• A version of this story originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.
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A few Fridays ago, I was feeling smug. I'd just sent another Tech Memo edition telling subscribers to stop worrying about AI eating tech jobs because Anthropic, the leading AI company pushing this narrative, is hiring so many engineers.

So clever! Until I got an email from a reader, Kiran Maya Sheikh. She has a computer science degree from the University of California, Irvine. It's a great school, and she graduated with an impressive GPA. And yet, she's struggling to land that all-important first full-time software engineering job.

"It's bad advice to 'not worry,'" she wrote. "AI is causing disruption in this job market. Employers are prioritizing hiring experienced workers, but not new graduates."

This week, I interviewed Kiran for Tech Memo. It was an eye-opening view into the realities of the new AI economy. Here are the highlights from our chat, edited for clarity and length.

Alistair: What did you think you were signing up for when you first chose computer science as a degree?

Kiran: After getting into UC Irvine in 2020, I took my first coding class and I really enjoyed it. The prospects at this time were that people were going into this major to get great jobs and it was very rewarding and I ended up liking the work.

What did you believe a career in computer science would give you financially, socially, and emotionally?

The dream at the time was definitely everyone was saying, "Let's go work for Google and the FAANG companies and get a six-figure salary." My motivation was just getting a stable job, getting enough money to take care of my family — what everyone wants. I expected that computer science would put me in a position to grow as a software engineer, first and foremost, and then maybe take me to more of the strategic side, the management side. The main thing that I did figure out was that I wanted financial stability and maybe financial independence as well.

Fast forward to late 2022, when ChatGPT launched. Did you see that as a tool at the time or a threat?

I was a hater at the beginning. Then, friends of mine started using ChatGPT and they're like, "Oh, you can just use it like Google. You can just text it and it'll give you the answer." And honestly, my first thought was like, "That's a bit lazy. You can get more learning out of doing the work yourself." But the more time went on, the more that people were using it, and they started using it for class. Suddenly, I was ahead in class. I was doing the assignments well and understanding more.

Was there a moment when you thought generative AI might reduce the need for junior engineers, or do you even believe that?

We all know the current job market. It's not too hot and a lot of companies are citing AI as part of the reason for layoffs — but maybe that they were going to cut those jobs anyway. At the time though, while I was in school and using ChatGPT, I honestly didn't think it would get this far. I expected AI would be integrated into software engineers' work and companies would start integrating it, but I didn't realize there would be potential for it to take over jobs that I was looking for.

I don't think I was very attentive to the job market situation at the time, and I wasn't really thinking that far ahead. More of my worries at the time were just getting that first entry-level position. And I just thought it would be simple: I just get my degree and I would find a company that's hiring. Looking back, it was my mistake to not really research the current job market and maybe what some people were predicting about AI.

I didn't see it coming either. Few people did. Anyway, describe the moment when you realized the job market had changed?

I was already graduating, so this was after June 2025. I was getting into the reality of having to find my first job, and that's when I definitely started noticing something was wrong. A lot of my classmates, I haven't really heard of them getting any opportunities. Everyone's submitting so many resumes and there's a race to use AI to enhance resumes and send them out as fast as you can. And it seemed a lot more intense than I was prepared for.

A lot of my classmates and even students I know who are still in school are not even landing internships right now. It's not looking great. It's a very tough battle right now. So many people are quitting or getting fired or pivoting and there's new grads. Everyone is bracing, and it's a bloodbath right now.

Do you feel like you're competing against AI or laid-off senior engineers or both, or something else?

My fight is definitely with AI and all the competition with entry-level graduates — especially because AI is known to take over more junior roles. So it's important that we stay more relevant and offer something that AI can't. Scrolling through LinkedIn and on my job portals, I see more offers for mid-level positions, but I don't see as many for entry-level roles. So it's like I'm fighting AI and all these other graduates for roles that don't exist yet.

This job search so far, what has it done to your confidence?

I try to be optimistic. I am lucky to have a better situation than some other people do. I'm living at home with family, so I don't have to worry as much about expenses. Still, if I weren't doing anything about my situation, I would feel pretty bummed. I'd feel kind of trapped.

But I've been trying to work on building my network, finding people I know and learning from other people, just finding communities to be involved with. That's really helped my confidence because I find professionals that are trying to help — they are aware of the job market and they know how hard it is to get that first job. The one saving grace in this tough situation is definitely the community I've found and the people I know who are helping me through it.

Did you ever question your decision to study computer science?

Yes, I did question it. But I remember that I do like computer science and I did like what I learned. I really enjoyed my classes and programming. And instead of turning to a new discipline, I think I prefer to just specialize and find out new information and stay ahead of the news. And like I said, offer something that AI can't.

Do you feel like you were trained for a version of the tech industry that no longer exists?

I am a little salty, about this, if that's the right word. During my time at school, a lot of what the degree was about was learning the basics of software engineering. You learn programming languages and you learn how to set up your development and deployment. But right now there are so many more tools and I think that's the constant thing with the software engineering and the tech industry. There's always new technology and there's a lot of learning you have to keep up with.

But with AI in particular, I felt like I graduated a bit too early. Because now AI will probably be more integrated into learning. I had so many professors that were more welcoming towards AI. I remember a really cool professor who shared a website that would let you make your own LLM. And it's really useful stuff, but it wasn't part of the curriculum. It will be now, but I won't be there to see that change.

What I'm doing to help with that, and make the amends, is volunteering and doing more work on the side that involves newer technologies to just stay fresh and relevant and use all these new AI tools and see how I can leverage it.

If a high school senior asked you today whether they should major in computer science, what would you tell them?

It depends on what interests them about computer science. If it's absolutely something they're interested, they love learning about the technology and they want to code, I would still say go for it, but I would recommend how to position yourself for after college.

You need to start much earlier now, networking and knowing how to speak with people and how to apply, how to write a resume. And those all are also much more important now at the start of college, especially getting internships, if at all possible.

So, I would definitely recommend studying computer science, but being realistic about the opportunities available and keeping up with the news and the job market.

What would you say to potential employers out there?

The focus should still be in hiring entry-level talent if possible. I know it's tough with the current market and the economy and what's going on in the world right now. But entry-level talent is still important because you need to build this generation of professionals so that the future will have people to rely on. AI is still uncertain right now. People are still figuring out how it is impactful and it doesn't help to just force it upon your company.

Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.

• My husband and I sold our house in the US and moved our four-person family to a suburb in Spain.
• We made some mistakes, like not translating important documents and canceling our US phone numbers.
• Errors aside, I'm thrilled to be building a life for my family in Spain.

When my husband and I decided to move our four-person family from the US to Spain, we had roughly two semesters of college Spanish between us and zero experience living abroad.

We didn't let that stop us, though. Beginning in March 2025, we researched obsessively, read books, made spreadsheets, and put together lists of pros and cons. The more research we did, the more confident we became that Spain was the correct place for our family.

Five months later, we packed up our lives and moved our 6- and 9-year-old sons from Northford, Connecticut, to Las Rozas de Madrid, a suburb northwest of the Spanish capital.

Despite our extensive preparation, lessons awaited us. After all, there's so much to consider while moving abroad (especially with kids), and slipups are unavoidable.

That said, here are five mistakes I wish I'd avoided when my family moved.

I wish I'd started building my community abroad before we left

Between selling our home in Connecticut, finding a place to live in Spain, and figuring out where our sons would enroll in school, I deprioritized my new social life.

I assumed we'd naturally meet people once we got here, and we eventually did. But those first few months were lonely.

We arrived in August, a month before my sons' school year started, and many locals were still away on summer trips. Once school started, it became easier to connect with other families. I also joined a few WhatsApp groups recommended to me by other expats.

I'm still very much in the early stages of building a network here. If I were doing the move over, I'd join related regional and professional groups, connect with families in our area, and start building relationships before I even left the US.

Having even one friend waiting for me in Spain would've made a huge difference.

My husband and I didn't ask the right questions about our sons' school curricula

My husband and I planned to start our boys in an international school to ease their transition into a new country and language, with the goal of eventually moving them into a local Spanish school once they were fluent.

We selected an international private school that follows an International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum with Spanish language support. It seemed like the perfect fit — until we realized we hadn't asked the right questions.

We failed to realize that our boys, who didn't arrive speaking Spanish, would be learning alongside native speakers rather than building introductory skills.

They're getting an incredible education in Spain, but it's not the foundational language curriculum we expected. We now supplement school with online Spanish tutoring twice a week to fill the gap.

To other parents moving their school-age kids abroad to Spain, I'd recommend asking specifically about language use and requesting sample lesson plans before enrolling to see what language support looks like in practice.

Translating important documents into the local language would've been extremely helpful

Four months after moving, I had to undergo emergency surgery. I felt completely unprepared as I relied on Google Translate and my husband's elementary Spanish language skills to communicate with staff.

We got through it, but "getting through it" isn't the same as feeling safe, understood, and informed.

The scariest moment in the ER was right before I went under anesthesia. I was crying because I couldn't understand what the professionals were saying, couldn't communicate my allergies or medical history, and didn't know what was about to happen.

Luckily, the staff took good care of me, but the experience was harder and more frightening than it needed to be.

Before I left the US, I should have saved a translated medical profile with my allergies, medications, and past surgeries on my phone.

I also should've researched how to access medical translation services, so that if something unexpected happens, I wouldn't have to figure it out in the middle of a crisis.

We didn't know that we couldn't rent a car without a special driving permit

Las Rozas de Madrid is well-connected, so my family doesn't own a car here. When we went to rent one for a holiday trip to Cádiz, we assumed we could do so using our US driver's licenses, but we were wrong.

Without an International Driving Permit, renting a car was off the table. We made the best of the situation, but we were restricted in what we could see and do in Cádiz.

I regret not getting an International Driving Permit before leaving the US. It's easy and costs $20.

Canceling our US numbers created a logistical nightmare

My husband and I both canceled our US phone numbers when we left the country, thinking we'd just use Spanish numbers instead. It was a big mistake.

Accessing our US banks and some key services required us to complete text verifications with our US numbers. So, we've gotten locked out of accounts, struggled with two-factor authentication, and spent hours on international calls trying to fix it.

Rather than canceling my number, I wish I'd ported it, which would've let me move it to an online service while keeping my number, to save us endless headaches.

Even with all the mistakes we've made, I'm glad my family made the move

Six months into our new life in Spain, one thing is certain: I'm so grateful for this journey.

Seeing my kids build new friendships, learn a new language, explore new places, try new foods, and gain confidence as their world expands has made every misstep worth it.

Now, we look back on them as part of our story.

• The Iran war has left investors looking for ways to hedge the spike in volatility.
• Jitania Kandhari of Morgan Stanley Investment Management thinks energy security is a big opportunity.
• She says her team is focused on renewable energy and critical metals as top ideas.

The US-Iran war continues to upend financial markets nearly two weeks after it began, and investors are seeking out safety trades amid the soaring volatility.

Jitania Kandhari, deputy CIO of the solutions and multi-asset group at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, said that there's a key opportunity emerging that investors should consider. Kandhari told Business Insider that energy security is the trade to watch during the conflict and beyond.

"I think every country will want to have a very secure energy supply, energy resources, less dependence globally, just like we saw in this whole resource security that underpins a lot of the global power dynamics," she said in an interview on Thursday.

The view has recently informed her team's investment strategy. Kandhari added that they have been focused on geopolitical hedges, such as defense and energy stocks primed to gain amid the conflict.

Yet, she also said that recently, the team has incrementally increased exposure to energy security and production. They see a shifting geopolitical landscape in which major economies are likely to rethink their energy needs and how they are secured.

"The one thing that we really think will emerge out of this is the whole energy supply chain," she said. "And what that means for renewables — governments putting in favorable policies, be it subsidies or tax benefits for energy self-sufficiency, in whatever way possible

Kandhari sees the most opportunity within this new boom in the energy security supply chain. She highlighted several critical metals as likely beneficiaries.

"From a structural basis, we have also been invested in some of these commodities, copper or Uranium, which is needed for nuclear facilities," she noted.

If countries increase their investments in energy security, Kandhari thinks they may double down on safety infrastructure. She added that this may create opportunities for companies in the defense and cybersecurity spaces, citing the likely need for guardrails as countries prioritize energy independence.

Finally, she sees renewable energy investments as one of the most effective ways for investors to capitalize on a new phase of the energy narrative, even as markets focus heavily on oil flows due to the conflict.

"Renewables is one way to play it," she said. "I think some countries may also invest, or enable and promote investments, in refining capacity. I think there are opportunities that we have to look at it country by country to see where all of this looks interesting."

• At the weekend reading retreat I attended, our intergenerational group bonded over more than books.
• We had thoughtful discussions, did a guided meditation, and went on a hike in the woods.
• I came home inspired by the other retreat members and our shared connection.

In my 30s, I joined a book club but soon dropped out. Between juggling work and family, the last thing I needed then was another deadline, even a read-for-fun one.

Flash forward decades: I'm in my 60s now, the kids have flown the nest, and I have more downtime and love all things outdoorsy.

So when a friend suggested All Booked, a luxe reading retreat for women in New York State's Catskill Mountains, I was excited to try book clubs again, especially this one-off weekend version.

When I signed up, I imagined lengthy chats surrounding the retreat's featured trending book: "Mother Mary Come to Me," a memoir by prize-winning author Arundhati Roy. We certainly had those.

But what made the literary getaway especially meaningful were the casual connections we shared as total strangers — eight women in our 20s to late 60s — about life, love, and living with intention.

The retreat's luxe cabin was the perfect place for book chats and a reset

Tucked among 12 wooded acres in Windham, New York, the weekend retreat's luxury log cabin was straight out of Airbnb central casting, complete with pine exposed beams, stone floors, and a dramatic great room with soaring vaulted ceilings and cozy reading nooks.

The first night, we met our host, Suzanne, a former New York City journalist who headed to the Catskills a few years ago and never left.

We introduced ourselves with a favorite book recommendation over an Indian-inspired dinner of delicata-squash salad and curry-marinated chicken, a nod to featured author Roy, who calls New Delhi home.

After changing into our PJs, we gathered on yoga mats in the cabin's loft for a guided meditation before padding off to our log beds.

Introductions continued the next morning over a breakfast of blueberry scones and homemade granola.

Among us were two 20-something bookstagrammers, each with her own daunting stack of extracurricular romantasy novels to speed-read.

Their tripods and ring lights triggered the multitasking question that seemed to trail many of us these days wherever we went: Should we turn an experience into shareable content or power down and just enjoy it, conceivably leaving likes, followers, and revenue (from somewhere) on the table?

Aside from planning to snap a few photos, I am Team Commune with Nature.

Our multigenerational group bonded over books, nature, and a lively debate

After a morning of quiet reading time, our group met at the Windham Path for an afternoon of forest bathing, which turned out to be a slow-motion hike led by Beth, our certified forest therapy guide.

Beth, who left a corporate job to embrace her calling as a forest therapist, invited us to wander off and "connect with a tree you are drawn to."

After appreciating the bark, treetops, and stillness, we reunited with a tea ceremony. Beth poured tiny cups of tea steeped from pine needles from an insulated kettle.

Before sipping the sour reddish liquid, we were instructed to pour some on the ground to give back and thank the forest for its sustenance.

During Saturday night's dinner, Suzanne moderated our discussion of "Mother Mary Comes to Me," about Roy's complicated relationship with her mother, Mary, which eventually led to this question for the group: Is it OK to go no-contact with your parents if they upset you?

The 20-somethings were Team No-Contact, while those of us in midlife and beyond disagreed because bad-parenting moments come with the territory, and well, family is family.

Our POV tracked with the memoir's theme: Roy remained stubbornly devoted to her mom despite their lifelong turbulent relationship.

The connection and community I found that weekend reminded me that life is full of possibilities

The next day, I came home intoxicated with pine-scented fresh air and nurtured by the experience.

Confession: In this chapter as an empty nester, I often feel nestless. It's almost like I'm back in my 20s, asking fundamental questions again, such as: What should I do now? Where should I live now that I don't have to be tied to a good school system?

However, spending the weekend with retreat members, including Suzanne and forest-bathing Beth, who've made bold midlife moves, reminded me that life is an open book, filled with exciting possibilities.

Meanwhile, I've been really noticing the trees during my daily walks, brushing up on my vlogging skills (inspired by the bookstagrammers' industriousness), and seeking out even more ways to meet new friends of all ages.

• Palantir CEO Alex Karp said even people in his industry don't appreciate how disruptive AI will be.
• Karp said that AI job losses will also alter the American political landscape.
• If the US isn't careful, he said, there will be an outpouring of hatred for "rich people in tech."

Palantir CEO Alex Karp says AI will upend society and that even people in tech underestimate "how disruptive these technologies are."

"If you are going to disrupt the economic and, therefore, political power significantly of one party's base, highly educated, often female voters who vote mostly Democrat, and military and working class people who do not feel supported, and you feel like that's, you believe that that's going to work out politically — you're in an insane asylum," Karp told CNBC on Thursday on the sidelines of AIPCon 9 in Maryland.

Karp said that, since AI will largely disrupt white-collar work, it will place greater value on vocational skills, upending the political paradigms of the Trump era.

"This technology disrupts humanites trained, largely Democratic voters, and makes their economic power less, and increases the power, economic power, vocationally trained, working class, often male voters, and, and, and so, these disruptions are going to disrupt every aspect of our society," he said.

Studies show that many white-collar fields are the most exposed to the initial wave of AI-related disruption. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that AI could wipe out up to half of all white-collar, entry-level jobs over the next 1 to 5 years.

Karp has long positioned himself and Palantir as champions of the working class, with a particular focus on the US military. He's declared the software company "completely anti-woke" and has pushed back against employees who have questioned the firm's contracts with US immigration authorities.

The US can justify pursuing such a disruptive technology as AI only if it is coupled with national security, Karp said.

"These technologies are dangerous societally," he said. "The only justification you could possibly have would be if we don't do it, our adversaries will do it, and we will be subject to their rule of law."

Later in the day, Karp sketched out what could happen in a world that doesn't come together in the face of AI. In particular, he called for wholesale changes to the US education system to better prioritize skills-based training.

"The problem, the danger is if we don't do these reforms, you are going to get the pitchforks, because then the only solution people are going to have is, well, let's go after the unlikeable, rich people in tech, especially AI tech," he said during a recent interview on TBPN.

While Palantir has not disclosed why, the firm recently relocated from Colorado, a state that has become more Democratic in recent years, to Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis has overseen an explosion in Republican support.

Karp contrasted the future of America with that of Germany, where he spent significant time pursuing a Ph.D at Goethe University in Frankfurt.

"There are a lot of people like you guys, young people building things that feel hampered and are correct to feel hampered," he said. "I think the American version, if we're not careful, is not going to be the German version. I think it's going to be, 'Hang the rich.'"

The 2026 men's NCAA conference tournaments are playing out just a week ahead of the start of March Madness. We've rounded up everything you need to know about where to watch the SEC Basketball Tournament, including live streaming options for every game.

The Florida Gators sit at No. 1 in the SEC after a solid season, and it's safe to say that the reigning NCAA champions are looking to go back-to-back this year. Florida — along with top seeds Alabama, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt — earned a double-bye and will finally get into the mix in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The most notable narrative at this year's tournament is No. 15 Ole Miss, which has twice bucked the odds and defeated No. 10 Texas and No. 7 Georgia. The Rebels' luck will be put to the test in the quarterfinals, where they'll face off with No. 2 Alabama.

Below, we've outlined some of the best ways to live stream this year's SEC Basketball Tournament, from the first round to the Championship. ESPN's direct streaming service, ESPN Unlimited, will carry every single game in one place. We'll break down what you need to know about the app below, and highlight a few other popular live TV services.

• See also: Where to watch Indian Wells | Where to watch Winter Paralympics | How to watch NBA games

Where to watch the SEC Basketball Tournament in the US

2026 SEC Basketball Tournament games will air on the SEC Network and ESPN in the US. You'll need SEC Network earlier in the tournament, while the later games will also be marquee events on ESPN.

If you're a cord-cutter hoping to tune in, ESPN Unlimited is one of your best options. The app is ESPN's direct streaming counterpart and carries live streams of absolutely every sporting event across ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNU, ESPN on ABC, and other ESPN-owned coverage. ESPN Unlimited subscriptions cost $30 a month.

If you'd prefer something with a free trial, both DirecTV and Fubo offer these channels (along with ESPN Unlimited access and other popular networks) in their month-to-month sports-centric plans.

DirecTV's MySports genre pack costs $70 a month and includes around 20 popular sports channels, including ESPN, the SEC Network, and ESPN Unlimited. First-time customers can get a five-day free trial. This package also lets you watch plenty of March Madness action, making it a great streaming service for college basketball fans this month.

Fubo's Sports + News plan costs $56 a month and includes around 26 sports and news channels, including ESPN, the SEC Network, and ESPN Unlimited access. New customers can get $10 off their first month of service after a five-day free trial.

How to watch the SEC Basketball Tournament from anywhere

Basketball fans traveling outside the US can still keep up with their usual viewing options with the help of a VPN, or virtual private network. These handy tech tools let people change the virtual location on their electronic devices, so their go-to websites and apps will work from almost anywhere, just like they would back home. VPNs are also instant ways to boost cybersecurity and online privacy. The services we've recommended require US methods of payment, so this option will work best for Americans who are simply traveling abroad at the moment.

Time and time again, NordVPN is our No. 1 pick. It's a stellar service with a massive selection of servers and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, a limited-time NordVPN deal will even grant you a free Amazon gift card when you sign up for select two-year plans. You can learn more about why we like (and trust) the service in our official NordVPN review.

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.

If you want your living room to feel like a home theater, screen size makes a huge difference, and the best 85-inch TVs deliver a scale that smaller sets just can't match. Movies look more cinematic, video games feel more immersive, and sports events like March Madness become must-host occasions because everyone gets a massive, clear view of the action. The downside? Once you jump to this size, prices can rise quickly. That's why choosing the right model really matters. You want that wow factor without paying more than you need to.

To make the decision easier, I've rounded up the best 83- and 85-inch TVs you can buy right now. I've spent more than a decade reviewing home theater gear, and I judge every TV on picture quality, smart features, and overall value. For most people, the TCL QM7K hits the sweet spot. It's a midrange QLED that gets impressively bright, produces rich, vibrant colors, and costs a lot less than many similarly sized competitors. If you're trying to keep your budget closer to $1,000, the TCL QM6K is worth a look. It doesn't get as bright as the QM7K, but for the price, it delivers excellent performance.

One quick thing to keep in mind about sizing: most LED and QLED models come in 85- or 86-inch sizes, while OLED TVs are typically offered in 83-inch sizes. That's why this guide to the best 85-inch TVs also includes a few 83-inch OLED picks.

Our top picks for the best 85-inch TVs

Best overall: TCL QM7K 4K QLED TV - See at Amazon

Best on a budget: TCL QM6K QLED 4K TV - See at Amazon

Best midrange OLED: LG C5 4K OLED TV - See at Amazon

Best premium model: LG G5 4K OLED TV - See at Amazon

Best overall

For overall value, the TCL QM7K QLED is the best 85-inch TV I recommend. It often dips to around $1,500 during sales — an excellent price for a big-screen model in this class.

With its QLED panel and Mini LED dimming, the QM7K delivers a bright, punchy picture with strong contrast and solid black levels. I measured peak brightness at roughly 1,800 nits, which is more than enough to make HDR highlights really shine.

Explosions and other bright effects pop, and dark scenes show better contrast control than what I saw on this TV's predecessor, the QM7. Minor light bleed still exists, but it's less noticeable than it was on the previous model. Just keep in mind that black levels don't fully disappear in a dark room, as they do on OLEDs or higher-end QLEDs.

Viewing angles are also improved. Colors and contrast still fade a bit off-center, but not nearly as much as older TCL TVs. On the software side, Google TV runs smoothly, and after weeks of testing, I encountered no significant glitches.

Gamers get plenty of perks, too. A pop-up game menu shows key video and performance settings, and the TV supports up to 144Hz with a PC or up to 120Hz with a PS5 or Xbox Series X.

You can find better-looking 85-inch TVs, but the price jump to reach that next tier is significant. For what you pay, few large-screen models offer the QM7K's blend of brightness, features, and overall picture quality.

Check out our guides to the best TCL TVs, best smart TVs, and the best TVs for sports.

Best on a budget

The best 85-inch TVs don't come cheap. Even entry-level models rarely dip below $700, and those sets make key sacrifices to keep costs down. However, TCL's QM6K is a bit of an outlier. The 85-inch size is often available for around $1,000 and features advanced capabilities that most budget-friendly sets lack.

Like the pricier QM7K, the QM6K utilizes a QLED panel with a Mini LED backlight and supports a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. This gives the TV a wider color range, higher contrast, a brighter picture, and smoother gaming performance than regular LED sets that lack these features. The TV's contrast control is great for a display in this class, and its black levels are solid.

However, dark scenes aren't quite as inky as they are on OLED TVs or pricier QLED models, and this is the dimmest TV in this guide. I measured a peak of around 560-730 nits across various test patterns. Those are decent numbers for the money, but bright HDR content lacks the impact I've seen on TVs with higher luminance. Like most QLED displays, the QM6K's viewing angles are limited, though slightly better than those of older TCL models like the Q65.

The TV's Google TV interface is a breeze to use, and I didn't run into any major lag or glitches. The included Google Assistant voice remote even has backlit keys, a nice perk that Samsung and LG remotes lack.

Though performance between all QM6K sizes is comparable in most areas, the 85- and 98-inch models have one notable feature that smaller sizes lack. The 85-inch QM6K features a matte screen coating that reduces reflections. This is great if you plan to use the TV in a room that struggles with sunlight. However, matte screens tend to reduce contrast under certain lighting conditions, so if you don't have glare in your room, you might prefer a traditional glossy-style TV.

Read our TCL QM6K TV review.

Visit our guides to all of the best TVs and best budget TVs.

Best midrange OLED

The 83-inch LG C5 OLED isn't as budget-friendly as competing QLED TVs in this size range, but it delivers a clear step up in overall picture quality.

Thanks to its self-emissive OLED panel, the C5 can control brightness and contrast at the pixel level, producing perfect black levels, excellent shadow detail, and ultra-wide viewing angles that no QLED can match. These traits make it especially impressive for movie nights or home theater setups in darker rooms.

That said, I still give TCL's QM7K QLED an edge in overall value at this screen size, as OLED pricing jumps dramatically once you reach 83 inches. However, if you're willing to spend the money, the C5's infinite contrast ratio makes it a superior TV for cinematic viewing. In a dark environment, its black levels and contrast performance far exceed those of any midrange QLED.

On the downside, the C5's brightness can't quite match that of a midrange or high-end QLED. For a brighter 83-inch OLED, you'd have to spend up on LG's high-end G5, which uses a more advanced screen with brightness-boosting capabilities.

Even so, the C5 is plenty bright for typical use. While testing the 65-inch model, our reviewer measured a peak of roughly 1,175 nits — a good number for an OLED of this class — and the 83-inch version should perform similarly. While it won't cut through glare quite as effectively as brighter QLEDs or the G5, HDR movies still look fantastic, with deep contrast and rich color.

LG's webOS smart TV platform works well enough, and I appreciate that you can disable banner ads on the homepage. That said, I don't love how prominently shopping recommendations appear on the page. LG's Magic Remote offers a choice between standard click-button controls and motion controls. The latest remote also has a more streamlined, compact, and comfortable design compared to previous models. However, I wish LG hadn't removed the dedicated input and mute buttons.

It's also worth noting that LG just launched preorders for a 2026 version of this TV, called the C6H. I got an early look at the new model, and it offers a more substantial upgrade over its predecessor than most year-over-year C Series revisions. The C6H uses a more advanced Tandem OLED panel, which is similar to LG's step-up G Series. This means it can get a lot brighter. I'm excited to spend more time with the C6H soon for a full review. However, the 83-inch C6H currently costs around $2,300 more than the 83-inch C5, so the older model is still the better value for most people.

Read our LG C5 4K TV review.

Visit our guide to the best LG TVs.

Best high-end model

LG's 83-inch G5 OLED is the ultimate high-end TV in this size. It's the most advanced OLED available at 83 inches, besting the overall picture quality of all my other picks. Of course, it also has the highest price tag of any TV you'll find in this guide.

Part of what makes the G5 so impressive is its high brightness. In fact, this is the brightest OLED TV on the market. While testing the 65-inch model using the TV's HDR Filmmaker Mode (its most accurate setting), I measured a peak of 2,410 nits. The 83-inch model should deliver the same performance. LG's older G4 maxed out at 1,550 nits, so this model offers a substantial upgrade.

This exceptional brightness, combined with the OLED panel's infinite contrast ratio and perfect black levels, produces stunning HDR images without the blooming or backlight imperfections typically found on QLED TVs. The G5 also features wide viewing angles, providing a great image from virtually any seating position.

But as impressive as the G5 is, it's not quite perfect. The TV initially experienced posterization (blocky, rather than smooth, gradations of color and shadows) in some isolated HDR content, but LG released firmware updates to address it. With that in mind, I don't consider this a major problem. Throughout weeks of testing the TV, I only noticed minor flaws, and the G5's strengths far outweighed those shortcomings.

LG's webOS smart TV interface rounds out the package with solid navigation speed, access to every major streaming app, and nice perks like hands-free voice control. However, the interface emphasizes shopping recommendations too prominently, and I find other systems, like Google TV, to be more stable and consistent.

Buyers should also note that the G5 is designed for wall mounting, to the point that it doesn't even include a traditional TV stand. Instead, you get a bracket that lets you mount it flush to your wall with virtually no gap. It looks beautiful hung this way, but you need to buy a stand separately if wall mounting isn't an option for your room.

This set is expensive, but if budget isn't a concern and you want the most impressive image quality at this size, the LG G5 is easily one of the best 83-inch TVs available. That said, it's worth noting that a new version of this TV, the G6, is now available for preorder. It gets even brighter, has better reflection handling, and uses an updated chip to help minimize banding. Those improvements will cost you, though, as the 83-inch G6 is currently around $1,500 more than the G5. The G6 is a better TV, but for now, I think most people are better off grabbing the cheaper G5 or waiting for the G6's price to drop.

Read our LG G5 4K TV review.

Visit our guides to the best TVs for picture quality and the best gaming TVs.

How we test 85-inch TVs

To select the best 85-inch TVs, our team of experts relies on hands-on testing informed by over a decade of experience covering the home entertainment product market.

When reviewing TVs, we typically evaluate each model's 65-inch option since that's the industry's flagship size. However, a specific model's overall performance often remains comparable across sizes 55 inches and up. For example, the 83-inch and 65-inch LG G5 OLED models have identical specifications. The only notable difference is the size of each panel.

However, QLED TV models with local dimming, like the TCL QM7K and QM6K, use fewer dimming zones on smaller models. This can lead to some variances in contrast performance across sizes, but not to the point that it would alter our overall takeaway. We take all differences into account when recommending TVs and detail these instances as they arise.

To evaluate displays, we examine key picture-quality elements, including color performance, clarity/sharpness, contrast control, HDR brightness, refresh rate, smart-TV interface speed, off-angle viewing, and overall value. We use a colorimeter and test patterns on the Spears & Munsil HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc to check brightness and other objective image attributes.

We also use each TV we test for day-to-day viewing over multiple weeks, relying on various movies and TV shows to assess real-world performance in both bright and dark rooms. We've selected specific scenes to compare the quality of each TV, with black levels, shadow detail, HDR capabilities, and upscaling in mind. Sources include 4K, 1080p, and standard definition (SD) material from Blu-rays, streaming services, and cable TV. We also test gaming capabilities using a PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

For more information on our review process, visit our page detailing how we test tech products.

Meet the expert behind this guide:

Steven Cohen, senior tech editor: I oversee tech product coverage for Business Insider's Reviews team, and I've spent years putting TVs through their paces. I also studied filmmaking, so I'm a stickler for an accurate picture. I want movies and shows to look the way the director intended, with proper colors, strong contrast, and no weird motion issues. I'm also a big fan of 85-inch screens because they offer a more cinematic feel at home. My team and I use professional calibration gear and test patterns to measure things like brightness and color accuracy, but specs only tell you so much. We make sure to live with every TV for a few weeks to see how it actually holds up in everyday use. The models in this guide aced our tests and stood out for their value against similar rivals.

Learn more about the Reviews team at Business Insider.

85-inch TV FAQs

Is 85 inches a good TV size?

The best 85-inch TVs can provide a level of immersion that smaller displays can't achieve. They're especially suitable for larger rooms, as you can sit farther away and still enjoy a cinematic experience. Although there are fewer 85-inch models than smaller screen sizes, several of our picks for the best 4K TVs are available in sizes ranging from 83 to 85 inches.

However, many rooms simply can't accommodate a TV this big, and 85-inch sets are typically pricey. If you need a smaller display, check out our guides focused on other sizes:

• Best 75-inch TVs
• Best 65-inch TVs
• Best 55-inch TVs
• Best 50-inch TVs
• Best 43-inch TVs

And if you want an even larger display, check out our guide to the best 100-inch TVs.

Why are some TVs offered in 83 or 86 inches rather than 85 inches?

Differences in panel manufacturing processes across brands and screen types result in slight variations in screen size options, depending on the TV you buy. OLED TVs are only produced in 83 inches, while some LED/LCD panels may be produced in 86 inches instead of exactly 85 inches. In practice, the difference of an inch or two is subtle, so you're still getting an extra-large, theater-like experience.

When will 2026 85-inch TVs be released?

New 2026 85- and 83-inch TVs were announced at CES in Las Vegas. Some LG, Hisense, and TCL models, like the TCL X11L, are already available, but release dates for most sets are still pending. Based on typical TV release patterns, we expect most 2026 models to launch in spring. You can learn more about new TV models in our CES 2026 TV roundup and our LG 2026 OLED TV breakdown.

We'll review new TVs for consideration in this guide once they're available. That said, shoppers should keep in mind that 2025 TV models will remain in stock for much of the year. And since 2026 models will be more expensive, 2025 85-inch TVs will likely remain a better value in most cases.

How much should you spend on an 85-inch TV?

Generally, you should expect to pay at least $900 to snag one of the best 85-inch TVs, though high-end models can cost $5,000 or more.

We've seen cheap entry-level 85-inch LED TVs on sale for as low as $600, but budget QLED models typically start at around $900. Midrange options with local dimming and higher brightness capabilities sell for around $1,200 to $1,800. High-end 85-inch QLED 4K TVs with the best performance typically cost around $2,000 to $4,000, while 8K models can range from $4,000 to $7,000.

If you want one of the best OLED TVs in this class, 83-inch options start at around $2,000, while high-end OLEDs this big can cost as much as $6,500.

Unfortunately, 85-inch TVs under $500 are virtually nonexistent unless there's a particularly great deal during a big sales event.

If you're looking for a more affordable set and are willing to compromise on size, check out our guide to the best TVs under $500 for our top recommendations.

Is OLED or QLED better at 85 inches?

It depends on your room and budget. OLED delivers perfect black levels and superior contrast, which look incredible in dark rooms. However, OLED options at this size are limited and expensive. QLED TVs are more common at 85 inches, typically get brighter, and cost significantly less, making them a better fit for bright living rooms and for shoppers focused on value.

You can learn more in our QLED vs. OLED comparison.

Is wall-mounting an 85-inch TV safe and practical?

Yes, wall-mounting an 85-inch TV is generally safe and practical, as long as you use a high-quality mount rated for the TV's weight and secure it to wall studs. You can find top recommendations in our guide to the best TV wall mounts.

Because these TVs are large and heavy, it's important to have at least one extra person (or a professional installer) help with the mounting. Wall-mounting can free up floor space and looks great, but make sure you have enough clearance and a plan for cable management before committing.

Can you buy an 80-inch TV?

No major brands currently sell 80-inch TV models. The closest options are 75-, 77-, 83-, 85-, and 86-inch TVs.

Is 4K resolution enough for an 85-inch TV?

Generally, 4K resolution is enough to deliver a sharp, detailed image on an 85-inch TV. That said, the higher pixel density of an 8K display can slightly improve picture clarity if you sit very close to your TV.

Improvements in pixel smoothness on an 85-inch 8K display should be most noticeable when you sit less than five feet from it. However, for typical viewers, this subtle benefit is not worth the additional cost of an 8K TV.

However, if you're determined to buy an 85-inch 8K TV, Samsung's QN990F QLED is our top recommendation. The QN990F impressed us with its bright, high-contrast image. But we still think cheaper 83-inch 4K OLEDs, like the LG C5, deliver better overall picture performance.

Do 85-inch TVs have good sound quality?

Though there are exceptions, even the best 85-inch TVs tend to offer middling audio performance. Built-in TV speakers typically use small drivers placed in areas that can cause a muffled sound. They can get the job done for casual viewing, but we recommend that shoppers invest in a dedicated speaker system or a soundbar for the best audio performance. We especially like models that support Dolby Atmos, as this format can deliver an immersive surround-sound experience.

Check out our various soundbar and speaker guides to see our top recommendations for different needs:

• Best soundbars
• Best soundbars with subwoofers
• Best budget soundbars
• Best Dolby Atmos soundbars
• Best Bose soundbars
• Best Sonos soundbars
• Best surround sound systems

Do you need an 85-inch TV with HDMI 2.1?

Many midrange and high-end 85-inch TVs include at least one HDMI 2.1 port. HDMI 2.1 supports a 4K/120Hz signal (some brands support up to 165Hz), along with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). These features are designed for gaming enthusiasts, enabling smoother motion with reduced lag when paired with a compatible gaming console or PC.

To enable HDMI 2.1 features, all your home entertainment products need to support HDMI 2.1. Therefore, if you have a console connected to a soundbar plugged into your display, all three components must be HDMI 2.1 compliant. Likewise, you need to connect them all with an ultra-high-speed HDMI cable rated for 48Gbps. Visit our guide to the best HDMI cables for our top recommendations.

All of our best 85-inch TV picks support HDMI 2.1.

• Airport security checkpoints in the US are under pressure due to the partial government shutdown.
• Many now-unpaid TSA agents are skipping work, causing long lines and wait times.
• Here's the latest on TSA delays, and how to check wait times before you travel.

TSA checkpoints at US airports continue to face pressure amid an ongoing partial government shutdown that is now nearly a month old.

Numerous airports are telling passengers to allow longer than usual to clear security, as staff shortages cause more congestion and longer lines.

On Friday, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport told travelers to arrive up to three hours before their flight. Photos and videos shared by travelers online showed lines stretching from the terminal building into the parking lot.

Ava Brendgord, a reporter for local NBC affiliate, KXAN News, shared a video of the line snaking out of the building at around 5 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

By 7 a.m., lines had returned to more normal levels, local news outlets reported.

Similar scenes played out at many other airports this week, and things could worsen over the weekend as Americans travel for Spring Break and TSA agents face their first $0 paycheck, increasing the likelihood they will skip work.

Though waits were nowhere near the three hours some passengers experienced at Houston Hobby Airport last weekend, there was significant congestion at some airports on Friday morning. One Business Insider employee traveling from LaGuardia saw a lengthy line, and at JFK, wait times exceeded 20 minutes at most TSA screening points.

Atlanta Airport, the world's busiest by passenger numbers, said it expects to serve 250,000 travelers this weekend, and advised people to arrive three hours early.

How to check wait times

The easiest way to avoid the stress of missing your flight is to arrive as early as you can. Many airports are advising travelers this week to arrive up to three hours before their flight.

To check TSA wait times, many airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Houston, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, post them live on their websites.

These can also provide more specific insights. For example, DFW's website shows the wait times at each checkpoint.

You can also use the MyTSA mobile app. It provides estimated wait times in 15-minute intervals based on average checkpoint data. The app, however, will use historical data if the live data cannot be retrieved. The TSA also says it is not "actively" managing its sites during the partial shutdown, and so the app may not always be updated.

• Young tech startup founders are having a moment in the AI era.
• From teenagers to 20-somethings, these founders are raising millions.
• Take a look at the pitch decks some of these founders shared with Business Insider.

Tech is no stranger to young founders.

Steve Jobs was 21 when he cofounded Apple in 1976. Mark Zuckerberg was 19 when Facebook launched. Whitney Wolfe Herd was 25 when she unveiled Bumble.

Many of today's startup founders are still young and scrappy. And in the age of AI, they're even more empowered to barrel ahead.

Some are following the footsteps of tech titans before them and dropping out of college. Others are opting out of the undergraduate experience altogether, with a few ditching high school to pursue careers in tech.

Arlan Rakhmetzhanov, founder of AI coding startup Nozomio, told Business Insider that he dropped out of high school in Kazakhstan after getting accepted into the competitive startup accelerator program, Y Combinator (YC). At the age of 18, he raised $6.2 million for Nozomio.

Rakhmetzhanov isn't the only teenager finding success in AI. There's also Toby Brown, a UK teen who raised $1 million for his AI project. There's also Zach Yadegari, the teenage cofounder of Cal AI, a nutrition app.

College-aged founders are also building companies and raising capital, such as the Yale students behind Series AI, a new social networking startup.

The median age for YC participants is now 24 years old, compared to 30 in 2022, YC's Pete Koomen told The New York Times in August.

Business Insider has interviewed the founders of 12 startups who are 25 years old or younger and have raised millions in funding since 2024 about the pitch decks they used to impress investors.

Read 12 pitch decks founders who are 25 years old or younger used to raise millions:

Note: Founders were 25 or younger when Business Insider published the following articles.

Series A

• Posh, an events platform, raised a $22 million Series A when its founders were 23. Read the 12-page pitch deck it used.
• Clyx, a startup trying to connect people via in-person events, raised a $14 million Series A when its founder was 25. Read 22 pages of its deck.

Seed

• Ditto, an AI dating startup founded by UC Berkeley dropouts, raised $9.2 million when the founders were 23 and 24. Read its 12-page pitch deck.
• Lyra, an AI video call startup, raised a $6 million seed out of YC when its founder was 23. Read the 8-slide pitch deck it used.
• Nexad, an AI adtech startup, raised a $6 million seed after wrapping up A16z's Speedrun accelerator. Nexad's CEO was 25. Read the 10-page pitch deck.
• Orange Slice, a YC-backed sales tech platform, raised $5.3 million when its founders were 23. Read the 7-page pitch deck.
• Golpo, a generative AI video startup, raised a $4.1 million seed out of YC when its founders — who are also brothers — were 19 and 20. Read its 7-page pitch deck.
• Bluejay, an AI agent startup, raised a $4 million seed coming out of YC when its founders were 23. Read its 9-page pitch deck.
• Novoflow, an agentic AI startup building tools for medical clinics, raised $3.1 million when its founders were 18 and 19. Read its pitch deck.
• CodeFour, an AI police tech startup, was founded by two 19-year-old MIT dropouts and raised $2.7 million coming out of YC. Read the pitch deck.
• Cerca, a dating app that connects people with mutual friends, raised a $1.6 million seed when its CEO was 23. Read the 10-slide deck.

Pre-seed

• Series, an AI social networking startup, raised a $3.1 million pre-seed when its founders were 21.

This story has been updated with additional examples.

• Anthropic's Jeff Bleich says AI will end the billable hour's dominance in legal billing.
• Billable hours mean lawyers get paid more when they spend more time on work.
• But AI tools eliminate "tedious" work, which devalues the time lawyers spend overall, Bleich said.

The billable hour's time is approaching midnight, according to Anthropic's top lawyer.

"I don't think the billable hour is the solution, and we've known it for a long time," Jeff Bleich, the AI company's general counsel, said Thursday.

Speaking at the American Bar Association's White Collar Crime Institute in San Diego, Bleich said that artificial intelligence tools are eliminating the need for companies to hire armies of lawyers to do lucrative yet "tedious" work.

"Now we've got a technology that's going to eliminate the sorts of things that allow people to become wealthy off of tedious work," Bleich said on the panel, alongside top lawyers at Google, IBM, and Liberty Mutual. "That was not what lawyers are trained to do, and not what we ultimately look to lawyers for."

The much-maligned billable hour is the standard method that law firms use to bill their clients.

Attorneys track the work done for each client, often in six-minute increments, tally them up, and charge their clients accordingly.

While the billable hour has been useful to help companies and other clients understand what they are paying lawyers for, it has also "created a wedge," Bleich said.

Under the current system, "the interests of firms are at odds with the interests of their clients," he said. Companies want lawyers to resolve problems quickly, but law firms get paid more when the work takes longer.

"Clients want you to solve the problem as efficiently as possible and with as little drama as possible," Bleich said. "And if you're a company, the bigger the case gets, and the more dramatic it gets, and the more complicated it gets, and the more work that has to be done — the more lucrative it is."

The other panelists largely agreed with Bleich's remarks.

"The value is no longer you putting in time," said Damon Hart, the top lawyer at Liberty Mutual. "The value is your strategy, your results."

Anne Robinson, IBM's general counsel, told the audience that she's open to working with them to figure out more creative billing methods.

"I'm open to firms coming and saying, 'I'd really like to work with you on this matter or this type of work, I get that the billable hour model is not one of aligned incentives, and so let's sit down and talk about what you expect as far as outcomes and how we can both get there in a way that reflects your pressures and your priorities,'" Robinson said.

Bleich said he still values the work of outside law firms, but wants them to find an alternative to the billable hour that works for everyone.

"We're not going to sort of cheap out and starve you," Bleich said. "On the other hand, you have to have an economic model that works. And the firms that adapt to that faster and better will be leapfrogging other firms, because they'll be more attractive to work with."

Bleich's comments come at a critical moment for Anthropic, which sued federal agencies this week after the Trump administration effectively blacklisted it following the collapse of contract negotiations with the Department of Defense.

In the lawsuit, Anthropic is represented by WilmerHale, one of the law firms that Trump targeted last year with an executive order that was quickly blocked by a federal judge.

"I like firms that show some spine," Bleich said following the panel, when asked about using law firms that fought back against Trump's executive orders targeting them. He declined to comment on the lawsuit itself.

WilmerHale is distinguished in another way: Reginald Heber Smith, who in the early 20th century managed the Big Law firm — then called Hale and Dorr — is widely credited with inventing the billable hour.

• A US Navy destroyer used an SM-3 interceptor to down an Iranian ballistic missile on Friday.
• It's the third time in two weeks that a Navy destroyer used the SM-3 to defend NATO airspace.
• SM-3s are among are top missile interceptors, but they come with a hefty price tag.

US Navy destroyers operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea have been launching SM-3s — among America's most high-end interceptors — to defend NATO airspace against incoming Iranian ballistic missiles.

On Friday, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Oscar Austin fired at least one SM-3, or Standard Missile-3, interceptor to bring down an Iranian ballistic missile in Turkish airspace, a defense official told Business Insider.

It marked the third time since February 28, when the US and Israel started striking Iran, that a Navy destroyer has used an SM-3 to down an Iranian missile in Turkish airspace, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military developments.

Turkey's national defense ministry said earlier that NATO air and missile defense assets deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean intercepted the Iranian missile. There were no casualties or injuries, although debris fell in the southern city of Gaziantep.

Turkey hosts several important bases for American and NATO forces, including Incirlik and Konya air bases, and an Iranian strike against those facilities could trigger a significant escalation in a war that has already spread across the Middle East.

The Oscar Austin is one of three American destroyers currently positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean. The use of SM-3 interceptors comes amid broader air defense operations across the Middle East. The US and its allies in the region have shot down thousands of Iranian missiles and drones since the start of Operation Epic Fury less than two weeks ago.

The SM-3 uses a kinetic kill vehicle to destroy short- to intermediate-range missiles during the midcourse phase of flight. It can engage targets in space, unlike the Navy's other interceptors, and is outfitted on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

There are multiple variants of the SM-3, manufactured by US defense giant RTX and, for the latest variant, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

US destroyers first used their SM-3s in combat in April 2024 to defend Israel from an Iranian missile attack, and the US Navy fired them again several months later in October after another barrage from Tehran.

These interceptor missiles don't come cheap, though. The SM-3 Block IB variant, for instance, is estimated to cost roughly $10 million on the low end, while the newer Block IIA costs around $28 million.

It's unclear how many SM-3s the Navy has expended during combat in the Middle East. Air defense doctrine can call for firing at least two interceptors for each incoming missile, so the bill for the latest engagements above Turkey could already be substantial.

Navy leadership has warned in recent years that the US has been firing its SM-3s at an alarming rate. Service officials have warned that they need a lot more of these interceptors to counter threats in the Pacific, such as China and its theater ballistic missiles.

• Sam Altman said AI would in the future be sold like electricity and water, metered by usage.
• "We see a future where intelligence is a utility," the OpenAI CEO said.
• Altman suggested demand is surging and compute will decide who gets access.

In the future, you could have another utility bill to pay for: artificial intelligence.

That's according to Sam Altman, who says AI will eventually be bought and sold as a basic utility like electricity and water that's metered by usage.

Speaking at the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, the OpenAI CEO said tech companies like his are building toward a future where intelligence is delivered on demand.

"Fundamentally our business and I think the business of every other model provider is going to look like selling tokens," Altman said, referring to the units AI systems use to process and price input and output data.

"We see a future where intelligence is a utility like electricity or water and people buy it from us on a meter and use it for whatever they want to use it for," he added.

In that world, compute capacity determines who gets access — and demand for AI is only going up, Altman said. Compute capacity is the processing power required to train and run AI models, determined by infrastructure such as chips and data centers.

If OpenAI doesn't build enough compute capacity to meet demand, Altman said, it either "can't sell it or the price gets really high." That would push AI access toward the wealthy, or force governments to decide how limited compute should be distributed, he said.

The infrastructure sprint

Major tech companies are set to spend hundreds of billions of dollars this year on compute to meet soaring demand for AI.

In her keynote at CES 2026 in January, AMD CEO Lisa Su said the world will need more than "10 yottaflops" of compute — a scale 10,000 times larger than global AI capacity in 2022 — over the next five years to keep up with growth.

Powering that expansion is a significant infrastructure challenge.

AI data centers can consume as much electricity as small cities, and the strain on the US power grid — along with transformer shortages and slow permitting for transmission lines — could become a bottleneck.

In an episode of the "Moonshots with Peter Diamandis" podcast in January, Elon Musk said that electricity generation is now the limiting factor in scaling AI, predicting China could outpace the US in total AI compute because of its faster energy build-out.

Inside tech companies, compute is a valuable but sometimes scarce resource. Engineers are competing for access to GPUs, and some job candidates now ask about their AI compute budget alongside salary and equity.

Last December, OpenAI President Greg Brockman said the company, which has committed roughly $1.4 trillion on data center projects over the next eight years, wants "to be ahead of the curve," but said, "I don't think we will be, no matter how ambitious we can dream of being right now."

At the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit, Altman said the goal is to move away from a world of being "capacity constrained."

• I tried Ina Garten's easy shepherd's pie recipe.
• The meal took less than an hour to prepare.
• The pie's filling was flavorful and savory, while the mashed potatoes were perfectly creamy.

I'm an Irish-American, but I didn't grow up eating shepherd's pie.

This traditional Irish dish has its origins in the late 1700s, when rural women made it using ingredients from their Sunday roast dinners to repurpose leftovers, Britannica reported.

However, shepherd's pie has become a favorite in the US, as well. While Irish versions typically use lamb, many American versions of the recipe use ground beef or turkey instead, and celebrity chefs like Ina Garten have published their own unique spins on the dish, perfect for weeknight meals.

Garten is one of the most beloved celebrity chefs — with a reported net worth in the millions, 13 cookbooks under her belt, and a devoted fan following — so her shepherd's pie seemed a good place for me to start.

Her recipe, reposted by the recipe blog Half-Scratched, calls for ingredients such as carrots, celery, white button mushrooms, ground turkey, and homemade mashed potatoes.

Here's how to make Ina Garten's shepherd's pie.

I started by peeling my Yukon gold potatoes.

A bag of potatoes typically weighs around 5 pounds, but the recipe only called for 3 pounds of potatoes. In the end, I found that this was the perfect amount to fully cover the pie.

I then chopped the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and placed them in a pot with water.

I simmered the potatoes until they were tender. This took about 20 minutes.

I used a time-saving hack to prepare my vegetables.

The recipe called for finely diced carrots, celery, and white button mushrooms. I decided to use a food processor to easily chop my vegetables. I liked the end result and found this was the simplest way to prepare all the vegetables in seconds.

I also hand-chopped some mushrooms to add more texture.

After my vegetables were chopped, I set them aside in a small bowl and turned my attention toward cooking the meat.

The recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey meat, but you can get creative if you don't want to use turkey.

You can use practically any kind of ground meat you would like, or even plant-based ground meat if you're vegetarian. I ended up liking the choice of ground turkey since it made the very stick-to-your-bones meal a little bit lighter than if I had used meat with higher fat content.

I ended up using a package and a half of ground turkey.

While the turkey cooked, I crumbled it with a wooden spoon. Once the meat was fully cooked, I removed it from the pan with a slotted metal spoon and left the fat in the pan.

The recipe also called for diced onion.

I chopped it using the food processor again and added it to the pan.

I started to sauté the onion, and it filled my kitchen with a delicious aroma. There should be enough fat in the pan from the turkey to sauté the onion, but you can also add olive oil or butter if you don't have enough liquid.

I then added the other vegetables and cooked them down until they were combined and soft.

I also added flour to the pan, creating a paste-like mixture.

I then added chicken broth and cooked the mixture until it was fully combined and some of the liquid had evaporated.

I also added tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, and frozen peas to the pan and continued cooking the filling until it reached a simmer.

After stirring in the turkey, the mixture was really starting to resemble the filling of shepherd's pie.

I removed the bay leaves and herb sprigs before seasoning the mixture to taste and setting it aside.

After I finished the pie filling, I started getting my potatoes ready for baking.

After draining the potatoes, I hand-mashed them in the same pot I cooked them in. The recipe called for a hand mixer, but I found a potato masher just as effective at making creamy mashed potatoes, especially after adding in a mixture of whole milk, almost a stick of Kerry Gold butter, and sour cream.

The potatoes turned out perfectly creamy.

I seasoned them to taste and set them aside. I then preheated my oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

I added the pie filling to a large casserole dish and used a spoon to create an even layer of the meat and vegetables.

There was a perfect amount of filling to create a thick layer.

I spread the creamy mashed potatoes over the filling, making sure to reach the edges of the pan.

Despite never having made this dish before, I found the process easy to follow and not overwhelming at all. I also had a spoonful of mashed potatoes left over to taste and thought they were delicious.

I wanted to have a deep-golden crust on the mashed potatoes, so I let the pie cook a bit longer than the recipe suggested.

I cooked the pie in the oven for about half an hour, although the recipe suggested it would be done after 20 minutes. All in all, the recipe took me less than an hour in total to prepare.

All ovens can vary slightly in cook time, so I suggest checking the dish until you're happy with the result.

When I served the pie, it was piping hot and delicious. I would definitely make this recipe again for St. Patrick’s Day.

It didn't quite hold its shape, but I imagine it would have if I had let the pie sit for a minute or two before I served it. However, I simply couldn't resist diving in.

The mashed potatoes were creamy, the filling was perfectly seasoned, and the vegetables all came through in a medley of flavors. It was simple enough to be convenient for a weeknight meal, yet impressive enough for a dinner party.

The recipe also made enough to feed six people and in my experience, with plenty of leftovers, so it also seemed a cost-effective option to feed a family or to prep meals for the week.

In my book, this cozy recipe got a thumbs up.

• Las Vegas is a popular destination in Nevada, but other areas in the state have a lot to offer.
• Spots like Lake Tahoe or the Ruby Mountains are beautiful. Virginia City is great for history buffs.
• If you do visit Vegas, go beyond The Strip and see Red Rock Canyon or the Hoover Dam.

When I first moved to Nevada about seven years ago, I knew little about the state aside from the Las Vegas Strip.

Tens of millions of tourists visit Las Vegas each year, spending billions of dollars in the city's casinos, entertainment venues, and attractions.

Yet my move brought me to Reno, a seven-hour drive from the desert of Las Vegas. Although Reno still has its fair share of casinos, the city feels like a world apart.

In Reno, Vegas' palm trees are traded for pine trees, and the Sierra Nevada mountains are unlike anything found within a reasonable distance from the Sphere.

After moving to Reno, I was intrigued by the diversity of the state. I set a goal to travel around Nevada. Since then, I've visited otherworldly deserts, stunning mountain lakes, and historic mining towns.

Nevada has so much more to offer than just casinos, but most tourists flee to the slot machines without considering other options.

Las Vegas has its appeal, but if you're feeling adventurous, consider visiting these destinations instead.

First, Lake Tahoe makes for a perfect summer (or winter) getaway.

Nevada may be famous for its desert landscapes, but to me, Lake Tahoe is the crown jewel of the state.

The almost 200-square-mile lake marks the border between Nevada and California, with about a third of the lake's shoreline in Nevada.

Lake Tahoe offers year-round recreation. In summer, tourists head to the beaches to swim in crystal-clear water. The region also has hundreds of trails perfect for hiking, mountain biking, and backpacking.

In winter, the lake is a true winter wonderland. Skiers and snowboarders flock to resorts and backcountry trails. If that's not your thing, you can snowshoe through Tahoe's forests or simply walk along a snowy beach with a hot chocolate in hand.

Both the California and Nevada sides of Lake Tahoe are spectacular, but I find the East Shore in Nevada to be more laid-back.

It's got places like Secret Cove and Chimney Beach that are only accessible by foot (or perhaps by kayak), making them quieter than other areas of the lake.

A trip to Virginia City should be on your list if you're a history buff.

Long before Nevada was known for casinos, the state was a hot spot for mining. The 19th century's gold and silver rush led to rapid growth throughout the American West, including in Nevada.

Virginia City is one of the country's most well-preserved mining towns. It's located just 35 minutes from downtown Reno.

The town rose to fame following the discovery of silver ore in 1859. Soon enough, 25,000 residents called the area home, and the town boomed with saloons, theaters, mansions, and mines.

Today, a visit to Nevada City transports you to the Wild West. You can head underground to walk through old mine shafts, tour the (supposedly) haunted Mackay Mansion, or grab a drink in the notorious Bucket of Blood Saloon.

The town has its fair share of cheesy tourist attractions, but it's all part of the fun.

The Ruby Mountains offer scenery akin to the Swiss Alps.

I'm not sure what I expected to see when I took my first road trip to northeastern Nevada, but it certainly wasn't scenery akin to Switzerland.

Nevada's Ruby Mountains are often nicknamed "The Swiss Alps of Nevada." The massive mountain range features peaks towering over 11,000 feet, and the region offers a surprising amount of greenery.

Springtime brings blooming wildflowers and serene waterfalls, and after the snow melts, the region becomes a hiking paradise.

Backpackers can challenge themselves to the Ruby Crest Trail, which traverses more than 40 miles through isolated ridgelines and strikingly blue alpine lakes.

Aside from hiking, the region offers tranquil fishing opportunities in the Ruby Marsh wetlands. Throughout the winter, the mountains are popular among heli-skiers.

If that all sounds too active, it's easy to explore the Ruby Mountains without breaking a sweat. The 12-mile-long Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway travels through the largest valley in the range, offering unbeatable scenery around every curve.

However, if you do insist on going to Las Vegas, try seeing more than just the inside of a casino.

If you're set on visiting Las Vegas, don't limit yourself to just the Las Vegas Strip.

Red Rock Canyon is just about a 30-minute drive away from the flashy lights of Las Vegas Boulevard. Here you'll find hiking trails, cycling routes, and a 13-mile scenic drive through the canyon.

Places like Mount Charleston and the Hoover Dam are also easy ways to escape the casinos and explore Nevada's natural and engineering marvels.

After living in Nevada for almost a decade, I've come to appreciate each and every corner of the state. Las Vegas seems to get all the attention — and for good reason. There are few places in the country with such a non-stop, bustling energy.

If you're willing to dig just a little deeper, though, I think the real treasures of Nevada lie far from the slot machines and table games.

• US forces used ATACMS to sink Iranian warships during Operation Epic Fury, the top US general said.
• Gen. Dan Caine announced that US artillery has helped to render the Iranian navy ineffective.
• ATACMS provide substantial striking power to ground forces.

The top US general revealed Friday that American troops involved in Operation Epic Fury have used a ballistic missile system to sink Iranian warships, including a submarine, offering some insight into the targets US artillery is engaging in this war.

Artillery soldiers and Marines are "sinking ships, destroying depots, and launching Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS," and "Precision Strike Missiles, or PrSMs," Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a Friday press briefing.

"From outside Iran, our Army and Marine artillerymen are hitting sites that Iran relies on to project power beyond their borders," he said.

"In just the first 13 days of this operation, our artillery forces have made history," Caine said.

"They fired the first precision strike missiles ever used in combat, reaching deep into enemy territory," he said. "They've used Army ATACMS to sink multiple ships, including a submarine."

US forces are "continuing to destroy the Iranian Navy to ensure freedom of navigation. He said that the US military is targeting mine-laying vessels and the ability to target commercial vessels.

"In less than two weeks, we've rendered the Iranian Navy combat ineffective and continue to attack naval vessels, including all of their Soleimani-class warships, which were armed with anti-ship missiles and anti-aircraft weapons," Caine said.

Other naval targets sunk include Iran's new purpose-built drone carrier.

Army Tactical Missile Systems are typically used to target land-based targets, such as enemy air defense systems and logistics hubs.

Each missile costs upward of $1 million, depending on the range and type of warhead. ATACMS missiles can hit targets out to as far as about 200 miles away and are fired using the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System or M240 Multiple Launch Rocket System launchers. The HIMARS can also fire PrSMs and much shorter-range guided rockets.

The Lockheed Martin-built ATACMS is guided by GPS and inertial navigation that tracks its flight toward a designated target, and hence cannot be used to accurately fire on moving targets. For this reason, it's likely that the ships destroyed were pierside or moored.

The ATACMS augments the strike power of Army and Marine Corps artillery, allowing land force commanders to hit critical targets without relying on air or naval forces to deliver the strike. The system was designed during the Cold War and first used in combat in the 1991 Gulf War.

The Ukrainians have also used their limited supply of US-provided ATACMS to hit Russian military facilities. With these weapons in short supply, Ukraine has since developed its own domestically built capabilities.

US forces have attacked over 6,000 targets in Iran, Caine said on Friday. As the US and Israel have established air supremacy over Iran, allowing bombers and fighters to fly overhead, they've shifted to munitions like gravity bombs, which are much cheaper to produce and more plentiful in the US arsenal than missiles.

• Winston Hall works out seven days a week and spends up to five hours a day outside on his bike.
• The 77-year-old has been super-fit since he was drafted into the US Army during the Vietnam War.
• He wants other seniors to follow his lead by gradually increasing their movement.

This interview is based on a conversation with Rena Clare, 67, a retired professional photographer from Omaha, Nebraska. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I wasn't particularly sporty in high school. Golf was just about it. The whole idea of fitness or having a healthy lifestyle wasn't much of a concept.

Then, in 1969, I was drafted into the US Army, assigned to the First Cavalry Division, and completed basic training before being deployed to Vietnam.

I enjoyed running

In basic training, you had to run three miles before breakfast. Then, during the day, you were always on your feet.

I found that I really enjoyed running and looked forward to doing it. It made me feel more energetic. But I hadn't really connected the dots when it came to food. I ate a standard American diet, including red meat and potatoes.

After three years in the military, I returned to my college studies before becoming a full-time professional photographer. My workplace was nine miles from home, and I'd usually cycle there. I found it fun.

Meanwhile, my father was having severe health issues, and I didn't want to go through the same thing. I started thinking more about the role of diet and stopped having meat altogether.

Still, midway through my career in the late 80s, I realized I was getting out of shape. My job took me around the world, and I stayed in hotels where it was hard to choose what to eat.

I became more focused through exercise

I knew I felt better and more focused after exercising, so I'd use the hotel gym. If it didn't have one and I couldn't get outside, I'd run around the parking garage.

It could be 8 p.m. or later, and the security guards would stop me and ask what I was doing.

Movement became a regular part of my life. I ran or biked as much as I could to expend any pent-up energy. After a while, I started doing more endurance cycling and running in biathlons.

One of the best things I've done is go on bikepacking trips. They're exhilarating, like an adventure. I have a small, lightweight tent which I keep in a pannier. It compacts nicely until you set up camp for the night.

I have a household gym

Last summer, I went to Colorado and would ride from the campground every day to visit new places. I also bicycle a lot in my home state of Nebraska, as well as Minnesota, Iowa, and Kansas.

Back home, I have a gym on the lower level of my house, where I work out seven days a week. Also, when the weather is good, I can spend up to five hours outside on my bike, particularly along gravel trails on disused railway tracks.

I weight train three days a week before moving to the treadmill or stationary bike. On the other four days, I do isometric-type exercises and core work.

I adopted a whole-food, plant-based diet — part vegetarian, part vegan — and enjoy cooking for my wife, Sharon, and me. Typically, I'll have two meals a day.

Breakfast is usually between 10 and 11 a.m., consisting of oatmeal with chia and hemp seeds, soy milk, and fresh fruit.

Society can ignore people my age

I don't snack in the afternoon. Then, around 5:30 p.m., I'll either prepare a salad with beans for protein or a dish like rice and beans. I like to finish eating at least three hours before going to bed.

Recently, I was thrilled to learn that Senior Planet, an AARP initiative, appointed me as one of its 2026 Sponsored Athletes, working to redefine what it means to stay active in later life.

Society has somehow bought into the idea that, once we reach retirement, we're irrelevant, disappear, and no longer contribute.

And many people my age let themselves go, thinking it's the beginning of a decline.

Firstly, I don't believe that's true, and it's a great opportunity to make the most of the time you have on your hands. Secondly, I want to inspire and motivate older people to get out and about and find adventures.

You don't have to start big. It's good to increase your movement gradually. Please believe me when I say it's never too late to get healthy — and feel more alive — through diet and exercise.

• A KC-135 refueling aircraft "went down" in Iraq, the US military announced Thursday evening.
• A second unidentified aircraft was involved but landed safely.
• All six crew members were killed in the crash, the military said Friday.

The US military said on Friday that all six crew members were killed after their KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq on Thursday.

The deaths mark the US Air Force's first losses since the start of Operation Epic Fury on February 28.

Seven other US service members have been killed in action during the war, with at least 140 others injured. Many of them have returned to duty; some, however, were more seriously wounded.

CENTCOM said it is investigating the KC-135 incident, which occurred at roughly 2 p.m. ET on Thursday in western Iraq. It said that the "loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire."

"The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified," the military said.

The US first acknowledged on Thursday that it had lost a KC-135 refueling aircraft supporting the combat operations against Iran. A second aircraft involved in the incident landed safely.

This crash marks the fourth American aircraft loss since the start of Epic Fury, the Pentagon's name for US operations against Iran, nearly two weeks ago.

Just days into the war, CENTCOM announced that three US F-15E Strike Eagles were downed by friendly fire over Kuwait. The aircraft were lost, but all six aircrew members ejected safely.

The KC-135 Stratotanker is an Air Force asset that supports the broader joint force by refueling other aircraft — including fighter jets, bombers, and cargo aircraft — in notoriously complex midair refueling operations.

It is essentially a flying gas station that executes fuel transfers at high speed with aircraft in proximity.

March 13, 2026 — This story has been updated with the latest information from US Central Command, which has revealed the loss of all crew members.

• First lady Melania Trump is keeping a relatively low profile during Donald Trump's second term.
• She divides her time between homes in Florida, New York, and DC.
• The first lady released a documentary, "Melania," in January.

It's a refrain dating back to the first Trump White House: Where's Melania?

First lady Melania Trump, who remained an enigmatic figure during President Donald Trump's first term, has often kept a low profile during his second.

Ahead of the 2025 inauguration, Melania Trump told Fox News that she planned to divide her time between the White House, Trump Tower in New York City, and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.

This schedule has, at times, made her an infrequent White House presence. However, the winter has been a busier time for the first lady, between the White House Christmas decorations and the premiere of her documentary, "Melania," in January.

Melania Trump's muted fashion choices could also indicate her desire to remain out of the spotlight. At White House events, she has largely appeared wearing neutral basics in black, beige, cream, and gray. It's a departure from the bold outfits she often chose during Donald Trump's first term.

A spokesperson for the Office of the First Lady declined to comment.

Take a look at the first lady's White House activities and appearances thus far.

January 20, 2025: Melania Trump attended the inauguration.

Melania Trump held the Bible as Donald Trump was sworn in for his second non-consecutive term, and the couple danced together at several inaugural balls later that evening.

For the swearing-in ceremony, Melania Trump wore a navy coat and skirt by Adam Lippes, an American designer. She accessorized with a matching wide-brimmed hat by Eric Javits.

Her black-and-white inaugural gown was designed by Hervé Pierre.

January 21, 2025: The president and first lady joined Vice President JD Vance and Usha Vance at the National Day of Prayer Service.

The service, the last of Donald Trump's inaugural events, was held at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

January 24, 2025: Melania Trump and Donald Trump visited California and North Carolina to survey damage caused by natural disasters.

Melania Trump joined Donald Trump to visit Los Angeles in the aftermath of multiple wildfires and neighborhoods in North Carolina damaged by Hurricane Helene.

Together, they met with first responders and residents who had lost their homes and businesses. Melania Trump was photographed hugging and shaking hands with those affected by the natural disasters.

February 22, 2025: Donald Trump and Melania Trump hosted the National Governors Association dinner at the White House.

Melania Trump wore a black Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo, similar to the outfit she chose for her official White House portrait, while posing for photos with governors from across the US.

Donald Trump thanked Melania Trump in his speech, saying that she "made the evening beautiful."

March 3, 2025: She participated in a roundtable discussion on the "TAKE IT DOWN" Act targeting revenge porn.

"TAKE IT DOWN" is an acronym for "Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks."

The act criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes, and requires websites to remove them.

"Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themself freely, without the looming threat of exploitation or harm," Melania Trump said in her opening remarks.

She wore a tan three-piece suit by Ralph Lauren with a black tie.

March 4, 2025: Melania Trump attended Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress.

The first lady's guests included the families of Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who was fatally shot during an assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Laken Riley, who was killed by a man who had entered the US illegally.

Melania Trump wore a gray skirt suit by Dior.

April 1, 2025: She attended the International Women of Courage Awards.

Melania Trump, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, presented awards to several notable women in a ceremony held at the State Department. She wore a leopard-print coat designed by Milly Park.

"These extraordinary women illuminate the transformative power of love in shaping our world," she said in her remarks at the event. "Their journeys remind us that true courage is born from a deep commitment to others, showing that love fuels the call for justice."

April 2, 2025: She spoke at the annual Congressional Club's First Lady's Luncheon.

"Our community flourishes when we unite to uplift our children and equip them to turn dreams into reality," she said in her speech.

April 21, 2025: She appeared alongside Donald Trump at the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Melania Trump read the book "Bunny with a Big Heart" to a group of children at the event while wearing a cream Mackage trench coat.

April 25, 2025: Donald Trump and Melania Trump departed the White House together to travel to Pope Francis' funeral.

The president and first lady were among several world leaders who attended the late pope's funeral in Vatican City.

May 8, 2025: She hosted an event for military mothers and unveiled a US postage stamp honoring Barbara Bush at the White House.

"I applaud Mrs. Bush's mark defending our society's vital need for women across all avenues, whether CEO or homemaker," Melania Trump said at the unveiling. "We have, can, and will build better families and run innovative businesses at the same time, ultimately shaping a brighter future."

She wore a white suit jacket paired with a black pencil skirt.

May 19, 2025: Melania Trump spoke at the signing ceremony for the "TAKE IT DOWN" Act in the Rose Garden.

The bill, which was first presented to Congress in 2024 before Donald Trump took office, received widespread bipartisan support.

"Artificial intelligence and social media are the digital candy for the next generation: sweet, addictive, and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children," Melania Trump said in her remarks at the signing ceremony.

The first lady wore a gray Prada suit for the event.

May 20, 2025: Melania Trump hosted a Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day event for children in the Kennedy Garden.

The first lady greeted the children of White House staffers as they participated in an arts-and-crafts activity.

"It is always special to see children's creativity and spirit on display, especially here at the White House where so many hardworking men and women support the success of our nation every day," she said in a White House statement.

She wore a white Dolce & Gabbana button-down shirt and a patterned skirt by Michael Kors.

May 21, 2025: She spoke at the Senate Spouses Luncheon held at the National Gallery of Art.

Melania Trump, wearing a white skirt suit, spoke about her Be Best platform, which focuses on children's well-being, and her Fostering the Future initiative, which supports children transitioning out of foster care.

"Together, we will uplift and empower our children, ensuring they have the support needed to thrive," the first lady wrote in a post on X. "Let's continue this vital mission and inspire a brighter future for all!"

June 11, 2025: She accompanied Donald Trump to the opening night of "Les Misérables" at the Kennedy Center.

Melania Trump wore a black midi dress designed by Bottega Veneta, while Donald Trump wore a black tuxedo.

Second lady Usha Vance and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s wife Cheryl Hines wore midi dresses similar to Melania Trump's.

June 12, 2025: She greeted attendees at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House.

Melania Trump shook hands and took selfies with members of Congress and their families at the annual White House event. She paired a basic white shirt with vibrant floral pants by Dolce & Gabbana.

June 14, 2025: Melania Trump attended the US Army's 250th anniversary parade alongside Donald Trump.

The military parade featured 150 Army vehicles, 50 aircraft, and around 6,600 troops in uniform making their way down Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC, to mark the US Army's historic anniversary. June 14 was also Donald Trump's 79th birthday.

Melania Trump escorted Donald Trump onstage for his remarks at the event, but did not issue any statement of her own. She wore a pinstriped ivory skirt suit by Adam Lippes.

July 3, 2025: She visited Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, ahead of July Fourth.

After arriving at the hospital carrying toys for children, the first lady chatted with patients, took part in July Fourth-themed crafts, and visited the hospital's healing garden, which features a rose bush from the White House.

July 4, 2025: Melania Trump appeared beside her husband at Fourth of July events at the White House.

The first couple watched the July Fourth fireworks display from the White House. They also hosted a military family picnic on the South Lawn earlier in the day.

Also that day, Donald Trump signed his tax and spending bill, which he dubbed his "Big Beautiful Bill," after it was passed by the House of Representatives on July 3.

She wore a white shirtdress by Thom Browne.

July 11, 2025: The president and first lady visited central Texas towns devastated by flash flooding.

The first couple visited Texas a week after the Guadalupe River in Kerr County rose 26 feet in just 45 minutes as rain battered the region, leaving more than 130 dead. The Trumps met with families of victims, first responders, and local officials.

"It's a horrible thing, it's a horrible thing," Donald Trump told the press as he departed the White House on July 11. "Nobody can even believe it — that much water that fast."

At a press conference in Texas, Melania Trump said, "My deepest sympathy to all of the parents who lost beautiful young souls — deepest sympathy from all of us to the community, to everybody who lost a loved one. We are grieving with you. Our nation is grieving with you."

July 13, 2025: They attended the FIFA Club World Cup final, which Melania Trump watched from behind a striking pair of Dior sunglasses.

Donald Trump and Melania Trump watched Chelsea defeat Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Donald Trump, who received both cheers and boos at the game, called it "a great match."

Melania Trump watched the game from behind her bright-white Dior sunglasses, which resembled the Vuarnet glasses worn by Sam Altman at Sun Valley just days earlier. She wore them with a black-and-white Michael Kors outfit.

September 4, 2025: Melania Trump attended a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education.

The task force was created in April as part of Donald Trump's executive order, "Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education For American Youth."

"Our future is no longer science fiction," Melania Trump said at the meeting. "During this primitive stage, it is our duty to treat AI as we would our own children — empowering, but with watchful guidance."

The first lady wore a gray striped suit with a white shirt and belt.

September 4, 2025: After her task force meeting, she joined Donald Trump for a White House dinner with tech and business leaders.

The guest list included Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Tim Cook among over a dozen tech and AI executives. Elon Musk was not in attendance, though he sent a representative to the event.

During the dinner, Altman called Donald Trump a "pro-business, pro-innovation president," and Cook thanked the president for "helping companies around the world" and the first lady for "focusing on education."

Melania Trump changed into a black outfit for the gathering.

September 11, 2025: The president and first lady attended a ceremony at the Pentagon on the 24th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

They observed a moment of silence in memory of those who were killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

September 16, 2025: She joined Donald Trump on a state visit to the UK.

Donald Trump and Melania Trump disembarked from Air Force One at London Stansted Airport and were greeted by British soldiers and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

September 17, 2025: They received a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

A horse-drawn carriage ride transported them to Windsor Castle, where troops were assembled in a Guard of Honor. Afterward, they viewed items from the Royal Collection and toured St George's Chapel.

Melania Trump accessorized her Dior skirt suit with a purple hat that matched Donald Trump's tie.

September 17, 2025: Later that evening, Melania Trump wore a yellow Carolina Herrera gown to a state banquet at St George's Hall.

Donald Trump was escorted into dinner by King Charles, and Queen Camilla entered with Melania Trump.

September 18, 2025: Charles and Camilla said farewell to Donald Trump and Melania Trump on the final day of their state visit.

"He's a great gentleman and a great king," Donald Trump said of Charles after their formal goodbye at Windsor Castle.

September 18, 2025: Melania Trump visited Queen Mary's Dolls' House with Queen Camilla and Frogmore Gardens with Kate Middleton.

Melania Trump changed from a tan skirt suit to a tan jacket and cream slacks, which were better suited for playing lawn games with children from the Scouts' Squirrels program at Frogmore Gardens.

September 23, 2025: The first lady launched a new project at the United Nations General Assembly.

Back in the US, Melania Trump launched a global coalition called "Fostering the Future Together" dedicated to "enhancing the well-being of children through the promotion of education, innovation, and technology," the White House said.

October 5, 2025: She joined Donald Trump to mark the Navy's 250th anniversary.

The president and first lady greeted sailors and observed demonstrations during a visit to the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier in Norfolk, Virginia.

October 10, 2025: Melania Trump spoke about her connection with Russian President Vladimir Putin that helped reunite displaced children.

Melania Trump wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin in August, urging him to end the war in Ukraine to restore the "melodic laughter" of children displaced by the conflict.

In October, she announced that her "open channel of communication" with Putin had helped reunite eight Ukrainian children with their families.

October 30, 2025: The president and first lady handed out candy at the White House for Halloween.

Neither dressed up in a Halloween costume — Donald Trump wore one of his signature red hats, and Melania Trump wore a brown coat with orange trim by Marni.

November 13, 2025: Melania Trump launched a new "Fostering the Future" initiative.

In the East Room of the White House, Trump signed an executive order aimed at strengthening the foster care system as part of Melania Trump's new "Fostering the Future" initiative.

The program, an extension of the first lady's "Be Best" initiative, aims to enhance opportunities for young people in foster care, including connecting them with educational and employment resources.

"This Executive Order, 'Fostering the Future for American Children and Families, ' gives me tremendous pride," Melania Trump wrote on X. "It is both empathetic and strategic. It will certainly be impactful."

November 18, 2025: Melania Trump and the president welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to a state dinner.

The couple welcomed the prince, who had met with Trump earlier in the day, to a state dinner at the White House.

The first lady wore a floor-length Elie Saab gown in what The New York Times dubbed "Saudi green," noting it was a similar hue to the green of Saudi Arabia's flag.

November 19, 2025: Usha Vance joined her while visiting military families and schools in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Melania Trump and Usha Vance stopped by DeLalio Elementary School on the Marine Corps Air Station New River, part of the Camp Lejeune Community Schools system.

November 24, 2025: Melania Trump welcomed the Official White House Christmas Tree.

The Official White House Christmas tree, an 18-foot concolor fir from Sidney, Michigan, was displayed in the Blue Room as part of the first lady's White House Christmas decorations.

Melania Trump wore a cream Christian Dior coat with red gloves and Manolo Blahnik heels in holiday plaid.

November 25, 2025: The president and first lady pardoned a turkey in the Rose Garden.

Donald Trump pardoned two turkeys named Gobble and Waddle. Melania Trump stood beside him in a brown tweed skirt by Ralph Lauren and a matching bomber jacket by Anine Bing.

November 30, 2025: After spending Thanksgiving at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump and Melania Trump returned to the White House.

The first lady arrived on the White House lawn in an olive Burberry coat and sunglasses.

December 1, 2025: Melania Trump and Usha Vance made another joint appearance, this time at an American Red Cross holiday event.

Melania Trump and Usha Vance wrote holiday cards and assembled care packages for deployed US military service members at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

The first lady's wool shirt jacket and turtleneck were both by Ralph Lauren. She also wore brown skinny jeans and knee-high boots by Christian Louboutin.

December 4, 2025: Melania Trump and Donald Trump attended the National Christmas Tree lighting on the White House Ellipse.

Melania Trump wore a white Chanel coat as she performed the honors, pressing the button to illuminate the 32-foot-tall red spruce.

December 5, 2025: Melania Trump read the book "How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?" at a Children's National Hospital holiday event.

It was a busy day for the first lady. Later that night, she also welcomed singer Andrea Bocelli to the White House and attended the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

December 7, 2025: The president and first lady walked the red carpet at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors.

Melania Trump's black Givenchy gown may have been a nod to LVMH, the conglomerate that owns Givenchy as well as Tiffany, which designed the new Kennedy Center medallions awarded to honorees.

December 8, 2025: She was joined by Santa Claus at a Toys for Tots charity drive at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

The first lady wore a white coat by Proenza Schouler as she greeted military families and supporters of Toys for Tots.

"This Christmas season, you, your friends, and your families should wish for the ultimate gift — love," she said in her remarks at the event. "After all, love travels further than Santa's sleigh and America's Ospreys."

December 11, 2025: Melania Trump spoke at the Congressional Ball held at the White House.

Wearing a Dolce & Gabbana suit with a black lace top, Melania Trump thanked legislators for their "overwhelmingly bipartisan support" for the Take It Down Act.

December 12, 2025: The president and first lady hosted a holiday reception at the White House.

Melania Trump wore a white skirt suit, while Donald Trump wore his signature red tie.

December 24, 2025: On Christmas Eve, Donald and Melania Trump called US service members and spoke to children while participating in the NORAD Santa Tracker.

The president and first lady spent Christmas at Mar-a-Lago, which has often functioned as Donald Trump's "winter White House."

On Christmas Eve, they called US service members to wish them a merry Christmas and fielded calls from children while tracking Santa Claus with the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The first lady wore a black Valentino dress with embroidered sleeves and black Christian Louboutin heels.

December 31, 2025: Melania Trump wore sparkles to Mar-a-Lago's annual New Year's Eve party.

Melania Trump's silver sequined dress was designed by The New Arrivals.

January 28, 2026: Melania Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange while promoting her documentary, "Melania."

"Superior storytelling drives culture, and in turn, moves markets," the first lady said in her remarks. "In the near future, cultural influence will matter as much as economic power."

She wore a black coat dress with a leather belt.

January 29, 2026: After holding a private White House screening, Melania Trump attended the world premiere of her documentary at the Kennedy Center.

She walked the red carpet wearing a black Dolce & Gabbana skirt suit alongside Donald Trump.

February 4, 2026: The first lady met with freed Israeli hostages Aviva Siegel, who appeared in "Melania," and Keith Siegel.

Aviva Siegel was held hostage in Gaza by Hamas for 51 days and freed as part of a temporary ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration. She previously met with Melania Trump while her husband, Keith Siegel, was still held in Gaza, in a scene featured in the "Melania" documentary. Keith Siegel was eventually freed after 484 days, and a title card at the end of the film notes that Melania Trump "played a key role" in securing his release.

When a reporter asked Melania Trump if it was appropriate to promote her documentary at a White House event, she responded that meeting with the Siegels was "not promotion."

"We are here celebrating the release of the hostages, of Aviva and Keith," she said. "They were in Washington, DC, and they called me. They said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs, and that's why we are here. It's nothing to do with promotion."

The first lady wore a black suit with a white button-down shirt.

February 11, 2026: Melania Trump participated in Valentine's Day craft projects at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Melania Trump visited children receiving medical treatment at the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She wore a khaki dress with a red belt.

February 13, 2026: The president and first lady visited troops at an Army base the day before Valentine's Day in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

"Love letters have symbolized the union of patriotism and family devotion among our soldiers for 250 years," Melania Trump said at the event. "The harmony of love of country and love of family is what makes us uniquely American. It is this very balance which strengthens our military and builds our communities."

The first lady wore a tan wool Dolce & Gabbana coat with red leather boots from Vivian.

February 20, 2026: She donated her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, as is traditional for first ladies.

Melania Trump is the first non-consecutive first lady to donate an inaugural gown to the Smithsonian for a second time.

Her gown was designed by Hervé Pierre and paired with a reproduction of a 1955 diamond brooch by Harry Winston.

"Human nature resides in the discipline of detail," Melania Trump said in her speech at the museum. "Everything is in the detail. It's a testament as to why America's fashion industry can lead the rest of the world."

February 21, 2026: She accompanied Donald Trump at a White House dinner with state governors.

Donald Trump invited only Republican governors to the dinner, which was held in the East Room.

Melania Trump wore a black blouse with metallic pants from Dolce & Gabbana.

February 24, 2026: Melania Trump presented the Medal of Honor to a veteran at the State of the Union.

Captain E. Royce Williams, 100, was part of the longest aerial engagement in the Navy's history during the Korean War, a battle kept classified for decades due to Soviet involvement.

Melania Trump wore a charcoal Dolce & Gabbana pantsuit.

March 2, 2026: Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting.

Melania Trump became the first sitting first lady to preside over the UN Security Council, where she spoke about the importance of children's safety and education around the world.

"Security Council members, I encourage you to pledge to safeguard learning in our communities and promote access to heightened education for all," she said in her remarks. "I implore you to build a future generation of leaders who embrace peace through education."

The first lady wore a gray skirt suit cinched with a black belt.

March 7, 2026: The president and first lady attended the dignified transfer of six US soldiers who were killed in the Middle East.

Melania Trump wore an all-black ensemble as the soldiers' remains were returned to the US at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

March 12, 2026: Melania Trump appeared at a White House Women's History Month event with Donald Trump.

"To all of the young women, entrepreneurs, and future leaders: make time for yourself," Melania Trump said in her speech. "Educate yourself daily and spread your passion. Be courageous and take risks. Advance your profession through inspiration. Be a bold chief executive while keeping your family, if you choose so, at the center of your nation's future."

Melania Trump wore a black crewneck sweater with a leopard-print skirt.

• Recession calls are growing louder as observers gauge the impact of the US-Iran war.
• Oil prices have stuck close to $100 a barrel this week and could remain elevated.
• Markets are worried the spike could lead to a consumer-led economic slowdown.

It's becoming harder to ignore the risk of a recession as the Iran war causes historic disruptions in energy markets.

The US economy skated through 2025 on a solid footing, but the bull case for growth is harder to make this year, as forecasters see no clear resolution to the Iran war and its impact on energy markets.

Brent, the international oil benchmark, has stuck close to $100 a barrel throughout the second week of the war. That's a key psychological threshold in markets that is problematic for a number of reasons. The fear is that higher crude prices could spike inflation while hammering economic growth — two forces that risk tipping the US into a recession later in the year, should supply disruptions in the Middle East continue.

Even before the war, signs were piling up that the economy is probably slowing down.

After coming in below estimates in the first reading, the Commerce Department on Friday revised fourth-quarter GDP down to 0.7%, half the annual growth rate it originally estimated.

The job market also had a dismal month in February. The US lost 92,000 jobs, well short of the estimated gain of more than 50,000.

Goldman Sachs nudged its 2026 recession odds higher this week. In a note to clients, the bank said it bumped up its 12-month recession probability in the US to 25%, up from the prior estimate of 20%, citing the "upside risks" to oil and February's job losses.

BCA Research, which has leaned more bearish on the US economy and markets for the past year, said it was raising its expected 12-month recession probability in the US to 40%. The firm previously had a 50% recession probability, but had cut its forecast due to positive developments, such as Trump's tariffs being struck down by the Supreme Court.

Peter Berezin, the chief global strategist at BCA, told Business Insider this week that the recession forecast is based on recent weakness in the job market, slowing retail sales, and the upside risk to inflation from oil prices.

"This wasn't an economy that was firing all cylinders even before the oil shock," he said. "If the oil shock persists, that could be enough to drag it down into a recession later this year."

Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman also flagged the potential for more dire economic consequences if the oil price shock persists. In a Substack post, he predicted crude oil rising well above $100 a barrel, adding that even $150-a-barrel oil looked "low" to him.

"In the short run, the economic impact of a sustained loss of Gulf oil could be very ugly," Krugman wrote on Friday.

Previously, Krugman speculated that an extended conflict in the Middle East could be the "straw that breaks the camel's back" regarding the US economic outlook.

How high will oil prices climb?

Forecasters are eyeing several price levels for oil that could trigger a downturn.

Kristina Hooper, the chief market strategist at Man Group, said she believed that oil rising to $120 to $130 a barrel for a sustained period could trigger a US recession, due to increased cost pressure on consumers.

"We're already in a K-shaped economy, where the lower leg of the K is under very significant pressure," she said in an interview on Bloomberg TV this week, referring to the idea that the financial health of lower-income Americans is diverging from higher-income households.

A sustained spike in oil prices to around $140 a barrel for a two-month period could be enough to "push parts of the global economy into a mild recession," Oxford Economics wrote in a note on Wednesday.

Rory Johnston, an oil market researcher at Commodity Context, said he believes much of the economic outlook is tied to whether the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for a longer period. He outlined one bear case scenario where the supply disruption is so extreme, it causes oil to rise to $250 a barrel.

"This is going to manifest as exceptionally painful prices at the pump. It's going to sap consumer disposable income and cause that recessionary pressure," he told CNBC this week about how the scenario could play out in the US and Europe.

• The Starbucks union presented a new contract proposal to get management back to the bargaining table.
• Starbucks Workers United is demanding a $17 wage floor, down from its 2024 demand of $20.
• Management has proposed that negotiations resume on March 30 — the first session since December 2024

After more than a year at a standstill, Starbucks' union contract talks are percolating once more.

Starbucks Workers United, the coffee giant's union, has lowered its proposed starting wage to $17 an hour, down from the $20 minimum it previously demanded. The company has also proposed that in-person bargaining resume on March 30, in what would be the first contract negotiation session since talks stalled in December 2024.

The union's revised economic proposal, which was provided to Starbucks management 30 days ago, was made public by the union just before SBWU baristas on Friday joined a call with a group of shareholders advocating for workers' rights, urging management to finalize a contract.

The move marks one of the clearest signs yet that the union is willing to shift its position to break the impasse. Starbucks management has declined to comment on its counter-proposals.

"Baristas recently met, deliberated, and found consensus around fair and reasonable measures to support baristas," Jasmine Leli, a three-year Starbucks barista and bargaining delegate, said in a statement. She added that workers are "in conversation with the company about the road back to the bargaining table," and that those discussions are ongoing.

Starbucks management has consistently pushed back on the union's characterization of events, saying it respects workers' right to organize and wants to reach a contract, and disputing allegations of widespread union busting.

"At Starbucks, we are committed to all our partners, and where they have chosen union representation, we have been engaging in good faith bargaining," Jaci Anderson, a spokesperson for Starbucks, told Business Insider, adding that Starbucks was "disappointed" when SBWU "walked away from negotiations" in December 2024.

"Progress occurs in collective bargaining when both sides get into the same room," Anderson said.

Starbucks management will remain available for "continued negotiations throughout April," Anderson added.

As Business Insider previously reported, the company has said that it already offers industry-leading pay and benefits, and has said it's prepared to move quickly toward a "reasonable" and "fair" agreement.

Negotiations have dragged on for months, with both sides accusing the other of failing to bargain in good faith. The stalemate has increasingly drawn scrutiny from politicians, including now-New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders, as well as investors concerned about reputational and operational risks.

By trimming its wage-floor demand by nearly $3, the union is hoping to signal flexibility and put pressure on executives to match that move as scrutiny from shareholders intensifies.

Under the updated framework, unionized baristas would push for a $17 an hour starting wage, 4% annual raises — down from 5% — and a slate of workplace protections, including "just cause" standards for discipline, antidiscrimination language, enforceable health and safety measures, and guarantees of at least three workers on the floor at all times.

Starting pay in many states ranges from $15.25 to $16 an hour. The union says that raising the floor would lift wages for the lowest-paid workers without creating wage compression at organized stores.

SBWU, which first unionized in Buffalo in 2021, represents about 650 stores, or roughly 4% of Starbucks' in-store staff in the US.

The union's broader demands also include offering existing employees additional hours before hiring new staff, formal grievance procedures, protections during store closures, and resolution of outstanding unfair labor practice charges — including alleged backpay tied to firings and withheld raises.

The union's demand lands at a delicate moment for Starbucks.

As Business Insider previously reported, an investor group has been preparing for a potential board fight, centered in part on the company's labor relations, as the company continues to navigate its turnaround effort.

Anderson told Business Insider the Starbucks board "has the necessary skills and experience to effectively oversee our strategy, including human capital management, which is vital to our ability to drive growth and deliver for our customers."

Tensions have also flared on the shop floor: union baristas in November launched their fourth strike since 2023 amid mounting frustration, drawing fresh investor attention to the protracted negotiations.

Most unionized baristas are now back to work, but "work stoppages continue at stores on a rotating basis," a spokesperson for the union said.

Starbucks executives, including CEO Brian Niccol, have publicly said they want to reach a deal. Union leaders said the path forward is clear.

"It's time to get a fair contract done so we can all move forward," Leli said in the statement. "We believe that's not only possible, but within reach as long as executives are committed to good-faith bargaining."

• Last year, I moved from New York City to London.
• I've been surprised by how different grocery shopping is in the UK.
• Some items I was used to buying in the US, like half-and-half, aren't available here.

Moving from New York City to London wasn't exactly a huge culture shock for me. The language and lifestyle are basically the same, and the only major differences I've noticed are the accent and currency.

However, since I moved in January 2025, shopping for groceries has yielded some pretty big surprises.

Here are all the ways shopping in the UK has thrown me for a loop, from differences in product availability and placements to business hours.

Some staple items seem harder to come by

I live in a big neighborhood just outside Central London and have five grocery stores within walking distance. So, it's not for a lack of trying when I say I haven't been able to find some of my favorite grocery items nearby.

I was shocked to learn that half-and-half just doesn't exist in the UK, especially because my then-boyfriend (now husband) had seemingly been preparing my morning coffee with it for years before my move.

Only after I expressed confusion about not being able to find it in the grocery store did I learn that he'd been mixing a custom blend of milk and cream for me all along.

I've also noticed that Italian sausage is harder to find. I evidently took for granted how prevalent and relatively inexpensive it was in New York, and even in Michigan, where my parents live.

Of course, pork sausage is popular in the UK, but I've found that the versions available here (such as the kind used in bangers and mash) are very different in texture and flavor.

Luckily, a local helped me find an Italian marketplace in Central London, where the sausages were excellent (and similar to what I had back home), albeit quite expensive.

The hours of operation are shorter than what I was used to in the US

Admittedly, I was spoiled by having access to a 24-hour grocery store in my New York City neighborhood.

I was accustomed to being able to pick up a few things on my way home from an evening out, or to occasionally capitalize on jet lag for some early morning shopping.

In London, I have to be more strategic — especially on Sundays.

For example, if I want to visit a Lidl or Sainsbury's on a Sunday, I have only a short window to do so, as the shops typically open at 11 a.m. and close by 5 p.m.

Eggs aren't in the refrigerated section

If you're wandering around the refrigerated aisles in a grocery store in the UK, you won't find any eggs.

Unlike in the States, eggs in the UK aren't sold refrigerated because of differences in the sanitization process. Instead, they're on shelves, possibly near the baking supplies.

At first, I thought it was odd, but I quickly learned to adjust. I'm still keeping them in the fridge at home, though.

Certain items in the UK go by different names

It seems like every time I visit the grocery store, I have to Google what exactly I'm looking for.

Anyone familiar with "fish and chips" knows that chips equal fries in the UK, but what about Doritos? Here, they're called crisps.

Meanwhile, zucchini is often called courgette, and rutabaga is known as swede.

There are many American brands here, but some of the flavors are different

When I moved, I fully expected to adopt different brands of things such as chips — sorry, crisps — and breakfast cereal.

What surprised me, though, was the differences in flavors available.

Cheerios are sold here, but they sport Nestlé's logo rather than General Mills', and the primary flavors are honey and multigrain. Big yellow boxes of plain Cheerios are conspicuously missing — at least at my local supermarkets.

The main difference between the plain Cheerios I'm used to and the multigrain variety I often see here is that plain Cheerios are primarily made with whole-grain oats. The multigrain variety is made with a combination of whole-grain oat flour, whole-grain wheat flour, and whole-grain barley flour.

Doritos, meanwhile, still come in recognizable packaging, but some of the flavors have been renamed. Cool Ranch, for example, is called Cool Original in the UK, in part because ranch dressing doesn't really exist here.

Some other differences include portion sizes, ingredients, nutritional contents, and bag colors.

This story was originally published on June 5, 2025, and most recently updated on March 13, 2026.

• I tried meatloaf recipes from Ina Garten, Ree Drummond, and Rachael Ray to see which was best.
• Garten's meatloaf was simple and easy to make, but Drummond's dish was a bit overwhelming.
• Ray's recipe was the best because it tasted like a Thanksgiving dish with my favorite fall flavors.

I love family-sized meals that provide enough leftovers for my husband and me — but somehow, I'd never made meatloaf before.

To find the best way to make this popular comfort dish, I turned to the celebrity chefs.

I tested out recipes from Ina Garten, Ree Drummond, and Rachael Ray to find the best version of the classic dish.

Here's how the recipes stacked up.

The ingredient list for Garten's recipe was simple.

Garten's recipe had a short ingredient list and was very straightforward. It included common pantry items such as olive oil, onions, eggs, and chicken stock.

She also recommended using ground chuck, a ground-beef blend that's usually 80% lean and 20% fat.

Garten's recipe required I fire up the stove.

I sautéed chopped onions, thyme, salt, and pepper in a pan until the onions were translucent.

Then, I removed the pan from the heat and added Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste.

I combined the ingredients in a bowl before shaping and baking the loaf.

I placed the onion mixture, ground chuck, breadcrumbs, and eggs in a large bowl.

The recipe recommended lightly mixing the ingredients with a fork to prevent the meatloaf from getting dense. I opted to wear food-prep gloves and gently combine everything by hand.

I shaped the meat and topped it with ketchup.

After reading some tips in the comments under Garten's recipe, I lined a sheet pan with two layers of parchment paper, then placed the meat mixture on top.

I shaped everything into a loaf, coated it with ketchup, and put it in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cooked meatloaf was surrounded by grease and slightly cracked, but I didn't mind.

The full recipe called for about an hour of baking, but I halved it, so it was done after 45 minutes.

I noticed the finished product was soaked in grease, but I easily removed it with a spoon.

Garten recommended putting a pan of hot water in the oven to keep the meat from cracking. However, my meatloaf still cracked after following that step, and it wasn't a big deal.

Garten's meatloaf was classic and comforting.

Garten's meatloaf had a short ingredient list, was easy to make, and tasted comforting.

It was moist without being greasy, and I thought it had a good texture from the onions and a nice sweetness from the ketchup. It was basically everything I'd want in a classic meatloaf dish.

Next, I tried Drummond's meatloaf recipe.

Drummond's recipe was a bit of a departure from Garten's classic meatloaf. She included ingredients such as white bread, milk, Parmesan, parsley, and bacon.

Like Garten's recipe, all of Drummond's ingredients were combined in a bowl.

Drummond recommended soaking slices of bread in milk before combining them with ground beef, Parmesan, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, parsley, and eggs.

After putting all of the ingredients in a bowl, I gently mixed them by hand.

The recipe said to use a foil-lined broiler pan to catch the fat, but I didn't have one, so I improvised.

Since I don't have a broiler pan, I placed my meatloaf on a cooling rack set on a foil-lined sheet pan.

Drummond called for wrapping the meatloaf in bacon and topping it with a homemade sauce.

I topped the meatloaf with bacon and Drummond's sauce, which I made with ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, hot sauce, and Worcestershire.

I put about 1/3 of the sauce mixture on the meat before baking it at 350 degrees.

Toward the end of the baking time, I added more of the sauce and saved the rest for the finished loaf.

Using the cooling rack prevented grease buildup.

Using a cooling rack on top of a sheet pan was pretty successful. Only some of the meat fell to the bottom of the pan, and there was barely any grease when I took the meatloaf out of the oven.

Drummond's meatloaf was more interesting than Garten's, but I don't see myself making it again.

Drummond's meatloaf was moist, and I enjoyed the parsley garnish, which paired well with the sweetness of the tomato sauce.

I didn't love the chunks of white bread at first, but the texture grew on me. However, the bacon wasn't as crunchy as I usually prefer it, so I'd skip it if I made this recipe again.

Although this version was more flavorful than Garten's, I didn't return for seconds.

Ray's meatloaf recipe had the longest ingredient list.

Ray's meatloaf recipe had an extensive list of ingredients, including chicken broth and apples.

She also recommended using ground turkey instead of ground beef as a base, which was different from the previous recipes.

Similar to Garten's recipe, I started by sautéing some ingredients.

Ray recommended sautéing thyme, celery, apples, onions, salt, and pepper in a pan to start.

I also rehydrated breadcrumbs with chicken stock and softened dried cranberries with hot water.

Like the other recipes, I combined the ingredients in a bowl.

In a bowl, I gently mixed the ground turkey with salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, apple mixture, cranberries, extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, poultry seasoning, and an egg.

I halved the recipe and cooked it for 40 minutes.

Since I halved the recipe, I put the meat in the oven at 400 degrees and baked it for 40 minutes instead of the recommended hour.

It was my first time making gravy, and Ray's recipe was so easy to follow.

To make Ray's homemade apple-cider gravy, I started by whisking together warm butter and flour.

Then I added chicken stock, apple cider, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, and simmered the mixture until it was thick enough to coat my spoon.

I found the process to be surprisingly easy, and I'd definitely make it again for other dishes.

Ray's meatloaf dish tasted like Thanksgiving, and I loved it.

Since Ray called for a ground-turkey base, it wasn't as moist as the previous recipes. Even so, the gravy prevented it from being dry while adding a sweet flavor.

I also enjoyed the addition of cranberries and the slight crunch of the apples.

The dish tasted like a combination of my favorite fall flavors and reminded me of Thanksgiving leftovers.

All three meatloaf recipes were good, but Ray's was my favorite.

Ray's meatloaf recipe tasted like Thanksgiving — and came together much faster than roasting a bird and making sides. Even though I halved her recipe, there was still plenty to serve a crowd or save for leftovers.

I can't see myself making Drummond's meatloaf again, even if it was tasty.

However, if you're looking for a classic recipe, you can't go wrong with Garten's. It's simple enough to whip up with some ground beef and kitchen staples.

Check out the other celebrity-chef recipes we've put head-to-head so far.

This story was originally published on October 15, 2023, and most recently updated on March 13, 2026.

• Kenny Jary is an 84-year-old Navy veteran who lives in Minnesota.
• He spreads positivity and joy online through his Patriotic Kenny account.
• Here, he shares what his experience was like getting his first tattoo.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kenny Jary of the social media account Patriotic Kenny. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Back in the day, I always said that I wanted a tattoo. I was in the United States Navy, and everyone had tattoos. But I wasn't really ready for it. You know how it is, you just put things off until the right opportunity comes.

And the right opportunity came, many decades later, thanks to two friends.

I met Amanda Kline and Jenny Cooper in 2021 through a local coffee shop owner. They were told about me, and then spotted me the next day thanks to my scooter, which was decorated with American flags.

At 84, I got my first tattoo

My new friends surprised me on my birthday; I had no idea where we were going. We flew to San Diego, and Joey Hamilton of TLC's "Ink Masters" did the tattoo. Joey's quite famous. He's also a veteran.

It didn't hurt at all. If anything, it felt like a little kid scratching. It's just a small tattoo, one that I wanted to represent the United States Navy. There's an anchor, and then it has three stars to represent Minnesota. There are three rings to represent my three kids, and our group of three: me, Amanda, and Jenny.

I believe it's never too late to cross something off your bucket list

I think people should cross things off their bucket lists because life goes fast. One minute you're a teenager and the next you're nearly 90. If you keep waiting, you might miss your chance.

When I try something I've always wanted to do, I feel proud and alive. Recently, I have traveled to new places, flown on big planes, met new people from all over, and now I have my first tattoo. Each time I try something new, it reminds me that I am still growing.

I've always been the Kenny I am, way up until right now. Nothing has changed since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I've always been jolly — I think you need to smile and be jolly, it makes the world go round and makes you feel better. Laughter is most important.

But I was not always this open to new things. When I was younger, I liked what felt safe. As I got older, I realized that trying new things makes life bigger. I have tried traveling far from home, speaking in front of crowds, and sharing my story online. At first, I felt nervous. Then I feel excited. After I do it, I feel like I'm leaving a legacy.

This friendship has changed my life

I trust Amanda and Jenny because they truly care about me. They listen to me. They protect me. They push me in a good way, not a scary way. They want me to have a full life. That trust comes from time, honesty, and love. Our relationship is important because we support each other and are family. No matter what we're doing, we're always having a good time together.

I tell everybody that they're my daughters now, and I treat them just like my own daughter. Amanda and Jenny have brought me a whole new life, I mean that sincerely. I do more things at 84 years old than I thought possible. I get out of the house and do things. Don't get me wrong — I still have COPD, I still struggle, but you have to get out and do things. Four years ago, when we started the TikTok account, I didn't have anything. My scooter broke down. It was junk. I had bought it at a garage sale. Then I had the good fortune to meet these women.

We began a foundation three years ago, called the Patriotic Kenny Foundation. I got my scooter from online donations. We had all these fans, millions of them. I told Amanda I was going to pay it forward with scooters. We've been doing it for three years now, and we've given out 160 scooters across the country. Every quarter, we donate 12 to veterans. This year is the 250th anniversary of the United States. I'm so proud.

• March 13 is a Friday.
• Traditionally, Friday the 13th is considered a "cursed" date, but it doesn't have to be.
• President Johnson signed an executive order preventing gender discrimination on October 13, 1967.

Friday the 13th has a long history of freaking people out.

When this day rolls around, people buy and travel less. In fact, it's been widely reported that the global economy is estimated to lose as much as $900 million every time a Friday lands on the 13th.

However, the Dutch Center for Insurance Statistics reported in 2008 that Friday the 13th is actually statistically safer than other Fridays — there are fewer accidents and reports of fire and theft on these days.

If that doesn't convince you, keep scrolling to learn about some positive events that took place on a Friday the 13th.

Mikhail Shaidorov became the first figure skater from Kazakhstan to win a gold medal in ice skating.

Sure, we could talk about Ilia Malinin's near-disastrous performance, but we'd rather focus on the positives. After Malinin dropped out of contention, that meant that 21-year-old Shaidorov could shoot up the rankings and win his country's first gold in ice skating. Isn't that what the Olympics are all about?

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an executive order preventing gender discrimination in the government.

While Title VII officially prevented discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex for private employers, it wasn't until Executive Order 11375 that discrimination based on gender was illegal for the federal government and federal contractors.

President Johnson signed the order, which was officially titled Amending Executive Order No. 11246, Relating to Equal Employment Opportunity, on October 13, 1967.

Malta became a republic.

The tiny Mediterranean country of Malta first became independent of the British in 1964, but officially became a republic on December 13, 1974.

Even though it's small, Malta is an underrated place to visit.

Evelyn "Pinky" Kilgare-Brier became the first certified female pilot instructor.

According to the National Museum of the US Air Force, Kilgare-Brier became the first woman to receive an airplane instructor's license on October 13, 1939.

She was an important figure for women in aviation. She also flew non-combat missions during World War II, and after the war she owned and operated her own private airport, according to her obituary in the Los Angeles Times.

The queens of the '90s, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, were born.

The Olsen twins were born on June 13, 1986.

They famously got their start on "Full House" and went on to create an empire: books, videos, perfume, clothing lines, and much more.

"Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" premiered on Friday, October 13, 2023.

Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989, and she has repeatedly said that 13 is her favorite number. She even used to perform with "13" drawn on her hand.

As part of her 13 agenda, her blockbuster concert film "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" premiered in theaters on Friday, October 13, 2023. It went on to become the highest-grossing concert film of all time after grossing $261 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

The first scientifically recognized dinosaur eggs were discovered.

Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first dinosaur eggs at a dig in Mongolia on July 13, 1923, according to the American Museum of Natural History.

Scientifically, this was huge for the field of paleontology, confirming that dinosaurs laid eggs. The museum was so impressed that Andrews went on to become its director from 1935 to 1942.

The famous Hollywood sign was dedicated.

The Hollywood sign is an iconic piece of California culture. But when it was officially dedicated on July 13, 1923, it wasn't even supposed to last for more than two years.

Originally, the sign was installed to promote a new subdivision in the Hollywood Hills.

The Olympics officially returned to their home country.

The 2004 Summer Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, the country where they started, both in ancient and modern times. The opening ceremony took place on August 13.

It was the largest Olympic Games at the time, with 201 countries participating. Michael Phelps also won his first Olympic medal and broke his first record in Athens.

"Super Mario Bros." was released.

"Super Mario Bros.," one of the most iconic video games in history, was released on September 13, 1985, exclusively in Japan, per The Verge.

Since then, Mario has been in approximately 170 games, including wildly successful spin-offs like "Mario Kart," "Mario Party," and "Paper Mario."

A "significant amount" of water was found on the Moon.

A lunar space station has long been the subject of science fiction novels, but on November 13, 2009, that dream took one step closer to reality when NASA announced they found water on the Moon.

How much is a "significant amount"? According to NASA's Anthony Colaprete, around a dozen 2-gallon bucketfuls.

Black Sabbath released their debut album and invented heavy metal.

The 69th best debut album of all time, at least according to Rolling Stone, Black Sabbath's self-titled album was released on February 13, 1970.

The album is widely regarded as having created the genre of heavy metal, with instant classics like "N.I.B." and "The Wizard."

Actor Steve Buscemi was born.

Steve Buscemi was born on December 13, 1957 — yes, he shares a birthday with Taylor Swift. Buscemi might be famous as an actor, but he also has a lesser-known second career: a New York City firefighter.

Buscemi became an NYC firefighter at age 18. He eventually left the service to pursue acting, but after 9/11, Buscemi helped with rescue efforts and worked 12-hour shifts sifting through the rubble.

"Friday the 13th Part III" was released.

Of the iconic "Friday the 13th" movie saga, "Part III" was the first to actually open on Friday the 13th (August 13, 1982), the first to experiment with 3D, and the first appearance of Jason's mask.

Even though the movie was critically panned, the movie made over $36 million against a $2.3 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.

Friday the 13th is always the last day before the weekend.

If all else fails to convince you that Friday the 13th isn't a cursed date, just remember this: It's the last day of the workweek. Fridays are the best!

• Lovable's CEO says long-term thinking and team-building culture are luring talent from Silicon Valley.
• Sweden's tech culture is "about building for the coming decades," Anton Osika said.
• Osika also cited the startup's "hypergrowth" as another draw for foreign tech leaders.

Keeping hold of tech talent can be a battle for European companies, but the CEO of Swedish vibe-coding startup Lovable says it's not always a one-way flow to Silicon Valley.

Anton Osika said that what he considers a Swedish trait — long-term thinking and "building for the coming decades" — is attracting some talent away from the US.

In a Bloomberg interview that aired Friday, Osika said this longer-term mindset, paired with what he described as Sweden's tightly knit, low turnover, team-first culture, is luring some Swedish tech workers back from Silicon Valley and London.

Some return, he said, because they "miss the way that we think about being here for the long term and everyone caring about the team performing really well, being very well-knit together," a work ethos he said is embedded in Swedish culture.

Scaling fast from Stockholm

Lovable, which launched in November 2024, reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue — a metric that reflects predictable subscription income — within just eight months.

It surged by more than 30%, from $300 million to $400 million in a single month, Lovable's chief revenue officer, Ryan Meadows, told Business Insider's Ben Bergman.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Osika described the company's trajectory as "hypergrowth," a pace he said remains relatively "uncommon" in Sweden.

He added that momentum is bringing foreign tech leaders to Stockholm — in some cases, relocating with their families.

"We're in this for the long term," he said, adding that Sweden's strong capital markets and deep talent pool are helping the company "punch above our weight."

However, Sweden has struggled to retain many of its biggest tech successes.

A McKinsey report from last August found that more than 70% of the country's unicorns, startups valued at $1 billion or more, ultimately leave Sweden, typically through foreign acquisitions or listings abroad. Two of Sweden's most notable tech success stories, Klarna and Spotify, both opted to go public in the US.

What Europe can learn from Sweden

Osika said that Sweden's other strength is the support new talent receives from the next wave of entrepreneurs.

"It's a lot of how previous founders help the new generation of founders," Osika said. "Of course, there's a lot of this in Silicon Valley — and there's also that here in Stockholm."

Swedish startups are also forced to think internationally from day one because the domestic market is small, pushing founders to build for global scale almost immediately, which he said is different for some of the larger European countries.

Still, Osika said Sweden could move faster, especially in public-sector tech innovation.

"I would like to see ambition and urgency from leaders, political leaders, and institutional leaders to reimagine what is possible," he said.

"I think this urgency could be higher in Sweden," he said, adding: "I think it's lacking in Europe at large, for sure."

• The Murdoch family's media empire includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Post.
• The succession battle over that empire was resolved in 2025, with eldest son Lachlan taking control.
• The family drama is now the focus of a new Netflix series, "Dynasty: The Murdochs."

The Murdoch family's multibillion-dollar media empire includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The Times of London, and more.

Rupert Murdoch, the 95-year-old patriarch of the family, inherited an Australian newspaper at age 22 and built out his media empire from there. He has been married five times and has six children.

The Murdoch family's estimated net worth is over $22.6 billion, according to Forbes.

The battle over who would succeed Rupert Murdoch waged for years and has been relatively public, with much of it surrounding his two sons, Lachlan and James.

In 2023, Murdoch announced he was stepping down from his role at Fox Corporation and News Corp, leaving his eldest son, Lachlan, in charge.

In September 2025, companies run by the family announced that the dispute over the Murdoch family trust had ended. Under the deal, Lachlan will control the media brands through a new trust, while his siblings, James, Liz, and Prudence, were to each receive $1.1 billion in cash compensation for their shares, The New York Times reported.

Now, the family drama is the focus of a four-part Netflix series, "Dynasty: The Murdochs," which paints the picture of a "Succession"-like battle between the father and siblings. It's available to stream on March 13.

Here's a look at the family members behind the empire.

The Murdoch family's $22.6 billion fortune comes from a media empire that dates back to the 1950s.

Rupert Murdoch, the patriarch of the family, inherited a chain of Australian newspapers from his father, who was a war reporter turned publisher, in 1952. At the time, Murdoch was 22 years old and had just graduated from Oxford University.

He included scandalous stories in his papers, which helped with sales. The early success allowed him to expand quickly. He started Australia's first nationwide newspaper, The Australian, in 1964. By the 1970s, he was purchasing titles like the UK's News of the World and The Sun. He founded Fox News in 1996.

In 2018, The New York Times wrote that Murdoch was able to grow the empire so quickly "in part by ruthlessly using his platform to help elect his preferred candidates and then ruthlessly using those candidates to help extend his reach."

When Murdoch entered media markets for the first time, part of his strategy was to publish salacious content that others wouldn't — perhaps most famously in the form of the topless women on the third page of The Sun.

Years later, his British newspaper holdings were embroiled in a major voicemail hacking scandal, earning him the nickname "the dirty digger" from the satirical news show "Private Eye." In response, he shuttered the popular News of the World and, in 2012, apologized for not paying more attention to the scandal or to the paper, saying, "I am very sorry for it."

Rupert Murdoch, 95, is the patriarch of the Murdoch family empire.

Murdoch's name is synonymous with media and influence. He has built an empire that comprises Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, and other networks and newspapers across the world.

As he entered his late 80s, his succession plan emerged as a question.

Over the span of his five-decade career, he has been married five times and fathered six children, many of whom are involved in the family business. His most recent marriage was to Elena Zhukova, a retired biologist, in 2024.

Murdoch sold 21st Century Fox to Disney for $71.3 billion in 2019, netting $12 billion, which he then distributed equally among his six children.

He stepped away from leading Fox Corporation and News Corp in 2023, leaving his son Lachlan in charge.

Lachlan Murdoch is Rupert Murdoch's successor.

Lachlan, 54, is Rupert Murdoch's eldest son. From 2014 until 2019, Lachlan was co-chairman of 21st Century Fox, until the company was sold to Disney for $71.3 billion.

After the Disney deal closed, Lachlan was named chief executive of Fox Corporation, the arm of the Murdoch media empire that contains Fox News and Fox Sports, which perhaps marked the final stage of the contest between the brothers to take over their father's empire. (He and James had leapfrogged each other multiple times.)

Lachlan had started out overseeing a chain of Australian newspapers at 22, and by his late 20s, he had risen to become the deputy chief operating officer of News Corp. He left the company in 2005 at the age of 33, interpreted at the time as a sign that James had taken the lead. But Lachlan was brought back into the fold by 2015.

When his father stepped down from his role in 2023, Lachlan took charge of Fox Corporation and News Corp.

Lachlan has been married to Australian model Sarah O'Hare since 1999. They have three children.

James Murdoch was once the heir apparent.

James, Rupert Murdoch's 52-year-old son, resigned from News Corp's board of directors in 2020. His resignation was included in a regulatory filing.

"My resignation is due to disagreements over certain editorial content published by the Company's news outlets and certain other strategic decisions," he wrote in a two-sentence resignation letter.

It came six months after he had slammed News Corp and Fox News for coverage that promoted climate-change skepticism amid the Australian bushfires. James has historically been more liberal than his father; He and his wife, Kathryn, donated more than $1 million to Joe Biden's presidential campaign in the 2020 cycle. In 2024, he endorsed Kamala Harris for president.

Before his departure, James was considered a likely successor to Rupert Murdoch, as he was the CEO of 21st Century Fox from 2015 until 2019, when it was sold to Disney. He had been involved in the family business for most of his adult life.

James opened his own private investment firm, Lupa Systems, in 2019. He is also on the board of directors at Tesla.

Under the agreement announced in September, James will no longer have any stake in the companies built by his father and will receive cash compensation for his shares.

James and his wife have been married since 2000 and have three children.

Elisabeth Murdoch has also been involved with the family business.

Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth, 57, also became a media mogul. She owned and ran her own television production company, Shine, in the UK before selling it to her father for £415 million ($546 million) in 2011. The sale netted her a News Corp board seat and £153 million ($201 million). She also cofounded Sister, a global production company.

Like James, Liz will no longer have any stake in the media companies started by her father as a result of the succession agreement, and will be paid cash for her shares.

She has four children: two with her first husband Elkin Pianim and two with her second husband Matthew Freud. She married a third time, to artist Keith Tyson, in 2017.

James, Lachlan, and Elisabeth all have the same mother.

Rupert married the Scottish journalist Anna Murdoch Mann in 1967 — his second marriage. They divorced in 1999. Together, they had three children: Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James.

Rupert also had a daughter from his first marriage. In their divorce settlement, Anna Murdoch Mann fought for those four children to be the only beneficiaries of the family trust.

She died in February, at the age of 81.

Prudence MacLeod is Rupert's oldest, and the only child from his first marriage.

Prudence's mother was Australian model Patricia Booker. Booker and Murdoch married in 1956 and divorced in 1966.

Prudence, 67, and her husband, Alasdair MacLeod, were both involved with Murdoch businesses. They have three children.

Under the succession agreement, Prudence will not have any control over the family's media companies and will receive cash compensation for her shares.

Wendi Deng was Rupert Murdoch's third wife.

Deng, now 57, is 37 years Rupert Murdoch's junior. They met while she was working as an executive at a Murdoch-owned network in Hong Kong. She was also an advisor for China's MySpace outfit and a film producer.

The pair married in 1999, aboard Murdoch's yacht, just weeks after his divorce from Anna Murdoch Mann was finalized. They remained married for 14 years.

Murdoch and Deng share two daughters, Grace and Chloe.

Grace and Chloe, who are beneficiaries of the new Murdoch trust but do not have voting power, are now 24 and 22, respectively.

They are the last of Murdoch's six children. Their godparents are Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Rupert Murdoch married Jerry Hall in 2016.

Hall, 69, a former model and actress from Texas, was Murdoch's fourth wife.

The two met while she was playing Mrs. Robinson in a stage adaptation of "The Graduate" in Australia. She was previously Mick Jagger's partner, with whom she shares four children. Another notable former partner of hers was Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry.

The couple finalized their divorce in 2022.

Elena Zhukova married Rupert Murdoch in 2024.

In 2024, Rupert Murdoch married then-67-year-old Elena Zhukova, a retired molecular biologist. Zhukova, his fifth wife, was once married to Russian billionaire Alexander Radkin Zhukov.

Earlier in March, they attended Murdoch's 95th birthday celebration together in New York City. Hugh Jackman performed at the party, and President Donald Trump sent a video message, People reported.

According to the publication, Lachlan Murdoch was also in attendance, but James and Elisabeth were not.

• Zihang Dai and Guodong Zhang have left the company.
• Zhang oversaw the company's coding agent and its video and image generation tool.
• After the departures, only two of the engineers who cofounded the company with Elon Musk remain.

The exodus of cofounders from Elon Musk's AI startup continues.

Zihang Dai left xAI earlier this week, according to people familiar with the matter. His xAI badge has vanished from his X profile.

Meanwhile, Guodong Zhang posted on X that Thursday was his last day — several hours after Business Insider exclusively reported he was out the door.

This follows the recent exits of a string of xAI cofounders, including Toby Pohlen, Jimmy Ba, Tony Wu, and Greg Yang, all of whom have left since January.

With Dai and Zhang's departures, only two of the 11 people who started the company with Musk in 2023 — Manuel Kroiss and Ross Nordeen — remain.

Zhang reported directly to Musk and led two of the company's key projects: Grok Code and Grok Imagine. He was given a larger role at xAI earlier this year, shortly before Wu left the company, Business Insider previously reported.

On Wednesday, Musk told the Abundance Conference that "Grok is currently behind in coding."

"The reason I was late for this was that I was just in a giant sort of all-hands on coding, going through all the things that need to happen to essentially exceed our competitors on coding, which I think we'll do," he said.

Before joining xAI, Zhang worked at Google DeepMind and received his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Dai was a member of technical staff at the company. He worked at Google and received a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University prior to helping found xAI.

Reached by phone, Zhang and Dai declined to comment. On X, Zhang wrote: "Wild journey past three years but excited about next chapter. Thanks for all the love and support yesterday."

A spokesperson for xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

XAI just hired Jason Ginsberg and Andrew Milich, who together led product engineering at AI coding company Cursor, they announced on X on Wednesday.

And Musk made clear in a reply to a X post about the new hires that he thinks xAI needed a shake-up.

"xAI was not built right first time around, so is being rebuilt from the foundations up," he wrote. "Same thing happened with Tesla."

The company has shed dozens of employees since January. Musk announced he reorganized xAI last month and parted ways with some staffers as a result. Some of the cuts have impacted workers on the company's AI white collar project, Macrohard, and Grok Imagine, its AI image and video generator, Business Insider previously reported.

"Because we've reached a certain scale, we're organizing the company to be more effective at this scale. And actually, when this happens, there's some people who are better suited for the early stages of a company and less suited for the later stages," Musk said during the February all-hands event, which was later posted on X.

Zhang is one of a handful of xAI leaders who presented at the all-hands.

The reorganization took place shortly after two of Musk's direct reports, Wu and Ba, left the company and xAI was acquired by Musk's rocket company, SpaceX. The company is reportedly gearing up for an initial public offering this year that could value SpaceX at $1.5 trillion.

Less than three weeks after the reorg, Pohlen, who led Macrohard, announced he'd left the company. Business Insider reported this week that the project has since stalled at xAI, and Musk said on X that that xAI is now working with Tesla on it.

Update, March 13, 2026: This story has been updated with xAI hiring two employees of Cursor, Musk's comments on X about xAI, and Zhang's X post confirming he's left.

Do you work for xAI or have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at gkay@businessinsider.com or Signal at 248-894-6012. Use a personal email address, a nonwork device, and nonwork WiFi; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Airline travelers' wallets are taking a hit right now.
• Rising fuel costs and increased demand for direct flights are driving up ticket prices.
• Here are the airlines that have announced their airfares are going up.

The Iran war is making travel more expensive.

Some airlines have announced that they will raise ticket prices due to geopolitical instability.

In particular, jet fuel costs have risen due to the war. Oil prices have faced considerable volatility, with tankers attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude sat around $97 a barrel early Thursday, up 60% since the start of the year.

Meanwhile, the war is also changing flight maps.

The Gulf countries are home to airport megahubs that connect passengers from all over the world, helping to link Europe with Asia and Oceania.

Plus, the Gulf itself was one of the busiest air corridors in the world before traffic was forced to re-route when the first strikes were launched in late February.

More people have therefore been trying to book direct flights between Asia and Europe.

That increased demand and a lower capacity is also prompting price hikes.

Here are the airlines that have spoken about their plans:

Qantas

Australia's flag carrier was one of the first airlines to bring in fare increases, telling local media of its plans earlier this week.

In a statement shared with Business Insider, it said that its flights to Europe are up to 90% full, while they're typically only three-quarters full at this time of year.

"Qantas International is increasing fares this week in response to rising costs, including the significant increases in jet fuel prices," it added. "These increases will vary from route to route."

Air India

Air India, the national carrier of India, said on March 10 that it will levy fuel surcharges on all passengers buying tickets in a three-phase rollout.

From March 12, the airline will add fuel surcharges to flight tickets in India, Western Asia, and the Middle East, and increase surcharges already levied on flights to Southeast Asis and Africa.

After March 18, all tickets to Europe, North America, and Australia will face surcharges increasing by up to $50. For instance, the current fuel surcharge for flights to America is $150, but will rise to $200.

Additional surcharges for flights to the Far East will be announced in due course.

Air India Express

Air India Express, which is owned by Air India, did not previously impose fuel surcharges but began doing so on March 12 as part of the airline group's plan.

Air France-KLM

The French-Dutch conglomerate said in a statement that the situation in the Middle East "has led to a sharp and sudden increase in fuel prices, particularly affecting jet fuel."

"As a consequence, Air France and KLM will raise their fares on long-haul flights, for tickets issued as of March 11, 2026," it added.

For people flying in economy, round-trip fares will be 50 euros ($57) more expensive.

Thai Airways

Thai Airways is raising ticket prices by 10% to 15% due to "overwhelming" demand and rising fuel costs, Chief Financial Officer Cherdchom Therdthirasak said this week.

"Passengers planning to travel should secure their tickets as soon as possible before fares rise further," Cherdchom said, according to Bloomberg. "Over the next two weeks, tickets will be extremely limited across both European routes and other destinations."

Cathay Pacific

The CEO of Hong Kong's flag carrier said at a news conference this week that fuel prices this month are twice the average, compared to the last two months.

"In March, like ever since the Middle East episode began, the costs of our fuel already doubled," CEO Ronald Lam said, according to the AFP. "So we are going to announce (a surcharge rise) very soon."

Air New Zealand

The Kiwi airline said it will cancel 1,100 flights affecting over 44,000 passengers between now and early May, its CEO Nikhil Ravishankar told Radio New Zealand.

"It's an unprecedented issue as far as fuel price is concerned, but managing fuel spikes is a well-trodden path if you're running an airline," Ravishankar said.

FlySafair

In a statement posted on its website, South African budget carrier FlySafair said it would implement a fuel surcharge from March 12.

"Since late February 2026, global fuel prices have increased significantly following the conflict in the Middle East. This disruption has affected oil supply routes and caused aviation fuel prices to rise sharply," it said in a statement.

"FlySafair absorbed these additional costs for as long as possible. However, to maintain affordable fares and continue operating sustainably, a Temporary Dynamic Fuel Surcharge has been introduced."

Price increases on FlySafair's flights will be relatively low, with fuel surcharges ranging from around $4 for shorter journeys to around $18 for longer flights.

• This post originally appeared in the Business Insider First Trade newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's First Trade newsletter here.

If you're like me, you'll tune into the Oscars this Sunday to see the A-list likes of Timothée Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, Emma Stone, and Leonardo DiCaprio duke it out for golden statues. If Will Smith is going to slap someone else, we want to see it live.

But the performers will be exhausted. For them, the Oscars is the final boss of a multi-month awards-show gauntlet. It begs the question: does Hollywood really need so many awards ceremonies?

What the world — particularly the audience of First Trade — really needs is a good set of awards for markets. We're here to anoint the best performers, hottest newcomers, and most riveting stories across asset classes.

Without further ado, the first annual First Trade Awards:

Best New Speculative Asset

2025 was the year when gold went full mask-off as a risk asset. Traditionally viewed as a safe haven, the precious metal got swept up in the frenzied AI-data-center buildout and also caught the eye of retail investors looking to ride the wave.

It ended up rallying alongside stocks to a series of record highs. Take a bow, gold, you're up more than 90% since the start of 2025.

Best Supporting AI Stock

When it comes to making chips for the AI revolution, Nvidia has the starring role. It is, after all, the most valuable company on earth. But over the past year or so, returns for the king chipmaker have been eclipsed by the No. 2 holder of market share: AMD.

Shares were lifted into a new stratosphere in early October, when the company inked a huge deal with OpenAI. It may not be as big as Nvidia, but it's making headway.

Best Market Villain

If there was one Big Bad throughout the recent software sell-off, it was definitely Anthropic. Over the course of a month, the company quietly published multiple blog posts outlining new AI-driven capabilities it had unlocked. Each one resulted in a swift erasure of value in a specific sector.

Combine that with Anthropic's Super Bowl commercial that went after OpenAI, and you have a company that isn't afraid to boldly make waves … and enemies.

Best Sequel

Meta's big bet on the metaverse has aged like spoiled milk. But rather than accept defeat, the company pivoted to AI, where it's emerged as a power player.

Meta's stock may be well off its highs amid mounting AI skepticism, but it's still more than doubled since first announcing its pivot to the metaverse in 2021. If the company's metaverse push was the ambitious world-building epic, AI is the tighter, smarter sequel.

Best New Risk

As investors have contended with Trump 2.0, AI mania, and most recently, the Iran war, a new challenger has entered the arena of market tail risks: private credit. With more than $2 trillion in assets under management, it's growing in popularity with retail investors.

But that retail exposure is part of the problem. Market pros are increasingly wondering if it's the next source of systemic financial risk. It's been called a possible "canary in the coal mine" by former Pimco CEO Mohamed El-Erian, while JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon has warned of credit "cockroaches." And the issues keep compounding.

• My husband and I decided to go to Japan for our first trip since becoming empty nesters.
• We loved traveling the country and trying out new experiences.
• We were able to reconnect, and the trip reminded me why I loved my husband in the first place.

As is the case for many couples, travel has always been the magic ingredient that bonds my husband and me. We are both seekers, curious sorts bordering on downright nosy, so delving into a new destination is a shared passion.

During our honeymoon — my first-ever international trip — we traipsed through Rome, Florence, and Venice. I was absolutely smitten. In the years since, my husband and I criss-crossed the world together, with our son often in tow. But our globetrotting ways took a back seat when our kid started high school. Gone were the days we could simply pull him from classes for a jet-setting adventure, and he was still too young to be left home alone.

That son is now a college sophomore. He's settled into campus life, while we've navigated our empty nest. As we approached our 25th wedding anniversary, my husband and I knew it was time to get back out there in a big way, together.

We first had a big decision to make

The first thing we needed to do was decide on our travel itinerary. This became an exercise in compromise.

I lobbied for Morocco: visions of dreamy riads, the desert's golden light, and romantic scenes from the film "Casablanca" filled my imagination.

My husband had another plan, a complete 180 from what I had in mind. Japan topped his list, and for all the great reasons you'd expect: the food, the history, the art, and of course, the culture. The good news is all of those things interest me as well, so it didn't take much to shift my mindset.

We immediately booked our plane tickets to Tokyo and planned a side trip to Kyoto. Morocco can wait; we'll get there eventually.

Japan was everything we expected it to be

We marveled at the immersive, trippy art in Azabudai Hills, respectfully offered prayers at historic temples, and strolled through immaculate gardens. We savored an incredible 14-course omakase dinner. We survived the famed Shibuya Scramble and sipped green-hued matcha-infused beer at the top of Tokyo City View. We fumbled through buying our Shinkansen tickets at a busy kiosk, marveling at the views aboard the famed bullet train.

Neither of us speaks Japanese. Throughout our trip, we relied on each other and solved problems together.

We were most gratified to realize we still enjoyed each other's company.

We loved trying new experiences as empty nesters

While an empty nest might make for a quieter existence, it doesn't necessarily change everyday household stress or schedules. Let's face it: the daily grind can become tedious even for the most committed couples. But our holiday restored the shine that day-to-day routines tend to dull.

The drastic change of scenery Japan provided was a welcome jolt, giving me the confidence to step far outside my own comfort zone on our final day. When I discovered our Kyoto hotel had an on-site onsen, I decided to take a dip. For the record: my husband declined the chance to hit up the men's facilities, but told me to go for it.

As is tradition, bathing suits are not allowed in the mineral spring spas. I had to take the waters just like anyone else, in the buff. I'd successfully navigated temples, shrines, mysterious foods, and massive crowds.

And guess what? I survived the onsen, too, in the nude. No regrets.

Being empty nesters redefined our relationship

I've come to realize that our empty nest is actually a wonderful opportunity. My husband and I have the time and freedom to redefine ourselves. The primary focus is no longer raising our child: that heavy lifting is pretty much done. We can now redirect a lot of that energy back to our relationship.

Travel has always connected us and refilled our collective tank; our journey to Japan was proof that it still does. It reminded me of all the reasons I was drawn to my husband in the first place. We remain a great team, especially on the go, half a world away.

Experiencing a new place with my best friend is a thrill, one that allows us to keep creating new life chapters and memories together.

I'm already itching to pack my bags again. Where to next?

• This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Am I getting laid off, or is my company announcing a big AI pivot?

These days, it's probably a bit of both.

A weird thing is happening in Corporate America. Companies are cleansing their layoff announcements with a healthy dose of AI strategy talk, writes BI's Tim Paradis.

Australian-American software company Atlassian was the latest to announce some AI-branded job cuts. When it laid off 10% of its staff, CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes said the move was part of Atlassian's repositioning in the "AI era." (You can watch his four-minute video explaining the layoffs here.)

The news comes a few weeks after Jack Dorsey laid off 40% of Block's staff while also pointing out that AI reshaped how the company could run.

Shedding staff because you're ushering in a new era of AI efficiency is a convenient bit of corporate magic.

Atlassian's stock was down more than 50% this year before the layoff announcement, a victim of the ongoing SaaSpocalypse. Block, meanwhile, was down more than 80% from its 2021 highs when it pulled the trigger on its cuts.

Block's Dorsey said blaming layoffs on overhiring during the pandemic "misses all the complexity."

The math does look simple here, though. Layoffs, which investors typically gobble up, and a sprinkle of AI reinvention can also be a sure-fire way to jumpstart a company that's had a tough run.

My colleague broke down another interesting theory on the recent job cuts.

Alistair Barr, author of the Tech Memo newsletter (are you really not subscribed yet?), wrote about another driving force behind these cuts: restricted stock units.

RSUs are the generous chunks of equity that tech companies use as part of their comp packages. It's a nice bit of financial engineering that works really well when business is booming.

But Alistair got an impromptu call from the CEO of a major public software company, who pointed out a red flag. The executive told him that RSUs are becoming a problem now that software companies' shares are nosediving.

Basically, the lower your share price, the more RSUs you need to issue to maintain the same comp level to entice and retain tech talent. That dilutes existing shareholders, which is no bueno.

• CEOs Jack Dorsey and Mike Cannon-Brookes have recently announced layoffs via public memos.
• Both memos emphasized tech advancements and suggested the companies were entering a new era of work.
• The tech leaders have stressed AI's impact on their companies and say business remains strong.

Big Tech leaders once pointed to the economy when cutting jobs. Now they point to AI.

Recent layoff memos — including those from Block and Atlassian — read less like apologetic explanations of economic headwinds or cost-cutting initiatives, and more like strategic manifestos for the AI era.

Block's Jack Dorsey and Atlassian's Mike Cannon-Brookes both frankly highlight profound shifts in how they see technology reshaping work and, therefore, how many workers they'll need in the years to come.

New technology, combined with smaller and flatter teams, Dorsey wrote in his late-February memo, is "enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company." He said on February 26th that the company would cut more than 40% of its workforce.

Atlassian, the software company that makes productivity tools like Jira and Trello, announced a cut of about 10% on Wednesday. In his memo, Cannon-Brookes didn't just detail severance packages or highlight factors like macroeconomic pressures — the usual fodder of such missives.

He instead laid out the company's AI philosophy and how it was restructuring in response, using boldface for emphasis: "We fundamentally believe people and AI create the best outcomes."

The stepped-up focus on where companies need to go — rather than the economic constraints that might have led them to make the cuts — is new, Rick Wargo, managing partner and global technology practice leader at the executive search firm Boyden, told Business Insider.

"As things have progressed, they've come to realize that different skills are needed than perhaps what they hired for," he said of business leaders.

A new AI era

Recently, other leaders have also cited AI's impact when making cuts, including Meta, Angi, and WiseTech. In June, Amazon's Andy Jassy wrote that the company's AI push would mean the company's corporate workforce would shrink, though in subsequent reductions, Amazon identified the need for a cultural reset.

Both Dorsey and Cannon-Brookes said the cuts aren't a symptom of an ailing business and used their layoff memos to make the case for their visions for their respective companies in the new AI age. Dorsey said that the company's profitability is improving.

The company's CFO also said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call that, because of AI, the code each of its engineers ships has increased by more than 40% since September.

"We've seen engineering work that would have taken weeks to complete be done by a small team in a fraction of the time with agentic coding tools," said Amrita Ahuja, who is also the company's COO.

At Atlassian, Cannon-Brookes wrote, "We have momentum." He went on to highlight gains in cloud revenue and other metrics.

Layoff memos often highlight a company's strength and stability. These latest notes go further than some by outlining leadership's priorities for those who remain.

Cannon-Brookes framed Atlassian's cutbacks as being about adaptation: "We are reshaping our skill mix and changing how we work to build for the future," he wrote.

The limits of AI

Amid the waves of tech layoffs, there has been much discussion about whether AI is at the root of these reductions — even when it's explicitly framed that way.

AI likely doesn't account for all the layoffs tech companies are making, Will Wilson, CEO and cofounder of Antithesis, an autonomous software-testing platform, told Business Insider.

"It's not like growing companies have stopped hiring people," he said.

Yet Wilson said that as AI improves, the chance it could replace workers increases.

Previously, the technology provided little, if any, productivity benefit to most people, Wilson said. Now, he said, it's clearly offering some efficiency windfall in areas like coding.

Even so, there are limits to how much companies that go big on AI will be able to cut, said Josh Bersin, CEO of The Josh Bersin Company, a consulting firm. AI can automate something like code generation, but it doesn't eliminate the need for workers, he said.

"You have to check the code," Bersin told Business Insider. "You still have to test it. You still have to update it. You still have to maintain it. You still need to do the production management."

No matter the debate over how much AI is driving the cuts versus just age-old business imperatives, some leaders are using layoff announcements to lay out their vision for how their companies will navigate this new moment.

Cannon-Brookes ended his message by saying that Atlassian had navigated multiple tech shifts and market cycles — and thrived while doing so.

"This will require continual adaptation. Decisiveness," he wrote. "And making hard decisions to set Atlassian up strongly for the long term."

• Rachael DeVaux is a registered dietitian specializing in protein-forward meals.
• The author of "The High-Protein Plate," she shared a few of her favorite recipes.
• Overnight oats, chicken salad, and a 30-minute turkey skillet are her favorite quick, high-protein meals.

Eating enough protein doesn't mean living on dry chicken and shakes alone.

Rachael DeVaux, a registered dietitian who aims to eat 100 grams of protein a day, finds it easier to stick to your protein goals when you actually enjoy your dinners.

"I don't want healthy eating to feel boring, or for people to think that they have to eat plain chicken and broccoli for every meal," DeVaux, the author of "The High-Protein Plate," told Business Insider.

A common rule of thumb is to get between 0.5 and 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day, adjusted for goals like muscle gain or fat loss. For a person who weighs 150 pounds, that breaks down to about 25 to 35 grams per meal when eating three times a day.

DeVaux likes to prep a few protein sources at the beginning of the week (like grilled chicken breasts or hard-boiled eggs) as well as a few sauces (such as homemade pesto or a dijon-and-olive oil vinaigrette). Bases like quinoa, farro, or rice noodles can also be cooked in advance.

"It's really easy to throw together a quick meal if you have just veggies in the fridge," she said, as those can take 10 to 15 minutes to cook. "That's how I make a lot of my meals."

She also has a few recipes she leans on for quick high-protein meals. DeVaux shared three of her favorites from her new cookbook, including the full recipe for a 30-minute turkey skillet she makes every week.

Honey-blackberry overnight oats pack in the protein and fiber

DeVaux loves prepping overnight oats.

"It really takes away that decision fatigue of what to make for breakfast," she said. "You can grab it as you're running out the door, but it's full of protein, and it keeps you satiated for a couple of hours."

She makes a honey-blackberry version using gluten-free protein oats, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla protein powder, unsweetened Greek yogurt, hemp and chia seeds, almond butter, and almonds.

Per serving, it packs in about 35 grams of protein, with plenty of fiber from the oats, seeds, and frozen blackberries.

Canned chicken is the MVP of a 5-minute lunch

When DeVaux is busy, she likes to whip together a flavorful chicken salad.

Her secret is using canned roasted chicken breasts. She adds pesto and avocado for healthy fat, then incorporates hemp seeds, chopped pepperoncini, and red chili flakes for extra flavor and texture.

On its own, it provides about 32 grams of protein per serving.

"You can put it on a piece of toast. You could use it as a dip with crackers," she said. "That's what I have in between meetings."

She makes her 'weeknight hero' turkey skillet once a week

DeVaux loves making her ginger-garlic turkey skillet at least once a week, usually when she's in a pinch.

"I just make sure I have the ingredients in my fridge because I always get to the point where it's 6 p.m. and I'm like, 'I haven't planned dinner yet,'" she said.

She cooks ground turkey in a skillet, gradually adding diced vegetables, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, and seasonings. One serving is about 24 grams of protein.

"It's great for people who are very busy, and you could make it into so many different things," she said. "You can make it into tacos, lettuce wraps, put it over rice or potatoes. It's very versatile."

• An error involving an AI tool was a primary driver of an outage at Amazon, highlighting risks in rapid tech adoption.
• The tech giant isn't the only company to experience issues involving AI agents or AI-generated code.
• Organizations are adding guardrails and conducting audits to balance AI experimentation and risk.

In the age of AI, Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" ethos is proving to be literal.

Earlier this week, Business Insider reported that Amazon set up new guardrails following a series of outages, including one primarily driven by its AI coding tool that led to nearly 120,000 lost orders.

Similar flubs have plagued other companies as they adopt AI. In January, an events company founder said an AI agent made four errors in a single week, including giving away free tickets. And last summer, the CEO of a browser-based coding platform apologized after an AI agent wiped out a client's codebase and lied about it.

The incidents highlight a delicate balancing act for employers eager to harness AI. Clamp down too hard on workers, and experimentation suffers. Loosen the reins too much, and the risks of errant AI agents or poorly reviewed code can quickly multiply.

"You have to know your own risk tolerance," said Matt Rosenbaum, a principal researcher at The Conference Board, a nonprofit provider of data and insights for business leaders. "You also have to know what to do if things go wrong and what to change so it doesn't happen again."

Speed and power, unchecked

Part of the challenge is that software developers aren't expected to write as much code as they used to, said Todd Olson, CEO and cofounder of Pendo, an AI startup that helps companies improve their user experience. Now, a large part of developers' jobs has shifted to reviewing code that is written by AI, he said.

"Those are very different skill sets and different habits," Olson told Business Insider.

Another problem: Since AI can generate code in seconds, workers racing to meet deadlines may be tempted to accept the output at face value, increasing the risk that mistakes slip through.

Roughly two-thirds of workers have accepted AI-generated output without carefully checking it, and 72% have put less effort into their tasks because of AI, according to a global study by KPMG and the University of Melbourne. The findings are based on a survey of more than 30,000 workers between November 2024 and January 2025.

"The lesson companies are learning is that speed without analytic discipline at scale can create systemic exposure," said Lauren Buitta, founder and CEO of Girl Security, a nonprofit that prepares young women for careers in national security.

The uncertainty surrounding AI's rapidly expanding capabilities adds another layer of complexity. As tools become more powerful and accessible, employees may test their limits without fully grasping the downstream consequences.

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should," said Kevin Serwatka, founder of the recruiting-intelligence platform Benchmarket, who previously worked in recruiting leadership roles at companies such as Google, Meta, and Robinhood.

A takeaway from these mistakes, he said, isn't to discourage experimentation, "but put guardrails around what that looks like at your company."

A silver lining

Olson said Amazon's outage also likely served as a learning lesson for the company, albeit a painful one.

"They just probably found a whole bunch of test cases that they can train AI on, so that the AI can review these things in the future," he said.

Other companies using AI to write code are likely to make mistakes, too, and that's a natural part of experimentation, said Andrew Filev, founder and CEO of coding agent company Zencoder.

"Small snafus are actually good," he said, though ideally they're identified and addressed internally rather than exposed to customers. "People will learn and improve their guardrails and systems."

Reminding workers of the importance of speaking up about any errors AI dishes out is critical, said Filev, because if a problem is ignored, it could lead to an "incident where the blast radius is much bigger."

Filev said achieving AI autonomy requires starting with a combination of AI and human audits.

"You want both processes to work in parallel for a period of time," he said, until "the AI review is at least as good as the human review."

• Business Insider recently traveled to northern Norway to watch US Marines fire HIMARS launchers.
• The Marines are training to operate their HIMARS rocket artillery systems in the Arctic.
• Their training in the High North comes as NATO ramps up efforts to defend the Arctic.

SETERMOEN, Norway — With a boom that shook the light armored vehicle and echoed inside, a rocket took flight, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.

Operated by a small team of US Marines, the HIMARS launcher fired three training rockets in under 20 seconds across a snow-covered forest more than 150 miles above the Arctic Circle.

These Marines were trained at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune, but there's only so much on-the-ground experience to be gained there for the missions they face. As Arctic defense takes on greater significance for the US and its NATO allies, it is increasingly critical to know firsthand how to fight on frozen battlefields.

North Carolina can't mirror the conditions in Norway, Sweden, and Finland above the Arctic Circle, said Col. William Soucie, the 10th Marine Regiment commanding officer.

"There's almost no way to replicate the elements, the environment, and test the equipment the way in which we're able to do it here," Soucie told Business Insider during a visit to a firing range in Setermoen last month.

Long-range precision fires like the HIMARS, or M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, have proven their worth in multiple conflicts, including Ukraine, used by Kyiv to hit key Russian targets well behind the front lines, especially in the early stages of Moscow's full-scale invasion.

NATO allies have taken note of the HIMARS' successes in Ukraine. Estonia, for instance, said in 2025 that it planned to buy more systems after it received several earlier in the year; more recently, on Tuesday, the US State Department said it approved the sale of 20 to Sweden.

HIMARS, like other systems that can fire precision-guided rocket artillery or missiles over vast distances, would be critical assets in any future conflict in the Arctic, which often features open, rolling terrain.

"There's a lot of nasty weather up here," First Lt. Landon Foster, the HIMARS platoon commander, told Business Insider. "It snows all the time, and aircraft can't always come in in low-visibility conditions, which you experience during snowstorms and whatnot."

The HIMARS, Foster said, allows Marines to deliver effects similar to what those aircraft can do when conditions make using the latter difficult.

For some troops, operating in the Arctic is unlike anything they might have done before, and training to fight in the harsh conditions occurs at the group and individual levels.

Marines first need to learn to survive in the extreme conditions — they spent several weeks in Norway doing that before Business Insider visited — then actually maintain those skills while they're training with their weapons and systems.

Cold weather extremes make everything more challenging in the High North. Equipment, vehicles, and weaponry are all vulnerable to breaking or malfunctioning. Marines may even have to make adjustments that they didn't think were necessary.

When the platoon first arrived in Setermoen and started putting snow chains on a few vehicles, they quickly learned that all vehicles — and most of the collective tires — needed chains, Foster said.

"Things get slick — you get into deep snow, and you can't get traction. Little things like that have been good lessons learned," he said.

In real combat scenarios, commanders acknowledge that supply and logistics chains would become a challenge for the Marines. The terrain is notoriously difficult to navigate, and moving ammunition or fuel requires large, reliable vehicles that can survive the environment.

"You can look throughout history and see examples of where logistics has been a challenge in environments like this, and I would say that would probably be a challenge for us as well," Foster said.

One of the things that the Marines are practicing in Setermoen is ensuring that they have reliable access to maintenance, ammunition, and communications to support artillery's main role — firing in support of maneuver.

"Everything is harder above the Arctic Circle because it's colder," said Soucie, the Marine colonel. "Human reactions are slower; machine reactions are slower. The electromagnetic spectrum is a bit more challenging as well."

"So when you look at the multi-domain fight," he said, "it is just more challenging, which is why we're here working with our friends and colleagues to understand better what that means and how we can best protect each other."

• The famed bear Albert Edwards sees another market 'shock' in the cards.
• The SocGen strategist said he believed investors were too complacent about inflation risks.
• That leaves markets vulnerable should inflation see a second post-COVID surge, he said.

Investors don't seem to be ready for what the future may hold for markets, according to one longtime permabear.

Albert Edwards, a global strategist at Société Générale who rose to fame for calling the dot-com crash, said he sees the conditions for another potential "shock" to hit markets. In a note to clients on Thursday, he pointed to what he believed was investor complacency about the risks of higher inflation, with investors barely pricing in any lasting impact despite the recent surge in oil prices.

Oil is retesting the $100-a-barrel mark as conflict in the Middle East drags on, but the 5-year 5-forward, a measure of five-year inflation expectations five years from now, has only ticked up slightly to 2.1% this week, according to Fed data.

However, there are signs that a more meaningful rise in inflation is coming, Edwards said, suggesting that the muted reaction among investors is leaving markets vulnerable.

"Investor complacency invites a market shock," Edwards wrote.

"It seems the market has gone all-in with the optimistic view of the war, ignoring at its peril the entirely plausible risks of a more prolonged rise in inflation and its consequences," he added.

The slight change in long-term inflation expectations suggests that most investors anticipate the inflationary impact of the oil shock to be short-lived, as they have been following conflicts in the past.

But there could be a reason to worry about another inflation surge, Edwards said. He pointed to the recent rise in bond yields, and the positive correlation between stock and bond prices in recent years. Higher inflation tends to raise bond yields due to the expectation of higher interest rates, which ends up hurting bond prices.

The 10-year US Treasury yield has climbed 29 basis points since the start of the US-Iran war.

"Higher inflation that pushes bond yields up will most likely push equity prices lower," Edwards said.

"There is now a risk that the second inflationary wave could hit sooner. I'm not sure of that, but I am sure that market seems strangely complacent, " he added, referring to the wave of inflation that first hit the US economy following the pandemic.

Edwards didn't have an exact target for how high inflation could rise, though consumer price growth peaked at around 9% year-over-year in 2022.

Edwards is known for his dire market prognostications. In the past, he warned that financial markets look mired in an "everything bubble" and that a crash could rival the drop in stocks on Black Monday in 1987.

• Rising oil prices due to the Iran war could impact tech stocks and the AI trade.
• That's according to Tom Hancock, a fund manager at GMO.
• He suggested looking to healthcare stocks if Middle East turmoil continues.

Rising oil prices — and their potential impact on inflation — are front and center in the market conversation right now.

Yet, if the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel continues and the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, attention could start to shift to the tech sector and the AI trade, according to Tom Hancock, the head of the Focused Equity team at asset management firm GMO.

While that may seem like an odd line to draw at first, Hancock is thinking of the potential knock-on effects on capital flows that could stem from an extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

If Middle Eastern oil producers can't easily sell their oil in the global market, they have less money coming in to invest in US assets. This could be particularly harmful to tech companies, he said, which are borrowing heavily to fund AI data centers and hardware.

"You buy their oil, money goes in, that money comes out, and it goes into things like data centers and private equity and venture capital," Hancock told Business Insider. adding that a risk-off shift could lead to less investment from the region, which makes him concerned about the continued foreign investment into the tech space.

Hancock said the effects could hit tech manufacturers by raising energy costs, too.

"I think things would have to be pretty severe before TSMC was on course not to run their fabs, but it could at least hit their profit margins."

The danger of such a scenario playing out is not necessarily imminent, Hancock said, as the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would have to last months to result in heavily curtailed investment flows from the region.

But a prolonged blockade now appears to be at least one step closer to playing out. On Thursday, oil prices surged back to $100 as Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said that the country would continue to keep the critical shipping lane shuttered.

Where to hide if Middle East turmoil continues

Hancock is no stranger to investing during volatile times. In fact, his GMO Quality Fund, which Morningstar data shows has beaten 98% of similar funds over the last 15 years, is built to weather market storms by focusing on stocks with strong business models and high margins.

So, how would he shift his strategy if turmoil in the Middle East continues to shake financial markets? He said he'd ramp up his allocation to the healthcare sector.

"If we were getting more risk-averse, that's probably where we would be deploying more capital," he said.

Healthcare is traditionally considered a defensive sector, meaning it tends to be insulated from fluctuations in the business cycle. But Hancock said it's also attractive on a secular, fundamental basis, and called it one of the best opportunities in the market right now.

He especially likes UnitedHealth Group.

"United Health Group can be very volatile about whatever news is coming out of CMS and US policy," Hancock said, using the acronym for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "So depending on what the news flow is, that's actually when those kind of companies tend to do best, when no one's talking about them."

For investors seeking broader exposure to the healthcare sector, examples of relevant exchange-traded funds include the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) and the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH).

• Sidhant Bendre canceled his AI startup's ChatGPT subscription and switched to Claude last fall.
• He said Claude's model reduces coding errors and mimics human writing better than ChatGPT.
• He remains open to switching back or to a new model if something better comes along.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sidhant Bendre, a 26-year-old cofounder of Oleve, an AI-driven consumer software portfolio company, based in New York. His words have been edited for length and clarity.

I used ChatGPT for roughly two years before moving over to Claude as my preferred model and ending my company's ChatGPT subscription.

When we launched our company, Oleve, we were already using AI, so we've always relied heavily on it in our workflow, from coding to marketing to our hiring process. ChatGPT was our go-to model. After Anthropic released its 4.5 model suite for Claude last fall, that changed.

We weren't pushed away from ChatGPT; we were pulled into Claude.

Right off the bat, Claude had fewer bugs generating code than ChatGPT

We didn't have any major frustrations with ChatGPT that forced us to switch, but I think one of the promises of AI is to speed up our work, and Claude let us move faster because we spent less time correcting it.

When we were primarily using ChatGPT, I noticed that the content it generated didn't sound very human. It would overuse emojis where I wouldn't, and it felt really forced. I haven't used ChatGPT rigorously for a while now, but whenever I go back to test prompts with the model, I still get those overly verbose responses.

Claude is better at mimicking human writing. Even before Claude's 4.5 suite came out, we'd heard students talk about how the model was so good at mimicking their writing style after they fed it examples.

With Claude's coding, we were able to automate a lot of our development time with blueprints we already had. Now we can focus more on the product itself rather than spending so much energy on build time.

The way the models understand nuance is the biggest difference

The biggest difference between the models seems to be parsing context and considering nuance.

If I feed Claude a large research document and I'm looking for something small, it almost always understands when to be concise, while providing the appropriate context and highlighting what I'm asking for more details on.

Sometimes it felt like ChatGPT was overcompensating for poor judgment about what to focus on by spitting out more content. If I'm using it at all now, I usually have to ask it multiple times to summarize or reinstruct it to be more concise.

We've integrated AI into more of our workflows after switching to Claude. It made more sense to invest the time and energy it takes to do that when I know the payoff is worth it.

Claude has given us its own set of problems

Recently, Claude has been giving us its own set of issues with bugginess. Some of our messages or chats have been disappearing, and this has been frustrating.

It's not perfect. I feel like there are still hallucinations I see in the model's output every now and then, and that makes my trust in Claude crumble a little bit. I have to push back in these scenarios to self-correct, even with web search on their new Opus 4.6 model.

I'm still a big fan of Claude's suite, but if something better comes along, I'd switch

I haven't really been paying attention to the larger OpenAI vs Anthropic debate. If ChatGPT launches a product suite that provides significant value to me, I would try it. I don't feel attached to Claude to the point where I wouldn't try something else.

I think that the biggest thing for me has been that Claude feels so much more like what the promise of AI is supposed to be. All the models have provided significant value, but it feels a lot more like it's taking away the busywork from my day-to-day and giving me back time to think big picture.

Do you have a story to share about using AI? Contact this reporter, Agnes Applegate, at aapplegate@businessinsider.com.

• Andrew Yang said the US should stop taxing workers and start taxing AI.
• Yang said AI insiders told him they expect the next 6 months to eclipse the past decade in terms of AI development.
• Billionaire Vinod Khosla and Sen. Bernie Sanders have also suggested shifting taxes away from labor.

Andrew Yang says the US is taxing the wrong thing as artificial intelligence begins to reshape the labor market.

"You tend to tax things that you want to discourage, that you want less of," the Forward Party founder and former presidential candidate said in an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box on Wednesday.

As AI systems replace human tasks, he said, "we should actually try to stop taxing labor."

Instead, Yang believes companies benefiting most from automation should shoulder more of the tax burden.

He pointed to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's warning last year that AI could automate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years — and to Amodei's suggestion that AI firms themselves should be taxed.

"Since when does the CEO of a major company raise his hand and say, 'Hey, tax me and mine'?" Yang said, adding that tech leaders "see the writing on the wall" and understand a backlash could be coming.

An AI inflection point

Yang's call comes as a growing number of tech companies have announced tens of thousands of layoffs over the past two years, with many executives citing AI-driven restructuring.

The latest AI-related layoffs include a 1,600-person job cut at Atlassian this week, due to what its CEO described as a broader effort to reposition the business for the "AI era."

For Yang, those moves are just the beginning.

"I just came from an AI conference out west, and holy cow," he said. "They said to me that what we're going to see in the next six months outstrips what we've seen in the last ten years," in terms of AI development.

He described one company that is selling autonomous coding tools to large enterprises and whose revenue, he said, is "up 100 fold in the last 12 months."

If that pace continues, Yang said, AI will begin consuming tech budgets that once funded human engineers.

The broader transition, Yang said, will not be smooth: "There is zero chance that this transition is not going to be rough for millions of people."

The human labor tax debate

Yang is not alone in pushing to rethink the tax system.

In an X post last month, billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla said that if AI eliminates millions of jobs, it might make sense to scrap income taxes for most Americans and target capital instead.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released a report last October calling for imposing a "robot tax" on companies that adopt AI to replace jobs.

"The implicit social contract of the American way is being fractured," Yang told CNBC.

• Automakers have been reorganizing their EV lineups since September 2025.
• Legacy car brands — like Ford, Nissan, and Acura — announced discontinuations last year.
• Business Insider compiled a list of EVs that have been killed or indefinitely delayed in 2026.

American EV sales are slumping.

Since September 2025, when the federal $7,500 tax credit for US-made EVs ended, fewer shoppers have chosen a battery-powered car for their next set of wheels.

In February 2026, EV sales fell 45.2%, per CarGurus' data shared with Business Insider. The figures exclude direct-to-consumer brands like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid.

Carmakers have responded to the sales collapse with several product cancellations. Last year, Ford ended production of the F-150 Lightning, Nissan axed the Ariya, Acura stopped building the ZDX, and Volkswagen paused the ID. Buzz.

The cancellations aren't a wholesale retreat from EVs. Each of those brands has next-generation EV models in the pipeline — they're cheaper, longer-range, and faster charging.

But the shake-up hasn't stopped. It's continued into this year.

Business Insider has compiled a running list of electric vehicles discontinued or indefinitely delayed since January 1, 2026 — a tally that we will keep updating as automakers continue tinkering with their EV road map.

Hyundai Ioniq 6 Standard

Hyundai confirmed to Business Insider that it will stop selling the Korean-built, standard-range Ioniq 6 in the US.

The retro-styled sedan never matched the success of its crossover sibling, the Ioniq 5 (which the company said saw a surprising 33% sales increase in February).

Hyundai said it sold just 229 Ioniq 6 units last month.

"Sedan sales have declined a lot over the past decade, and the Ioniq 6 is no exception," Sam Abuelsamid, the vice president of market research at Telemetry, told Business Insider. "Without enough sales to justify US production, the numbers just don't add up for Hyundai."

Hyundai said it plans to import a limited number of high-performance Ioniq 6 N models to the US — a pricier variant with more oomph in the electric motor and track-focused upgrades.

"In the meantime, 2025 Ioniq 6 sedans continue to be available at dealers alongside our award-winning, US-assembled Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 SUVs," the automaker said.

The Ioniq 6 will still ship to Canadian dealerships.

2026 Hyundai Kona Electric

In 2019, Hyundai electrified its popular Kona crossover, swapping the gas engine for a battery-powered drivetrain.

It became one of the automaker's first mass-market EVs.

That run is now on pause. Hyundai said in February that it would not ship the 2026 Kona Electric from its Korean plants to US dealerships. Like the Ioniq 6, the Kona Electric remains available in limited numbers as a 2025 model.

The model could return for the 2027 model year.

With a starting price around $33,000, it was one of the cheapest EVs on the US market in 2025.

Kia Niro EV

The Kia Niro EV has been discontinued in the US, Inside EVs reports.

First introduced in the US for the 2018 model year, the Niro EV was developed from Kia's small Niro crossover, which was also offered in hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.

The model received a facelift for the 2026 model year, and the plug-in hybrid version was discontinued as part of the lineup adjustment.

The Niro EV was imported from Kia's Hwaseong plant in South Korea, leaving it exposed to ongoing US automotive tariffs.

Those added costs, combined with slowing sales in the EV segment, reportedly made the model increasingly difficult to justify at American dealerships, according to InsideEVs.

Kia has not responded to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Tesla Model S

The Model S was critical to Tesla's historic ascent.

When the sedan debuted in 2012, it was the company's first ground-up vehicle — and a sharp break from the slow, quirky EVs that came before it.

With hypercar-like acceleration, sleek body lines, and a tech-forward cabin, the sedan made going electric feel aspirational rather than a legacy automaker's compliance exercise.

That shift helped propel Tesla into America's dominant EV automaker.

Now, despite its historic role, CEO Elon Musk says the $94,990 sedan is headed for an "honorable discharge" after years of sliding sales.

Tesla Model X

The Model X is also going the way of the dodo.

Tesla's second built-from-scratch vehicle will end production in the second quarter of 2026 amid soft demand. The SUV starts at $99,990.

Launched in 2015, the Model X was ambitious. And complicated.

Its signature second-row falcon-wing doors — which opened by pivoting upward via electronically connected hinges mounted to the roof — became a production headache.

Musk once called the car a "Fabergé egg."

The production lines that made the two vehicles will now build the company's Optimus robots.

"We're really moving into a future that is based on autonomy," Musk said while announcing their final days, adding that the decision was "slightly sad."

Kia EV6 GT, EV9 GT

Kia is also tweaking its EV plans — but more narrowly.

The Korean automaker is delaying the GT trims of two models, the EV6 and EV9. Those versions are the highest-performance variants in each lineup.

Kia confirmed to Business Insider that the GT trims are delayed "until further notice" due to "changing market conditions."

Other trims — which are made at Kia's plant in West Point, Georgia — remain on sale in the US.

"This delay does not impact the availability of other trims in the EV6 and EV9 lineups," the company said.

• More than 1,300 US retail stores and restaurants are set to close by the end of 2026.
• Major chains, including Wendy's and Macy's, are citing efficiency as the reason behind the closures.
• Grocery Outlet is one of the latest companies to announce closures.

Retailers and restaurants are gearing up for another wave of store closures.

It's shaping up to be the continuation of a retail pullback that Business Insider tracked in 2024 and 2025. Major chains, from department stores like Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue to restaurant chains Pizza Hut and Wendy's, have already announced multiyear closure plans that extend into 2026, as have some niche stores.

Some companies, such as Macy's, are closing their physical stores to invest more resources into their online businesses.

In 2025, Business Insider tracked around 4,100 closures as of late December. Retail data and consultant firm Coresight Research predicted earlier in the year that roughly 15,000 retail locations would close in the year.

So far for 2026, Business Insider has identified more than 1,300 planned closures.

See the list of major closures below.

Francesca's: over 400 stores

After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on February 5, apparel retailer Francesca's said it will conduct going-out-of-business sales at all of its roughly 400 stores across the US.

Francesca's previously filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 before being acquired by TerraMar Capital and Tiger Group.

"This process provides a structured path to pursue the best outcome for all stakeholders," Curt Kroll, CFO, said in a February statement about the bankruptcy. "We remain focused on operating responsibly and supporting our teams, partners, and guests throughout this process."

Wendy's: 300 stores

In a February 13 earnings call, Wendy's interim CEO Ken Cook said the company planned to close underperforming restaurants in the US, representing 5% to 6% of its roughly 6,000 locations. An estimated 5% of Wendy's restaurants would come out to around 300 locations.

Cook told investors to expect the closings to take place in the first half of 2026.

Pizza Hut: 250 stores

Restaurant chain Pizza Hut is set to close 250 underperforming stores in the US during the first half of 2026, its parent company, Yum! Brands, said in February. The reduction comes as part of a program to accelerate the Pizza Hut brand in the long term.

The company said that the 250 targeted closures are a fraction of the 20,000 locations that Yum! Brands operates globally.

Carter's: 100 stores

Carter's, one of North America's biggest children's and baby apparel retailers, said in October that it plans to close 150 stores across the region over the next three years as leases expire, including about 100 by the end of 2026.

Macy's: 80 stores

In January 2025, Macy's said it planned to close 150 locations through 2026, allowing it to focus on its best-performing locations and online experience. After the closures are complete, about 350 Macy's stores are expected to remain. Macy's closed at least 66 stores in 2025.

Kroger: 60 stores

Grocery giant Kroger said in June 2025 that it planned to close 60 "unprofitable" stores across the US over the next 18 months. The company said in September that it had begun that process.

The company said in its last annual report that it operated 2,731 supermarkets in 35 states and Washington, DC, as of February 2025.

Saks Off 5th: 57 stores

Saks Off 5th, a luxury outlet retailer offering discounted designer brands, plans to close 57 stores in early 2026. It announced plans to close nine of those stores last year, and the rest were announced in January.

Saks Global, the parent company of Saks Off 5th, as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early January. The outlet's website, a separate legal entity, is also winding down operations.

In addition to the Saks Off 5th closures, Saks Global is closing five Last Call locations, the off-price Neiman Marcus stores.

Grocery Outlet: 36 stores

Supermarket chain Grocery Outlet is set to close 36 underperforming stores, representing about 6% of its fleet in 2026. CEO Jason Potter told analysts on March 4 that the company had identified stores that no longer had a "viable path to sustained profitability."

The closures come as the grocery chain has been expanding rapidly, particularly in Eastern states. The chain said in November that it planned to end 2025 with 37 new store openings. It plans to open another 30 to 33 net new stores in 2026, Potter said in the March call.

Of the 36 stores closing this year, 24 are located in the Eastern US. The closures make up about 30% of that region's stores, Potter said. He said Grocery Outlet won't be exiting any state completely.

"However, it's clear now that we expanded too quickly and these closures are a direct correction," Potter said.

Grocery Outlet saw a nearly $235 million operating loss and a more than $218 million net loss in its fourth-quarter earnings results.

Saks Fifth Avenue: 20 stores

After filing for bankruptcy in January, Saks Global announced a series of closures.

The first wave was announced in February, with the company saying it would optimize its Saks Fifth Avenue footprint by closing eight locations. In March, it announced that another 12 locations would close.

Those closures leave 13 Saks Fifth Avenue locations remaining.

Yankee Candle: 20 stores

Newell Brands said in December 2025 that it would close 20 Yankee Candle stores in the US and Canada beginning in January 2026. The closures were announced alongside the reduction of its workforce by over 900 employees.

"This productivity plan is about taking the next, disciplined step to enhance efficiency, sharpen our strategic focus, and deliver stronger, more consistent performance," CEO Chris Peterson said in a press release.

Neiman Marcus: 4 stores

In addition to many Saks Fifth Avenue and Off Fifth locations, Saks Global closed four Neiman Marcus locations. The company announced one of the closures — a Boston store — in February and another three in March.

REI: 3 stores

REI confirmed to Business Insider that it plans to close three stores, starting with a location in New Jersey, in the first quarter of 2026. Its stores in New York City's SoHo neighborhood and Boston are set to follow in late 2026.

"As markets and customer needs evolve, we must adapt to position the co-op for long-term success," the company said in a statement.

• Hedge funds are desperate for intel about the Middle East.
• The strikes on Iran by the US and Israel have sent shockwaves through global markets.
• Data intelligence firm Neudata sent a rundown of vendors that could provide on-the-ground info.

The smart money needs to get smarter.

Hedge funds and other savvy investors have battled volatile markets since March's onset, due to the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel. It has thrown interest rates, equities, and commodities into disarray, and many big-name managers suffered losses in the month's first week.

For funds hungry for on-the-ground intel about the Middle East, alternative data intelligence firm Neudata has compiled a report for the data consumers on its platform — think hedge funds and big institutional investors — outlining datasets that could help.

Sophisticated money managers have long mined obscure datasets, such as anonymized credit card receipts, to gain an edge in the industries they cover. This desire for under-the-radar info also extends to geopolitical events that impact markets.

Some products recommended by Neudata come from big-name data providers such as S&P, FreightWaves, and Kpler. Business Insider is highlighting 10 providers, mostly smaller players, that specialize in obscure data niches.

Below are 10 datasets Neudata tagged for clients desperate to understand "the conflict's current events and its potential broader global impacts."

Satellite players

Satellite images have been used by hedge funds for years to get more granular information on companies' health. Analysts would track the number of cars in parking lots at big retailers to help project next quarter's sales.

Now, these images are being used to get a sense of damage to energy production sites caused by bombs.

Vendors such as Vantor, Planet, and Satellogic were flagged by Neudata. Images of strikes and their damage can also help combat disinformation, the report notes.

There are also satellite vendors that use a technology known as synthetic aperture radar, which is not blocked by clouds or darkness. This technology is mostly used to track movement during nighttime, such as military vehicles leaving a base, and providers in this space include ICEYE and Umbra Space.

Transpo trackers

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow stretch of water between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, has become the most closely watched region in the world as the conflict continues. Tens of millions of barrels of crude oil pass through the area daily.

For investors looking to track how the conflict has disrupted shipping routes and trade patterns, Neudata pointed to datasets offered by tanker trackers VesselsValue and Linerlytica. Neudata's report states that 33 hedge funds use VesselsValue data already.

Additionally, FlightRadar24 can give macro investors a sense of the on-the-ground atmosphere in surrounding countries like the UAE and Qatar by providing information on airport closures and departures leaving once-safe havens.

Prediction market signals

Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have generated plenty of controversy thanks to potential insider trading on the platforms in the lead-up to the first Iran strikes, as well as the extraction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Hedge funds have already been tapping different data feeds to track prediction market activity, but for funds focused on the Middle East in particular, Neudata highlights a pair of providers.

Unusual Whales, which made its name tracking investment disclosures by politicians, has a new product tracking unusual bets, such as a new account making a larger wager on a contrarian view, so users can catch potential insider trades before an event happens.

MarketPsych, which offers data feeds on market sentiment, is building a new product that provides summaries of Polymarket trading events. The hope is that it will help funds with their macro forecasts, Neudata's report states.

• Sarthak Gupta moved to Seattle in the middle of searching for a tech job.
• He hoped being local would boost his chances of landing a role at Amazon, which he did in July 2024.
• Living within walking distance of the office is a priority for him, and it's helped him amid the RTO mandate.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sarthak Gupta, a 29-year-old data scientist at Amazon who lives in Seattle. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2023, I was living in New York City and working as a quantitative research intern at a nonprofit organization. I decided to pursue a role at a larger corporation that combined AI, quantitative risk, and finance, and became interested in the tech industry.

To set myself up for success, I was very strategic about where I chose to live. I realized there were roles that checked all my boxes in the Seattle area, so in early 2024, I decided to move there and stay with a friend to save on rent while applying for jobs. When I moved, I didn't yet have an interview lined up at Amazon, but I was definitely targeting the company.

I believed being in Seattle would offer more networking opportunities, and that listing a Seattle address on my résumé could boost my chances with local employers like Amazon by signaling I was ready to hit the ground running without any relocation delays.

Eventually, a cold application turned into an interview with Amazon for a senior risk analyst role. I eventually landed the job and joined Amazon in July 2024.

I prioritized living close to the office

I'm expected to work from the office five days a week, but my commute is very easy.

After I landed the job at Amazon, I moved to South Lake Union. It's a neighborhood in Seattle where it sometimes feels like you can only find two types of people in an apartment building: Amazon and Microsoft employees. My roommate and I split a rent of $4,800 a month, including parking, for our two-bedroom apartment — and it was only a five-minute walk to the office.

I recently moved into my own one-bedroom apartment in South Lake Union, which is a seven-minute walk away from my office. The rent is about $2,700 a month, including parking. I found some cheaper options that were farther away, but staying close to the office was one of my biggest priorities while apartment hunting to avoid unnecessary travel time.

The short commute has allowed me to focus on building my career instead of feeling drained from getting to and from work. It's also made it easier to attend networking events in the area after work.

The 5-day RTO mandate has worked out for me

Working from the office makes it easier to connect and collaborate with my team. When everyone is physically around, you don't have to set up meetings for every small discussion. You can just walk over, ask a quick question, and keep moving.

Another major advantage is the networking and visibility, especially with leaders. In the office, I naturally get to talk to leaders during lunch, coffee breaks, or quick walks. On top of that, spending time with colleagues builds a healthy work relationship; people go from being just coworkers to friends, which makes the work environment more enjoyable.

The only real downside of working from the office five days a week is on days when I'm feeling slightly unwell or would prefer to work from home. There's been a stronger push for managers and teams to be consistently in the office, and attendance is being tracked more closely. Since everyone is present, there's also an unspoken expectation of being on time, which reduces some flexibility.

For me, though, the pros outweigh the cons by a large margin. Even when Amazon had a hybrid setup of only three in-office days, I preferred going in every day because I genuinely felt more productive in person.

I wasn't affected by Amazon's recent layoffs in January, nor was anyone on my team, as far as I'm aware. In terms of job security, I think many employees have adopted a more pragmatic mindset, focusing on delivering impact and doing their best work, while accepting that some factors are outside individual control.

Overall, my role as a data scientist — which I transitioned to last year — hasn't changed much, and I'm really happy with the work I'm doing.

My advice for job seekers

One of my favorite hobbies is mentoring other job seekers I connect with, offering free advice on their résumés, interview prep, and how to incorporate AI tools into their job searches. Some have told me my guidance helped them land jobs.

One of the main pieces of advice I give job seekers is to start preparing for interviews before they even land one — and to keep preparing throughout the entire process.

I also emphasize the importance of résumés — a candidate should be able to clearly explain and stand behind every word on it. In my experience, 99% of questions trace back to the résumé and how it aligns with the job description.

Once a young professional lands a job, I recommend that they live close to the office if they can. It frees up time they'd otherwise spend commuting and lets them focus that energy on work, networking, and building connections with colleagues, all of which really help them settle into the new role smoothly. That initial period is crucial for building their presence and making a strong impression.

• Next week, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will take the stage at its annual GTC conference.
• Investors expect updates to the new inference chip and GPU roadmaps.
• Geopolitics could shape Nvidia's future as much as demand.

Nvidia's GTC conference has become its biggest stage for outlining the future of AI.

The annual event increasingly attracts a broader crowd. At past gatherings, with Denny's pop-ups and Taiwan-inspired night markets, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has unveiled sweeping product roadmaps for its GPUs and other AI chips. It's also announced major pacts with tech giants and governments alike.

This year's event comes on the heels of a blockbuster earnings report that barely nudged the company's stock and raises questions about how long the AI spending boom can last.

Polymarket users are even wagering how many times Huang will utter phrases like "GPU" onstage.

Here's what analysts and investors will be watching:

1. A new inference chip

Inference, or running trained models, is AI's next act. Expect Nvidia to make a big statement as competitors — from cloud giants to a slew of chip startups — encroach on this space.

Huang previously teased "several new chips the world has never seen before," and The Wall Street Journal reported in February that Nvidia is readying an inference-focused product incorporating technology from AI startup Groq, with OpenAI expected to be a key customer.

The chip's design could have big supply chain implications. Inference relies heavily on memory, and with high bandwidth memory (HBM) in tight supply, investors will see whether Nvidia leans more on SRAM — a fast, on-chip memory used in inference designs — rather than solely relying on HBM.

Sid Sheth, founder and CEO of inference chip startup d-Matrix, said that while Nvidia will stay dominant in training, "inference is a different ballgame."

He added that CUDA, Nvidia's software that underpins most AI training and has locked developers into its ecosystem, is less of a moat in inference. Developers can turn to competitors other than Nvidia because running finished AI models doesn't require the same kind of programming as training them, he said.

2. Life after Rubin

Nvidia has announced its next-generation Rubin Ultra systems. Rubin is expected to require far more power than past generations, and investors will eagerly see how Nvidia manages the transition and whether cloud giants will support it, said Sebastien Naji, a research analyst at William Blair.

Naji is also listening for what comes next: the Feynman generation. The big architectural breakthrough expected here is "copackaged optics," or the use of light — not electricity — to move data between chips. This reduces power consumption and enables larger AI infrastructure clusters.

Earlier this month, Nvidia announced it secured multibillion-dollar supply agreements with optical component companies Coherent and Lumentum, signaling how central the technology could become in future systems.

3. Can agents and robots keep the AI Gold Rush alive?

As Nvidia matures, investors increasingly focus on durability rather than breakneck growth, said Brian Mulberry, chief market strategist at Zacks Investment Management.

Huang has emphasized agentic AI as the next driver of inference demand, a trend that recently reverberated across software stocks. Sheth, the d-Matrix CEO, says that's only the beginning, with voice, video, and multimodal agents that have yet to show their potential.

"We haven't even started," he said of a forthcoming inference wave.

Robotics could add yet another layer, said Daniel Newman, CEO of The Futurum Group. Sometimes seen as a longer-term bet, he noted that Nvidia reported roughly $6 billion in robotics-related revenue last quarter and is predicting an "aggressive" timetable for humanoids.

4. The geopolitics of GPUs

Huang has entered the political fray at past GTCs, and the landscape is shifting rapidly.

Nvidia halted production of H200 chips for China and shifted capacity to its next-generation Rubin platform, The Financial Times reported. At the same time, the US is weighing export restrictions on AI chips that could turn it into a gatekeeper for international sales.

With China constrained, Newman said international markets are meaningful to Nvidia, pointing to massive AI infrastructure commitments in Saudi Arabia and the UAE — though conflicts in the Middle East have raised questions about sovereign demand, supply chains, energy costs, and the pace of data center buildouts.

In a world where AI is becoming a geopolitical tool, policy could shape Nvidia's future as much as demand.

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

• The Academy Awards, or Oscars, are coming up on Sunday.
• Bettors are already wagering tens of millions on who will win in each of the 24 categories.
• Here's who's most likely to win in each category, according to the odds on Kalshi and Polymarket.

The 98th Academy Awards are coming up on Sunday, and for prediction market bettors, tens of millions of dollars are on the line.

Since the nominees were announced in January, traders on Polymarket and Kalshi have been wagering on which films, actors, directors, and more will claim the Oscar in each of the Academy's 24 categories.

Prediction markets have experienced dramatic growth over the last year, drawing the attention of media companies, the ire of some state regulators, and the scrutiny of Washington lawmakers.

Polymarket partnered with the Golden Globes, earlier this year and bettors on the site ultimately correctly predicted the winner in 26 out of 28 categories.

The Oscars, hosted this year by Conan O'Brien, will air this Sunday, March 15, on ABC and Hulu.

And if the odds Kalshi and Polymarket are correct, "One Battle After Another" will take home four Oscars, while both "Sinners" and "Frankenstein" are each set to win three.

Where the odds stand for each category, as of March

Best Picture — "One Battle After Another"

Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" is the odds-on favorite to win best picture, standing at around 75% among bettors on both Polymarket and Kalshi.

The next most likely winner is Ryan Coogler's "Sinners," which each platform gives a roughly 20% chance.

Bettors have wagered more than $44 million on the Best Picture winner across the two platforms, the most of any category.

Best Director — Paul Thomas Anderson

The director of "One Battle After Another" is seen as the overwhelming favorite to win best director, with Kalshi and Polymarket pegging his chances of winning in the low 90s.

Best Actor — Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan, the lead actor on "Sinners," has a roughly 47% chance of winning, according to both Kalshi and Polymarket.

That's a significant change from January, when Timothée Chalamet — the lead actor in "Marty Supreme" — was seen as the leading contender, with odds in the mid-70s at the time.

The change came after Jordan won "Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role" at the Actor Awards on March 1.

Chalamet's chances now sit in the mid-to-high 30s on both platforms.

Best Actress — Jessie Buckley

According to bettors, Buckley — the lead actress in "Hamnet" — is overwhelmingly likely to win best actress, garnering about 96% on both prediction market platforms.

Best Cinematography — "One Battle After Another"

"One Battle After Another" is seen as the overwhelming favorite to win best cinematography, with bettors on both Kalshi and Polymarket giving the movie a 76% chance of winning.

That's a change from January, when both platforms had "Sinners" with a 66% chance of winning at one point.

Best Production Design — "Frankenstein"

At about 90%, bettors on both prediction market platforms give "Frankenstein" an overwhelming chance of winning the award for best production design.

Best Adapted Screenplay — "One Battle After Another"

In addition to best picture and best cinematography, "One Battle After Another" is seen as overwhelmingly likely to win best adapted screenplay.

The movie currently has a 95% chance or higher of winning on both platforms.

Best Sound — "F1"

Apple's sports drama film F1 is the overwhelming favorite to win best sound, according to bettors.

Both platforms give the movie a roughly 80% chance of winning.

Best Animated Short Film — "Butterfly"

Bettors are less certain who will win the award for best animated short film.

"Butterfly," a 15-minute film by director Florence Miailhe, has a roughly 50% chance on both platforms.

But not far behind is "The Girl Who Cried Pearls," a 17-minute short film, which bettors give between a 27% and 30% chance of winning.

Best Live Action Short Film — "Two People Exchanging Saliva"

The French-language short film "Two People Exchanging Saliva" leads among bettors, garnering a roughly 45% chance of winning on both Kalshi and Polymarket.

Another major contender is "A Friend of Dorothy," a British short comedy drama film that has a 25% chance on Kalshi and a 23% chance on Polymarket.

Additionally, the musical short comedy film "The Singers" has a 20% chance on Polymarket and a 19% chance on Kalshi.

Best Film Editing — "One Battle After Another"

The film leads the odds for best film editing winner, with a roughly 80% chance on both platforms.

Best Original Score — "Sinners"

"Sinners" is the overwhelming favorite to win best original score, with bettors on both Kalshi and Polymarket giving the film a roughly 93% chance of winning.

Best Original Song — "Golden"

"Golden," the viral hit from the film "KPop Demon Hunters," is the odds-on favorite to win best original song, with bettors on both platforms putting the odds of the track's victory in the mid-80s.

Best Supporting Actor — Sean Penn

Sean Penn, who plays Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in "One Battle After Another," is the favorite to win best supporting actors, sporting a roughly 68% chance on both Kalshi and Polymarket.

That's a dramatic change from January, when Stellan Skarsgård — who plays an estranged father in the Norwegian drama film "Sentimental Value" — had the highest odds, at roughly 64% chance on both platforms.

Best Supporting Actress — Amy Madigan

Amy Madigan, who portrays Aunt Gladys in the horror film "Weapons," is now the favorite to win best supporting actress on both platforms, hovering around 47%.

That's a change from January, when Teyana Taylor — who portrays Perfidia Beverly Hills in "One Battle After Another" — was the overwhelming favorite to win best supporting actress, sporting 75% on both platforms.

Best Visual Effects — "Avatar: Fire and Ash"

Bettors believe that James Cameron's "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in the "Avatar" series, is almost certain to win the award for best visual effects.

The movie's chances of winning stand at more than 90% on both Kalshi and Polymarket.

Best Original Screenplay — "Sinners"

"Sinners" is the overwhelming favorite to win best original screenplay, with about 97% odds on both Kalshi and Polymarket.

Best Documentary Short Film — "All the Empty Rooms"

Bettors on both Kalshi and Polymarket give "All the Empty Rooms" a roughly 70% chance of winning the award for best documentary short film.

The movie follows a journalist and photographer as they memorialize the empty bedrooms of school shooting victims.

Best Documentary Feature Film — "The Perfect Neighbor"

"The Perfect Neighbor," a documentary about Florida's "Stand Your Ground" laws, is the odds-on favorite to win best documentary feature film, with bettors on both platforms giving the film a roughly 65% chance.

Best International Feature Film — "Sentimental Value"

"Sentimental Value" is the favorite to win best international feature film, with bettors on Kalshi and Polymarket giving the film 64-67% odds of winning.

Best Costume Design — "Frankenstein"

"Frankenstein" is the overwhelming favorite to win best custom design, sporting roughly 92% odds on both platforms.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling — "Frankenstein"

Similarly, "Frankenstein" is seen as a lock for best makeup and hairstyling, sporting probabilities in the low 90s on Kalshi and Polymarket.

Best Animated Feature Film — "KPop Demon Hunters"

"KPop Demon Hunters" is the prohibitive favorite to win best animated feature film, with a roughly 92% chance on both prediction markets.

Best Casting — "Sinners"

"Sinners" is seen as most likely to win best casting, with Kalshi and Polymarket bettors giving the film a 75% chance of winning.

• Elon Musk said he is revisiting old résumés submitted to xAI.
• A string of cofounders have left the startup since January.
• This week, Musk acknowledged the startup's setup issues and said the same happened with Tesla.

Elon Musk is combing old interviews as high-profile employees continue to exit his AI startup.

"Many talented people over the past few years were declined an offer or even an interview @xAI. My apologies," Musk said in a Friday morning post on X.

Musk added that he and Baris Akis, who works on the xAI talent engineering team, will be "going through the company interview history and reaching back out to promising candidates."

The hiring efforts come as xAI's exodus of cofounders continues. On Thursday, Business Insider reported that Zihang Dai left xAI earlier this week, and Guodong Zhang has told people he plans to leave in the coming days.

The two departures follow the recent exits of a string of xAI cofounders, including Toby Pohlen, Jimmy Ba, Tony Wu, and Greg Yang, all of whom have left since January.

Musk launched xAI, the maker of Grok, in 2023 alongside 11 other cofounders to compete with rival frontier labs like OpenAI and Google. After Dai and Zhang's departures, only two of the 11 people who started the company with Musk in 2023 — Manuel Kroiss and Ross Nordeen — will remain.

Musk announced last month that he reorganized xAI and parted ways with some staffers. Some of the cuts have impacted workers on the company's AI white collar project, Macrohard, and Grok Imagine, its AI image and video generator, Business Insider previously reported.

Amid the cofounders' departures, Musk has also acknowledged the startup's shortfalls.

"xAI was not built right first time around, so is being rebuilt from the foundations up," Musk wrote on X on Thursday. "Same thing happened with Tesla."

On Wednesday, Musk said at the Abundance Summit that "Grok is currently behind in coding."

"The reason I was late for this was that I was just in a giant sort of all-hands on coding, going through all the things that need to happen to essentially exceed our competitors on coding, which I think we'll do," he said.

In early February, Musk announced that his space company SpaceX would acquire xAI. XAI purchased the social media platform X in March 2025.

• An Amazon tech lead says she got promoted quickly by building AI products.
• Anni Chen uses AI not just to code, but to integrate AI's output into products.
• She laid out her top tips for vibe coding and what common AI coding mistakes to avoid

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Anni Chen, who has worked in Amazon software engineering for about three-and-a-half years. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her employment history.

AI helped me code, but more importantly, it helped with turning it into products. It's the combination of grasping AI and translating it into scalable products that helped me get promoted faster.

I started off as a Software Engineer I, an entry-level role, in 2022. I was in the recommendations team working on serving recommendation widgets.

About two years ago, I started working on AI products on the side. That became huge and eventually spun off into its own team, which I'm a founding engineer of.

I was promoted in the recommendations team to Software Engineer II, and then I got promoted in the current team to senior engineer.

I focus on what we call memory, which powers personalization in generative AI experiences across Amazon.

AI writes 95% of my code

I started using AI as a side project to generate engaging titles for recommendation widgets when ChatGPT and Claude emerged. I saw how powerful it is in generating something really creative.

I started thinking: whenever I have a question or I want to code something up, I'll just ask AI for help first before I attempt it.

I saw that the solution it came up with was leveling up my own code, and it helped me code more, too. Now I would say almost 95% of the code authored by me is written by AI.

I'm not just using AI to code; I also integrate AI's output into products. I need to have a deep understanding of how AI works, what works well, and what doesn't.

I have to be open and receptive to new models and tools coming out that can help with product iterations and make products better.

I work as a tech lead on large-scale LLM-driven systems in production environments, so I have a front-row seat to how AI-assisted workflows behave, not just in prototypes but under real-world scale and cross-team collaboration.

Top tips for vibe coding

The first tip is understanding the inner workings of LLMs and where they might fail.

LLMs are pre-trained — they're trained on a large corpus, and it's a probabilistic game. It's followed by supervised fine-tuning, so the model will answer based on the structuring of a question and the answering format. Lastly, it's followed by RLHF — reinforcement learning from human feedback.

By understanding these three steps, you can know, for example, when the LLM will not understand what you're talking about, and when it needs domain knowledge from you. You will know when to use a new window or why hallucinations happen.

By understanding the limitations of the context window, you know when to break problems down. You will learn how to follow the structure to break things down into lower levels, and then you slowly focus on each component and generate.

By understanding the inner workings, you also know that you have to explain things to a peer. If you don't explain in detail, it will default all those assumptions to the most common pattern, but that might not fit your use case.

My second tip: Think before vibe coding.

If you check the answer first, then your thoughts will be swayed by the answers. Compare your thoughts versus the LLM's and see what the gaps are — what you didn't know, and why the answer differs. From there, you know what implicit assumptions you haven't told the LLM.

Thirdly, prompt for hard questions. Ask questions like what is the fallback when there is an error, or how this is going to scale? This is like a teacher asking a student, or a senior engineer asking a junior engineer to make sure the hard cases are covered. If you want the product to scale, think about it from day one and be conscious about asking those scaling questions.

Lastly, review and understand. Always review at each step, not just review after the whole code is generated. This ensures errors stop early rather than cascading all the way to the end, where you need to redo everything.

Creating wrong code is very dangerous. The presence of code makes people think, "Okay, this is good, it's working." But wrong code that enters production can cause more damage than the absence of functionality.

Understanding code is still important

You have to understand your own code. AI lowers the barrier to writing code, but not the responsibility for understanding it.

If something goes wrong and the code was committed by you, you're the one responsible.

Imagine your code breaks in production, and you need to fix it, and you say, "I also don't know, AI told me." That's not the correct way.

I don't think we can entrust AI with such high-stakes tasks yet.

Understanding becomes easier with AI because it's also a perfect learning opportunity. You can simply open another window and ask it to explain the concept.

If you ask in the same window about what it produced, it will explain only in that context. But you want to understand the concept more generally and see whether it makes sense to apply in this case.

Do you have a story to share about coding with AI? Contact this reporter at cmlee@businessinsider.com.

• The war in the Middle East has surged interest in cheap interceptor drones, manufacturers say.
• Drone firms told Business Insider they likely can't keep up with the sudden burst of demand.
• Most requests are coming from Gulf States trying to protect critical infrastructure, they said.

As the US-Israeli war with Iran rages across the Middle East and roils global markets, a small subset of drone makers — ones who build drones to destroy other drones — are seeing an upside to the conflict.

Interceptor drone manufacturers outside the region told Business Insider of a surge in requests for demonstrations and inquiries from potential buyers over the past week, as the US and its allies scramble to counter Iran's loitering munitions.

"Since the beginning of the war, we have been receiving daily requests from the Middle East, whereas previously it might have been once or twice a month," said Jens Holzapfel, business development director for Nordic Air Defense. The Swedish startup is building a propeller-driven interceptor, the Kreuger-100XR, which is being tested in Ukraine.

New interest has overwhelmingly come from Gulf state governments or entities working with their defense ministries, although European countries have also reached out, the companies said.

Misha Lu, a spokesperson for the Taiwanese firm Tron Future, said international inquiries for its counterdrone products, which include a single-use quadcopter interceptor and net-launcher drone, have "effectively doubled" since the war began.

Almost all prospective clients were asking for ways to protect critical infrastructure, such as airports and power grids, he said.

Lu added that potential buyers are also largely shifting their focus from anti-drone jammers to "hard-kill" solutions, which rely on explosives or physical force to destroy drone threats.

Surging interest in Ukrainian drones

Heightened demand for hard-kill counterdrone tech comes as Iran has launched thousands of one-way attack Shaheds against the US and its allies in the Gulf region. Some of the loitering munitions have successfully gotten through air defenses and struck their targets, including US military facilities.

Key concerns in air defense against Shahed threats have been cost and quantity. Traditional air-to-air or surface-to-air missiles are limited in supply and would be too expensive to engage en masse against Shaheds, which cost $20,000 to $50,000 each.

A cheaper solution, pioneered largely by Ukraine, is to use first-person-view or small drones to catch and ram into Shaheds.

The Wild Hornets, the Ukrainian manufacturer of a popular interceptor drone called the Sting, told Business Insider that the company previously fielded one or two business inquiries daily, but since last week has received "several dozen per day."

Sting production is still heavily dedicated to helping Ukraine fight off Russia's locally built versions of the Shahed; Kyiv says Moscow has launched over 57,000 of them so far.

"These are requests, not what we've agreed to," a Wild Hornets spokesperson said of the new inquiries. "Our priority is Ukraine's defense."

Another major Ukrainian drone maker, Skyfall, told Reuters last week that it was receiving foreign requests for interceptors and could export up to 10,000 a month without affecting Ukraine's needs.

Still, Ukrainian firms may have difficulty closing any such deals for now. A wartime law broadly blocks drone exports from the country, as uncrewed aerial systems remain the pillar of its tactical combat operations.

Whether the ban will remain, however, is unclear. Kyiv has been exploring the possibility of controlled exports, seeking to promote its fledgling defense tech market and touting its wartime production expertise and ability to test weapons in combat.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also repeatedly signaled openness to assisting allied countries, including Gulf States, that request support and expertise against Shaheds.

So far, though, Zelenskyy has only confirmed that Kyiv is sending experts to the Middle East, without mentioning export sales.

Too much demand to cope with

For interceptor makers in other countries, the sudden demand is so great that most aren't sure they can keep up with the influx of business. The technology is also fairly young, meaning some firms have yet to build out their production lines fully.

Agirs Kipurs, CEO of the Latvia-based firm Origin Robotics, told Business Insider that his firm is already working to fulfill existing contracts and may thus only meet a "limited part of the demand."

"Obviously, we will not be able to meet all requests, as we are still scaling up production and building toward full output capacity," said Kipurs, whose firm builds drones deployed in Ukraine and an autonomous interceptor used by NATO forces.

Jiří Janoušek, a representative for the Czech firm TRL Drones, said his company recently received multiple requests a day for its fixed-wing interceptors — a short-range drone and a larger jet-powered system that are used in Ukraine.

TRL Drones is increasing production capacity to accommodate new requests, Janoušek said, but has had to "carefully prioritize incoming opportunities," giving preference to customers who already know their operational requirements and are ready to move quickly.

"Supporting Ukraine remains a core priority that continues to utilize a portion of our capacity," Janoušek added.

Lu, of Tron Future, said that his firm is "fully engaged" with all the inquiries it's receiving, but is still working on scaling production.

Demand from Taiwan and East Asia has recently doubled, too, he added, with inquiries from Taiwanese law enforcement and military agencies reaching double digits.

There is concern about China's own delta-wing drones, Lu said, such as the Loong M9 and Feilong 300D. Both appear highly similar to the Shahed-136.

Chinese industries have long supplied drone components to both sides of the Ukraine war, and Lu said it's clear that the People's Liberation Army is learning from the battlefield there.

"So we know that in a conflict scenario across the Taiwan Strait, we will also see similar saturation attacks where cheap drones of various classes mingle with missiles," Lu said.

• Rosamund Pike, 47, says a broken engagement in her 20s helped her rethink the "template" of womanhood.
• That breakup helped her see that there are so many other ways love can look, she said.
• "I'm not married, but I have a family, and I've been with someone for 14, 15 years, happily not married," she said.

Rosamund Pike, 47, says she stepped away from the traditional expectation of marriage and built a family her own way.

On Wednesday's episode of "How to Fail with Elizabeth Day," the actor reflected on a broken engagement in her late 20s that reshaped her view of relationships.

Pike was engaged to filmmaker Joe Wright in the late 2000s, though the couple ultimately called off the wedding. Looking back, she said the experience made her question the conventional milestones many women feel pressured to reach.

"My failure to get married. Well, it's a big deal for a 28-year-old, isn't it? Your, sort of, template for womanhood — you're doing the right thing. Got a lovely boyfriend, he's asked you to marry him, you're getting engaged, and there's going to be a wedding, and you know, it's the right age," Pike told podcast host Elizabeth Day.

The actor also recalled her then-fiancé asking if she was "pleased" to be marrying before 30. She added that she thought it felt "right" and "romantic" at the time, until their relationship fell apart.

The breakup was "utterly devastating," and public scrutiny made it worse, she said.

However, Pike eventually began to see the experience in a new light.

"The freedom from that afterward is that you sort of think, OK, so you haven't achieved the thing, I suppose, the template," Pike said. "He was a man who was eight years older than me. He was successful, he was good-looking, he was funny — he was great. And then it doesn't happen, and you think, 'Oh, no.'"

"But then you realize that actually you're free in a way, because you think there are so many other templates of what life can look like for a woman," she continued.

The breakup also helped her see that there are "so many other ways that love can look like."

Pike has since been in a long-term relationship with businessman Robie Uniacke, and they share two sons together. Their first child, Solo, was born in 2012, and their second, Atom, in 2014.

"Here I am. I'm not married, but I have a family, and I've been with someone for 14, 15 years, happily not married," Pike said.

She added that she was intentional about marking commitment in a "different way" in this relationship.

"It was more important to cement that or, sort of, mark that with starting a family than having a wedding, because also, I thought I'm the center of attention so often. I don't need a wedding," she said.

Pike isn't the only celebrity to question traditional expectations around marriage and motherhood.

Charlize Theron has called single motherhood "one of the healthiest decisions" she ever made, despite the stigma around it.

"With women, it's always like, something must be wrong with her. She can't keep a man. And it's never part of the discussion of like, 'Wow, she's really living her truth. She's living in her happiness. This is actually a choice that she made,'" Theron said during a July episode of "Call Her Daddy."

Michelle Obama has similarly pushed back on the idea that women must hit certain milestones by a certain age, saying turning 35 shouldn't be viewed as a deadline for marriage or success.

"I would just say there are no 'shoulds'. There are so many ways to live a happy, fulfilling life," she said on a November episode of her podcast.

• The US is lifting its sanctions on Russian oil for about four weeks to relieve surging prices.
• Scott Bessent said the move would "not provide significant financial benefit" to Russia.
• Sanctioning Russian oil is a key lever the West uses to pressure Moscow's ability to invade Ukraine.

The US Treasury Department is lifting Russian oil sanctions until April 11, as the Trump administration seeks to relieve global crude supplies choked by war in the Middle East.

A notice issued by the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday laid out a roughly four-week window authorizing the "sale, delivery, or offloading of crude oil or petroleum products" from Russia.

The move eases a yearslong effort by the US and its allies to squeeze Russia's finances in response to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Moscow, however, has still benefited from its energy trade by quietly transporting it via what the West has called a "shadow fleet" of third-party tankers. Taxing the industry typically accounted for nearly half of its federal budget revenues before 2022.

An analysis from Urgewald, a German NGO, showed Russia's fossil fuel export revenues averaged 510 million euros, or $587 million per day in the week following the strikes — 14% higher than the daily average in February.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that Russia stood to benefit from the temporary lifting of sanctions, but described the gains as limited in scale.

"This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction," he wrote in a post on X.

Brent crude oil prices were 0.6% higher at $101.07 per barrel at 11:16 p.m. on Thursday, while US West Texas Intermediate was 0.4% higher at $96.15 per barrel.

The US and Israel launched a massive airstrike campaign against Iran on February 28, attacking over 5,500 targets with land, sea, and air assets. Iran has, in turn, vowed to block the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway serving the Persian Gulf, which accounts for about a fifth of the world's crude oil.

Traffic in the strait has plummeted in the past week amid over a dozen reports of commercial vessels being attacked in its vicinity.

Despite sweeping Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has reoriented much of its energy exports away from Europe and toward alternative partners in Asia, notably China and India, where discounted Russian crude has become a major source of demand.

Last week, the US granted a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.

Ukraine and its allies have long raised concerns about Russia's ability to muster resources from its global energy trade to feed its war manufacturing industry. The Kremlin is now spending record amounts of its federal budget on defense, reaching 6.3% of its GDP in 2025.

Daily revenues of $587 million would be the equivalent of about 11,000 to 29,000 of Russia's Shahed-136 one-way attack drones, based on estimates that the loitering munitions cost $20,000 to $50,000 each.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that continuing to impede traffic along the strait would incur further US military action.

But Tehran has maintained a defiant posture, retaliating with drone and missile attacks on its neighbors and US forces in the region. Reports say it's also begun to sparsely lay mines along the strait, which would further delay an opening of the strait by forcing the US and its allies to meticulously sweep for and clear explosives.

On Thursday, the new Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a statement through a newscaster that his government would continue blocking the strait.