prices might have reached extreme levels. At the time, tech stocks were beginning to explode higher as investors grew very excited about the internet's early potential. Of course, just a few years later, the dot-com bubble crashed, bringing those high-flying stocks back to earth.

There may be echoes of that happening today. Big Tech companies are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into data centers, fueling an AI boom that's pushed their stock prices to valuations in the trillions.

When I asked him about the phrase and how it continued to resonate years later, he stood by it.

"If you rate me on my irrational exuberance forecast, I get a C," Mr. Greenspan told me in 2016 in an hour-long interview. "But analytically, it was describing a process that I thought we had to be very concerned about."

Here was Greenspan's specific quote in his 1996 speech:

"But how do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset values, which then become subject to unexpected and prolonged contractions as they have in Japan over the past decade?"

His call came in the middle of the 1990s tech bubble. And while stocks immediately fell after his speech, they quickly came roaring back and would continue to soar for several years before the bubble burst in 2000.

In his book "The Age of Turbulence," he wrote that he thought of the "irrational exuberance" phrase when he was in the bathtub writing his speech. And he said in my interview that he chose that exact wording for its shock value.

"I was acutely aware of the fact that that particular phrase was put in that speech to spook the market," he said.

The phrase took on a life of its own for years. It has its own Wikipedia page. Robert Shiller, the Yale economist and Nobel Prize winner, wrote a book by that title.

And now, "irrational exuberance" is relevant yet again as the debate rages over whether we're in the midst of an AI bubble.

I said last year that we could be in the midst of a new tech bubble, one that could get bigger and eventually pop more spectacularly than the dot-com boom and bust.

But the truth of the matter is, no one really knows whether we're in a bubble or not. And if we are, it's hard to act without knowing what will transpire in the future, which was one of Greenspan's biggest takeaways to me.

"Once a bubble emerges, it is difficult to do anything to stop it that won't have a major negative impact on the economy," he said. "The best thing to do is to let it run its course and address the consequences when they occur."

• In a recent video, venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya said possessions are "worthless."
• Palihapitiya has previously extolled the virtue of luxury goods, including high-end brand Loro Piana.
• The investor said luxury goods are no longer a signal of success.

Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya is getting roasted on X for saying possessions are "worthless."

In a video posted on his YouTube channel on Friday, Palihapitiya said possessions are "a sign of insecurity, and they're a sign of a rampant ego, and they're a sign of an unsettled mind."

In the video, Palihapitiya is wearing a plush, unbranded, off-white hoodie. There are no obvious clues about its maker, but some online sleuths have been quick to say it's a Loro Piana, the Italian brand synonymous with quiet luxury and famously behind Kendall Roy's $625 baseball cap in "Succession."

Some people shared screenshots on X of the brand's creamy-colored Breia Hooded Sweatshirt, which retails for just over $2,700.

"Chamath telling you this while wearing a $2400 Loro Piana Breia sweatshirt is pure comedy," one person wrote in an X post, which received over 5,000 likes.

Palihapitiya said on X on Sunday that the sweater he wore is not a Loro Piana. Business Insider was not able to reach Palihapitiya for comment.

While the sweatshirt he is wearing in the video does not seem to match the Loro Piano Breia sweatshirt — they have, for example, slightly different necklines — Palihapitiya has long been perceived as a luxury aficionado, and he has spoken fondly of the Loro Piano label before.

In an episode of his "All-In" podcast that aired in 2022, he shared an anecdote about taking venture capitalist David Sacks to his tailor and to a Loro Piana store.

In Friday's YouTube video, Palihapitiya said he once spent money on luxury possessions but later came to view them as a distraction from what he truly cared about: building and creating things.

He said that some status symbols, like owning a private jet, felt like a box-checking exercise.

"I used to think watches were really beautiful, mechanical, amazing things. I still do. And so I bought one, then I bought another one, then I bought another one," Palihapitiya said.

He then said he had to get them fixed because he wouldn't wear them all the time, and the insurance costs were spiraling.

"I thought to myself, what is this? This is so stupid. I can just tell the time with my iPhone," he added.

The backlash toward Palihapitiya's comments comes as the AI boom mints a new generation of founders and investors, bringing with it a heightened interest in status symbols for the tech elite.

His declaration that possessions are "worthless" also comes as the luxury market slows after a post-pandemic boom.

"All the trappings of success used to be reserved for the most successful people. Now, when you look, all the trappings of success are an Instagram with a bunch of mids," he said, using internet slang for mediocre people.

• Jim Paulsen is eyeing a market decline of as much as 20% in the coming months.
• The Wall Street veteran pointed to signals that stocks are headed for a "consolidation."
• The market looks "extended," he said, advising investors to play defense with their portfolios.

The warnings are stacking up for the US stock market, according Jim Paulsen, a Wall Street veteran and the former chief strategist at The Leuthold Group.

The longtime stock strategist has a new word of caution for stock investors, despite the market's winning streak in the second quarter. In a recent note, he pointed to several warning signs he sees brewing, all of which point to the S&P 500 seeing a sizable correction in the coming months.

Paulsen, who has frequently flagged warning signals in the market in recent months, said he's eyeing a stock correction of as much as 20% in the near future, though he noted the AI trade could rally much further before stocks take a dip.

"I'm getting concerned because several indicators now suggest the stock market is substantially extended and could require some period of consolidation," Paulsen said. "My guess is any pullback may prove to be a larger 10% to 20% correction making it worthwhile to adjust portfolios a bit more conservatively for the coming months."

Here are the warning signs Paulsen is flagging:

1. Economic policies have turned contractionary

Markets are flashing a handful of signs that economic policy is becoming more restrictive, which could hurt stocks.

Rates have headed deeper into restrictive territory amid inflationary fears from the Iran war. The 10-year US Treasury yield ticked higher to 4.49% on Monday, edging closer to the key 4.5% mark.

The government is also spending less relative to overall GDP, a sign that fiscal support is fading from the economic picture. The federal budget deficit amounted to 5.7% of GDP last year, down from a peak of 14.4% during the pandemic, according to data from the US Office of Management and Budget.

2. Oil prices have peaked

Stocks have historically struggled after oil prices hit a peak. In every instance oil has peaked over the last 50 years, the S&P 500 began to tumble shortly after crude began to fall, despite a small lag time, Paulsen said, citing his analysis of market data since 1970.

"Once oil prices finally peak, 'pressures' on both the economy and the stock market often are just heating up," Paulsen said. "After obsessing about how rising oil prices would derail the bull market ever since the cannons sounded, most investors relax and become much more optimistic once oil prices peak — a telltale contrarian sign," he added.

3. Americans are feeling worse than the market is reflecting

The S&P 500 has remained close to record-highs, but consumers are feeling worse about the economy, breaking a long-running relationship between stocks and sentiment on Main Street.

Paulsen pointed to the divergence between the benchmark index and consumer sentiment readings, with the University of Michigan's measure dropping to an all-time low in May.

"Just another sign that perhaps the stock market's recent run may be getting a bit extreme," Paulsen said.

4. The stock market and the economy are diverging

The stock market looks to be running ahead of the US economy, largely due to growth in what Paulsen has dubbed "New Era" stocks, or technology and growth stocks.

Information technology stocks in the S&P 500 are up 33% this year, outstripping the 10% gain in the broader index, according to State Street Investment Management.

Real GDP growth attributable to investment spending on new-era companies has also risen to 8% year-over-year, compared to the broader 1.1% average yearly growth across the rest of the economy, Paulsen noted.

"Perhaps this massive bifurcation of success both within the economy and the stock market will continue as it has in recent quarters. However, it's gotten so extreme in such a short time frame, I question how much longer this division can sustain before something has to change," Paulsen said.

5. Investors are extremely bullish

Investors optimism has soared, often a contrarian indicator that hints that the next move in the market could be down.

The percentage of investors' portfolios allocated to stocks is currently hovering around levels seen before the dot-com bubble burst, according to survey data from the American Association of Independent Investors.

"Since 1988, whenever the allocation of stocks less cash nears or exceeds 50% of the portfolio, the stock market has often struggled," Paulsen said. "Currently this measure is at almost 55%."

6. Liquidity is falling

Liquidity, another factor closely correlated with stock prices in recent decades, has been falling, another potential warning sign for stocks. The percentage of US corporate and household cash relative to GDP has plummeted in recent years, though the S&P 500 has continued to push higher.

"The stock market usually declined once cash stopped outpacing GDP growth," Paulsen said, pointing to the stock declines in 2008, 2020, and 2022 as liquidity contracted. "The divergence between the stock market and liquidity levels in the economy are getting more extreme and concerning."

• I left my job in California and retired abroad to a small town in Mexico at 50 years old.
• At first, I struggled with losing the identity I'd tied to my career and not having structure.
• In time, I've built a life I love and found fulfillment in creative pursuits and reinvention.

I was standing in the security line at San Francisco International Airport when a sudden panic seized me.

I was 50 years old. I'd just quit my job as a hospital pharmacist, packed my life into two suitcases, and was on my way to Ajijic, Mexico, where I didn't know anyone.

For months leading up to that moment, I'd been excited to retire abroad early and pursue writing, something I'd wanted since grade school.

But as I waited in that line, one frightening question kept repeating in my head: Was I making the biggest mistake of my life?

At first, I struggled with losing my identity and having freedom without structure

Before the move, my career was a huge part of my life. I'd spent years publishing research articles, speaking at international conferences, and acquiring multiple pharmacy specialty licenses.

Without that role, my sense of identity faded. Although I'd planned and saved, even losing a steady paycheck felt more like grief than freedom.

As I wandered through the cobblestone streets of Ajijic, listening to Spanish conversations all around me, I felt untethered.

I had to remind myself that I'd left that job because it no longer fit the life I wanted. Still, it took months to detach from my old life and begin cultivating a new identity.

One day, I was making breakfast at noon in the kitchen, unsure what to do next. I thought about my old work life: ICU rounds, medication management, and progress notes. My hours had a purpose then.

Now, each day blurred into the next.

I tried to recreate my old routine, but there was no hot yoga studio in town. Even grocery shopping looked different. Here, it meant going to several small specialty shops instead of one big supermarket.

I used to arrive early at work to write before my shift started, scribbling notes in checkout lines and waiting rooms. Now I had all the time in the world, yet every time I sat down to write, my thoughts scattered.

Finally, I realized why I'd felt lost: I wasn't homesick for a place, but for structure. I decided I'd create it myself.

I filled my calendar with deadlines for writing competitions and essay submissions. I started writing a new novel, reconnected with the beta readers from my last one, and promised to post new chapters to stay accountable.

I began hiking the nearby mountains and joined a boxing gym to stay active. I also volunteered remotely with my alma mater's pharmacy school to review students' clinical skills exam recordings.

Gradually, my days settled into a steady rhythm of creativity and purpose.

In time, I learned to stop resisting a slower life

Life in Ajijic moves at a slow pace. The small shops close for midday siesta. "Tomorrow" can mean next week. Once, a handyman said he'd come at 9 a.m. to fix my water heater. He showed up at 2 p.m., smiling as if he were right on time.

Here, conversations linger. People pause to chat rather than rushing through transactions. After years of treating punctuality as a sign of respect and productivity as a virtue, I found this unhurried attitude frustrating at first.

Over time, the town softened me. I learned to breathe deeply, to laugh when plans fell apart, and to wait in long lines with patience.

Now, whenever I travel back to San Francisco, the angry bursts of honking and the hurried pace feel jarring. Ajijic has changed me from the inside out, one slow beat at a time.

Little by little, through writing, new friendships, and a fascination with Mexican culture, a new life started to take root.

Ultimately, redefining 'success' has helped me find peace in early retirement

For a long time, I believed success lived on a résumé: titles, accomplishments, and salary. When all that disappeared, I was forced to reevaluate what success meant in retirement.

Over the past three years, I've discovered a new version of success that includes health, peace, and creativity. To me, success is no longer a measure of worth but an alignment between how I live and what I value.

Between the crowing of roosters and the splendid sunset over Lake Chapala, I fill my days with what nourishes me. Since moving here, I've written several novels and published essays about my second act in Mexico.

My creative energy even extends to stage acting and improv, performing before live audiences, and rediscovering the joy of making people laugh.

Early retirement abroad isn't about sitting on the porch and watching clouds drift by. It's a journey of reinvention: shedding old definitions of success and pursuing what truly matters.

And I realize now that feeling disoriented and lost is part of reinvention and often the first sign of change.

Three years ago, standing in that airport security line, I thought I had thrown away a perfect life. Now I realize I was walking toward a different version of success.

• Lovable's CEO says Europe's AI problem isn't talent — it's believing it can rival Silicon Valley.
• The startup's rapid growth challenges the idea that founders need to move to Silicon Valley to succeed.
• He said Europe's next challenge is building the infrastructure to match its AI talent.

European AI startups don't have a talent problem. They have a confidence problem.

That's the point Anton Osika, the CEO of AI startup Lovable, made in a post on X over the weekend as the debate continues over whether Europe can produce AI companies capable of competing with Silicon Valley's biggest players.

"The talent was never the problem," he wrote. "The belief that you could build from here was."

"Since we started, I was repeatedly told that if you want to build a serious AI company, move to San Francisco," he said. "We chose Europe, and have never looked back."

The comments reinforce a message Osika has long championed: founders don't need to move to Silicon Valley to build successful AI companies.

Lovable has emerged as one of Europe's fastest-growing startups, surpassing $500 million in annual recurring revenue this month.

Osika said millions of people have used its vibe-coding platform to turn ideas into products and businesses, with many of those users based in Europe. The US remains its largest market, however.

'The talent and demand is here'

Osika said that some of the best engineers he knows are now moving back to Europe to do their most important work.

Recent data suggests that this trend is underway. Analysis by workforce intelligence firm Revelio Labs, which uses public immigration data, found that more tech workers were moving from the US to Europe than from Europe to the US by the end of 2024, reversing a long-standing pattern of tech migration.

That includes Patrik Torstensson, a former Meta engineering director who joined Lovable earlier this year after leaving the tech giant's California office in July 2025 and its London office in April.

The shift comes as some foreign workers face a more challenging path to building careers in the US amid stricter immigration enforcement and increased scrutiny of work visas.

For Europe to capitalize on that momentum, Osika said that one piece is still missing.

"The talent and demand is here," he wrote. "We just need regional infrastructure to match it," he said, referring to Europe's need for more local AI infrastructure.

• I have traveled across the United States several times on various Amtrak trains.
• My experiences have been overwhelmingly positive, but I've run into some issues.
• Now, when I board a train, I prepare for unexpected delays, crowded cars, and spotty cell reception.

Over the past few years, I've done a lot of train travel.

I've crisscrossed the US several times on Amtrak trains from San Francisco to Chicago; Denver to California; Los Angeles to New Orleans; New York to Chicago; Chicago to Washington, DC; New York to Boston; and Chicago to Portland, Oregon.

Although my long-haul journeys have been positive overall, things can always go wrong.

Here are some of the biggest mishaps I've encountered on Amtrak rides so far, along with how I try to prepare for them in advance.

Before I board the train, I prepare for spotty signals and limited cell reception.

Amtrak travels through some remote areas of the US, including the Rocky Mountains and the northern plains.

These parts of the country don't always have great cell reception. Though some of Amtrak's routes and trains advertise WiFi access, reception may still be spotty.

If I know I'll be riding through more rural areas, I always tell people not to worry if I don't reply immediately. I also download any books or movies I want access to on the train before I board.

Delays of any size can wreak havoc on travel plans, so I plan my schedule to account for them.

Between freight traffic and track maintenance, delays can feel pretty common when you travel on trains. I've frequently experienced delays of up to three hours on long-distance Amtrak journeys.

I also have friends who've been delayed by up to seven hours on a ride. So, whenever any sort of delay is announced, I'm always prepared for the worst.

I never plan anything time-sensitive for the day I arrive, and I always bring a book or something that can keep me occupied if the journey is longer than expected.

I pack my own food so I don't have to rely on the onboard options.

Amtrak has stepped up its onboard food game quite a bit in the past few years. Even if you don't spring for access to the dining car, the café car usually offers basics like coffee, crudités, and noodle bowls.

Still, the options are often limited, and eating the same things for three days straight on long-haul journeys can get boring. The café can also run out of items and isn't open 24/7.

Packing my snacks and meals saves me money and ensures I always have access to something I want to eat.

I prepare for crowded coach cars, which can be difficult to sleep in.

Amtrak's sleeper cars are not in my budget. I usually book a regular coach seat, even if the journey is scheduled to take over 20 hours.

I don't typically get to choose my seat on Amtrak, but whenever I do, I'm savvy about it. A spot far from the bathroom or families with noisy kids is ideal — bonus points if there's no one else in the row.

If I board and the coach cars are already crowded, there's not much I can do other than hope people get off before me.

To prepare, I also like to bring a travel pillow, a sleeping mask, and earplugs, which make sleeping upright on a long journey a little easier.

Train tickets can get pricey, so I stay on top of discounts and deals.

Traveling by train, particularly on longer routes, isn't always cheaper than flying.

To get the best deals, I look out for Amtrak sales by signing up for promotional email lists. I've landed discounts of up to 30% at certain times of the year.

I also have a free Amtrak rewards account that I use to earn points toward future tickets.

This story was originally published on November 2, 2024, and most recently updated on April 29, 2025.

• Ryanair announced a new contract with outspoken CEO Michael O'Leary.
• It includes a potential bonus in the form of share options that could be worth $175 million.
• O'Leary would need to meet ambitious profit targets to get the share purchase options.

Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary is in line for a huge windfall.

On Friday, the budget airline announced it had agreed on a new contract to keep O'Leary in the role until 2032. In addition to "a modest annual salary and a capped annual bonus," there's also a bonus tied to share purchase options.

If the company meets ambitious goals, O'Leary could be allowed to purchase 10 million shares at 26.70 euros, or about $30.60.

Ryanair said this was "the prevailing market share price" before declining due to the war in Iran.

O'Leary's big payout depends on either the company's full-year profit growing over 4 billion euros ($4.58 billion) — a 77% increase — or on its share price exceeding 42 euros for 28 consecutive days.

So, if he were able to buy those shares worth 42 euros each, at the strike price of 26.7 euros, he would be benefiting by 153 million euros, or about $175 million.

In his former contract, O'Leary had a similar incentive, which required him to increase Ryanair's share price from around 11 euros to 21 euros, at which point he was eligible to buy share options worth over 111 million euros, or $130 million.

O'Leary, who has led the Irish budget airline since 1994, already owns a 4.1% stake in Ryanair, worth more than $1 billion, according to its 2025 annual report.

In his three decades in charge, he has helped Ryanair become Europe's biggest carrier by passenger numbers. He also often makes headlines for being outspoken, helping promote Ryanair's low fares and no-frills offering.

In a 2024 interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Ryanair boss defended his potential payout in his typically candid way: "If premiership footballers are earning fucking 20 million a year and [Kylian] Mbappé is being paid 130 million to go play football for fucking Real Madrid, then I think my contract is very good value for Ryanair shareholders."

• As someone who's visited all 63 major US national parks solo, I always carry a few items with me.
• I stay safe by packing bear spray, a first-aid kit, and plenty of sun protection.
• Offline maps help me navigate parks where cell service is unavailable.

After spending a decade visiting all 63 major US national parks solo, I've found that it doesn't take a lot of gear to get out into the wild and enjoy the experience.

Still, there are a few practical items that are definitely worth bringing along before heading into a park.

These items are best suited for visits to parks that can be enjoyed without long hikes or backpacking, but no matter the trip, it's always important to plan and be prepared.

Here are 10 items I never enter national parks without.

An America the Beautiful Pass is helpful when planning visits to multiple parks.

When visiting multiple parks, an America the Beautiful Pass is incredibly useful.

For $80 a year, passholders can access over 2,000 federal recreation sites — including the 63 major national parks — without any extra entrance fees.

Some larger parks charge $35 for a pass that's valid for up to seven days, so this is a huge money saver when visiting three or more parks in a year.

It's important to always have a full water bottle.

This may seem self-explanatory, but I see plenty of people out on the trails without any water.

Although some parks do have water refilling stations scattered throughout the grounds and near popular attractions, this isn't always the case, so I make sure to bring a full bottle to last me throughout the day.

Offline maps come in handy when there's no cell service in the parks.

Cell phone service can be unpredictable and varies from park to park, so it's important to be prepared to explore without internet connection.

I love using the AllTrails app to find and navigate trails. I make sure to download the maps while I still have a data connection, so once I'm in the park, I can use those maps offline.

I always bring a spacious backpack to carry gear.

Instead of trying to fit everything into a small crossbody bag, I prefer using a large backpack to store all of my gear.

Being prepared usually means having more than I think I'll need, and a backpack is a great way to carry all my essentials.

Depending on the park, bear spray is recommended.

When traveling in bear country, I always bring bear spray with me. It's not allowed in every national park, but it's essential in places like Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and all the Alaskan parks.

Since flying with it isn't typically permitted, plan to buy, rent, or use the spray that's sometimes provided by local lodgings.

I recommend learning how to use it beforehand and keeping it within easy reach for peace of mind.

I never visit a national park without sun protection.

The sun can be surprisingly intense at higher elevations, and it doesn't take long to feel the effects.

Protecting my skin and eyes isn't just about safety — it makes the entire day more comfortable and enjoyable.

I never head out without sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and a good pair of sunglasses.

First-aid kits are good to have on hand.

Another item that I always carry with me is a first-aid kit. I personally haven't used much from mine, but it's come in handy when helping fellow hikers or visitors in need.

My kit includes traditional first-aid items, along with bug spray, electrolytes, and a space blanket — a lightweight, heat-reflective sheet designed to retain body warmth in emergencies.

I like to bring multiple layers of clothing with me.

The weather can change quickly in the mountains, desert, and forests. Plus, changes in time of day or elevation can significantly impact temperature.

That's why it's essential to dress in layers that can be added or removed to stay comfortable.

I always carry a rain jacket, a warm hat, long sleeves, extra socks, and a flannel in my bag.

A tripod is perfect for capturing photos.

I travel solo, so a tripod is a must for taking photos. However, even when traveling with others, a tripod makes it much easier to get great travel photos that include everyone.

Snacks are important for maintaining energy.

Snacks are essential for any activity, and visiting a national park is no exception.

Although some parks have concessions with snacks for purchase, they're not always available. And many times, the nearest store is far from the remote parks.

I love to bring nuts, granola bars, dried fruit, beef jerky, candy, and an apple on my hikes.

This story was originally published on November 18, 2025, and most recently updated on June 22, 2026.

• Prudential Financial's chief brand and marketing officer, Richard Parkinson, discusses PGIM's innovative claymation ad campaign.
• The 'Keep Asking' campaign uses claymation to connect with PGIM's problem-solving customers.
• Parkinson notes AI's role in marketing and the challenge of effectively training young talent.

Prudential's recent campaign for its asset management arm, PGIM, broke conventional advertising norms, according to Richard Parkinson, the company's chief brand and marketing officer.

Called "Keep Asking," it features a claymation world where people ask questions about various topics, including investments. Parkinson said they came up with the idea for the campaign after research found that PGIM's customers are problem solvers. That insight led to the "keep asking" theme and the prominent hand raise in the campaign — the universal sign for asking a question.

Internally, Parkinson said, people were a bit scared to do such a campaign because it was different. "Everybody's a bit, 'Gosh, this is different. Can we be that different?' And yes, of course we can be different," he said. "We have the right to be different."

Parkinson told Business Insider about the strategy behind the campaign, its reception, and how he's thinking about marketing in the age of AI.

The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

About a month ago, we launched a new campaign for PGIM, our asset management arm, which broke conventional norms in terms of advertising because it was based in an animated claymation world.

It was designed to stand out in a marketplace that loves windmills, roads, and skyscrapers. You've only got four seconds to make an impact with a brand that not many people know about. So we decided to go down that route to give it an edge and make it differentiated in the marketplace.

The strategy behind the creative actually was around getting into the minds of our customers and what really enabled them to think about us. And what we discovered was that they are problem solvers. They are people who like the puzzle, who like the challenge, which led to our campaign around "keep asking."

We noticed in the process that one of our competitors came out with a campaign that was going to look very similar to ours. So we did a pivot. We actually thought, "Well, what is the universal symbol for asking a question?" That is the hand raise — so we use that in our animated claymation world, and you will now see that goes across all of our campaigns for PGIM and around "keep asking."

It's interesting in terms of impact. I think actually, internally, everybody's a bit scared. Everybody's a bit, "Gosh, this is different. Can we be that different?" And yes, of course, we can be different. We have the right to be different. And so I think there's a bit of nervousness in terms of the impact internally. And that's OK.

Externally, we're starting to see that people are noticing it across our social channels. We've got a bit of a way to go to find out what the impact is in broadcast, but certainly on socials, it's getting noticed. We are seeing the difference, and people are engaging with it more than our previous campaigns.

Younger marketers don't need AI training; they need to hone critical thinking skills

Artificial intelligence is really changing the game of what we do and how we do it. It gets us to about 70-80% of the work we need to do, and that's great. And like every company, we are using it in all stages of the workflow.

What really concerns me is how we train our young people coming into the organization, because a lot of the work that AI is doing used to be the work that we used to train people on. I'm really optimistic because young people coming into the company and into any organization can probably train us — and particularly me — a lot quicker than before. I think they'll be experts in the tools.

We need to train our younger people on critical thinking, on judgment, on decision-making, most importantly, because AI could produce a lot of sameness in terms of advertising. And there could be a lot of junk out there if we're not careful.

Actually, we need to train our people on taste. How do we go about that? I'm not entirely sure yet, but we're having a good go at it because taste is going to win out over generic AI marketing.

Leading marketing today is exhilarating and exhausting

The toughest part of being a CMO right now is the pace of change, not only within marketing, but actually within business. Generally, businesses are trying to navigate the political, the social, and the economic environment. Marketing has to respond to that and sometimes lead the charge.

To be leading the charge on a lot of these issues, I think it is sometimes exhilarating but also exhausting. And I think that to help the businesses along, that's what's really interesting, but also challenging at the same time.

• A majority of Robot.com's business has been focused on campus delivery robots.
• The startup told Business Insider that it will be expanding to include wheeled humanoids.
• CEO Felipe Chavez said the startup partnered with Physical Intelligence to develop custom AI models.

Delivery robot startup Robot.com is expanding into workplace humanoids, targeting industrial, food services, and logistics customers with a new robot designed to complete repetitive tasks.

The San Francisco-based startup, formerly known as Kiwibot, told Business Insider it will launch R-noid, a humanoid robot on wheels that can package orders, load and unload boxes, and prep workstations. The startup is working with Physical Intelligence, one of its AI lab partners, to develop custom foundation models for R-noid.

CEO Felipe Chavez said in an interview that the robot is part of a nearly two-year-long process to expand beyond campus-delivery robots and into commercial labor automation across multiple industries, from food service to logistics and healthcare.

"We already have a foot in the door with our delivery robots," he said. "It made sense to also offer manipulation solutions."

Chavez said that the company has commercially deployed fewer than 40 R-noids across about a dozen customers. One deployment the CEO disclosed was at Harbor Links Golf Course in New York, where Chavez said an R-noid is helping load food into delivery robots and supporting staff with order-packing.

The company is positioning the R-noid as a practical workplace robot rather than a do-it-all personal assistant aimed at factories, homes, and other environments.

Robot.com said the initial use-case categories will include: restaurant assistant, packer, picker, folder, and host. Chavez said the number of tasks the R-noid can complete will increase over time.

The CEO said his company has the operational know-how to deploy humanoids from its delivery robot business. He previously shared that Robot.com has 500 robots deployed, most of them delivery robots, and has completed more than 2.5 million tasks.

"We have built operations, maintenance, remote operations, remote service desk, data infrastructure, and business development infrastructure," Chavez said. "We already know what it takes to deploy robots."

The AI partnership behind R-noid

One key partnership Robot.com has secured is with Physical Intelligence, a closely-watched AI startup focused on building foundation models for robots of different form factors — in other words, the brain behind the robot.

"We have been working with them since last year, developing custom models for the robots that we're deploying with customers," Chavez said, adding that Physical Intelligence is one of the AI labs Robot.com has partnered with.

The startup is not alone in betting on wheeled robots: Diligent Robotics has deployed its wheeled Mix robot in hospitals, while newer companies such as Sunday Robotics and Genesis AI are now demonstrating wheeled bots.

Robot.com said that its robot can be deployed within eight to 12 weeks. Chavez said that weekslong process entails visiting a customer's facility to identify what tasks could be automated. Then the company collects hours of robot data to fine-tune the model, or robot brain, before the R-noid can be deployed on-site.

The CEO said the amount of data can depend on the complexity of the tasks. Some tasks, he said, could entail collecting 50 hours of data before a robot is deployed.

Teleoperations and remote support are also key parts of the deployment strategy, Chavez said, adding that the startup expects about 70% autonomy during initial deployment.

Long-term, Chavez said customers can expect to save on labor costs with its robots, but the near-term goal is to prepare businesses for robotics to improve worker satisfaction.

"One of our motives is robots today, not someday," he said.

• Feliz Hebert and her husband moved to Somers, Connecticut, to be closer to their kids and grandkids.
• But with few friends around and her family focused on their own lives, she came to regret the move.
• She and her husband moved back to their old town, Cape Cod, and are happier.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Feliz Hebert, 69, who moved to Somers, Connecticut, to be closer to family, then ultimately moved back to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2006, my husband and I moved back to Massachusetts after living in Florida for a while. I had grown up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and had also raised my children there, but we decided to settle on Cape Cod instead.

We lived on Cape Cod for 12 years and built a life we loved. We made close friends, got into routines like going to the gym and golfing, and my sister lived nearby. At the time, we really thought we would stay there.

But when I retired in 2021, I started to worry about whether we could keep up with the cost of living on Cape Cod. We didn't have an extravagant lifestyle, but it's an expensive place. We were also getting older, and I wanted to be closer to my children and grandchildren, who live in Hampden, Massachusetts.

That year, we sold our home and moved to Somers, Connecticut. We thought it would be a good fit because it was only about 13 minutes from Hampden and 30 minutes from Springfield. We already knew people there and were familiar with the area.

But the move didn't turn out the way we had planned. Our kids and grandkids had their own lives, and while I thought I'd be able to slide right back into my old friendships, those friends had moved on, too. And when it came down to it, while the cost of living was a little lower in some ways, the difference wasn't huge.

I didn't have the same social life in a small town

Within the first month of living in Somers, I realized it wasn't for me. I felt regret — almost like buyer's remorse. But I wanted to give it a fair shot.

Somers is a very small town. There's one main street, a bank, two gas stations, a church, and a town hall. There is no pharmacy in town, so you have to go to a nearby town, Enfield, which has a wide variety of retail stores and restaurants.

Over the four years we lived there, I had a difficult time adjusting. I missed my social life. My husband is the type of person who could stay home 24/7, but I like to go places and do activities. There just wasn't much for me to do in Somers, and life started to feel monotonous.

Over time, I also realized that being closer in distance to family didn't necessarily mean we would spend more time with them.

We would go over to our kids' houses on Sundays, but often, they were catching up on errands, grocery shopping, cleaning, and everything else they didn't have time for during the week. They did nothing wrong — it just wasn't the quality time we had hoped for.

For a while, I tried to push those feelings down, but that didn't work. Eventually, I talked to someone who had gone through something similar, and she told me, "I know exactly how you feel." Just saying it out loud made a big difference.

So little by little, I started sending Zillow listings to my husband. Finally, he asked, "Do you want to list the house?" And I said yes.

Moving back to Cape Cod was expensive but worth it

In 2025, we sold our 2,100-square-foot home in Somers, which we had bought for $362,000, and moved back to Cape Cod.

Our new place is a 1,500-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom midcentury modern home that cost $727,000. It's about 500 square feet smaller than our home in Somers, but that's fine with us.

The price was definitely a shock, but we had made almost $300,000 from the sale of our Somers home in a relatively short period, which was amazing.

Even though we still think about the cost of living on Cape Cod, our day-to-day life here feels much fuller, and I have never been happier.

There's something to do almost every day, unlike in Connecticut. There are all kinds of free events here, and there's a real sense of community. I recently did a beach cleanup with a group of people I didn't know, but we all came together for the same purpose.

My husband and I are also back at the golf courses we used to play on, and we golf three times a week. We also go to the gym twice a week. When we first got back, people at the gym were saying, "Oh my God, it's so good to see you. Where have you been?"

Quality of life matters at every age

Our kids were a little sad when we moved, but they understood. We sat down with them and explained that the decision had nothing to do with them. We were honest, and they understood where we were coming from.

Now that we're back in Massachusetts, they come to visit us. The quality of the time we spend with them on Cape Cod compared to Somers is night and day. When they're here, they're coming to see us. It's not like we're going to their house while they're caught up in their day-to-day routines and trying to fit us in.

Coming to us also gives them a break. They both work — our daughter-in-law is a stay-at-home mom, which is a full-time job, too. Here, they can get out of their normal environment, relax, and let someone else take care of them for a bit.

I believe your quality of life matters at every stage of life, and it makes a big difference.

If you're thinking about moving to be closer to your kids or grandkids because you want to be part of their lives, I would definitely talk to them first and see where you would fit in.

For me, moving back to Cape Cod came down to being happy, following my heart, and making my own life good.

It's like when you're on an airplane, and they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first before helping anyone else. That's how I see it.