• Kelan and Brittany Kline founded The Savvy Couple, a finance blog, in 2016.
• The blog evolved into an online business that generated $1.3 million in 2023.
• As their income grew, their expenses did not, allowing them to invest their way to a seven-figure net worth.

Before launching The Savvy Couple in 2016, Kelan Kline had reached a breaking point.

He and his wife, Brittany, had recently married, bought a starter home, and begun paying down roughly $40,000 in student loans. Brittany was an elementary school teacher, while Kelan worked as a jail deputy.

The couple, who grew up in Rochester, New York and began dating in ninth grade, had little control over their schedules. Their shifts rarely overlapped, leaving them with little time together.

"We were working opposite shifts," Kelan told Business Insider. "We never got to see each other."

One night, they sat down at their dinner table and tried to define their "ideal lifestyle." Their vision looked little like their current lives: It centered on family, flexibility, and control over their time.

"I was after time freedom," Kelan said. "I was so sick and tired of someone else telling me when to come to work, forced overtime, and denying my vacation."

Turning a $2.95-a-month blog into a 7-figure business

With a clearer picture of the life they wanted, the Klines began reverse-engineering it. Inspired by two personal finance blogs they followed, Making Sense of Cents and Millennial Money Man, they decided to build an online business focused on money.

The subject fit their experience: They had spent years budgeting and paying down debt, and the income reports published by the bloggers they followed suggested that the model could scale. For Kelan, the biggest appeal was the possibility of becoming his own boss and controlling his schedule.

The startup costs were minimal — they launched The Savvy Couple in 2016 with a web-hosting plan that cost $2.95 a month — but the low cost didn't eliminate the learning curve.

For nine months, the blog generated no revenue. Then they earned $50 for a sponsored post.

That first payment convinced Kelan the site had potential. Two weeks later, he proposed leaving his day job to focus on the business full time — and Brittany signed off. They still had tens of thousands of dollars in debt, but about six months of living expenses in savings gave them a cushion.

Even with the cash runway, giving up predictable income was stressful.

"There were probably 100 times I considered going back to work and getting a 9-to-5," Kelan said. "Business goes up and down. It's a roller coaster."

With Kelan focused on the business full time, it gained traction. In 2019, the business generated enough income to cover Brittany's teaching salary, allowing her to leave the classroom. The couple made their final student-loan payment that December.

The company later expanded to include The Savvy Mama, a brand focused on household finances, meal planning, and family routines. Across their businesses, the Klines earn revenue from display advertising, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and their own digital products and services.

Their revenue peaked in 2023 and 2024. BI reviewed profit-and-loss statements from Savvy Media Marketing reporting a total income of $1.3 million in 2023 and $1.1 million in 2024.

Their revenue has dropped over the past couple of years. Kelan attributed the decline largely to changes in Google search, which he said cut traffic to their blogs by 80% to 90%. In response, the couple shifted their attention more toward YouTube, memberships, digital products, and marketing services for local businesses.

They still believe online businesses can offer low startup costs, flexibility, and room to scale, but if they were starting from scratch today, a traditional blog dependent on Google traffic wouldn't be their first choice.

Investing the difference between income and spending

As their income climbed, the Klines prevented their lifestyle from rising at the same pace. They stayed in their starter home for seven years, drove used cars, rarely ate out, and spent about five years as a one-car household.

Rather than treating higher revenue as permission to spend more, they directed much of the difference between their income and expenses into investments.

Kelan describes their portfolio as "super boring." It includes Vanguard's VTSAX, the technology-focused VGT, retirement accounts, and taxable brokerage accounts. Over the past two years, they have also added rental real estate near Rochester, New York.

The couple said their household net worth — including the estimated value of their businesses, investments, and primary residence — surpassed $1 million in 2020. Business Insider reviewed a screenshot from their Rocket Money account showing a seven-figure net worth.

For them, the clearest payoff has been the ability to organize work around their two daughters. Brittany spent the past school year homeschooling their oldest, while Kelan said he typically works from about 9 a.m. until noon or 1 p.m.

"We protect our time like crazy," he said. "It's night and day having complete time freedom."

• Making small changes to your diet can have a big impact on your health.
• Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel shared four tweaks he says give the most bang for your buck.
• He believes eating fermented foods is the easiest small change with the biggest benefit.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel wants you to stop obsessing over your health data and enjoy a treat from time to time. I experienced this firsthand when I met him for ice cream on a sunny Thursday afternoon in June to discuss his latest book on healthy living.

A specialty ice cream shop in London had formulated a limited edition pen-and-paper flavored ice cream for the UK launch of Emanuel's "Eat Your Ice Cream." It had a smoked wood flavor and was surprisingly good.

"I'm anti the wellness industrial complex," the oncologist, public health professor, and former Obamacare advisor told me matter-of-factly. The 68-year-old is "vehemently" against tracking, obsessing over, and maxxing our health, and advocates finding ways to fit wellness around your lifestyle, not the other way around.

In his latest book, he attempts to cut through the noise of the buzzy longevity trend that has gone mainstream by outlining the tenets of a healthy diet, including eating protein, healthy fats, and fresh produce.

As we scooped spoonfuls of ice cream from small metal bowls topped with chocolate flakes, he shared his top "bang for your buck" dietary changes to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

"Getting on the right diet is relatively simple," Emanuel told me. "There are four things you should do to start, and then there are things you can add."

But remember, "the occasional treat will not shave any minutes off your life, especially if you enjoy it with someone you love," he wrote in the book.

Stock up on fermented foods

Emanuel recommends adding fermented foods like sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, and kefir to your diet. He calls it "the easiest small change with big benefits."

The gut microbiome is host to trillions of microbes that impact our overall health. Studies suggest that people who eat fermented foods tend to have a more diverse gut microbiome, a sign of good health, a lower risk of obesity, and stronger immune systems.

This is because fermented foods contain prebiotics, which are plant fibers that the body can't fully digest, and live bacteria called probiotics. Both feed the "good" gut microbes and help increase the diversity of microbes in the colon lining.

"Pick whichever ones you like. They're really, really good for you," he said.

Can the soda

According to Emanuel, one of the best things you can do for your health is to stop drinking sugary soda, or at least cut down to one to two glasses a week.

Drinking one to two cans of soda a day increases your risk of developing type two diabetes by 26%, he said. It also increases the risk of heart disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is on the rise, and certain cancers.

A 12-ounce can of soda contains 140 calories, around 10 teaspoons worth of sugar, and has no nutritional value, Emanuel said.

Business Insider's Gabby Landsverk recently reported from a Washington DC nutrition conference that while diet sodas can be a helpful alternative to sugary drinks, they can still upset gut health.

Cut down on ultra-processed snacks

"We all have to cut back on the packaged snacks," Emanuel said.

Research suggests the average American gets around 60% of their daily calories from "junk" or ultra-processed foods that contain large quantities of salt, sugar, and fat, as well as additives.

Regularly eating this type of food (think packaged muffins, cookies, and potato chips) has been linked to an increased risk of a plethora of health conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression. There's evidence that certain additives that are common in these foods can disrupt the gut microbiome, plus junk food rarely contains nutrients.

The term ultra-processed food has become somewhat contested among nutrition experts as it groups some dietary staples, such as packaged wholemeal bread, with junk food like doughnuts and hot dogs.

Emanuel prefers to use the term junk food for this reason.

Don't forget about fiber

Despite our cultural obsession with protein, most of us are getting enough already, Emanuel said. What most Americans are truly lacking is fiber.

Adults need about 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day, Emanuel said, but on average, most Americans get about half of that.

Fiber plays an important role in keeping the gut, cardiovascular, and metabolic systems healthy. It does this by slowing down the uptake of glucose into the bloodstream, curbing sugar spikes and crashes, and feeding the beneficial microbes in the gut.

Berries, pears, apples, kiwis, broccoli, sweet potatoes, beans, nuts, and whole grains are great sources of fiber, Emanuel said. He recommended starting by eating some fruit throughout the day and a salad with your dinner at night.

• NYC's Mamdani plans to open five city-run grocery stores by 2029, with a 30% discount on core goods.
• Big cities like Atlanta, along with small towns in Kansas, along with have tried a similar model.
• Affordability hurdles make it difficult for city-run stores to operate long term.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is rolling out his city-run grocery stores — and New York City has a lot to learn from metros that have done the same thing.

The five NYC stores, which the city says will open by 2029, plan to offer shoppers a 30% discount on core goods like meat, dairy, and fresh produce through government subsidies offered to private operators that will run the stores.

In other cities, lawmakers have opened city-run stores through a series of grants and loans. Some, such as a public-private partnership-run supermarket in Atlanta that closely resembles Mamdani's proposal, are financially viable. Other experiments in places like Kansas City, Missouri, failed and closed because of high overhead costs, dwindling city support, and theft.

While other cities have focused on rectifying food deserts, the five boroughs' promise of lower prices is distinct.

"Basically, every other example is almost entirely about food access," said Jamie Horton, executive vice president for strategic initiative and business operations at NYC's Economic Development Corporation — a quasi-public nonprofit partnering with Mamdani on the stores. "They don't have that mandated affordability. That's what really separates our program. We're both."

The city recently filed a request for proposals seeking experienced grocers to partner on the stores' operations. Horton said the EDC is looking for businesses that already have the expertise and licensing needed to buy food at wholesale and manage inventory. He pointed toward the private-public Atlanta store specifically as a source of inspiration.

Atlanta and St. Paul, Kansas, have opened city-run stores

Opened in 2025, Azalea Fresh Market in Atlanta is the most comparable to NYC's program because it serves a large population.

Atlanta's government acted "like a bank," securing roughly $8 million in grants and no-interest loans to open two stores, said Paul Nair, CEO of Savi Provisions, the store's operator. He said local leaders play no part in staffing, stocking, or day-to-day logistics, and that the store's second location, set to open this fall, will be financed through another multimillion-dollar grant. Nair is considering adding in-store coffee shops because drinks are more profitable than groceries. He said that partnering with the trade group Independent Grocers of America allows him to buy wholesale items more cheaply and offer core products at competitive prices.

His goal is for the stores to fund themselves through daily revenue after three to five years. As of June, Azalea reported serving more than 150,000 customers.

Nair said his experience running private stores informs how he operates Azaela. He said he has consulted with EDC leaders on Mamdani's stores, and hopes the city is able to pick a strong operator that they trust. "I, as a business businessman, am making the decisions" about day-to-day operations and finances, he said.

The key to some other city-run stores' success is that residents have no other options. The last remaining private grocery store in St. Paul, Kansas — a town with just over 600 residents — closed in the 1980s, and the rural area and far from most major cities.

St. Paul opened in 2008 through a public-private partnership, using local economic development funds and a zero-interest loan from the US Department of Agriculture. It transitioned to full city operation and ownership in 2013. The building itself is owned by the city, eliminating the cost of rent, and a store representative said it has enough daily revenue from shoppers to cover overhead.

Other stores have closed

Government-run supermarkets in Baldwin, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; and Erie, Kansas have all shut their doors.

For smaller areas like Baldwin, revenue wasn't sufficient to cover the store's costs, especially given nearby private options. In metros like Kansas City, the local government spent a total of $29 million in taxpayer funds to open its store in 2022, but the operation lost money and closed in 2025.

Local NYC businesses worry about their bottom line

Mamdani has allocated $70 million to launch the New York stores, and Horton said the EDC will subsidize food and operating costs each year. The EDC owns and invests in property on behalf of the city and will offer each location rent-free.

"One of the main tools that the city and specifically EDC has is to essentially shoulder real estate costs," Horton said, adding. "We want this to be as cost-effective and efficient as possible."

Advocates for the grocery industry, however, told Business Insider that they would rather the city provide subsidies directly to small bodegas and grocers, or widen the social safety net programs like SNAP for New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity.

Laura Strange, chief public affairs officer for the National Grocers Association — a trade group that represents small and independently-run grocers — said profit margins for grocery stores are low. After accounting for food, staff, equipment, real estate, and other costs, most stores net between 1% and 3%.

For local businesses, it can be more difficult to see returns, and Strange said some won't be able to keep up with stores backed by NYC's bank account.

"Subsidizing government-run stores to undercut market prices by 30% doesn't fix what's broken in food retail; it distorts it further," she said. "Rather than expanding government-run retail operations, policymakers should focus on addressing the underlying costs that make groceries more expensive in the first place."

She added that making the wholesale buying process easier for grocers "will do far more to lower food costs over the long term" than a chain of city-run stores.

Scott Moses, head of grocery, pharmacy, and restaurants investment banking at Solomon Partners, said "adding a Soviet-style, state-run grocery store will only make these competitive dynamics more difficult — if not prohibitive — for smaller, often family-owned grocers around the city."

Mark Jaffe, a founder of the Multicultural Business Coalition — which represents local grocery chains, bodegas, and other vendors — said directly supporting small businesses would be a more impactful use of the money.

"Hardworking New Yorkers just can't put enough healthy food on their table because it's so darn expensive to live here," Jaffe said. He appreciates that the city is looking for solutions, "but there are better ways to do it."

• Chili's keeps growing sales, providing more evidence of a successful turnaround.
• It's also taking on fast-food restaurants like McDonald's.
• I went to Chili's to see whether the sit-down restaurant is really a competitor to McDonald's.

Chili's is hot.

The restaurant chain continues to reap the rewards of its turnaround: Same-store sales grew 6% during the company's fourth quarter, parent company Brinker International reported on Wednesday. That marks the 21st consecutive quarter that Chili's reported same-store sales growth, Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman said during the company's earnings call.

There are several aspects to Chili's turnaround. The restaurant chain has adopted a cheeky posting style on social media, which has drawn in Gen Z diners. It's also upgraded lots of outdated technology, such as the tablets that its waitstaff use to send orders to the kitchen.

Chili's is also competing with unlikely rivals: Fast-food chains. Some of the chain's newest menu items appear to take on McDonald's classics like the Quarter Pounder, for instance.

"The customer reviews and social media comments have been excellent, declaring Chili's victorious for size, price, value, and taste versus fast food," Hochman said during the company's earnings call.

McDonald's latest quarterly comparable sales growth came in at 0.8% — a slower pace that CEO Chris Kempczinski attributed to execution problems, such as the rollout of its latest value menu. The burger giant also replaced its US president when it reported earnings last week.

A few years ago, referring to Chili's and McDonald's as rivals would have made no sense.

So, having not been to a Chili's restaurant in over two decades, I wanted to see how exactly the chain is managing to eat the Golden Arches' lunch. Here's what my visit was like.

Do you have a story idea about Chili's? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

I visited this Chili's restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia.

Located near a major highway and lots of shopping options, this Chili's restaurant was situated in the heart of the Northern Virginia suburbs.

The restaurant was mostly empty when I showed up, but that changed.

I showed up just after 5 pm on a Thursday. There were plenty of tables, and the host seated me right away.

While this restaurant appeared to be just under half full, there were definitely signs of life. A table over, a party of five seemed to be celebrating a reunion of some kind.

As I ordered and ate, I saw more people trickle in, from single diners to families.

There were plenty of fast-food adjacent options on Chili's menu.

Business Insider has reported on Chili's encroachment on fast-food restaurants' turf, whether it's through burgers or fried chicken sandwiches.

I didn't see anything on the menu about Chili's 3 for Me deal, which offers patrons an appetizer, an entrée, and a beverage for $10.99. I called the restaurant later about this, but the employee I spoke with didn't know why the deal wasn't there.

Instead, I ordered the Spicy Big Crispy chicken sandwich with fries for $16.29.

There were also lots of appetizer choices.

I also ordered two Triple Dippers — six items in total — from Chili's Triple Dipper menu to sample as much as possible. Each was $17.99.

Chili's tech upgrades were apparent on my visit.

Part of Chili's turnaround has been upgrading its in-restaurant tech. This tablet included games that I played while I waited for my food. I spent the most time playing one called "Subway Rush," which involved guiding a man around obstacles as he ran through a street chased by drones. There was also a button to log into a Chili's loyalty account.

Later, I used it to pay my check when I was done eating — a handy feature that saved me from having to catch my waiter just to request the bill.

My food arrived quickly.

My chicken sandwich and one Triple Dipper arrived less than 10 minutes after I ordered them. I ordered a second Triple Dipper to go to try later.

My favorite Triple Dipper item was the Big Mouth Bites…

Essentially sliders, these burgers provided a beefy hit, plus a little bacon on each. I wondered whether I should've ordered a regular-sized Big Mouth burger instead of my chicken sandwich.

As a cheese lover, I also liked the gooey mozzarella sticks.

…while Chili's boneless wings were less enjoyable.

Coated in too much Honey Chipotle sauce, these boneless wings were fine except for the breading, which fell off when I tried to pick them up.

Even so, I felt that each Triple Dipper provided reasonable value for money. And I had a wider selection of items to pick from than I would have at many fast-food chains.

The star of my meal was the Spicy Big Crispy.

Chili's chicken sandwich meal cost me two or three times as much as a McCrispy meal at McDonald's. But it was also a much better sandwich.

The whole cut of chicken breast felt heartier than the more processed patty that many fast-food chains use. And while I didn't bring a scale or ruler with me, it was clearly much bigger than its McDonald's counterpart. Chili's says that the Big Cripsy's filet is "80% bigger than the average McCrispy breaded filet."

I don't eat tons of burgers or chicken sandwiches. But when I want one, this is pretty close to what I envision.

The fries and mac and cheese were average.

The mac and cheese tasted fine, though there was too much sauce. It also struck me as an odd pairing with the friend chicken sandwich and the fries — is a vegetable too much to ask for?

The fries, meanwhile, were a little too thick and soggy for my taste. They left me longing for some thinner ones from McDonald's.

Overall, I was happy with my meal at Chili's.

With tax and tip, I spent just over $77 on two Triple Dippers, a Spicy Big Crispy chicken sandwich, and an iced tea.

That was slightly more than I expected to spend, given what I had heard about the 3 For Me deal. But the fact that the Triple Dippers were nearly meals in themselves made the pricing feel more reasonable.

Diners care a lot about value these days, and Chili's seems to offer that.

While some consumers are cutting back on eating out, others are still willing to spend on restaurants — but they need to feel like they're getting a good deal when they do.

Yes, my trip to Chili's was more expensive than if I had eaten at McDonald's. But I also got more food, better food, and more choices for my money.

• As a CPA, many of the adults who come to me are learning about financial matters for the first time.
• I don't want my kids to turn into those adults. I've been teaching them early and often about money.
• Budgeting, taxes, and investments are topics I've shared many important lessons on.

Somewhere between "when you have a job, you can buy whatever you want" and "you'll never have to worry about money" are the money lessons every child needs to hear to build their own money skills.

As a certified public accountant, I've spent a career watching the end results of money silence. Every newly married, single, or widowed person who sits across from me, often middle-aged, is learning about debt, investing, wage negotiation, and taxes (of course, taxes) seemingly for the first time. It never ceases to blow me away.

I decided early on that my kids, now 17 and 18, would never be those adults.

Make their money make money

In my home, everything and everyone gets put to work, including any money in the bank.

My oldest started working at 14. As I watched her nest egg begin to accumulate, I knew I needed to find ways to invest the idle cash and grow it. Since she had no daily need for this cash, it made sense to ensure it would grow.

When I made a big move for her, she was skeptical about why I was "taking" her money. To explain, I did a simple illustration of the impact of compounding interest and high-yield savings account options. At 14, she had enough basic math knowledge to see the logic in the move. I made sure to follow up with semi-annual check-ins so she could see for herself how the compounding was at work. It wasn't any sort of magic her CPA mom was pulling off, it was knowing where to keep your money.

When my son began working, the same conversation inevitably followed, and now they both understand the benefits of compounding and determining between cash to be held for regular use and savings that should be put to work.

Compounding is something I talk to adults about on a regular basis to support planning their income needs, a simple growth technique that, quite honestly, some just aren't thinking about. I can never stress enough that even for the risk-averse, this is your move, not complex, and has little chance of risk.

All money topics should be on the table

Then, of course, there's the conversation every parent is having with their teenage children: retirement.

Yes, retirement chats at 17 or 18 are important. Why? Once my kids started working and had earned income, the gateway opened up to them to access and make contributions toward retirement accounts. I know it sounds ridiculous, since they haven't even started their careers. Believe me, I get looks when I say it, but the math is far from absurd.

Starting at 18, when the likelihood of having more discretionary income is greater, instead of waiting, say until your mid-20's to start saving for later in life, gives you a solid 10-year head start, and again with compounding and growth, that window of time can help to make the difference between when and how you are able to retire.

I say this as a 46-year-old, planning to semi-retire at 50 and fully at 55. I started making these annual contributions at the age of 18 and rarely took a break. The key part of this discussion isn't the pressure to fully fund their retirement early; it's about the clock that has already begun to tick well before competing financial priorities inevitably enter their lives. I know their future selves will thank them (and me) for this.

Tax talks are important, too

There is no lesson I could ever give that hits as hard as getting your first real paycheck. Why? Your deductions become clear, and my kids might have let out an audible gasp, knowing they don't get to eat the whole pie.

Why did I "lose" money, they wondered? This turned into an important conversation about access to medical and social benefits, and of course, withholding taxes. The key takeaway here being that the number on your job offer and the number you take home are never the same, and everyone, including teens, should plan accordingly.

Taxes are a very real part of life; learning at the age of 18 with a part-time job is less jarring than in your 20's with a surprise tax bill you didn't see coming. Taxes remain by far the largest black hole I see with the adults I work with.

Budgets need to be set

My son said something one day that gave me pause. "You seem to be doing well. Why don't you just buy it?"

To him, it was a compliment, even encouraging. To me, it landed differently. He hadn't seen the parts or times when I didn't feel like I was doing well.

I explained to him that those moments existed. I talked about the planning, and that budgeting was very real throughout his whole life. There were educational plans that began the day they were born, the gravity of carrying the load of property they would inherit. All of it was real and remains present.

What I have always made sure of is that they know that the steadiness my kids feel in our home wasn't luck, it was hard work and planning on the part of their parents. It is the output of decisions made long before they were old enough to notice.

That's probably the biggest money lesson; financial security only looks effortless on the outside and after years of proactive planning and consideration.

My kids are about to build their own financial lives; growth, investing, tax planning, all of it is theirs to manage. I know they will make mistakes, as did I. But they won't walk into adulthood believing that money is taboo to speak about or something magical outside of their control.

In our house, money talk is never taboo, and I hope that one day, at their own kitchen tables, it won't be either.

• Sofia Jiang left her role at Morgan Stanley only a few months after starting full-time.
• She pivoted to lower-paying startup roles to gain hands-on experience in building a brand.
• She shared her cold email and networking strategies that helped her land her current role.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Sofia Jiang, a 23-year-old marketer and founder, based in NYC. Her words have been edited for length and clarity.

Last year, I was so grateful to get an investment banking job after I graduated. Then, about four months after I started, I quit.

Investment banking is a prestigious and high-paying industry, so it feels like people admire you for getting the job, and it looks great on a résumé. However, once I was actually in the role, it became super clear to me that this wasn't the place where I'd learn how to run a business, which is ultimately what I wanted to do.

I felt it was kind of silly and too risky to quit a job I had worked so hard to get, one that a million kids would take in a second, but I didn't leave without a plan.

There was a lot of hype around investment banking

I went to school at Georgetown and studied business and global affairs. It was a dual degree program. My first internship was at Diane von Furstenberg, where I worked on partnerships and collaborations. I enjoyed it, but I still wanted a fuller understanding of the business behind consumer companies.

While I was in school, there was a lot of hype around investment banking, and I was very intrigued by the whole atmosphere. There was such a level of security that I could land a job offer before graduating.

During my junior year summer, I got an investment banking internship at Morgan Stanley, hoping I'd land the full-time return offer for after graduation. I ended up getting the return offer, and I was so relieved that my whole senior year, I knew what I was going to do after I graduated.

I got a business idea while working at my internship, and started targeting my future customers

During my internship, I had such a difficult time finding work clothes I liked that weren't super expensive and didn't require dry cleaning. That's how I got the idea for my clothing brand, SofSet.

I knew that if I was going to have this consumer brand one day, the hardest thing to make a brand successful is getting people to know about it. So I started posting content on TikTok that I thought my future customers would want to see. While also slowly laying the foundation for the designs on the side.

I started by making Day in My Life videos at Georgetown, then in investment banking, and they went pretty viral. I built my TikTok audience of over 30,000 followers, and every piece of content I post is what I think my brand's target audience would be interested in.

I quit Morgan Stanley and started a new job right away, using my network

After I realized I didn't want to work at Morgan Stanley, I felt guilty about wanting to leave.

I knew that if I stayed longer, I'd be more afraid because I would have sacrificed two years of my life and delayed working toward my larger goal. I asked a few friends what they thought, but I knew that it was my story, my life, and everyone has a different career path.

When I was thinking about leaving, my content was doing really well, and my friend Myles, who's a founder, was looking for someone to do marketing and help him position his content at a small VC-backed startup. Around the same time I decided to leave my job, my friend offered me a formal position.

I left Morgan Stanley and started working for him the next week.

My current job came from cold emailing every fashion tech person I could think of

I stayed at that startup for around three to four months. It was an incredible opportunity for me to get a lot of hands-on experience, work on a very small team, and gain more confidence, but I knew it wasn't a forever thing. I wanted to break into the fashion tech startup space.

I was cold emailing everyone at fashion tech companies, from employees to the CEO to the recruiters. I'd also sometimes email the company's investors if they had just raised a round. I used either LinkedIn or an email scraper called ContactOut, which was super helpful.

A lot of people didn't reply, but what worked well for me in the outreach message was keeping it as short as possible while explaining my background in one to two sentences. Then, at the end of the message adding how I could provide value to them or ask them for advice.

If I knew that someone wasn't really hiring right now or there were no job postings online, I'd keep it to asking for advice. If I were emailing an investor who had just raised a round, I'd ask them about their investment thesis, show interest in them, and make it clear that I'm interested in the company.

One of the people I reached out to connected me with the HR at a VC fund that invests in fashion tech startups. I spoke with her and made it very clear that I was interested in fashion tech and marketing. She connected me with the CEO of my current job, whom I interviewed with. I had one more interview with someone on the team, and shortly after, received an offer.

Now I run my business on the side and work full-time in fashion tech

I've been slowly building my brand on the side while working a full time job in marketing that I love and am learning so much from. I think the best thing I did was really sit down and think about what I wanted my life to look like.

A year ago, I still had the same idea of what I wanted my life to look like and what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how to get there, so I thought investment banking was the best path. Then, when I looked at the people who were my bosses in investment banking, who were technically going to be me 20 years out, I didn't want the life that they had.

It's easy to compare what I used to earn in investment banking and what I earn now at a startup. My base salary was $110,000 in my first year out of school. Right now, I don't make nearly that much, but I feel like I'm building a future for myself that will pay off in years.

Do you have a similar story to share? If so, please reach out to the reporter at aapplegate@businessinsider.com.

• On TikTok, Gen Z-ers are complaining about their office's "Big Light."
• BI spoke to 11 office employees about the white-hot debate.
• It's hard to accommodate all preferences in an office — but interior designers say Gen Z is right.

At Atlas Financial Solutions, there's a generational divide that's highlighted by the flip of a switch.

"I like the bright light," Amanda DiGiacomo, the owner of the Bakersfield, California, firm (and avowed millennial), told Business Insider. "I just feel like I can see the computer screen better. My eyes can focus on it more, and it feels like I'm not about to go to sleep."

The office's younger employees don't agree.

"It makes me feel pressured, and maybe anxious," Reyna Arredondo, a payroll specialist and Gen Z-er, said.

In-office debates over the "big light" — often the bright, cool-colored fluorescent strips jammed into commercial ceiling tiles — have become a recurring topic on TikTok. There, overhead-haters have proposed solutions, including light covers, window blinds, and even bringing their own lamps to work.

Online, it's been cast as the latest Gen Z-versus-the-world office debate.

Business Insider spoke to 11 office workers at six companies and two interior designers about their experiences with bright overhead office lighting.

For some employees, fluorescent office lighting helps them feel alert and focused and makes text on a computer screen easier to see. For others, the bright overhead lights can contribute to glare, eye strain, headaches, or distraction — or simply make the office an unpleasant place to stay from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

That disagreement poses a familiar problem for employers. Like debates about office temperature, lighting is both highly personal and difficult to individualize in a shared room. Giving one worker the bright environment they need to focus may leave the person at the next desk squinting or reaching for the light switch.

In some offices, lighting is a generational divide

At Atlas, lighting preferences fell neatly along generational lines. They filmed a TikTok spotlighting the differences.

Atlas's younger employees told Business Insider they found ways to soften the office-y glare. Some used software that gives their computer screens a warmer tint, while others asked millennial coworkers to switch off some overhead lights.

But they haven't gone as far as workers at other Bakersfield businesses they interact with, who they said have bought window shades or covers that diffuse the ceiling lights.

"I'm a little bit scared that's a fire hazard," DiGiacomo said.

Desiree Posey, Atlas's office's manager and a millennial, who works in the same office as Arredondo, said dark offices strain her eyes and can give her a headache at the end of the day.

She and her Gen Z coworker have reached a compromise: the big light over Posey's desk can be flicked on, but the one over Arrendondo's is permanently turned off.

Daria Ershova, a 25-year-old marketing consultant, said she also hates the big light. At a previous job, she adorned her office desk with a lamp — and said she started a bit of an office evolution.

"A few of my Gen Z coworkers noticed what I had done, and suddenly we had a whole coalition," she said.

Eventually, management added a budget for Gen Z-ers to buy their own lamps, she said.

The Big Light has non-Gen Z haters, too

That neat generational divide doesn't play out everywhere.

Brittany Blackman, the founder of Discover Freedom, an executive leadership consulting firm, is 36 and identifies squarely as a millennial. Her job brings her into corporate offices across her home state of Florida.

When it comes to overhead lights, she sounds like she's Gen Z. She spoke to Business Insider from a dark room, which she called her "happy state."

"I have to talk to people in offices, and my eyes twitch," she said. "I've had to say to clients with big lights in their offices before, like, 'Hey, I'm not winking at you. It's just that the lights really impact me.'"

Blackman said she had also brought a lamp to a previous office job.

Interior designers say big-light haters have a point

Lucia Fuentes, 28, is a San Diego-based interior designer. She's pretty ardently anti-big light, saying it tends to "wash everything out."

Even though she works at a design studio, she said she brought her own lamps to work. They've helped with her focus, she said.

"It was weird too, because my job is literally designing spaces and yet I found myself sitting under something I wouldn't recommend to clients," she told Business Insider. "Several people have commented that my workstation feels more inviting than the rest of the floor, which is great validation for someone whose entire career revolves around letting others know how lighting can affect a room."

Fuentes has seen a lot of the big light discourse on TikTok, and she has notes.

She told Business Insider that she does not recommend covering fluorescent lights with flammable covers like paper towels, because, well, fire is bad.

Also, "It tends to look messy," she added.

Instead, she says the most cost-effective solutions are either buying a small secondhand desk lamp or asking the company to replace the big lights with warm-white LED bulbs in the 2700-3000 Kelvin range.

For Fuentes, the larger point isn't that every office should go lo-fi. Good workplace lighting, she said, gives employees options — a mix of natural light, warmer ambient lighting, and task lamps rather than one uniform source overhead. That can matter in shared offices, where one worker's ideal lighting can be another's headache trigger.

For his 30th birthday, Dustin Chaveleh wanted to get in the best shape of his life.

Late last year, the San Francisco resident was newly single and looking for a change. He had been spending long hours at a desk, building his career in tech roles at companies like Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs. His real dream job, though, was real estate, so his spare hours went to the extensive coursework for a residential sales license.

The hustle left him in a vicious cycle, struggling to stick to a healthy routine. He couldn't find the energy to hit the gym after work, but the less he went, the more he felt lethargic, unmotivated, and unhappy.

"I didn't want to just sit in a rut," he told Business Insider. "I had lost sight of the gym, and I felt like I didn't know where to start."

In the autumn of 2025, he started working with a remote personal trainer from Enaz Fitness, hoping that by his birthday in late May, he could look and feel like a new man.

Within a few months, Chaveleh said he was lifting heavier, feeling more energized, and liking what he saw in the mirror.

Then a bigger change began to take shape: the networking connections from his new fitness routine helped Chaveleh kick-start his real estate career. He started to power through his real estate licensing process, buoyed by confidence and fresh contacts.

In early June, less than a year after starting his fitness journey, he closed his first real estate deal.

"Getting back into shape allowed me to say, 'Hey, I can change the narrative.' It's part of the confidence boost, taking chances and trying stuff out," he said.

The simple changes he made to burn fat and build muscle have become a built-in part of his lifestyle. Here's how he did it.

A flexible diet for better focus and energy

One of the main problems Chaveleh wanted to fix was boosting his energy throughout the day. He wanted to build lean muscle and burn fat, but without feeling miserable from a strict diet.

The move: setting a protein goal of eating about 1 gram per pound of body weight, along with a calorie goal.

By hitting those targets about 70% of the time, Chaveleh said he lost fat without depriving himself of dining out with friends.

"You can go super restrictive, but that's not sustainable," he said. "I enjoy going out, so I didn't want to cut out alcohol. It was about moderating it and being mindful if I'm going to drink, cutting back early, and focusing on more protein and less carbs."

Chaveleh also found that being more mindful about eating protein throughout the day helped him stay consistently full, rather than skipping meals and then overeating later. He's found that his energy and focus have improved, too.

"I wake up earlier because diet makes me sleep better, makes me feel better, and I perform better. I can think more clearly, and I have less stress in my mind," he said.

Shorter workouts, better ROI

Chaveleh overhauled his gym sessions too, and said the biggest improvements came from working smarter, not harder, in the gym.

Previously, he had been on and off with his workout routine for years. He'd sometimes spend massive amounts of time exercising, two hours a day or more, trying workouts or movements he saw on social media. The complicated workouts were exhausting and hard to maintain, making it difficult to see any progress.

With the help of a personal trainer, Chaveleh started a more deliberate routine that included tracking his progress over time. He used a principle called progressive overload, gradually increasing the challenge to keep making gains.

"Something they taught me was to go in every time and have the mindset of what you want to achieve, a goal of more volume, fixing technique, or going heavy," Chaveleh said.

Thanks to the more focused approach, Chaveleh cut his workout time in half, between 45 minutes and an hour. And he started seeing gains in both his strength and his physique. All of his major lifts have improved: he can bicep curl nearly twice as much, and added more than 40 pounds to his squat for sets of 12 reps.

He also significantly lowered his resting heart rate, a key metric of longevity, from 68 to 58 beats per minute, a more athletic rate.

"It's the consistency and the tracking," he said. "In the day-to-day, you don't notice it, but because I had that log, I could see that the workout was working, I could see the work I put into it."

Building muscle, confidence, and a new career

Chaveleh also learned he was making another common gym mistake: the "bro split."

The bro split is typically a five-day weightlifting routine where you target different muscle groups each day, such as the shoulders, chest, and back.

Chaveleh used to hate leg day, preferring to focus on building his upper body. Sometimes he would skip it altogether, going two weeks without a leg workout.

He was missing out on a classic strategy for faster gains: compound exercises. Compound movements, like squats, presses, rows, and deadlifts, work multiple muscle groups at once, making for a more efficient workout.

With a new approach, Chaveleh said he learned to love leg exercises because they engaged other muscle groups to torch calories. By switching to full-body sessions for every workout, he burned up to 400 calories in less than an hour using simple movements, which is crucial for getting lean.

The downside: Chaveleh had to upgrade his wardrobe to fit his leaner physique.

The more efficient workout plan helped Chaveleh free up more time and energy for his social life, too.

"I run, I go out, and socialize more because I'm not dreading going to the gym," he said.

And in San Francisco, where fitness is social currency, it started to open up new pathways for networking. He connected with potential clients at parks, on hikes, and at run clubs.

"A big part of that is the fitness, meeting like-minded people, " he said. "It's a hot topic in San Francisco, and it's helped bring business."

At one recent gathering, an acquaintance was so impressed with Chaveleh's transformation that he insisted on re-introducing himself.

His latest goals are all about building: growing his business and bulking up to put on some extra muscle in the coming months.

The takeaway

Consistency is key to transforming fitness. If you hate your workouts and diet, you're not going to stick to them long enough to see results.

Start with the basics: a few days a week in the gym, no more than an hour at a time. Pick high-ROI, full-body exercises like squats, presses, and deadlifts. Rinse and repeat.

Then, as you start to get comfortable with the routine, keep the intensity up. Add reps or weight so each set feels challenging, but doesn't leave you crushed by the end.

Don't neglect nutrition. Try tracking what you eat for a few days to get a benchmark. From there, you can adjust so that your protein intake is on point and your calories aren't over the top, while still enjoying whatever foods work best for you.

Finally, lean into the lifestyle: fitness is a great networking tool, and it can translate into better performance in the office and beyond. The same habits that work in the gym (setting attainable goals and scaffolding small steps to reach them) are a great blueprint to build the life you want.

After Kristin Darnell had her first child at 34, when her husband was 40, the plan was to try for their second in two years. But when the time came, they weren't ready.

One of the biggest concerns was the cost of childcare. Having two kids in day care at once would have been astronomically expensive, even though Darnell works in ingredient sales for the food and beverage industry, and her husband is an engineer.

The couple was eventually able to welcome their second child a little later, thanks to IUI, ending up with a three-and-a-half-year age gap between their children, who are now 6 and 3. Last year, with both kids in day care, they spent about $37,000 for the year — a little over $3,000 a month. Darnell estimated that they saved about $200 to $300 a month in childcare costs due to the wider age gap.

"Family planning's a tricky thing; you have one idea before you start and then sometimes that idea shifts," Darnell, now 40, told Business Insider.

This is the spacing dilemma, and Darnell's family isn't the only one facing it. More than a quarter of moms in their 20s expect to have their next child in two to five years, a 2026 CDC report shows. But that figure drops below 10% for moms in their 30s.

Waiting longer between kids can help spread out day care costs and mean only having one child in diapers at a time. But as millennials are having kids later, their hopes for a "golden" age gap can collide with another clock: declining fertility. If parents want more breathing room between babies, waiting can come with trade-offs and benefits.

The delicate art of cutting childcare costs

Today, many millennials tap out at having two kids. Part of that is due to financial constraints.

While many expectant parents are aware of the notoriously exorbitant childcare costs, Karen Guzzo, a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina, said they can feel even more discouraged after they've had their first baby. "It's not until you actually get into the nitty-gritty yourself that you're like, 'Wow, this is really expensive,'" Guzzo, who's also the director of the Carolina Population Center, said.

For most Americans, childcare for one kid is steep. The average cost of day care ranges from roughly $7,600 to $24,000 a year, depending on the state and child's age. Things get more financially precarious with two: In nearly all US states, the average annual cost of childcare for two kids at once exceeds mortgage or rent payments. For some parents, it means paying up to $50,000 annually for day care alone.

Factor in other expenses, from car payments to student loans, and many parents start tweaking their timelines. Having a 3- to 4-year age gap between kids means having only one kid in day care or with a nanny at a time; the oldest might already be in preschool, which is offered as a free, public option in most states.

Angela Donahue, who works in product marketing in Renton, Washington, knows what it feels like on both sides of the gap. She put a 4-year age gap between her first and second child (who are now 9 and 5), and a 2-year age gap between her second and third (who is almost 3). While she preferred the wider age gap, she had her third child sooner, at 40, due to age concerns.

With her first and second kids, she said they overlapped in day care for about 6 to 9 months. But she's felt more of a financial strain with her two youngest in day care together over the last two years. Right now, it costs her and her husband roughly $5,000 a month — more than their mortgage.

"I heard some joke about when you have children, people are always like, 'You've got to save for college' — it's like, 'No, college is far away; you've got to save for day care,'" Donahue, 43, told Business Insider.

She said she's excited for the fall, when her second child will be off to kindergarten: "It's definitely really expensive, and we always celebrate when the next one is off to school."

Balancing less visible tolls

To feel comfortable having more kids, many working millennial parents want more career stability. Timing, particularly for mothers, can play a huge role.

"Had I had back-to-back babies, I think it would've taken a larger toll on my ability to advance my career," Darnell said.

Donahue also felt that spacing out her first and second children more was helpful for her career trajectory. For starters, it took her time to adjust to being a new mom. At the same time, she wanted to "keep the momentum going before taking another break," she added, something that felt easier to do when she waited longer to have her second child.

While some research finds that being a parent can improve one's reputation at work, other studies find that a "motherhood penalty" still exists. One 2026 systematic review of 79-peer reviewed journals found that mothers generally faced barriers to career advancement.

Depending on their careers, Guzzo believes mothers are "right to worry" about being out of the workforce too long. "They feel obligated to try to keep their toes in the water, so to speak, so that they aren't forgotten about or considered as not-good employees," she told Business Insider.

The fertility trade-off

Still, the biggest obstacle to spacing kids out is the fear of waiting too long.

If some mothers have their first child in their early 30s and wait 3 or 4 years, they might be trying for their second child in their late 30s or early 40s, when fertility begins to decline on average. Any money they may have saved on childcare might now go to fertility treatments. IVF, a fertility treatment in which an egg and sperm are fertilized in a lab and the resulting embryo is implanted into a woman's uterus, can cost $15,000-$20,000 per cycle without insurance.

In Darnell's case, the trade-off for waiting was that she had to undergo IUI, a typically cheaper and simpler fertility procedure involving a doctor placing concentrated sperm directly into a woman's uterus, at 37. "Knowing that the clock was ticking, we did go investigate fertility doctors earlier than we probably would have in that process," she said, noting that they would have tried to conceive naturally for longer had they been younger.

Luckily, she said, IUI worked for her in the first round and was covered by her husband's insurance. "We were fortunate in that aspect," she said.

The perks of an older older sibling

Beyond giving parents some more financial breathing room, spacing out kids can also make parenting itself a little less chaotic.

Compared to when they're 2, kids who are 3 or 4 are more verbal and generally easier to communicate with. They might also be done with potty training, something both Darnell and Donahue said was a huge help when simultaneously managing a newborn.

Trish Byron-Wilcox, who's the chief of staff for a mineral sunscreen company, has a daughter and son almost exactly three years apart, ages 4 and 1, by the end of this month. The Dallas resident said her daughter being 3 when her son was born made a huge difference in her parenting experience — especially when her husband, who works in industrial distribution, has to travel for up to a week at a time for on-site visits.

The first time she was alone with both kids, she marveled at how easy it was to step away from her daughter to put her baby son to bed, thanks to her daughter's independence. "I was able to just go upstairs with my son and then come back down, and she was happy as a clam," Byron-Wilcox, 36, told Business Insider. "We don't worry about her running away or doing kind of frantic, 2-year-old, toddlery things."

Some parents, like Darnell, are also pleasantly surprised to see that a bigger age gap doesn't stop their kids from being close. "I do feel like my son grasped and understood what getting a baby sister was going to be like when he was a little bit older," she said. "He's a great big brother, and they play now."

Donahue said her children with the 4-year age gap actually get along better than her second and third children with the 2-year gap. Her oldest was old enough to embrace the big brother role, and even help Donahue care for the middle child. But the youngest two just didn't get along as well.

"They started fighting right away because the age difference is so small that they still were interested in the same toys," Donahue said.

As someone who's tried both longer and shorter age gaps, Donahue said there's no doubt in her mind which one she prefers: "I would space them out like that if I could have this last time around, too."

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman thinks two years in college was just right for him.
• Altman said he thinks that maybe four years might be too long for others, too.
• Altman shared other thoughts and advice, including why it's often a waste to try to be taken seriously.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said two years in college was "the exact right amount of time" for him. It may be for others, too.

"I think I learned a lot, and it would have been like vastly diminishing returns," Altman recently told investor Cory Levy during a surprise appearance at Internapalooza, Levy's networking summit for tech interns.

Altman said the four-year college experience may not be necessary in today's world.

"I've sort of thought that maybe the way the world has evolved, college just shouldn't be as long as it is, but it was still great to meet people and kind of like live on your own and get to work on projects," he said.

In 2005, the future OpenAI chief dropped out of Stanford after two years to cofound Loopt, an app that allowed users to share their location with friends. Loopt went on to be part of the first Y Combinator batch, which paved the way for Altman's eventual rise to running the famed startup incubator himself.

Altman said two more years of college "would have not been that great."

"So, I was very happy with how it went, but you don't get to run the experiment twice," he said. "I know a lot of people now who have not gone to college at all and done great."

Altman's views align with those of others in tech, most notably his mentor and PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel, who supports a fellowship that awards $250,000 to young people to skip college entirely or at least take a break from their studies.

Altman's career advice

The OpenAI chief had additional advice for those in the audience, including why it's often a waste for young entrepreneurs to try to be taken seriously.

"I think people put too much effort into trying to get taken seriously, and you can sort of get a long way in life and career just by doing stuff," Altman said. "And I think this is much more true now than ever before. You can make a whole startup kind of by yourself in a room with a lot of AI tokens, but not much else."

Altman said that in some cases, you may just need to add someone to your team.

"If you were trying to do enterprise sales to a big, stodgy, old company, then it kind of does," he said. "And after trying and failing to get taken seriously in that specific way for a while, I was like, 'I'm just going to hire a 50-year-old.'"

Asked about the time when he juggled OpenAI and his other duties, Altman said it's bad advice to tell people starting out to focus on just a single project.

"I think it's fine to work on multiple projects for a little while because you don't really know what's going to work," he said. "You don't really know what you're going to be interested in. You don't really know what's going to be a good fit. But then the mistake that people do make is as soon as you figure out what your highest conviction thing is, that is when you're supposed to do the painful work of getting free from the other stuff and going all in."

• Luna, an Anthropic-powered AI agent, fired a worker for the first time at the SF store it runs.
• The SF retail store run by AI is an experiment by Andon Labs to test agentic abilities.
• Luna needed nudging and reminders of its own store policies to act, demonstrating limitations.

The AI agent running a San Francisco store has made its first firing decision.

Andon Labs said Thursday that Luna, the AI manager of Andon Market, an experimental retail store run entirely by AI, decided to dismiss a human employee after repeated lateness and other workplace issues. The employee arrived late for 17 of 23 shifts, according to the lab's report.

Luna did not reach the decision entirely unprompted. Conversation logs between the lab and Luna show that the agent had created an attendance policy but later lost track of it, allowing the employee's lateness to continue for months. Andon Labs eventually asked Luna to search her memory for its policies and assess whether the worker was still a good fit.

Luna then recommended "parting ways" with the employee, a decision that the humans in the lab reviewed and carried out.

Andon Labs cofounder Lukas Petersson told Business Insider that the lab would intervene if Luna made an illegal or unethical decision, but he did not believe that was necessary here.

"In this instance, we did not think that that was necessary because the firing was warranted," Petersson said, pointing to the store's policy, which was clearly stated.

"I think obviously the relationship between a manager and an employee is quite delicate, especially depending on the employee's position," Petersson added. "But what we've seen in this experiment is not that the AI would be more ruthless or be worse for the employee in that decision."

According to screenshots and conversation logs posted on Andon Labs' website, Luna gave the employee progressive and repeated warnings, as well as additional training, for months without taking any contractual action.

The firing came after the experimental store officially opened in San Francisco on April 1. Andon Labs, which tests the limits of AI agents, gave Luna a $100,000 budget, internet access, and a corporate credit card, along with instructions to open a store and turn a profit.

Luna, built using Anthropic's Claude models, selected merchandise, hired contractors, posted jobs on Indeed, interviewed applicants, and hired employees for Andon Market, which sells books, candles, prints, games, and branded merchandise. Andon Labs provided support for more difficult tasks, such as permitting, but said the lab tried to be as hands-off as possible.

Based on the experiment guidelines, all store workers hired by Luna are formally employed by the lab, receive guaranteed pay, and have legal protections. The store has generated sales but is not profitable.

Petersson said that the firing also exposed a persistent weakness in AI agents: They often fail to act without a direct prompt.

"We saw that a human boss would probably fire them much sooner," Petersson said. "I think companies will be run completely by AI in the future, and that AIs will become employers of humans."

• The Nose to Tail exhibition in NYC highlighted art made from scraps never meant to see a gallery.
• Five artists discussed the financial realities of sustaining an artistic practice in New York City.
• From cheap materials and multiple jobs to affordable studios and housing, here's how they do it.

"Let nothing go to waste" has taken on a literal meaning for these New York City artists.

As the cost of living is a big challenge for many New Yorkers, artists from a recent thrifty art show talked to Business Insider about how they have found ways to adapt to rising prices while continuing their creative pursuits — including using scraps of their work that were never meant to be seen on the walls of an art gallery.

This was the thesis of the Nose to Tail exhibition, curated by New York natives Patricia Fabricant and Jeanne Heifetz and featuring eleven artists living in the city. Its title refers to the culinary practice of using every edible part of an animal, both to reduce waste and honor its life.

"As inflation ticks ever higher and resources more precious," the group show featured artworks "sourced from studio process by-products, down-time doodles, and happy accidents," according to the exhibition description.

Business Insider has covered how other artists are working to make ends meet throughout our Cost of the City series, reporting on how people can afford to live in one of the most expensive cities in the country.

The show ran at Equity Gallery in the Lower East Side from June to July and showcased a range of art forms, from paintings to metalwork and music videos. Here's how five New York City artists turned studio scraps into finished works — and what it means to sustain a creative practice in an increasingly unaffordable city.

Gabrielle Shelton: When business sustains the art

Gabrielle Shelton, 53, originally from Los Angeles, has been living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for 31 years. As a metal sculptor, she also runs her own business, Shelton Studios Inc., which produces high-end custom architectural metalwork for homes, businesses, hotels, and other spaces.

"I specifically placed myself and started a business that could feed my art without me having to come up with another way to make money," she said. "The only way that I could access materials and space is if I started a business that focused on the same materials that I wanted to make my sculpture out of."

For the exhibition, she used leftover scrap metal from previously sold sculptures and brought them together.

"I have a lot of little, really beautiful scrap metal or offcuts or prototypes and jigs," she said, "and the last couple years, I started taking them out and making sculptures out of them, joining parts that never would have joined."

To balance managing her self-owned business, her artwork, and her family life with her husband and two children, Shelton worked during the day, spent the afternoons with her kids, and returned to her studio at night.

"For many years, I worked about 70 to 80 hours a week," she said. "I basically didn't sleep for about 20 years."

Damien Olsen Berdichevsky: Turning the city's leftovers into art

Damien Olsen Berdichevsky, a 65-year-old sculptor and musician born in Argentina, has lived in the city for 28 years. For the show, he submitted The Book of the Comfort Zone, a piece he started when he first used an issue of The Brooklyn Rail journal to wipe his brushes.

"I was using it to clean my brushes, and it all started with a stain. Then I started painting page by page every night," he said.

From February to May, he painted all the magazine's pages, complementing the book with a music video displayed alongside it.

Berdichevsky primarily works with wood and cardboard — not too hard to come by in New York City.

"The streets are piled with those materials," he said. "Besides, there's a lumberyard a couple of doors from my house, and I can't tell you the amount of wood they throw away."

While the city provides some materials for free, Berdichevsky does pitch in to buy paint, paper, and glue. In the past, he has also worked as a "ghost artist" and bought and resold music instruments and antiques on eBay to make extra money.

Yet, he said he has been dealt a lot of luck. Thanks to his wife's family, he receives financial support and lives in a 150-year-old family home in Greenpoint that she inherited, where he also has space to work instead of renting a studio.

"I've never had to interrupt my work because I couldn't afford it financially," Berdichevsky said. "How much of your merit is at play, or is it simply good luck?"

Jessica Nissen: Balancing work and art

Native New Yorker Jessica Nissen, 59, prioritizes spending on her art over other indulgences, setting aside money for materials and her Brooklyn studio. Through her daily life, she's balancing work and art, not work and leisure, she said.

To support herself, she works as a scenic artist for film and television. In this role, she helps bring designers' visions to life by painting and finishing sets, both in studios and on location.

For Nose to Tail, she exhibited 4x4 oil eye paintings on blocks of wood. She works on these when she gets stuck while working on larger paintings.

"They help me keep moving and painting and thinking," she said. "The material I'm using is expensive, and I don't have endless funds, so I don't want to waste the material on my palette."

Nissen said New York's creative community depends on a balanced ecosystem between cultural producers and consumers.

"Artists are culture producers, and it's really important to recognize that as the cost of living goes up and people struggle in the city, creative people struggle to stay within the city," she said. "If we're forced to move elsewhere, what do you end up with in the city? You just end up with consumers."

Jason Rohlf: Keeping the loft — and the art — alive

Jason Rohlf, 56, moved to New York City from Milwaukee in 1999. As a full-time artist, he and his family have lived in the same Williamsburg loft for roughly 27 years, with rent protection under the NYC Loft Law.

The around 1,300-square-foot loft doubles as his home and studio. Yet, although the Loft Law statute protects these industrial lofts inhabited by artists, preserving the space has required lawyers, legal expenses, and years of uncertainty.

"Every time the state says, 'Oh, we're going to revisit the loft law,' you get an email, and everybody's panicking," he said. "I don't think many people's lifestyles involve having a housing lawyer on their phone."

Yet maintaining affordable housing has also benefited Rohlf. During the 2008 financial crisis, many of his peers relocated, unable to afford NYC, while he was able to stay. Now, it has helped him continue to afford his housing as other prices continue to rise.

"Every number is exponentially going up, and so for us to keep the housing costs low made one of those numbers manageable," he said.

For the exhibition, Rohlf presented muslin shop towels he uses to clean paintbrushes. For the past 20 years, he has made and stored thousands of these towels. For the show, he and co-curator Jeanne Heifetz selected 42.

Rohlf works on a portable scale, developing small ideas with materials already in his studio.

"My creativity kind of flourishes in a microcosm," he said. "If I only painted on giant canvases made with expensive materials, my studio would have ended a long time ago."

Oriane Stender: The trade-offs of being an artist in NYC

San Francisco-born textile artist Oriane Stender has lived in New York City for over 20 years. While weaving and painting fabric, she began placing scrap paper beneath her loom to catch dripping paint and discovered that it captured impressions of the threads.

"When I realized the prints were really beautiful themselves, I started doing them on nice, large watercolor paper," she said.

For her, compromises, such as moving farther out, are key to being an artist in the city. Stender does not have a car, rarely buys new clothes, and lives "frugally."

"It sort of depends how much you want to be part of it and what you're willing to give up," she said. "I don't have children — there's a lot of things that I don't do that people think they might want to have with their life. You give up some of that if you want to be an artist."

Today, she lives in a Brooklyn apartment and uses it as her art studio. The only thing she said she misses is traveling.

"New York is expensive, so it's harder just to be an artist for the pure love of being an artist," she said. "I would be making art whether I ever sold it or not."

• Berkshire Hathaway raised its Alphabet stake by 83% last quarter, a portfolio disclosure revealed.
• Greg Abel invested another $7 billion or so on top of the $10 billion private placement.
• Berkshire's biggest quarter of stock-buying in years followed Warren Buffett's exit as CEO.

Berkshire Hathaway sharply increased its Alphabet stake during its biggest quarter for stock buying in years.

Greg Abel, who took over from Warren Buffett as CEO at the turn of the year, oversaw an 83% increase in Berkshire's Alphabet holdings to about 106 million shares, worth nearly $38 billion at the end of June.

Berkshire had agreed to buy $10 billion worth of Alphabet stock at a discount to the market price in a private placement in June. It also bought a further 19.6 million shares on the open market last quarter, a portfolio disclosure revealed on Friday.

Alphabet was the third-largest holding in Berkshire's US stock portfolio at the end of June, trailing only a $66 billion stake in Apple and a $51 billion position in American Express.

That's striking, as Buffett eschewed tech stocks for most of his career, with the exception of Apple, preferring to own stocks like Coca-Cola and businesses like Geico.

He may no longer be running the show, but Buffett has said that he made the call to invest in Alphabet last year. Given that Abel is now CEO while Buffett is chairman, it seems likely the pair are sharing responsibility for the position.

Alphabet stock has soared by around 170% over the past three years, as investors continue to wager that the search-and-advertising giant will be one of the biggest winners from the AI boom.

Ringing in the changes

Berkshire boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 44% last quarter, giving it a $5.4 billion stake in the airline as of June 30. It also established a fresh stake in D. R. Horton and added significantly to its Lennar and Macy's positions.

On the other hand, it roughly halved its stakes in Capital One and Nucor, trimmed its holdings in Bank of America and Kroger, and closed a small bet on Constellation Brands.

The portfolio update was hotly anticipated as investors knew Berkshire had been busy. Its second-quarter earnings last week showed that it purchased a net $20 billion of stocks, its largest quarterly outlay since 2022.

Berkshire spent $23.5 billion on stocks while selling only $3.7 billion, ending its run of 14 straight quarters as a net seller.

The sharp uptick in stock purchases — along with $4.5 billion of stock buybacks, the highest quarterly figure since 2021 — helped trim Berkshire's cash pile from a record $380 billion to $365 billion in the three months ended June 30.

Berkshire's cash pile ballooned during Buffett's final years in charge, as the legendary bargain hunter struggled to find value for money in stocks, acquisitions, or buybacks.

• A new legal filing says Sony hired investigators to probe WPP's media rebate practices.
• Sony's review said that WPP ran a "global crime scheme" and improperly withheld rebates, the filing alleges.
• WPP declined to comment on the alleged Sony review and said that the lawsuit referencing it is "baseless."

A new filing in a lawsuit from a fired WPP executive alleges that Sony, one of the ad giant's major partners, investigated the company and concluded it had improperly withheld rebates from clients.

The lawsuit says that Sony presented the findings of its investigation to WPP in 2025 in a detailed analysis that said the ad agency giant operated what Sony called a "global crime scheme" across several markets, including China.

The allegations have high stakes for WPP, which handles tens of billions of dollars in ad spending for some of the world's largest companies. At its core, the lawsuit alleges WPP put its own interests ahead of its clients', engineering a way to use some of their advertising budgets to maximize its own profits without their consent.

The lawsuit says that Sony's investigation alleged this is how the practice worked:

• WPP's media investment arm, GroupM, would negotiate a rebate deal with a media owner by leveraging its clients' combined advertising spending.
• WPP used a network of "intermediary brokers" to hold some of the rebates for itself rather than dispersing them to clients.
• WPP used rebate funds to subsidize the cost of ad inventory, then kept the resulting margin as profit that was shielded from audits.

The lawsuit contains a purported slide from Sony's presentation to WPP titled "impact for WPP Advertisers — China 2024," which claims that approximately $110 million was passed back to clients that year, while $350 million remained in its rebate pool "for later utilization" by WPP.

A separate purported Sony slide described the practice as a "fraud scheme" run in China and other markets, and attributed its design to senior global WPP executives.

Sony drew its findings from the work of independent investigators who attended a criminal trial in China involving WPP executives and from interviews with former WPP and GroupM executives, the lawsuit says. GroupM was rebranded to WPP Media last year.

The lawsuit says Sony supported its findings with "contractual language regarding rebate policies, transaction-level financial reporting, internal emails regarding rebate amounts, and documentation of WPP tracking systems."

A Sony spokesperson said the company does not comment on pending litigation.

The new details are part of a lawsuit filed in November by Richard Foster, a former longtime GroupM executive. In the lawsuit, he accuses the company of retaliating against him and firing him after he raised concerns that the group's media investment division was allegedly running an improper global kickback operation.

WPP filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that Foster failed to state a legally sufficient claim while also objecting on jurisdictional grounds. The suit is ongoing.

WPP declined to comment on the alleged Sony review and said in a statement that Foster's amended complaint, filed days prior to an upcoming court hearing, is an attempt to avoid the case's dismissal.

"Both complaints are baseless and without merit, and WPP will be re-filing an updated motion to dismiss," WPP said. "We have confidence that this matter will be resolved through due legal process."

Foster alleged in the lawsuit that the operation was not confined to China and was deployed as part of a global model through which GroupM improperly retained roughly $1.5 billion to $2 billion in profits from rebate deals over five years, by his estimation.

The amended complaint says Sony's investigative findings corroborated "years of whistleblowing" from Foster, who is seeking at least $100 million in damages from WPP.

In the latest filing, Foster says he refused a "seven-figure termination package which included an obligation of silence regarding the company's undisclosed rebate practices."

The ad industry's heated 'principal media' debate

Media rebates are not inherently illegal, though they can raise transparency and accounting issues if they are not properly disclosed. A US ad industry trade group previously warned that rebates could amount to a breach of contract or fraud if not disclosed to the client or if advertisers were deceived about the practice.

Some markets, including China, are heavily reliant on media rebates and the use of brokers to facilitate them.

The prevalence of "proprietary media" agency models, commonly referred to as "principal media," has long been a divisive topic in the ad industry. They tend to take the form of agencies purchasing a large volume of media at a discount, reselling it to their clients, and making a margin on that resale.

Agencies argue that principal media is often more cost-effective for their clients than buying ad inventory themselves — and that CMOs are happy to participate so long as it performs well. Critics say the model — even when it's disclosed — can create conflicts of interest for agencies, which could be incentivized to steer marketers toward media the agency has already bought, rather than the inventory best suited to their clients' campaign objectives.

Advisory and consulting firm Madison and Wall recently estimated that principal media accounts for a "high single-digit or low double-digit" share of large-brand and agency activity in the US.

"Richard Foster asked a question any agency should be prepared to answer: Are your profits derived from loyal service to your clients, or not?" William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors and lead counsel to Foster, said in a statement.

WPP's media operations in China have already faced significant legal scrutiny. Earlier this year, Di Fei, the former GroupM China chief investment officer, was sentenced to life in prison for taking bribes totaling $176 million with his ex-colleagues, Bloomberg reported. Di Fei is appealing the ruling, Bloomberg reported in June.

WPP has said it is aware of the court's sentencing of its former employees in China and has cooperated fully with the relevant authorities.

The summer heat rages on, but so do the new movies and TV shows landing on streaming services this week. We've scoured the latest releases to highlight the five best new movies and TV shows streaming the weekend of August 14, 2026.

This week's line-up includes an action flick starring Bob Odenkirk, along with Sunny Sandler's latest coming-of-age film. On the TV side, there are new seasons of "Reacher" and "Women in Blue (Las Azules)," as well as the series premiere of "Lanterns," if you're looking for something brand-new to sink your teeth into.

5: Normal

Bob Odenkirk's latest action film takes on small-town life in the Midwest, and fans of "Nobody" will find some familiar thrills. "Normal" follows a sheriff (Odenkirk) hoping for a reprieve by working in a sleepy town. When a bank robbery goes wrong, he finds that things in the town might not be quite what they seem. Lena Heady and Henry Winkler also star. Normal is now streaming on HBO Max.

4: Reacher

Jack Reacher is back. Based on the Lee Child book series of the same name, Season 4 of "Reacher" finds the action hero drawn into an all-new mystery of an unsettling encounter on a subway. Sydelle Noel, Christopher Marquette, and Kevin Corrigan are among the supporting cast members in the latest season. The first three episodes are now streaming on Prime Video.

3: Women in Blue (Las Azules)

An underrated Apple TV gem returns for a second season this week. "Women in Blue (Las Azules)" follows Mexico's first female police force. In Season 2, María (Bárbara Mori) has been promoted to lieutenant, and Las Azules investigate the murder of a student activist, which turns out to be much more than it seems. Ximena Sariñana, Natalia Téllez, and Amorita Rasgado also star. The season premiere is now streaming on Apple TV.

2: Don't Say Good Luck

Netflix's new coming-of-age film follows Sophie (Sunny Sandler) as she navigates high school and the starring role in her school's musical. Her life is thrown for a loop when she finds out her mother is sick. Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, and Steve Buscemi also star. The film is now streaming on Netflix.

1: Lanterns

Despite its mixed results with movies released since "Avengers: Endgame," the MCU has had a chokehold on the prestige superhero TV scene. The new DC Universe will attempt to combat that with "Lanterns," a detective-style drama from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. The series is about the intergalactic peacekeepers known as Green Lanterns ("space cops"), following veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as he trains newbie John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). "Lanterns" premieres on Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.

Also streaming

Our weekly roundups focus on new TV series, seasons, and new-to-streaming movies, but there are several excellent shows currently dropping new episodes. You can find some of our top ongoing TV recommendations below:

• "Ted Lasso" (new episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV)
• "The Challenge" (new episodes Wednesdays on Paramount Plus)
• "Furious" (new episodes Mondays on Hulu and the Disney Plus and Hulu bundle)
• "Silo" (new episodes Fridays on Apple TV)
• "Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro" (new episodes Mondays on ABC via a live TV service like YouTube TV or Fubo and next-day on Disney Plus and Hulu)

If you're interested in learning more about these streaming apps, check out our guides to the best streaming services and best live TV streaming services. For additional recommendations, you can explore our roundup of the best streaming deals and bundles.

• Anthropic is watermarking AI text due to the European Union's AI Act requirements for transparency.
• In a blog post, Anthropic said its watermark subtly alters word choices in Claude models.
• Previously, some Claude customers told Business Insider they were concerned about the watermark.

Anthropic is trying to calm everyone down over its new watermark.

The company sparked a wave of discourse this week when it updated a support page for its Claude model to reveal its plans to mark AI-generated text as AI-generated. Now, after concerns from Claude users, Anthropic has published a blog post on Friday that defends and explains the technology. It also outlines the tool's limitations.

The AI lab's post first makes one point clear: it is watermarking its text to comply with the European Union's AI Act, and its AI provider peers — a likely nod toward OpenAI — will have to do the same.

Like other EU tech regulations, the AI Act's effects ripple beyond the continent. Anthropic said in its post that it's "applying watermarking globally at launch because we don't yet have a durable way to scope it by region." Watermarks will first be applied to new Anthropic models, and then to older ones in the coming months, the post said.

Previously, some customers told Business Insider they canceled Claude subscriptions because of the new watermark. Anthropic told Business Insider that it hasn't seen a trend of an uptick in cancellations since it announced the watermark.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. A support page updated two weeks ago says that the company also plans to add watermarks to text.

How does Anthropic's new watermarking tool actually work?

Anthropic spends hundreds of words of its post answering a basic question that emerged when the company first revealed its plan to watermark text: How do you embed proof of AI in a series of words without ruining a chatbot's human-like tone?

The company cites a 2024 Google DeepMind paper that established the watermarking technique Anthropic will now apply to its Claude product's outputs.

Here's how it works. When Anthropic's AI models churn out sentences, they make a series of decisions about which words to include. A lot of this is settled randomly — a grinning child can be either "joyful" or "cheerful," so one of the words gets picked by a random number generator. Anthropic describes its watermark as essentially a different type of random number generator — if you have a "key," you can detect whether the text follows Claude's subtle patterns of choice.

Anthropic hasn't released the "key" yet, though it says it will offer a tool called an application programming interface, or API, that will allow users and third parties to check text for Claude's watermark themselves.

The watermark doesn't include any hidden characters, weird fonts, or secret text. It's just the word choice. Anthropic says the difference won't be distinguishable to readers.

Is this the end of confusing AI-generated text with human writing?

No. Anthropic's blog post repeatedly points out the limitations of the watermarking tech. Anthropic's "key" will point back to Claude's involvement, not AI's in general. The post says, "Using our key, one can only answer the question 'What is the likelihood this was partly written by Claude?'"

Longer passages will be easier for the "key" to recognize as Claude-generated because the model will have made more word choice decisions. The post also says that "factual passages," in which the wrong choices might jeopardize accuracy, will receive fewer marks.

That same issue holds for AI-generated code. Anthropic writes that a watermark wouldn't be applied as often in code because it's so exact — the wrong term might mean the software can't run correctly.

Some customers previously told Business Insider that they were concerned that the watermark would imply they weren't the author of the text or code. Anthropic says that the watermark appearing indicates that Claude processed the content or file and doesn't change a user's rights or ownership of the text under its terms.

It's an open question how often people will check for AI-generated text, and whether the new watermarks prompt a different relationship with Claude's outputs.

"Light editing probably won't remove the watermark completely; a complete rewrite where every word is replaced will," the post says. "In the latter case, of course, it's arguable whether the text can any longer be described as AI-generated."

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at scouncil@businessinsider.com, or over text, Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp at 415-757-8198. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

TV tech is booming, which means you don't have to spend a ton of money for serious performance. If you can invest around $1,200-$1,500, you can get a very good 65-inch TV, from brightness monsters like the Hisense U7SG to the fabulously colorful TCL QM7L. But if that's too steep, you can still get a pretty good TV for far less cash thanks to budget-friendly options like the new Hisense U6SF Pro.

The U6SF Pro doesn't offer the next-gen colors, searing brightness, or striking contrast of pricier mid-tier models, but its QLED panel and Mini LED backlight deliver impressive poise across content, with natural-looking colors and minimal light bleed. Its matte screen kills reflections in bright rooms, an upgrade over many cheaper models, and it looks better from an angle than most backlit TVs I've tested.

For smarts, the U6SF Pro runs on Amazon's Fire TV platform, which offers handy features like Alexa+ and an ambient art mode. However, Fire TV is a lot clunkier than Google TV or Roku OS, and all but requires investment in Amazon services. You'll get better overall performance by stepping up a tier, but if you're on a strict budget, the U6SF Pro is a fine TV that delivers good performance for the money.

The U6SF Pro packs plenty of goodies into a slick design

TV hardware design is becoming increasingly slick (and uniform), with even budget-forward models like the U6SF Pro offering slim bezels and relatively thin panels.

At just over 40 pounds, the 65-inch model I tested feels a bit flimsy, and its basic feet leave little clearance for a soundbar, but they're a cinch to assemble and offer wide or narrow positions to fit your console. Following the industry trend toward larger screens, the U6SF Pro comes in several sizes, ranging from 55 to 100 inches.

The standout hardware feature is the U6SF Pro's matte-like screen. Once reserved for high-end models and art TVs, it does a killer job diffusing virtually all ambient reflections in challenging rooms, though it's less effective with direct reflections than fancier anti-glare screens used on pricier models like the Samsung S90H and S95H OLED TVs. However, keep in mind that the 100-inch U6SF Pro does not feature a matte panel like its smaller counterparts.

Behind the panel's left side is an accessible connection hub with four HDMI ports, two of which support gaming features such as VRR at up to 144Hz. That's a nice get at this price, and just as importantly, neither high-bandwidth input overlaps with the HDMI eARC port, leaving it free to connect a soundbar or receiver. You'll definitely want one, as even with its added back woofer, the U6SF Pro sounds as flat and tinny as you'd expect for its class.

Like its pricier siblings, the TV supports all the top HDR formats, including HDR10 and HLG, as well as the more advanced HDR10+ and Dolby Vision dynamic formats that adjust contrast frame by frame. Other notable features include voice control via the basic wand remote, WiFi 6, Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth streaming support, and both Dolby and DTS audio decoding. However, unlike step-up Hisense TVs, the U6SF Pro's remote lacks backlit buttons.

The TV's picture opts for balance over spectacle

Brightness is a key spec for TV performance, and the Hisense U6SF Pro claims a solid 1,200-nit peak brightness, well above what most streaming content requires. Using a Portrait Displays C6 HDR5000, a G1 pattern generator, and Calman software, I measured almost exactly that in the most accurate Filmmaker Mode. The less accurate Standard Mode initially measured well below 1,200 until I raised the local dimming from Medium to High and turned off the Light Sense feature.

I mention this because the U6SF Pro can look dimmer than its specs suggest. That's likely due in part to its black levels, which, while solid, don't get as deep as those on midrange models like the TCL QM7L. This results in lower perceived contrast, especially in moderate lighting, where the matte screen can look more like charcoal. But even when selecting a traditionally bright preset, like Gaming Mode, the U6SF Pro takes a restrained approach, which may prompt some users to enable the TV's Intelligent HDR feature for more punch.

The TV's above-average shadow detail and reflection handling ensure it's still a capable performer in brighter rooms, and its Mini LED backlight system can certainly muster some scintillating sparkle with the right content. The white-hot sandstorm in "Mad Max: Fury Road" on 4K HDR Blu-ray amped things up significantly, with a satisfying blast in multi-colored lightning bolts and fiery explosions. The shimmering aqua tides in "Moana" on Disney Plus revealed plenty of pop as well, even when using the TV's more restrained (but accurate) Dolby Vision Dark mode, which illuminated rich shades of teal, blue, purple, and gold as the sun faded from day to night.

The TV's naturalistic colors were a strong point throughout my review, even if the U6SF Pro falls short of the color explosion found on TVs that use new RGB LED backlighting. This was evident when measuring the next-gen BT.2020 color gamut, but the U6SF Pro hits over 90% of the more common DCI-P3 color spectrum, where most current content lives. Just as importantly, it does so with tact, providing accuracy for everything from skin tones to rainbow-colored coral reefs.

I was also pleased to find the colors held up pretty well when moving off-angle, more so than a lot of TVs in this class and some above it. There's definitely some color bleed, but less than I expected, and the screen's blooming control and shadow detail don't take major hits either.

The U6SF Pro's most noticeable performance quirk might be its tendency to reveal moiré, a strobing effect in patterns like a finely knit shirt. Sharp-eyed viewers will also notice some screen aberrations, such as columns in skylines and darkening in the screen's corners, but both are common issues for models in this class. Ultimately, the TV's other assets make it surprisingly well-balanced for a variety of environments.

The Fire TV system needs a lot of fiddling

The U6SF Pro's Fire TV interface is stuffed with as many ads as any smart TV platform on the market, acting as a clear siphon for Amazon products; I got three direct pitches to Amazon services before I even finished the smart setup. Worse, it skips most of the automated privacy notices found in many modern smart systems, defaulting to tracking your every move without really asking for consent.

The good news is, much like the world itself, Fire TV is mostly what you make of it. While you can't remove the constant ad barrage, diving into the Privacy Settings lets you turn off the most invasive settings, such as auto-play for audio and video ads, app sharing, and internet-based ad data collection.

Once you've turned off its worst tendencies, Hisense's Fire TV iteration is a decent daily driver, especially for those already invested in Amazon services. You'll get all the top streaming apps, and the new Alexa+ offers intuitive voice commands and search. It requires a Prime subscription (or a separate $20/month fee) for access, but if you don't already have Prime, a Fire TV probably isn't for you. The lack of a gaming bar for quick settings adjustments also makes the U6SF Pro less appealing to serious gamers, even with its high-refresh screen.

The TV's matte screen makes it primed (no pun intended) for Fire TV's Ambient Mode that offers a limited art library, making paintings look more realistic than on glossy screens. Another quirk: tapping the power key turns on Ambient Mode by default, so you have to hold it to actually power the TV down. Like so many Fire TV features, you can swap that function in the settings or turn off Ambient Mode altogether.

Should you buy the Hisense U6SF Pro TV?

The Hisense U6SF Pro TV offers solid features and performance that surpass those of cheaper sets, especially in challenging rooms where reflections are a headache. At a full retail cost of $1,100, the 65-inch model is already reasonably priced, but it's rarely ever sold at full MSRP. Prices typically fluctuate between $800 and $599, with that latter deal being a genuine bargain. If pricing consistently drops below $700, the U6SF Pro is on track to replace the TCL QM6K as our pick for the best TV on a budget.

However, this set does still have some drawbacks to keep in mind, especially for those who aren't already tied into Amazon's ecosystem. Fire TV's lack of a dedicated gaming bar also makes it less suited for gaming enthusiasts. And if you're at all curious about next-gen performance and are willing to spend more, I recommend jumping up a tier.

Staying with Hisense, the midrange U7SG pairs a similar anti-reflective screen with better design, cleaner all-around performance, and higher brightness. TCL's QM7L adds similar spoils, though it has a glossy screen instead of a matte one. Both displays also use Google TV, which is simpler to navigate and much less invasive than Fire TV by default. Of course, those models are pricier, with their 65-inch sizes typically going for around $1,000 to $1,500.

Ultimately, whether the Hisense U6SF Pro is a good fit really comes down to your budget. If you want an anti-reflective 65-inch TV that holds its own in bright rooms — and you don't want to pay more than $800 — this model is hard to beat.

• Celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli shared her favorite "accidentally vegan" recipe with us.
• It's for cauliflower "steak" and requires mostly simple ingredients, like coconut milk and parsley.
• I don't even like cauliflower much, and this is still one of my favorite easy meals. 

It's tempting to order take-out or make a frozen pizza for dinner, but making a restaurant-quality dish at home isn't as much of a hassle as you might think.

Just ask chef and Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli.

When I interviewed her in February 2021, she told me cauliflower "steak" is one of her go-to dishes to make when she wants an easy dinner. It's also a signature dish at her New York City restaurant Butter.

"I call it my accidentally vegan entrée, and it's basically cauliflower that's blanched, soaked in coconut milk, and then roasted," she said. "It's just, like, 'What did I just eat?' It's got that kind of vibe."

Although I don't follow a plant-based diet, I try to have meatless meals throughout my week. I also love vegetables, though I must admit cauliflower is one of my least favorites.

Still, I'm always game to try something new. So, I pulled up one of Guarnaschelli's recipes for cauliflower "steak" and got cooking.

The ingredients felt affordable and easy to find

The recipe has three components: marinated cauliflower steaks, a simple vinaigrette, and a gremolata topping (an herby Italian condiment typically made with parsley, garlic, and lemon juice).

It looked a little intimidating at first glance, but when I read through the recipe, I realized this dish would actually be pretty simple.

A lot of the ingredients, like salt, red-wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and red-pepper flakes, are common pantry staples.

However, I did have to pick up a few things I don't usually have on hand, like unsweetened coconut milk, flat-leaf parsley, and coriander seeds.

Prep took me a few hours, but none of the steps were difficult

I started by cutting a cauliflower head into three thick slices, or "steaks." The recipe said to cut the head into two pieces, but mine was massive.

From there, I boiled two slices in a pot of heavily salted water for about seven minutes.

I was thankful to have three slabs of cauliflower because one fell apart while boiling. I still strained it and let it drain on a sheet pan while the third steak boiled.

While the cauliflower rested and released the extra water, I prepared a small baking dish with coconut milk, crushed coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, and salt.

I'd never worked with coriander seeds before, but crushing them with a mortar and pestle was easy.

Next, I placed the cauliflower pieces in this dish and put it in the fridge to marinate for two hours.

Just before the two hours were up, I put together my vinaigrette and gremolata so that the food would be ready to plate after the cauliflower was roasted. 

The vinaigrette was as easy as whisking mustard, olive oil, red-wine vinegar, and lemon juice together.

Then, I chopped up about half a bunch of parsley and combined it with minced garlic and lemon zest.

After marinating, I popped the cauliflower in the oven for about 15 minutes, then broiled it on high for about five. I kept a close eye on it while broiling to make sure it didn't burn.

When everything was out of the oven, I put one hefty steak on a plate, generously poured on the vinaigrette, and topped it all with a couple of spoonfuls of gremolata.

This dish was an explosion of flavor in the best way

Simply put, this dish was incredible.

I'd brought out a knife for the full steak effect, but I didn't need it. The cauliflower was tender enough to cut with a fork.

Every bite was amazing, even the tougher stalk. As I chewed, there were so many exciting things happening to my taste buds. It was sweet, spicy, salty, and tangy.

I'll definitely be making this beautiful dish again. Despite the lengthy prep — including two hours to let the cauliflower marinate — I was able to make this on a weeknight with ease.

It also seems easy to upgrade or adjust. For example, Guarnaschelli told me, it's easy to add more protein to this dish by topping the "steak" with any kind of beans or crushed nuts.

I think finely crushed walnuts would be a nice addition for both flavor and texture, and I'm excited to try crumbling them on top next time.

The vinaigrette and gremolata are also amazing on their own, and I'll be using them on my standard salads and roasted veggies on nights I don't have time to marinate the cauliflower.

Really, every part of this dish is pretty versatile. I can see myself using the coconut-milk marinade for tofu as well, or drizzling the dressing and gremolata on veggies, pasta, or pizza.

I've never been to Guarnaschelli's Butter, but I can't wait for the day I can make a trip to NYC to have this prepared by the pros. For now, I'll have this on heavy rotation at home because I'm already obsessed.

This story was originally published on February 16, 2021, and most recently updated on August 14, 2026.

• The average transaction price for EVs was $56,126 in July, according to Kelley Blue Book.
• That's a 1.6% increase compared to July 2025. It's the first EV price rise of 2026, KBB said.
• There are two main reasons: fewer EVs on dealership lots and higher gas prices.

For the first time in 2026, EV prices are rising.

In July, the average transaction price for a new fully electric vehicle jumped to $56,126, per Kelley Blue Book. That's a 1.6% increase compared to the same month in 2025, and a 1.2% rise compared to June.

The increase breaks a monthslong trend. EV prices had been falling since December.

After the $7,500 federal tax credit for US-made clean vehicles expired in late 2025, automakers leaned more heavily on their own incentives to prop up EV sales amid declining demand. Those manufacturer discounts helped put downward pressure on EV transaction prices through the first half of the year.

Sam Abuelsamid, the vice president of market research at Telemetry, told Business Insider that July's pricing U-turn stems from two factors: tighter EV supply as car companies discontinue products and renewed interest in electric cars as gas prices remain high.

"Automakers have less excess inventory of EVs," he said. "They don't have to spend as much on incentives, and they don't have to negotiate on price as much. It gives car companies more pricing power."

K.C. Boyce, the vice president of automotive and energy research at Escalent, said luxury buyers are disproportionately likely to buy EVs, which can distort the average transaction price.

"Buyers in the luxury segment are most likely to purchase an EV versus those on the mainstream side," he said.

Now, EVs are joining the industry-wide trend: New-car prices have been rising since March, with the average transaction price for a new vehicle reaching $49,855 in July, per KBB's report. That's the highest average so far in 2026.

New EVs coming — with very different pricing

Abuelsamid said EV prices could continue inching up over the next few months.

Until cheaper competitors hit the stage.

"There's definitely interest in bringing lower-cost models into the market," he said. "Once they're here, we'll probably start to see that average price on electric vehicles start to trend downwards."

There are a few main vehicles that could start that downward pressure. Slate's bare-bones pickup truck — with a starting price of $24,950 — is expected to begin deliveries later this year. Last week, Ford announced that the first vehicle built on its coming EV platform, the Fathom pickup, will carry a $28,350 starting price. Toyota and Subaru also released a line of new EVs starting in the high $30,000 range.

Escalent's research found that consumers broadly define an affordable new vehicle as priced between $32,000 and $48,000, Boyce said.

"This data really explains why we are seeing consumers say, 'New vehicles in general, and EVs in particular, feel unaffordable to me,'" he said.

Price cuts aren't the only way automakers can make EVs feel more affordable, he added. Escalent found that including a home charger and installation with a new EV had the same effect on consumers' perception of affordability as cutting the vehicle's MSRP by $8,000.

"That is a huge difference," Boyce said.

• X on Thursday unveiled the source code for its For You page algorithm.
• The code contains positive and negative "weights" based on user reactions to posts.
• A new feature also allows users to see labels applied to their accounts.

On X, not all engagement is equal.

Elon Musk's social media company on Thursday released the source code that determines how posts are recommended to users, the latest development in Musk's quest to champion transparency on the platform.

"The goal is straightforward — we want people to be able to answer for themselves whether a platform is limiting their reach, whether the system is fair, and why they see particular content," the company said in an X post.

Musk said on X that the decision to make X open source was to "improve fairness" and seek feedback for improvement.

Here's a breakdown of what was revealed in the code.

Positive weights

Posts are ranked for a user's For You timeline in part based on how the algorithm predicts that user will interact with them.

The algorithm, which X calls "Phoenix," examines a user's recent viewing history to predict how that user will interact with a post from an account they don't follow.

If Phoenix predicts a user will share the post by copying its URL, the post is awarded a weight about 40 times as large as if Phoenix predicts a post will receive a "like."

Replies, quotes, and shares by direct message each carry a weight of 5, which is 10 times the 0.5 weight assigned to a predicted like. For follows, the weight is equivalent to eight likes. For reposts, the weight is two likes.

Phoenix combines those predicted probabilities with their respective weights to produce a ranking score, which X then uses to decide the order of posts in the For You feed.

Negative weights

If Phoenix predicts that a user will demonstrate displeasure with a post, negative weights will severely limit a post's visibility.

Phoenix treats a predicted "report" as 468 times — in the opposite direction — as a predicted like. A predicted mute carries a negative weight about 118 times the size of a predicted like. A 'not interested' interaction is about 86 times as large in the negative direction, and a block is about 62 times as large.

The system suggests that "ragebaiting," or posting inflammatory content meant to spur angry replies, might not be a recipe for growing a following, which is maybe surprising given X's reputation under Musk.

Looking under the hood

Also included in X's Thursday announcement is a pilot feature called "Under the Hood," which lets participating users see aggregate information about labels applied to their account and posts that can affect visibility.

X's source code shows that its systems classify content and accounts across categories, including spam and adult material. Those labels can then be used by a separate system when determining whether a post is shown.

X said the feature has only been activated for a "randomized test group of eligible accounts," and that a wider rollout will depend on the feedback the company receives.

Making X open source

X's Thursday release of its recommendation algorithm source code is the latest push to open-source parts of the platform.

In January, Musk called the algorithm "dumb" and pledged to make the system more transparent.

"At least you can see us struggle to make it better in real-time and with transparency," Musk wrote on X. "No other social media companies do this."

• Reddit will join the S&P 500, catapulting into the ranks of America's most prominent companies.
• Shares surged on Friday, as investors cheered the inclusion in the benchmark index.
• Reddit's sprawling collection of message boards have made it a valuable resource in the age of AI.

Reddit, the internet destination for the discussion of probably anything you can think of, has been launched into the ranks of America's most prominent companies.

Reddit will join the S&P 500 on August 18. While the site offers a version of the internet that's a throwback to its primordial beginnings, it's recent rise is also partly rooted in the AI explosion that's propelled markets since 2022. The sprawl of freewheeling message boards has helped Reddit grow a portfolio of data-licensing deals with other tech companies looking to use the site's content to train artificial intelligence models.

Reddit is also a nearly limitless well of searchable content prized by the likes of Google, while brands value the message boards for their marketing insights and advertising opportunities.

The forums get their fair share of ridicule (much of it from Redditors themselves) as hive of trolls and other unsavory internet characters, but over the years, its users have affected real change. They've solved crimes and identified cryptids. WallStreetBets is credited with helping organize a day-trader movement that sent shares of GameStop soaring and sank a hedge fund in the process.

Reddit stock surged as much as 17% on Friday as investors cheered its inclusion in the S&P 500. The stock is down 25% for the year, but shares have more than tripled since May 2024, when the company announced a deal to share its content with OpenAI.

The company struck its first licensing deal with Google in February 2024, just before its IPO. That partnership involves Reddit giving the search engine access to its data for model training, and is valued at $60 million a year, Reuters reported.

Reddit's Revenue soared 61% to $805 million in the second quarter, marking the eighth straight quarter of annual revenue growth of more than 60%. Ad revenue grew 64% year-over-year.

The irony of Reddit's rise from chaotic internet town square to AI resource hasn't been lost on Redditors themselves, who took to the site's own forums to post memes and celebrate the company's addition to the S&P 500.

"I think that means we are a real business now," one user wrote on r/redditstock.

"Best day in Reddit history," another user said.

Much of the stock's recent volatility has centered on fears that its AI deals could dissolve or that the site's ad revenue could be harmed as AI chatbots divert traffic to the site.

Shares slid 8% last month on reports that Reddit has had internal discussions about whether to revoke Google's access to its data when its partnership with the tech giant comes up for renewal. Comments from CEO Steve Huffman on the latest earnings also hinted at volatility in search traffic.

"We're proud to be added to the S&P 500, recognizing the growth, momentum, and consistency we've established as a public company," Drew Vollero, Reddit's chief financial officer, said in a statement. "Reddit's raw materials are special."

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

The latest generation of the Google Pixel Watch was just announced, and it promises more robust fitness tracking and health monitoring than ever, powered by Gemini Intelligence. It seamlessly pairs with Google Pixel smartphones, the new line of which is now available to order. If you're ready to get started, I've broken down how to preorder the Google Pixel Watch 5 below.

The best Pixel Watch 5 deals available before its launch bundle the new wearable with Google's Pixel 11 lineup. If you're looking to upgrade your phone at the same time, you can get up to 17% off when you get the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, or Pixel 11 Pro Fold with your smartwatch.

Google Pixel Watch 5 preorder deals

As of its announcement, the Google Pixel Watch 5 is only available at full price from retailers. That said, you can still save a lot of money by bundling the smartwatch with a new Google Pixel 11 smartphone, as mentioned above.

• Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $2,299 $1,899
• Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $1,699 $1,449

• Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $1,499 $1,249
• Google Pixel 11 and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $1,299 $1,169

What's new in the Google Pixel Watch 5?

Not much has changed between the Google Pixel Watch 5 and the Pixel Watch 4. That said, you can find the 41mm new release at the same price as its 45mm predecessor, making it a low-cost upgrade for some quality-of-life improvements.

• A 320 ppi AMOLED LTPO display
• Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip
• Compatible with Android 12.0 or newer

Google Pixel Watch 5 colors

Each size of the Google Pixel Watch 5 comes in a different set of colors. Here's the breakdown:

When will the Google Pixel Watch 5 release?

All regular editions of the Google Pixel Watch 5 will officially become available on August 20. The Special Edition Stephen Curry version will release on September 3. If you're invested in getting your device as soon as possible, I recommend ordering sooner rather than later. Limited stock means fulfillment dates may be pushed out for later orders.

Follow us on Instagram and WhatsApp for the latest deals, reviews, and buying guides.

• Anthropic has added a watermark to Claude-generated text that may survive some editing.
• Some Claude users said they canceled their subscriptions, citing the watermark.
• One developer said he's worried an AI label on code shipped to clients could raise questions about authorship.

Anthropic's move to watermark Claude-generated text is driving some users away from its AI assistant.

The AI lab said this week that some versions of Claude will embed an "imperceptible watermark" directly into their text output. It will travel with the content when it is copied and pasted and may survive some editing, Anthropic said, helping to distinguish AI-generated material from human writing.

Anthropic said watermarking does not change the meaning, quality, or readability of Claude's response. Despite that, dozens of people have posted on X since Monday that they had canceled their Claude subscriptions, citing the watermark.

Business Insider spoke with four users who said they had canceled their Claude subscriptions. Some users, who shared confirmation of their cancellations with us, said they disliked the prospect of a persistent marker in their work and were worried about their AI use showing up in client work, such as coding.

While it's too early to say what the impact could be for Anthropic — the company had 300,000 business customers as of September 2025, a number widely expected to have grown significantly since then — backlash to the watermark shows no sign of slowing.

Anthropic told Business Insider that it hasn't seen a trend of an uptick in cancellations since it announced the watermark.

Why users say they're canceling

Arturo Villarroya, who works in public policy, told Business Insider he canceled his Claude Max subscription — a service that starts at $100 a month — on Wednesday after becoming "uncomfortable" with Anthropic's new watermarking plan. It has been applied globally to text from supported Claude models since August 2.

"I do use it for everything, mostly coding apps and tools," he said of Claude, adding that he also used it as a support tool for sourcing, research, and corrections at work.

Villarroya said he's worried a watermark could remain even when the underlying writing was original and Claude was used only to translate, check spelling, fix academic citations, or lightly summarize a passage.

He said its presence could create problems in academic and professional settings with strict rules on AI use. He added that he is switching to Cursor and Grok 4.6 for coding, and Grok Bot for work and personal organization.

Anthropic said in its blog that a detected watermark indicates Claude processed text, not that it was necessarily the original author. The company said marks can remain after Claude proofreads, translates, summarizes, or otherwise edits content.

That distinction did not ease concerns for some. Vladislav Rajtmajer, a freelance developer in the Czech Republic, told Business Insider he canceled his Claude Max subscription on Tuesday, citing the watermark as the main reason.

He said he uses AI for code reviews and translations, and worried an AI label on code shipped to clients could raise questions about authorship or trigger contract penalties.

He added that the watermark was a "signal to look at Chinese AI providers and learn to work with other models."

'They add the watermark anyway'

Richard Echols, an AI consultant in Georgia, also said he canceled his Claude Max subscription on Wednesday and that the watermark was a major factor in his decision.

He said he uses Claude to create documentation for businesses and worried the mark could appear when he had written the underlying material himself and used the chatbot only for edits.

"Even if you edit your own work that you wrote, they add the watermark anyway," Echols said.

Anthropic said in its blog that a watermark shows that Claude processed text, not necessarily that it wrote it, and that the mark can remain after Claude has proofread, translated, or summarized content.

Stevan Bogosavljević, a senior software engineer in Montenegro, canceled his Claude Max subscription in July, citing what he views as declining service quality, limited access to Anthropic's top models, and stronger alternatives. He said the watermark further validated his decision to cancel.

Having code attributed to Claude "definitely would be not desirable," he said, as he would not want professionally shipped code to carry an invisible marker that could raise questions about authorship, compliance, or client policies.

The case for AI watermarks

Not everyone is against the use of AI watermarks, with some saying they improve transparency as more online content is generated by artificial intelligence. Others have said they could help prevent AI systems from being trained on a growing volume of AI-generated material, which can cause systems to degrade.

Aadit Sheth, cofounder of executive communications firm The Narrative Company, said on X on Tuesday that audiences should be able to tell whether the words they read reflect a person's own thinking and that watermarks are one way to ensure that.

Anthropic isn't the only AI lab to use watermarks: Google uses its SynthID technology to watermark AI-generated content, and OpenAI uses SynthID for supported images and audio.

Elon Musk's social media platform X also adds a "Made with AI" tag on content it determines to be AI-generated or manipulated. The tag appeared on the resignation post of outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday, but later disappeared.

Anthropic said that it added the watermark in order to comply with the European Union's AI Act, and that it plans to roll out a free application programming interface, or API, that will allow users and third parties to check text for Claude's watermark themselves.

Santiago Alessandro Rivera Martínez, a software engineer and founder of the digital agency Directa, said Anthropic's watermark reinforced his concerns of becoming too dependent on Claude. He said that had led him to cancel his subscription this week.

"When your workflow is built entirely around proprietary software, the provider can change the rules, features, restrictions, or conditions around that workflow later," he said.

"I would rather have the AI layer of my work be portable and provider-agnostic," he added.

• Since 2021, there has been a steady decline in venture capital deals in the social media category.
• There's been a rebound in overall deal value this year, driven by AI-powered social investments.
• Two charts show how the investment landscape has changed.

It's a tough environment for a founder trying to build the next-generation Facebook.

With more apps than ever and the mainstay social media giants dominating people's screen time, the competition is fierce. Investors, meanwhile, are pining after flashy AI deals.

There was a peak in venture capital investment in social startups in 2021 — when apps like BeReal and Clubhouse were getting people excited for new challengers taking on Instagram and TikTok — according to PitchBook data, and the number of deals has declined each year since.

That 2021 peak saw 239 deals totaling $2.2 billion, per PitchBook's data of US transactions. In 2025, PitchBook counted 97 deals totaling $330 million.

(To be fair, 2021 was an anomaly record year for venture capital across the board.)

So far in 2026, PitchBook counts more than 50 deals totaling $355 million in the space as of July 21 — already surpassing 2025 in dollar flow. If that pace continues, the category could welcome a slight rebound in investor interest.

Which startups are raising capital? There's Fizz, an anonymous social app for Gen Z, which raised a strategic round of capital as it expands globally. There's also Corner, a social mapping app that lets people save and share local spots (such as restaurants, bars, and shops), which is gearing up for a Series A.

Zooming out, consumer-social startups — broadly ranging from social media networks to dating apps to entertainment apps — were a fraction of the overall deals in 2025.

Across all venture capital deals in 2025, PitchBook estimates $513 billion in deal flow. AI and SaaS made up a bulk of this. Specifically, PitchBook counted more than 11,800 AI deals in 2025.

"Everyone fled consumer a couple years ago," Rick Heitzmann, cofounder of FirstMark Capital, told Business Insider.

That's left a remaining cohort of investors still on the hunt, though. Investors at firms like Menlo Ventures, Forerunner, and up-and-coming funds founded by VCs looking to go solo are backing social startups across sectors such as networking, dating, and AI.

There are plenty of startups racing to build social networks that feel more "AI native," such as Eigen, which says it is developing a "mutual friend" that would turn AI agents into a tool for connecting people. The company announced a $15 million seed investment in April.

PitchBook's data is limited, too, in how it classifies social startups. Some dating and social AI companion or chat startups, including Eigen, do not fall under PitchBook's social category and are therefore excluded from this dataset.

As AI continues to renew investor interest in consumer social startups, a massive question, however, stands: What — if anything — will actually stick?

Read Business Insider's list of 22 VC firms backing social startups.

• Tech analyst Ben Thompson says he doesn't like AI watermarking.
• Anthropic announced earlier this week that it would watermark content generated by its Claude tools.
• Thompson of the popular "Stratechery" newsletter said the plan both goes too far and not far enough.

Tech analyst Ben Thompson says requiring AI companies to be transparent about the content their models produce is missing the mark.

Thompson tore into the European Union AI Act, which Anthropic cited as the reason it will add watermarks to content in Claude-generated files and text.

In his widely read "Stratechery" newsletter, Thompson said such AI transparency requirements are both overburdensome and unlikely to be strong enough.

"I am sympathetic to the impetus behind watermarking: wouldn't it be better to know what is fake and what isn't?" he wrote. "What, though, is 'fake'? If an LLM states a true fact, and a human a fable, does it matter that the latter doesn't have a watermark?"

Anthropic's plan, which it announced earlier this week, has deeply divided the tech community. The AI giant said that Claude models launched after August 2 would support watermarking from the start and it is working to add such support to older AI models.

Thompson took particular issue with Anthropic adding a watermark even if Claude was used only for proofreading. The EU's regulation allows for an editing exception, but technically speaking, Thompson said there was no way for Anthropic to distinguish such usage.

"I'm glad I never developed the habit of copy-and-pasting proof-reading runs (I use LLMs for proof-reading, but manually make every individual change in my text editor), but it hardly seems fair that anyone who wants to fix their grammar runs the risk of having their original content labeled as AI; the same frustration applies to translation," he wrote.

OpenAI, which currently watermarks images and audio, has also pledged to expand the process to text output, though the exact details of their plan have not been released. OpenAI uses Google DeepMind's SynthID to watermark images and audio.

Regulators are turning to watermarks, traditionally seen in visual media, to help society discern when content is AI-generated. Unlike visual watermarks, the provenance markers for AI text are not perceptible to the naked eye, but Anthropic and other AI companies have pledged to release tools that will essentially serve as AI checkers.

Under the EU regulations, AI companies are required to ensure "that the outputs of the AI system are marked in a machine-readable format and detectable as artificially generated or manipulated." Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have all signed the relevant section of the regulation. Notably, SpaceX has not. The transparency provision went into effect on August 2.

Anthropic did not indicate that it would only enforce watermarking in Europe. It remains to be seen whether other companies will extend watermarking to users everywhere.

Overall, Thompson said watermarking unfairly credits AI with ideation when such models are "(at least for now) a tool that is wielded by humans."

"From this perspective, to insist on watermarking is no different than insisting that a ballpoint pen advertise itself as the author, a concept that is clearly absurd," he wrote.

• The Obama Presidential Center opened in Chicago's South Side this summer.
• The $850 million center features a roughly 19-acre public campus and an immersive museum.
• Former US President Barack Obama has the first-ever fully digital presidential library.

For over a decade, headlines have been written about the development of former US President Barack Obama's $850 million presidential center in Chicago — from how it would impact the surrounding community to its visually striking design.

Now, it's open. Located on the city's South Side, the sprawling 19.3-acre campus opened to the public on June 19.

I visited the Obama Presidential Center during its opening week, expecting an experience akin to those at other traditional US presidential libraries.

Instead, the Center challenged my assumptions through an immersive experience featuring massive art installations, interactive exhibits, and panoramic views of Chicago.

Here are some of the most surprising things I saw at the Obama Presidential Center.

Surprisingly, the Obama Presidential Center isn't located near the usual Chicago tourist attractions.

Your typical Chicago travel brochure might include sights from The Loop, the Chicago River, or the historic Grant Park, but the Obama Presidential Center isn't located near typical tourist attractions like The Bean, the Chicago Theatre, or the Art Institute of Chicago.

Instead, the Presidential Center is located eight miles south of the city's downtown, in the historic Jackson Park in the Woodlawn community. The over 551-acre park was the site of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and is home to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.

While the center isn't in the city's downtown, it is only a three-minute walk from a train station that connects to the city in an under-20-minute ride.

The campus is surrounded by lush greenery and walking trails.

The center has the breathing room to house its 19.3-acre campus. The surrounding parkland, residential streets, schools, and community institutions give the grounds a spacious, neighborhood-scale feel.

While I unfortunately visited during a gray, rainy week, I was amazed by how present the outdoors felt throughout the campus.

With almost 552 acres of surrounding parkland softening the landscape, I found that the center's brutalist, 225-foot, granite-clad tower felt far less sterile than it does in pictures.

I especially enjoyed strolling along the surrounding paths and the Wetland Walk, which connects the campus with the larger park.

The campus includes a sports center, a playground, restaurants, and a public library.

Beyond the eight-story museum building, the campus is also home to two restaurants, a community garden, an auditorium, a public library, multiuse spaces, a media suite, conference rooms, a kids' playground, and a 60,000-square-foot athletic center with a basketball court.

While I wouldn't expect a basketball court to be part of a presidential library, the Home Court gives the campus a holistic feel.

It's more like a community space rather than a tourist attraction.

Unlike other presidential libraries, the Obama Presidential Center does not house his records.

The Barack Obama Presidential Library is the first all-digital presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration.

The federal agency has legal and physical custody of the official presidential records and artifacts, which are kept at the agency's College Park, Maryland, facility.

The Obama Presidential Center, which is privately operated through the Obama Foundation, serves as a physical, immersive interpretation of the presidency and displays selected NARA materials through a loan partnership.

The National Archives website says that the "vast majority" of the presidential records transferred to the federal agency from the Obama administration were "born digital," including 300 million emails, which equals over a billion paper pages, as well as more than 3 million digital photographs, and 600 cubic feet of audiovisual material.

An 88-foot-tall video screen welcomes visitors as soon as they enter the museum.

When I entered the museum's 225-foot tower, I was surprised to find a larger-than-life video display spanning all four museum exhibition levels. The installation features historic speeches, images, videos, songs, and poetry, guiding visitors through America's civic history.

Visitors on the lower level can look up from the atrium, and those on the higher floors see the installation from balconies. Its scale means the image changes with the viewer's position.

The display feels immersive and gigantic in its own dynamic way.

The museum covers a broad sweep of American history leading up to the Obama presidency.

It's not just about the Obamas, like I previously thought. Surprisingly, the museum begins with a broader account of American history before introducing the Obama presidency. The first exhibition level traces the country's democratic experiment and the movements that shaped the years leading to the 2008 election.

Through standout displays, the museum walks visitors through pivotal points in history, including emancipation, women's suffrage, organized labor, and the rise of the Civil Rights Movement.

Before even mentioning the Obamas, the museum lays the groundwork of establishing the context of the America they were born into and all its historic nuances.

I was surprisingly moved by the personal keepsakes from the Obama family's history on display.

Two displays walk visitors through the family histories of Barack and Michelle Obama, detailing their closest relatives, earliest memories, and the communities in which they were raised.

I felt moved by personal objects on display, like Barack Obama's elementary-school handprint art project and Michelle Obama's family Bible, on which the former president took the oath of office in 2013.

As the museum moves into the beginnings of their joint family life, including videos in which Barack Obama discusses his wife's role in his career, I took special notice of the couple's wedding invitations on display, which felt especially intimate and personal to the Obamas.

I was amazed at the museum's almost surgical look at the 2008 presidential campaign.

One of the most expansive and educational exhibits at the Obama Presidential Center is "Yes We Can," a detailed look at the 2008 campaign and Obama's road to the White House.

The exhibit features various displays that trace his rise in local and national politics, using media headlines, insights, pictures, data, signs, and video to reconstruct the months leading up to the Democratic primaries.

I was particularly struck by the exhibit's immersive experience and its detailed chronological panels showing how states voted and how Obama accumulated the delegates needed to secure the Democratic presidential nomination over Hillary Clinton.

Another thing that struck me throughout the museum and campus was the art.

More than 28 commissioned installations appear across the grounds, from outdoor sculptures to massive murals — and most are in spaces that are free to visit.

One of the most imposing works is Mark Bradford's "City of the Big Shoulders," a 38-foot-tall piece depicting the city of Chicago, which rises through the atrium near the museum exit and the lower-level café area.

Another one that grabbed my attention was Njideka Akunyili Crosby's joint portrait of the former president and first lady located near the museum exit, which loosely reminded me of the former president's iconic portrait at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

Some parts of the museum were more interactive than I expected.

I was amused by the museum's many interactive displays and activities, which are spread throughout the galleries and allow visitors to engage more deeply with the content and themes.

The "Democracy 101" exhibit, located on the third level, particularly made me wish I were a child playing with all the interactive and moving parts.

Designed to give visitors a basic educational foundation in how the US government and democratic system work, the exhibit features interactive screens, objects, and even a light-up poll that asks visitors to assess American democracy. During my visit, a clear majority selected the response indicating that the system could be improved.

Physical artifacts from major moments in the presidency appear throughout the museum.

Throughout the exhibits covering the eight years of the Obama presidency, several significant artifacts were on display, like the marriage certificate belonging to Jim Obergefell and John Arthur, the physical copy of the Affordable Care Act signed into law by the president, and an American flag signed by the military personnel who took part in the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

Other personal items on display included Obama's Nobel Peace Prize medal, a notepad on which the newly elected president handwrote priorities for his domestic agenda, and a selection of Michelle Obama's most iconic dresses. The mix of policy documents and personal possessions gave the exhibit a human scale.

A personal favorite of mine — and of other visitors I spoke with — was the display of good-luck charms and small trinkets that Obama carried in his pockets during his presidency, including items like a small acorn and a bracelet given to the former president by a soldier deployed in Iraq. It felt more personal and intimate than I expected to see at the presidential center.

The Sky Room at the top of the eight-story building amused me with its views of Chicago.

The last installation in the museum journey is the Nelson Mandela Sky Room, a viewing lounge at the top of the Center's tower with panoramic views of Chicago's South Side, Jackson Park, Lake Michigan, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, and the University of Chicago campus.

Visitors can access the Sky Room only via an express elevator that takes them from the fifth floor to the top floor. The elevator skips two levels, which a museum guide mentioned house administrative and utility facilities, as well as the offices of the former President and first lady.

The sudden transition from the mostly windowless galleries to the bright, panoramic room made the arrival feel almost cinematic.

The ceiling installation, Idris Khan's "Sky of Hope," displays thousands of hand-stamped words drawn from Obama's 2015 "You Are America" speech, marking a reflective and inspiring end to the museum journey. The transition from the galleries to the sun-filled room felt like moving from the past toward the future. I saw many visitors sit down, take in the views, and appreciate the space.

Dining on the campus made it surprisingly easy to spend a full day exploring.

The Center's café had a sort of school-cafeteria feel, but the ample seating and a variety of food options made for a great break between exploring different sides of the campus.

I was impressed by the affordable prices of the fresh food. I ordered the $6 summer vegetable chicken soup and a $3 pasta salad. The costliest item in my lunch was the $7 juice from a local Chicago producer.

The campus also houses Tafari's Kitchen, a full-service restaurant that serves lunch and dinner.

The local community was a bigger focus than I expected.

With a local community garden, a public library branch, and a children's playground — which is a first on presidential library grounds — I thought that, beyond providing an enriching experience for visitors, the center aimed to become a centerpiece of the local community.

Overall, the experience went beyond that of just a museum or a library.

I had never visited a former US president's presidential library, so I walked onto the Obama Presidential Center campus with no idea of what to expect.

Looking at pictures of some of the most recently built presidential libraries, like the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, which opened in 2013, I expected the towering structure to house the millions of records from the Obama presidency in a traditional library fashion and to include a research room where researchers can access open records.

Instead, the campus was far more dynamic than I expected, and used more than just records to tell the story of Obama's presidency. Exhibits, art, films, landscapes, recreation, and public programming all contribute to its account of Obama's presidency and make for an experience that combines a museum, a civic campus, and a living archive of the former president's legacy.

Google Pixel fans get ready, because the newest generation of the brand's smartphone is here. The lineup features four devices, each angled toward a different type of user: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Whether you're looking for the latest and greatest operating power or a new foldable to rival the rest, I've broken down how to preorder the Google Pixel 11 smartphones below.

Ordering early is important for multiple reasons. Limited stock means procrastinating will delay your shipping date, and at launch, you can score some major trade-in and bundle deals on each new phone. My personal favorite is the no-strings-attached Amazon deal, offering the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold with free gift cards (worth $100-$350), no trade-in or cell plan required. Or you can get major savings by bundling the phone with the new Pixel Watch 5.

Google Pixel 11, Pro, and Pro Fold preorder deals

As with all new smartphone releases, you can preorder the new Google Pixel 11 series from Amazon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Depending on where you go, you can save big by trading in your old phone or signing up for a new account. Amazon's free gift card promotion is a sweet way to score some bonus spending money without getting tied to a carrier — but act fast, since the deal ends on August 27.

• Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $2,299 $1,899

• Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $1,699 $1,449

• Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $1,499 $1,249

• Google Pixel 11 and Pixel Watch 5 bundle - $1,299 $1,169

Alternatively, if you already know you prefer a specific carrier, you can save big by getting your Pixel 11 from AT&T or Verizon with a trade-in or an eligible plan.

What's new in the Google Pixel 11, Pro, and Pro Fold?

Overall, the Pixel 11 is a slight step up, but not a huge upgrade, from the Pixel 10 line of devices. That said, it's a better starting point for newcomers to the Google smartphone ecosystem, with more camera capabilities, Gemini-supported features, and greater durability by design.

Fresh across all Pixel 11 smartphones

• HiLight utilizes the phone's rear light to keep you informed without using your screen on the Pro and Fold models
• Gemini Intelligence is integrated across all processes for streamlined notifications, tasks, and more
• Magic Capture, Camera Looks, Creator suite, and other new editing tools make it easier than ever to catch everyday moments
• Qi2.2-certified wireless charging up to 25W
• Powered by a Google Tensor G6 processor with a Titan M3 security coprocessor

Pixel 11 Pro Fold

• Lighter weight and a marginally larger display for a 19.5:9 aspect ratio at 399 PPI
• Ultra-durable glass ceramic cover glass with up to 3600 nits peak brightness
• Rear camera supports Super Zoom up to 30X with an 85-degree field of view

Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL

• An extra six hours of battery life compared to the previous gen
• A built-in anti-scratch shield and coating
• Rear camera with Pro Zoom up to 120x

Pixel 11

• Lighter weight and longer battery life
• Improved rear camera with Super Zoom up to 30x and an 85-degree field of view wide camera,

Google Pixel 11, Pro, and Pro Fold colors

Each entry in the Google Pixel 11 line comes with a set of color options. Here's the breakdown by model:

When are the Google Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold releasing?

Though they're up for preorder today, the Pixel 11 series will officially release on August 20. I recommend ordering as early as possible to secure your device at release — delaying can push your fulfillment date out.

Looking for a new smartwatch? Learn how to preorder the Pixel Watch 5 here.

Follow us on Instagram and WhatsApp for the latest deals, reviews, and buying guides.

Rag & Bone's sweatpant jeans achieved viral status for looking like the real deal. Over the past two years, they've stayed relevant to our team for being lightweight, stretchy, and convenient long trips. Our style editors agree they're still leagues ahead of the other sweatpant jeans we've tried.

Below, we review all the ways the Miramar collection solves the problems we have with stiff jeans. Instead, these let us dress for comfort and still look like we put in effort.

Rag & Bone's sweatpant jeans pass for real denim, and we haven't seen another brand do it as well.

They're not just a clever design trick — they are genuinely some of the most comfortable sweatpants I own. Their lasting quality has further justified the initial hype, while the printed-on stitches and rivets are uncanny. They're my go-to travel pants because they're gentle around my middle, and the light French terry cloth is easy to pack.

I've been wearing my "sweans" on a weekly basis ever since I got them two years ago. The fabric is just light enough that I don't overheat in a stuffy plane cabin, but they still keep me cozy in times when the temperature could go either way. And while actual jeans feel uncomfortably tight when I bloat, these don't.

There are a few things to consider about the sizing of Rag & Bone's sweatpant jeans.

The pairs we tested for this review fit us true to size. Most styles are intended to feel roomy. They come in sizes 00 to 16.

The Miramar Wide-Leg Pants are slightly baggy with a 31.5-inch inseam. The drape of the material perfectly imitates denim, and they're meant to puddle a little at the bottom (or a lot, if you're short).

We recommend choosing sweatpant jeans with an elasticated waistband (or any pair without real buttons), which lets you sling them high or low around your waist. Super high-rise pairs can truncate a short torso — another reason to opt for pull-on styles.

After 2 years of wearing them, we're still huge fans.

What we love: They're comfortably lightweight, making them perfect for long travel days. In the two years I've worn them, everyone is shocked to learn it's not real denim.

Drawbacks: They're pricey, the details have faded in the seat area, and there's still limited inseam selection.

All denim fades, even the faux kind. I've spent enough time in these that the rear now looks paler. You lose some of the magic once the fake pockets are less distinguishable, but not enough to keep me from wearing them.

Otherwise, the construction is solid — no loose threads, stretched-out waistband, or weak seams. My trick for making these last is that I've never put them in the dryer. Since they're made of soft cotton and were already short on me, I let them air dry so they won't shrink.

We each tried a few styles of the Rag & Bone sweatpant jeans. Everyone found a pair fit to their liking.

Miramar Wide-Leg Pants

Best for: Travel, transition seasons
Skip if: You're 5-foot-4 or under, unless you plan to hem them.

Our executive editor Sally Kaplan is 5-foot-2, so these jeans are much longer on her. But she still can't get over how comfortable they are, and she's even bought a second pair since our initial review.

"I love the look of a wide-leg jean but have also sworn off hard pants, so these sweatpant jeans are my dream come true!" writes Sally. "I'm short and curvy, so I knew these would be a little long on me, but I don't even care. I just safety pin them at the back of the hem to keep them from catching under my heels, and no one is the wiser." 

You can shrink them a bit in the dryer, but here's how Sally hems pants with just a few safety pins:

"I saw this hack on Instagram (Millennial here, not cool enough for TikTok). All you have to do is tuck the back hem of your long jeans up inside the pant and safety pin it," she writes. "You leave the front of the hem unpinned, and it pools perfectly around your ankles without the back catching under your heels. You really can't see the safety pins at all when you're walking around. "

Miramar Andi Ankle Pants

Best for: Petite heights or pairing with a belt
Skip if: You want a pull-on style that mimics the feel of sweatpants.

Style editor Samantha Crozier tried the Andi Ankle Pant, which has a 27-inch inseam, a real button closure, and a non-elasticated waistband. This style is about four inches shorter than the original Miramar Wide Leg Pants, which makes it much more petite-friendly.

"I'm the same height as Sally, so I knew off the bat that I needed to try a cropped style if I didn't want to deal with pinning or hemming the pants. Lucky for me, the Andi Ankle Pant turned out to be the perfect length.

As advertised, the pants are as soft as sweatpants, and the familiar terry feels great against my skin. But I have mixed feelings about the real waistband. On one hand, it truly completes the illusion of denim. The least convincing features of the original Miramar Wide Leg Pants are the drawn-on hardware and the elasticized waistband. With the Andi, you can wear a cropped top, and the illusion would still hold.

But the real waistband also makes these less comfortable. I've still found myself dealing with the same perils as real jeans — like unbuttoning them after a big meal or avoiding wearing them on a plane. You can tell that these are less forgiving because you have to buy them in your waist size, instead of relying on alpha sizing.

At the end of the day, it's up to you to pick whether you prefer a perfect jeans illusion or a stretchy waistband. "

Miramar Ankle Jogger Pants

Best for: Tucking into boots
Skip if: You want the full faux denim illusion. The cinched hems are a dead giveaway.

Freelance author Talia Ergas reviewed the sweatpant jeans in her guide to the best joggers for women. "They even had my husband fooled, who insisted he 'never would have guessed' that I was wearing sweats if I didn't tell him. He was astonished when I had him feel the supersoft cotton terry fabric and the stretchy elastic waistband," says Ergas. "They accompanied me on a recent 6-hour road trip, keeping me super snug during the long drive but looking pulled together when we stopped at a restaurant for a mid-way lunch."

Miramar Walking Short

Best for: Beach wear, summer travel
Skip if: You carry a lot in your pockets. They're easily weighed down when full.

"These faux denim shorts have it all: stretchy mid-rise waistband, comfy terry cotton fabric, realistic-looking denim print complete with faux distressing, and the perfect four-inch inseam that was long enough to keep me well-covered, but not overly so," continues Talia. "They'd make an excellent choice for beach attire since they're way more comfortable than real denim, but can still pass as daisy dukes."

The classic Miramar Wide-Leg Pants remain our favorite.

The Miramar sweatpant jeans are truly as soft as sweats. Now that I've grown accustomed to their comfort, I have a tough time putting on real jeans. Mine have started to look well-loved after two years, but I'd still choose them over hard pants any day.

• Jeff Bezos is part of a group that bought a minority stake in Liverpool FC.
• After previously flirting with sports ownership, Bezos is now in rare company.
• The Amazon founder is investing alongside a steel magnate and Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin.

Jeff Bezos has entered his sports ownership era.

On Friday, Liverpool Football Club, one of the English Premier League's so-called "Big Six" clubs, announced that Fenway Sports Group sold a minority equity stake in the franchise to 1892 Holdings, which includes K5 Sports, a fund where the Amazon founder is the lead investor.

This is the first time Bezos has been publicly identified as owning a stake in a major sports team, placing him in rare company among his fellow billionaires and business titans.

The 1892 group is managed by Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. Bloomberg estimates Mittal's net worth to be $42.6 billion. Bhatia was previously associated with Queens Park Rangers, where he served as director and co-owner of the fellow English football club.

EE Capital, the family office of Elaine and Eduardo Saverin, who co-founded Facebook, was also involved in the purchase, according to Fenway Sports Group's press release.

The minority stake values Liverpool at just over $7 billion, and 1892 Holdings purchased roughly 1/3rd of the club, a source familiar with the transaction told Business Insider.

"Liverpool has always been built by thinking beyond one season and making decisions with the club's long-term interests in mind. That approach continues to attract interest from respected investors and business leaders around the world. As we considered this opportunity, it became clear that Amit and the consortium shared our long-term philosophy and appreciation for what makes Liverpool special," Fenway Sports Group President Mike Gordon said in a statement.

The final sale is pending regulatory approvals, the club said in the statement.

John Henry, the owner of MLB's Boston Red Sox, is Fenway Sports Group's principal owner. Henry bought the club when it was in dire straits and has since seen Liverpool flourish. "The Reds" won the Premier League in the 2024-25 season.

Bezos had flirted with other sports teams before. In 2023, ESPN reported that the owner of The Washington Post would not make a bid for the NFL's Commanders, despite hiring a firm to explore such a move. An investment group led by billionaire Josh Harris ultimately bought the team.

• A deadly outbreak has wiped out entire flocks in Greece and put feta production under pressure.
• Greece chose mass culling over vaccination, hoping to protect its vital feta exports.
• Now milk is scarcer, prices are climbing, and the damage could reshape feta for years.

Giannis Papastergiou's animal farm is quiet now.

Last year, he found signs of sheep and goat pox among his flock. Months later, every animal was gone.

"There are people who have one dog and would die for that animal. Now just imagine having that many animals," Papastergiou told Business Insider in April.

Papastergiou is one of thousands of Greek farmers hit by an outbreak of sheep and goat pox that is threatening the milk supply chain behind one of the country's most valuable foods: feta.

Wherever the highly-contagious disease appears, Greek authorities require farmers to slaughter entire herds — including healthy animals. A single infected sheep or goat could doom hundreds more.

To contain the disease, the government also barred sheep from grazing freely outside, forcing farmers to buy commercial feed.

"There are hundreds of thousands of euros' worth of feed stored here without any answer [from the government]," Papastergiou said.

The Greek government promised farmers compensation for feed and culled animals, but those like Papastergiou have faced long delays in receiving those payments.

Since the outbreak began in 2024, more than 2,600 farms across Greece have had their entire herds culled. Altogether, the government has ordered the slaughter of more than 488,000 animals as of April.

"What does the culling of all of these animals mean? It means weeping in the village, uncertainty, unemployment, and complete financial ruin," Papastergiou said.

Why Greece's $1 billion feta industry could be at risk

Traditionally, authentic Greek feta is made with sheep's milk. Between 2024 and 2025, Greece's sheep population fell 17%. The country still managed to produce 154,000 tons of feta in 2025, bringing in roughly $1 billion.

However, industry experts estimate that the population shortage is catching up this year. Greece could produce about 11% less feta in 2026.

The shrinking supply is pushing up prices. By June, wholesale Greek feta cost more than $11 a kilogram, up about 33% from the same period in 2025.

The mass culling could have an economic impact that lasts for years.

Studies have found that, over the long term, culling can cause greater economic damage than vaccinating animals. The sheep that were culled had been bred for generations. Their milk was part of what gave authentic Greek feta its distinctive taste.

On farms like Papastergiou's, culling has erased that breeding work.

Greece chose culling over vaccination

While milk from infected animals doesn't pose a risk to humans, the viruses are highly contagious and deadly to sheep and goats, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.

The disease usually spreads through the air between close animals and can survive in wool for two months.

Because it's so infectious, Greece's Ministry of Rural Development and Food adopted a sweeping containment policy. In addition to widespread culling, the government also deployed veterinarians and required sanitation measures. But there's one measure it has yet to try.

Nine months after the outbreak began, the European Commission pressed Greece to start a vaccination campaign.

The Greek government declined.

Under EU rules, vaccination can trigger a temporary ban on dairy exports. Vaccines can save animals, but they can also make tracking the virus more difficult. With 65% of Greek feta sold abroad, the government chose not to risk a trade ban.

The Greek Ministry of Rural Development did not respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.

Farmers are taking to the streets to protest the lack of vaccination, widespread culling, and delayed compensation.

The rippling effect

The effects are moving from farms to cheese factories and restaurants.

Industy experts estimate that Greece could produce 30,000 fewer tons of milk for cheese making in 2026, about 20% less than the previous year.

Alexandros Botos, the second-generation owner of Roussas Dairy, one of Greece's top five feta producers, has already felt the squeeze.

He said 20 of his supplier farms have been forced to cull. "But we could not simply replace the farms we lost with 20 new suppliers because the ones we lost were large-scale operations."

Instead, he's had to hire more smaller suppliers and, as of April when we spoke with him, pays 10% more for the milk going into his feta factory.

Katerina Katsouli has owned Kriti, a restaurant in Athens, since 1988. She normally gets her feta from the island of Lesbos, but the outbreak has forced her to find new suppliers as well and pay higher prices.

"Almost a year ago, I used to buy a kilo of feta for around 9 euros," she said. "Now it has gone up to 13 euros."

Meanwhile, some of the feta farms with surviving flocks live in fear.

"Every single day the sun rises, I am terrified," said Vagelis Karjoilis, a sheep breeder. "What am I going to find at the facility? Am I going to find a case?"

There are signs the sheep pox may be easing. Greece recorded 131 outbreaks in the first four months of 2026, down from 1,700 in 2025, though some told Business Insider they remain skeptical that the official figures reflect the extent of the outbreak.

Editor's note: Papastergiou's, Katsouli's, and Karjoilis's interviews were translated from Greek.

• After my in-laws moved to Florida, my family began visiting them every summer.
• My husband and I stay with his mom while our daughters stay with their aunt, uncle, and cousins.
• The arrangement is fun for our daughters while giving my husband and me some rare no-kid time.

A few years ago, my brother-in-law, his wife, and their kids relocated to Sarasota, Florida. Not long after, my husband's aunt and mother followed.

So every summer since, my husband, our two daughters, and I visit for a week to catch up and hang out. On our first trip, though, something unexpected happened.

In the hustle and bustle of our arrival, our daughters' luggage ended up at my brother-in-law's, and my suitcase and my husband's bag were brought to his mother's.

After we settled in and freshened up, we all met for dinner at a local restaurant. We had dessert and hung out for a bit back at my brother-in-law's, but when the sun set, our kids stayed with their aunt and uncle while my husband and I joined his mother at her house.

My mother-in-law changed into her house dress, and I put on my pajamas, then the three of us watched TV in her quiet living room and climbed into bed early. Nearby, our kids stayed up late with their cousins, eating junk food, laughing, and playing.

We all went to sleep happy — so much so that we kept the arrangement going for the rest of that trip and have repeated it almost every visit since.

Our kids really enjoy getting to spend more time with their aunt, uncle, and cousins

Our kids love us, but let's face it: I'm sure they enjoy the break from us and our parenting. It's probably a breath of fresh air to have some time with their fun aunt and uncle.

Their aunt will stay up teaching them how to paint their own nails, and their uncle lets them design earrings and help make them on his laser cutter.

And of course, they love the extra time with their cousins. They've spent hours swimming, riding their golf cart, and playing flag football on the front lawn. Now that they're all a little older, they share stories of school, sports, and friends.

In a year's time, my twin nieces will leave for college. My daughter will do the same two years later. It won't be that long before they've all grown up and started lives of their own.

I'm glad they had this extra time together during our vacations — a chance to build strong bonds, even though we live so far apart.

Now, when they all move on, those connections will help keep them tied together.

This arrangement helped my husband and me find something we'd been missing, too

With the exception of one-night stays for out-of-town weddings or something similar, my husband and I haven't gone on vacation alone since we had children.

Both of our kids are in highly competitive sports. With games and practices on most Saturdays and Sundays, plus overnight tournaments and competitions, we haven't had time to get away.

On top of that, much of our travel budget goes to flights and hotels for these sports trips. There isn't much left over for a second honeymoon.

That's why these miniature, no-kid vacations are so nice for us.

It's not especially romantic: We're not going on dates, but we do get some adult-only time each night. We enjoy these simple evenings with my mother-in-law, watching game shows, playing cards, and relaxing.

Our kids are a little older now, but when they were younger and more dependent, it was also nice to take a break from the incessant teeth-brushing reminders and stalling tactics at bedtime.

I'm lucky to have a wonderful brother-in-law and sister-in-law who are always happy to have my kids at their home, and a mother-in-law whose presence I enjoy — even on my pretend date nights with my husband.

For as long as we can, our family will keep this arrangement going and continue to enjoy our days together while appreciating our nights apart.

• Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to stalking charges in federal court in a striking reversal.
• In the hearing, Mangione described tracking down and shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
• A judge will sentence him on December 18. The federal charges carry a possibility of life in prison.

Luigi Mangione admitted on Friday to tracking down and shooting Brian Thompson in a court hearing where he pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in connection with the UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing.

Mangione reversed his previous not-guilty plea while Thompson's family members looked on from the front row of the downtown Manhattan courthouse. Thompson's widow, Paulette Thompson, wiped tears from her eyes with a tissue during the plea hearing.

After answering a series of questions from US District Judge Margaret Garnett to assure her he understood the consequences of pleading guilty, Mangione read from a statement describing how he found and killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO.

"On the morning of December 4, 2024, I shot Mr. Thompson in Manhattan, and he died," Mangione told the judge. "When I did so, I understood that my actions would place him in fear of death or serious bodily injury."

"I knew what I was doing was illegal," he continued.

Mangione's guilty plea applied to two federal charges he faced related to stalking Thompson before the healthcare executive was shot outside a Manhattan hotel.

Garnett will decide Mangione's sentence on December 18. Mangione will remain in federal jail in Brooklyn until then.

Both stalking charges carry a maximum possible punishment of life in prison, along with restitution to Thompson's family and fines. Garnett previously threw out death penalty-eligible murder and firearms charges that had been sought by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In a New York state courthouse down the block, Mangione remains — for now — scheduled to go to trial on September 8 on murder charges from the Manhattan district attorney's office. He pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Immediately after Friday's hearing, Mangione's lawyers filed a motion asking Justice Gregory Carro, the state judge overseeing the murder case, to toss the remaining charges on double-jeopardy grounds.

Outside the federal courthouse, Mangione's attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said it was "unfair" for prosecutors to bring two separate cases against him for "a single isolated event."

"With today's guilty plea, Mr. Mangione has accepted full responsibility for the death of Brian Thompson," he said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that his office was "committed to seeking justice." Thompson's family said that Mangione's guilty plea marked "an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family."

"While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable," his family said in a statement. "Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime."

Mangione criticized UnitedHealthcare in his court statement

Court records and Mangione's social media accounts indicate that the 28-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate developed a frustration with the American healthcare system following a back injury.

Thompson's killing led to a five-day manhunt that ended in Mangione's arrest when local police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, responded to a call that someone matching the suspect shooter's description was eating breakfast inside a McDonald's.

The killing and manhunt made Mangione a folk hero to some, who turned him into a symbol of widespread anger about the shortcomings of health insurance companies. Some of Mangione's fans were among the journalists and members of the public who filled the courtroom on Friday, sharing the room with Thompson's family.

Mangione wore a standard jail-issue khaki uniform at the hearing. One member of Thompson's family could be heard whispering "piece of shit" as Mangione walked in while surrounded by federal marshals.

While speaking in court, Mangione took several swipes at UnitedHealthcare in his Friday statement as he described finding out the location of the company's annual investor conference in Manhattan, 3D printing a gun part, and traveling to New York City from outside the state "with the intent to shoot Brian Thompson."

"I observed the annual conference of America's largest healthcare organization, with the stated mission to make the health system work better for everyone, would be attended by executives, the board of directors, and hundreds of investors — not doctors, nurses, and patients," he said.

Mangione said that, while tracking down Thompson, he emailed UnitedHealthcare "posing as an investor at a firm managing over $15 billion in assets."

"Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response," Mangione said.

Friedman-Agnifilo, wearing an eggplant purple suit, hammered the point home while speaking to journalists following Friday's hearing.

"As Luigi explained in court today, he endured years of severe, debilitating pain with a broken back while struggling to navigate a healthcare and health insurance system," she said. "Like the thousands of people who reached out to share their own experiences, he believed the system had failed him and destroyed his life."

In a statement Friday, UnitedHealthcare thanked law enforcement officials who prosecuted Mangione.

"Brian Thompson's life was cut short by an act of violence that devastated everyone who knew and loved him," the company said. "We are grateful to law enforcement for bringing Brian's murderer to justice, and our thoughts remain with Brian's family and loved ones during this difficult time."

Manhattan US Attorney Jamie McDonald, whose office oversaw the federal prosecution, said in a statement that, "No grievance, political belief, or ideological cause can justify murder." NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised the "painstaking, old-fashioned police work" that led to Mangione's arrest and built the case against him.

"To those who idolize Mangione — violence is not a cause, murder is not a message, and a killer is not a hero," she said.

This story has been updated.

• I visited Canada for the first time in 2022, exploring the eastern provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
• I spent seven days traveling through Niagara Falls, Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City.
• I want to return to Quebec and Niagara Falls and take more Canadian trains to other provinces.

Colossal waterfalls, scenic train rides, and cities that feel like Europe — I experienced them all in one week during my first trip to Canada. 

In August 2022, I traveled from my home in New York City to Canada's eastern provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Overall, my trip to Canada was only a taste of what the country has to offer — a rich bite that left me hungry for more. I knew from the moment I left that I would be back.

I traveled to Ontario and Quebec by bus, train, and plane, hitting cities and attractions from Niagara Falls to Montreal.

I traveled by train from NYC to Niagara Falls, New York, and walked into Niagara Falls, Canada.

After three days in the Niagara Falls area, I took a bus up to Toronto for a night. From there, I traveled by train to Montreal and Quebec City, spending one night in each city before flying home to New York. 

As a seasoned Amtrak rider, I found Canada's train system, Via Rail, so impressive that I want to return to try more classes and routes.

I've spent more than 150 hours on Amtrak trains, reviewing its various accommodations — from business and first class to private rooms in sleeper cars. 

So, when I traveled to Canada, I was excited to try out Via Rail, Canada's train line similar to Amtrak. One of the most accessible and popular ways to travel through the country, Via Rail has economy seating, business class, and sleeper accommodations.

After two rides, I found that my first experiences on Canada's Via Rail system were more comfortable than Amtrak equivalents, thanks to top-notch service and amenities. 

I booked two Via Rail rides — one in economy and another in business class.

I booked a business-class ticket from Toronto to Montreal. For about $200, it came with perks that Amtrak only offers to first-class passengers, such as meal service and access to lounges at select stations, including Toronto. 

I also booked an economy ticket on Via Rail from Montreal to Quebec City for about $150, and I thought it was more spacious than an Amtrak coach seat. 

Now, I want to explore Canada by train and perhaps try out more classes, such as sleeper cars and premium accommodations. 

After trying poutine for the first time, I have to go back for some different takes on it.

Poutine is a pile of fries topped with cheese curds and smothered in gravy — a Canadian comfort food originating in Quebec.

Before visiting Canada, I had never tried poutine or even seen it on a menu. That changed in Montreal when I dined at La Banquise, a casual joint serving classic poutine and creative renditions loaded with meats, vegetables, bacon, or sauces like Caesar and chipotle.

I decided to go with the classic since it was my first time trying it. In one bite, I could see why this dish was so popular and comforting. It was warm, filling, and nostalgic.

The fries were crispy and greasy, just like I like them. The gravy tasted like Thanksgiving dinner, and the curds added a unique texture without overpowering the flavor.

Next time I'm in Montreal, I'll return to La Banquise to try some of the other loaded poutine options on the menu.

I thought Niagara Falls was epic and beautiful.

Niagara Falls is an iconic landmark known for its massive waterfalls on the US-Canada border.

Seeing Niagara Falls up close was a highlight of the trip. Since I've seen so many pictures, I wasn't expecting to be quite so entranced by the falls. But I was completely in awe of how massive, beautiful, and loud they were.

The boardwalk lining the falls also reminded me of Times Square on New Year's Eve because of the excitement it drew.

I'd love to go back during the offseason to see what it's like when it's less crowded.

There were a lot of crowds at the falls. From the attractions surrounding it to the packed crosswalks around town, Niagara Falls was so full of people that I spent a lot of time waiting in lines and standing on my tippy toes to peer over people's heads. It would have been much more enjoyable without so many other visitors.

I would love to go back to Niagara Falls in early spring or late fall when it's less crowded and enjoy a more peaceful moment alone in front of the falls.

I got a break from the crowds when I stayed at this treehouse Airbnb outside Niagara Falls.

I wanted to mix time in big cities with smaller towns to relax and see what life is like away from the bustle.

While searching for unique Airbnbs in the areas I was traveling to, I came across a treehouse on a property located between a vineyard and the woods.

I stayed for one night and found it to be so peaceful and relaxing.

I loved being alone in this quiet, natural place equipped with all the comforting amenities of home.

Sitting on the front porch facing the forest, this treehouse was the best remote office I've had the pleasure of working in. It was the perfect place to reflect on my travels, note my most interesting observations, and review the hundreds of photos I'd already taken.

I'd love to go back for a few days to recharge completely. I didn't get a chance to cook a meal in the kitchen or spend a day reading outside — something I used to do a lot as a kid. The next time I come to this treehouse, it'll be for a vacation. 

I loved exploring Montreal on foot.

Montreal was one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen, with its contrasting blend of modern and historic architectural styles, from Art Deco to Gothic Revival.

Walking up and down the city's hills was tiring but rewarding. I enjoyed some impressive, all-encompassing views that made me wish I had more time to explore. 

I also walked around Old Montreal, a neighborhood reminiscent of Europe with cobblestone streets. While I took beautiful pictures, I didn't have time to go inside the many shops, museums, and restaurants along the way.

Next time I'm in Montreal, I plan to find accommodations in Old Montreal to learn more about the city's history. 

My favorite walk took me to the top of Mount Royal.

Since I only had one night in Montreal, I got up around 6 a.m. and walked from my hotel downtown to Mount Royal, a small mountain in the middle of the city.

It was a 30-minute uphill walk followed by another half-hour of climbing stairs that wound up the mountain. It was exhausting, but when I got to the top, it was worth it.

I could see the whole skyline, and I longed for more time to wander specific streets. 

The Old Quebec neighborhood in Quebec City made me feel like I was in Europe without the long-haul flight.

Quebec City is a 400-year-old French-Canadian city. With its cobblestone streets, old-world architecture, and French signs and storefronts, it was like being in Europe.

I spent one night in a gorgeous hotel that looked more like a castle.

I had roughly 24 hours in Quebec City and spent all of it in Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the famed Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, a luxury hotel where I stayed the night in a 180-square-foot room with a stunning view. 

I thought it was the most beautiful hotel I'd ever stayed at, and it was located in an ideal spot for sightseeing in Old Quebec.

The hotel towered above Dufferin Terrace, a boardwalk with restaurants and benches overlooking the St. Lawrence River. On the other side of the hotel was Place d'Armes, a beautiful small park with a large fountain.

I also explored and photographed the surrounding streets, which are full of shops and restaurants. I wish I had time to shop at places like Quartier Petit-Champlain.

I left Quebec City longing for more time to explore, shop, and dine.

Canada is so large that I left feeling like I had barely scratched the surface.

It's wild to think that my first trip to Canada was within a small fraction of the country.

Not only do I want to spend more time in the places I've already visited, but I also want to explore other provinces, such as Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island.

I've since been to Vancouver, British Columbia, but I've still only explored a sliver of Canada.

Which province should I visit next?

• More middle class Americans are shopping for second citizenships, a "golden visa" firm told Business Insider.
• Immigrant Invest said professionals and retirees make up 25% of consultations, up from 15% in 2025.
• Another golden visa firm said in a 2026 report that demand from US clients has nearly doubled.

Buying second passports was once largely the preserve of the superrich, but one investment migration firm says that's changing as more middle-class Americans shop for them.

The investment migration industry has traditionally catered to those who can afford the six or seven-figure price tags of many "golden visas." Peter Thiel, who was granted New Zealand citizenship in 2011 and temporarily relocated to Argentina this year, is among the billionaires to seek additional passports and residences.

For wealthy Americans, acquiring another citizenship generally doesn't eliminate their US tax obligations, but offers the freedom to live, travel, and work abroad.

Data shared exclusively with Business Insider by Immigrant Invest, a Malta-based citizenship-by-investment consultancy founded 20 years ago, showed that salaried professionals and retirees now account for 25% of its US consultations calls, up from around 15% in 2025.

The growing cohort included doctors, tech workers, academics, real estate brokers, and lawyers, as well as retirees with personal savings. The company analyzed 450 consultation calls with US-based clients between January and July 2026. It compared the results with its 2025 data from the same period.

The company's traditional core clientele, which includes ultrawealthy investors, entrepreneurs, and business owners, has shrunk as a share of its US consultation calls, from roughly 50% in 2026 to 40% in 2025.

Pavel Reshetnikov, a consultant at Immigrant Invest, told Business Insider that the cost of citizenship programs has stayed relatively stable in recent years. This indicates that more Americans with savings are looking for a "Plan B" amid heightened political division in the US and global geopolitical volatility.

Some of the most popular options among Immigrant Invest's US clients are Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs requiring low six-figure sums. Grenada's program, for example, requires a donation of more than $235,000 to the National Transformation Fund, or a real-estate investment of over $270,000. St Kitts and Nevis requires a contribution starting at $250,000 or an investment of more than $325,000 into local real estate.

There are also cheaper options: citizenship-by-investment programs in São Tomé and Príncipe, an island nation off the west coast of Africa, start at $90,000, while Vanuatu in the South Pacific starts at $130,000.

Henley & Partners, one of the world's largest citizenship-by-investment advisory firms, said in its 2026 Private Wealth Migration Report that demand from US clients nearly doubled in 2025 from the previous year. Most weren't planning an imminent move, according to the report.

"The great majority are US-Americans living in the USA, rather than expatriates already abroad, and they have no intention of leaving, or at least not yet," Basil Mohr-Elzeki, Henley and Partners' head of private clients in the Americas, said in the report.

Immigrant Invest said that as recently as 2021, Americans in general showed little interest in its citizenship-by-investment programs, with middle class clients particularly rare. "Five years ago, I think it was just a very, very small percentage of US clients," Reshetnikov said. "Now it's a completely different story."

Demand began picking up in early 2025, around the time President Donald Trump took office, and US-based clients have since become one of its largest segments, accounting for as much as 28% of consultations in any given month.

For many of those Americans, the appeal is less about leaving the US than knowing they could in the future. "They would like to have an option and insurance for the whole family to move somewhere very quickly," Aleksandr Razinkov, who handles press relations for Immigrant Invest, said.

Second passports haven't suddenly become more affordable. But for a growing group of affluent American professionals, a "plan B" passport is something worth spending their savings on.

• I spent a year living in Dublin and traveling across Ireland as a student.
• During that time, four spots — including Howth and Kinsale — stood out to me as must-visit places.
• However, I found Blarney Gardens and the Cliffs of Moher a bit underwhelming.

When I moved to Ireland in 2022, I had two specific goals in mind.

I wanted to step inside Trinity College's gorgeous library, and I also hoped to finally see the Cliffs of Moher, a place many readers might recognize as the site of Voldemort's Horcrux cave in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

Once I arrived, though, Ireland surprised me. It was far more beautiful than I expected, and I wanted to explore much more of the country than I'd originally planned.

Over the course of a year, I traveled across Ireland by train and bus — and found four places that were genuinely worth it and two that didn't live up to the hype.

Howth was one of my favorite day trips from Dublin.

Howth is just a 6-euro, half-hour train ride from Dublin's city center, but it feels like a completely different place.

It's a small fishing village on Dublin's northeast coast, and the harbor's eateries serve some of the best fish and chips I had in Ireland.

The real highlight, though, is the iconic Howth Cliff Walk. There are multiple routes to choose from; I mostly followed the Cliff Path Loop, which is relatively easy, can be done in two hours, and delivers incredible views of the Irish Sea.

Bog of Frogs Loop is also a great choice for a more challenging route.

Kinsale is where I fell in love with Ireland's small-town charm.

Kinsale is a colorful harbor town near the city of Cork. There's no direct bus from Dublin, but I got there by taking a 14-euro bus to Cork, and then a short local bus to Kinsale for 7 euros.

This town is known as the food capital of Ireland, and it lives up to the reputation if you love seafood. What I loved just as much, though, was Kinsale's art scene.

The town is dotted with small galleries, and as someone who enjoys museums and creative spaces, I could have easily spent hours wandering in and out of them.

If you have time, Old Head of Kinsale, just south of town, is worth the short trip for its sweeping cliffs along the Wild Atlantic Way. My visit there is one of my favorite memories from my time in Ireland.

Glendalough has beautiful scenery and a charming, historic feel.

I first saw Glendalough in a romantic scene in my favorite rom-com, "Leap Year." I'd wanted to visit ever since watching.

An hour by bus from Dublin, Glendalough valley is a budget-friendly way to experience the Irish countryside, with round-trip tickets costing around 23 euros.

The valley is built around two glacial lakes and the ruins of a 6th-century monastic settlement, giving it a quiet, historic feel.

My favorite part is the Spinc trail, one of Glendalough's best-known hikes with stunning views of the valley. It's a bit challenging and time-intensive to complete, but once you see the landscape from above, it feels completely worth it.

I found Dalkey to be the perfect summer spot.

Dalkey is a big reason that South Dublin is my favorite part of the city.

It's a small seaside town that's easy to reach by train, with round-trip tickets starting around 5 euros. I found the town to be compact and walkable, with several small parks scattered throughout.

Dalkey has strong links to Ireland's most famous writers and is often associated with James Joyce's "Ulysses," which you can learn more about at Dalkey Castle.

That said, when I visited, I spent most of my time on Vico Road, which runs along the coast to Killiney Beach. If you enjoy swimming, the Vico Baths area is one of the best summer spots in Dublin.

I thought Blarney Gardens were impressive, but I was a little underwhelmed by the castle.

Blarney Castle and Gardens in Cork are genuinely beautiful, especially the gardens, which were some of the prettiest I saw in Ireland.

However, I had high expectations for the castle, and I found it a little underwhelming to explore.

A lot of my visit revolved around lining up to kiss the Blarney Stone, and the roughly half-hour wait didn't feel worth it — or particularly memorable.

I'm glad I saw the Cliffs of Moher, but I wouldn't necessarily go back.

The Cliffs of Moher are beautiful and dramatic, and seeing them in person, especially the Horcrux cave, made me glad I finally got to tick them off my list. However, I probably wouldn't go back again.

Some locals warned me about the heavy summer crowds, so I went in April, hoping for a quieter experience. Even then, though, the viewpoints were busy, and my visit felt rushed.

Reaching the cliffs without a car also meant a 4½ -hour journey each way and about 36 euros in transport costs. Compared to the quieter cliff walks I found elsewhere in Ireland, these didn't feel like the best use of my time or money —especially on a student budget.

This story was originally published on February 6, 2026, and most recently updated on August 14, 2026.

Most vacuums can't handle pet hair. It wraps around brush rolls, clogs filters, and gets blown back into the air, especially in homes with heavy shedders. Over time, that means weaker suction, more maintenance, and a vacuum that stops doing its job. You need the best vacuum for pet hair.

After testing over 30 of the best vacuums on real pet hair, litter, and fine debris, a clear pattern emerged. Many models can handle surface-level messes but struggle when hair is embedded in carpet or mixed with fine particles like dust and dander, leading to a drop in performance. Our picks for the best vacuums for pet hair held up to repeated use without becoming a maintenance headache.

Read more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches home products here.

Our top picks for the best vacuums for pet hair

Best overall vacuum for pet hair: Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush Upright Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best cordless vacuum for pet hair: Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty - See at Amazon

Best budget vacuum for pet hair: Bissell CleanView Swivel Upright Pet Vacuum Cleaner - See at Amazon

Best upgrade vacuum for pet hair: Dyson V15 Detect - See at Dyson

Most powerful vacuum for pet hair: Dyson Ball Animal 3 Upright Vacuum Cleaner- See at Dyson

Best vacuum for pet hair and allergies: Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best robot vacuum for pet hair: eufy E25 Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo - See at Amazon

Best handheld vacuum for pet hair: Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum (model CHV1410L) - See at Amazon

How to choose the right pet vacuum

Start here to match your home and pet to the right vacuum.

Best overall

A thoughtfully designed powerhouse. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush Upright Vacuum is a new launch from Bissell, which features a dual-brush roll design — a first for the brand. It is designed to capture both large and small debris and effectively reduces hair wrap. At $300, it's the soft spot between performance and value with a high-quality build. The vacuum also utilizes a HEPA Sealed Allergen System that captures 99.97% of pet dander and dust allergens and expertly picked up all pet hair without tangling, a pre-req for the best overall pet vacuum.

Strong suction and pick up performance. It delivered solid performance across a range of everyday debris on carpets and hard floors, ensuring comprehensive performance where it matters most, and it easily adjusts suction based on floor type. The vacuum handled fine materials like baking soda and coffee grounds well, particularly on carpet, and fully picked up mid-size and larger debris like rice and cereal — good stand-ins for litter or kibble— in our tests. Despite a slightly raised lip on the floor head, the Pet Hair Eraser Dual Brush scattered light debris like rice on hard floors, requiring a few extra passes, but it still removed most messes effectively without leaving major residue.

Unique attachments add to the versatility. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush has a lift-off function and an extending handle, making it easier to take the main unit along for above-floor cleaning or stairs. The bright "Fur Finder" headlights on the cleanerhead illuminate the dust bunnies ahead of you, and Bissell added LED lights to the crevice and TurboBrush tool attachments for added utility. Our tester found the vacuum smooth and comfortable to push, and the swivel steering made it easy to reach under furniture or around corners. The maneuverability seemed to offset the weight, especially on laminate floors. The weight becomes more noticeable as the vacuum encounters greater resistance, and the suction lifts debris from the carpet fibers.

Read our Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush review.

Best cordless

Shark's anti-hair wrap technology delivers.  In fact, we're pretty confident in every Shark vacuum we've tested. The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty takes things a step further with excellent pickup across particle sizes, automatic suction adjustment, and a self-emptying base. In our tests, it handled everything from fine dust to clumps of pet hair with ease.

• See more of the best cordless vacuums

It aced our standardized hardwood and carpet tests. The Shark PowerDetect easily picked up kibble, ground coffee, flour, dog hair, and everyday household dirt. A dual brush-roll system does the heavy lifting: a soft front roll captures fine debris and prevents scatter, while a rear brush with stiff bristles digs deep into carpets. Larger debris was no problem, though very fine particles like flour took a few extra passes. The vacuum automatically adjusts power based on floor type, dust levels, and edge detection, with visual cues from purple LEDs and an audible (but not overly loud) boost in suction. LED headlights illuminate the cleaning path, and an onboard display shows remaining battery life.

The cordless stick design is easy to maneuver. A bendable wand and swivel head enable it to slide under furniture and into corners. That said, it's slightly top-heavy and can't stand upright on its own. The attachments, a crevice, and a pet multi-tool store neatly on the dock. They're fine, but not as effective as the mini-motorized attachments offered with many of the best Dyson vacuums, like the splurgy Dyson V15 Detect.

The auto-empty dust bin is a standout. Instead of stopping to empty a small dustbin every few minutes, we went up to two months before needing to empty the base, and the on-board dustbin is sizable enough to get through cleaning my floors. The emptying process is loud but brief and effectively clears even compacted debris. Manually removing the onboard bin is possible, though a bit clunky. The base also supports Shark's optional odor-neutralizing puck, though testers were largely indifferent and didn't miss it when it wasn't in use.

If you want the power and performance of the PowerDetect, but don't care for the auto-empty base station or have the space to dedicate to a dock, PowerDetect Essential shaves a $100 off the retail price. It has a standard bin while keeping all the power and performance.

See how the Shark compares to Dyson's flagship model.

Best budget

For under $150, the Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet 2252 has powerful suction and good performance at a value price. The extra attachments are also very effective on pet hair. The 25-foot cord is long enough to cover most rooms, but winding it back up can be a little annoying. If you like the convenience of a retractable cord, we also like the Bissell CleanView Swivel Rewind Pet Vacuum Cleaner (model 2254). It picked up all the pet hair on all surfaces in our tests, and hair didn't get tangled in the brush. The four vacuums we tested that cost less than the Bissell CleanView performed so poorly that we can't recommend any of them.

• See the best cheap vacuum cleaners

Compared to other budget models, it covers the basics in terms of cleaning performance. It has just one suction setting, but it does have five height settings to accommodate different types of carpet. It was average at picking up finer particles on hard floors, leaving the floor feeling a little gritty. It performed better on carpet, though it still wasn't perfect. It picked up all of the rice and Cheerios on every surface. A small amount of hair wrapped around the brush roll, but it didn't clog or interfere with cleaning.

We appreciated how simple it was to use. The swivel head makes it easy to maneuver with one hand, and the hose detaches effortlessly for access to elevated areas. We just guided it as it made quick work of messes. We particularly liked how it has tiny side brushes at the edge of the brush roll to clean along baseboards. It does, however, only have one suction setting. Aesthetically, our tester felt a bit like she was using a vacuum from the 2000s — it worked well, but doesn't feel as refined or fancy as other options.

The dustbin is large but sometimes requires reaching in. "It does a remarkable thing with long hair... it basically makes a hair pancake," notes our tester. "It's not just interesting, it's functional. It doesn't get caught around the vacuum filter and neatly slides out into the trash." To avoid any gunk flying out, you'll want to release the trap-door mechanism with the bottom inside a trash receptacle. The vacuum is also not HEPA-rated; it uses a multi-layer filtration system of carbon and foam filters and is not sealed to prevent particles from escaping back into the air. Most people will do just fine, but if you do have serious allergy sensitivities, you may want to consider a different model. Additionally, while it has a decibel output on par with the Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush, it was noticeably shriller.

Best upgrade

A dust- and hair-hunting powerhouse. Dyson is one of the brands I trust to rid my home of the smallest dust particles. The Dyson V15 Detect has essentially gamified cleaning with a piezo sensor that tells you just how many particles it's scooped up (and we're talking billions). The real standout is the green laser headlights on the dedicated hard-floor cleaner head, which illuminate the floor to reveal what the eye can't see. It's like turning on the lights to see just how much my blonde-dog sheds on my wood floors, making it my pick as the pet vacuum for hardwood floors

It's expertly designed. The V15 automatically adjusts suction based on floor type and debris, helping preserve battery life (up to 60 minutes). An LCD shows remaining runtime, and the lightweight design is easy to maneuver, thanks to a spherical wheel that allows smooth side-to-side movement. It also includes a strong lineup of attachments for whole-home cleaning. My main gripe is the trigger-style power button; if that's a dealbreaker, the Gen5Detect adds a power button but usually isn't worth the $200 premium, unless it's on sale.

This Dyson vacuum was the best vacuum for pet hair on every surface in our tests without getting tangled. This is thanks to the Digital Motorbar cleaner head (found on many of the best Dyson vacuums) that has plastic detangling vanes to keep hair from wrapping. It works on both hardwood and carpets, which it was great on both surfaces, picking up all debris except a trace of coffee grounds on carpets and nominal amounts of flour on both surfaces. The Fluffy Optic Cleaner head with the green laser is for hard floors only; you will need to switch between the two if you have rugs or carpet. I also like converting the V15 Detect into a handheld and using the hair screw tool to lift embedded hair from pet beds and upholstery, making them look like new.

The Dyson has a trapdoor mechanism for emptying the dustbin, so you can avoid coming into contact with debris. However, though attachments must be removed first, and overfilling can make emptying messier than expected.

Most powerful

Unrelenting, powerful suction is what you need to keep your home dust- and dander-free, even with shedding fur or kitty litter. The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is particularly effective on thick carpeting, with stiff bristles that dig deep into the fibers to pull out hair and dirt and resist hair wrapping around the brush roll. It also performed well on hard floors, picking up both large pieces of debris, like cereal, and fine particles of flour. 

• See more of the best upright vacuums.

Despite being bulky, it is still easy to use. At 17 pounds, this upright vacuum isn't necessarily lightweight to carry up and down stairs, but its unique ball design at the base swivels to improve maneuverability. It has three suction settings that you can adjust via a slider on the floorhead. If you have trouble pushing the vacuum, adjusting the suction settings will typically get you going again. The spacious 0.45-gallon dust bin can handle large amounts of pet hair and empties via a button on the handle. The Dyson's washable post-motor filter traps allergens as small as 0.3 microns and should be cleaned once a month.

Multiple versions are available with varying attachments. The basic version of this vacuum comes with two tools: a combo crevice and dusting brush, and a stair tool. Models like Extra and Complete offer a more comprehensive accessory package with pet-specific options such as a tangle-free turbine tool, a carbon fiber dusting brush, and even a pet grooming brush. These accessories connect with the hose, which stretches to 15 feet. However, our reviewer found it stiff, requiring extra effort to keep it extended while the vacuum was running. 

Best for allergies

If you have severe allergies, a bagged vacuum is your best option for limiting dust exposure. Our top pick, the Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog, is a powerful yet quiet canister vacuum that keeps cleanup contained and mess-free.

The Guard L1 was among the best overall at picking up debris. In testing, it delivered the strongest overall pickup, including some of the best fine-particle pickup on carpet of any machine. It has two cleaning heads: one for carpets and one for hard floors. We noticed long hair wrapped around after using the carpet head attachment, but none on the hard floor attachment. The attachments are stored on board, but the upholstery tool falls short compared to motorized hand tools found on other pet vacuums.

Bagged dustbins and advanced filtration are appealing features for allergy sufferers. Its 3.5-liter bag holds a large amount of debris while maintaining an air-tight seal to keep particles sealed inside, and we didn't come close to filling it even after extensive testing. Replacement bags do add ongoing cost and waste, however. Replacement bags cost $55 for eight replacement bags and two filters. Though if limiting dust exposure is your top priority, this is one of the best options available.

The Miele has a great form factor. It's compact, rolls along nicely as you vacuum, and is small enough to easily grab by the handle and move from room to room or carry up a flight of stairs. Everything about the build quality feels premium, and it has built-in storage for the attachments. The design incorporates a side-ventilation system to channel exhaust away from you and your pets and to help reduce lingering pet odors. An LCD screen also lets you select one of four cleaning modes, the vacuum bag fill level, and the exhaust filter saturation. The new Guard L1 is five pounds lighter than the Classic C1 we previously recommended, which was heavy and not particularly nimble.

However, some features make it less user-friendly. All the suction settings are on the canister itself, so you'll need to be within arm's reach to adjust them during cleaning. You can adjust with your foot without having to reach down. Though a Kenmore model we tested has suction control on the handle. It also takes two hands to swap tools, rather than a single button press or lift-off. Regardless, these are small drawbacks if containing dust is your primary concern.

Best robot vacuum

Automate routine floor maintenance. A robot vacuum, like the eufy E25, is helpful for a daily sweep of any accumulated pet hair. In addition to excellent pickup performance on hair and fine and coarse debris, it also has essential obstacle-avoidance features that give you peace of mind. It was one of two robot vacuums we've tested that completely avoided a pet accident, and also had the ability to identify other smaller items that could be strewn about, like phone cords, socks, or pet toys. It was also surprisingly quiet in operation, making it a decent choice for pets who are sensitive to loud noises.

Mops too, with a fully automated self-cleaning system. Robot vacuums are becoming increasingly more automated, and this one incorporates a roller mop to polish and refresh hard floors. When transitioning to rugs, the mop automatically lifts to keep carpets dry while boosting suction to pull embedded fur out of carpet fibers. The docking station auto-empties dust, cleans, and dries the roller mop with hot water and air to minimize how often you need to tend to the machine. The app also features customizable cleaning settings for water output and suction levels, as well as mapping options to specify which rooms to clean and when.

See more of the best robot vacuums.

Best handheld

It outperformed other handhelds at cleaning up pet hair. In fact, the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum was the only handheld to clean up all pet hair on every surface — hardwood, carpet, and the car.

It's well-balanced and weighs just 2.6 pounds. I didn't experience arm fatigue when cleaning with the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum. You can quickly flip the brush in place as it's attached to the head, a feature I liked because I tend to lose attachments when they aren't connected.

The charging station is also simple and intuitive. Just place the Dustbuster on it. The charging indicator light turns off once the vacuum is fully charged, and the vacuum then runs for 14 minutes.

Emptying the big dust bin without getting dirty is simple. You remove the forward section and shake the debris out, or remove the entire dust bin and pull out the filter. Regardless of how you empty it, the vacuum takes some finessing to snap back together.

The Dustbuster AdvancedClean vacuum is about as loud as a hairdryer, making it louder than most.

Read our guide to the best handheld vacuums.

Our top picks compared

What else we tested

Here are some other popular vacuums we tested that just fell short of being the best, but could be good for your needs and budget.

• Bissell PowerClean DualBrush ($360): This cordless was released alongside the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush, which has a similarly designed dual-brush roll, and is Bissell's first cordless with automatically adjusting suction. It failed our large debris test and had so-so results with fine particles, which echoes our experience with the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder. The DualBrush fared better in terms of hair wrap than the Fur Finder, as well. We liked that both offer bright LED lights and a self-standing design. The FurFinder is far less expensive, however, and we suggest it when it's on sale.
• Bosch Unlimited 10 Black ($699): Bosch's first vacuum in North America is loaded with premium design elements like dirt detection, compacting dustbin, bendable tube, multiple cleaning settings, and a lengthy 10-year warranty on the motor. It has auto-adjusting suction power and held its own with general cleaning, but its shorter-than-expected battery life (despite promising up to 80 minutes) and some hair wrap kept it from disrupting the current top picks.
• Dyson V8 ($389): If you want Dyson performance at its most basic level, the Dyson V8 features the same anti-hair-tangle technology in the cleaner head as the V15 Detect and Ball Animal 3. With up to 40 minutes of battery across two cleaning modes, it's reliable and passed most of our cleaning tests, but others surpass it with newer features. It's sold in a couple of variations like Absolute and Plus, which reflect varying attachments, but all have the same cleaning performance. Consider the upgrades if you want the mini-motorized tool, which is great for cleaning upholstery and pet beds. Read our Dyson V8 review.

• Shark Cordless Pet Vacuum ($169): This affordable Shark vacuum is one of the most popular Shark cordless vacuums on Amazon. While it's marketed as a "pet vacuum," we found that long strands of hair wrapped around the brush roll and that it struggled with fine particles. It's often on sale for as low as $150, making it a good budget option if you're OK with a few compromises. Read our Shark Cordless Pet Vacuum review.
• Shark Stratos Cordless vacuum ($299): Our previous best pick for pet hair has great pickup performance, and hair doesn't wrap around the brush roll. The next-gen PowerDetect has more advanced features, like automatic suction adjustment and an auto-empty dustbin, at a comparable price. Read our Shark Stratos cordless review.
• Kenmore 600 Series Pop-N-Go BC4030 Canister Vacuum ($350): At about half the price of our Miele Canister pick, the Kenmore offers strong cleaning performance, easily user-friendly controls, an Allergen Seal HEPA system, and genuinely useful attachments that store on board.

• Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog Bagged Canister Vacuum ($829): This is a slightly older edition of our current pick for allergies; it offers some of the best pickup performance in our test but is heavier and less maneuverable than the Guard L1, making it less user-friendly.

What to look for in a vacuum for pet hair

Anti-tangle brush rolls: Whether dealing with clumps of fur or long strands of hair, the last thing you want is for the vacuum to clog or stop working because hair gets wrapped around the brushroll. Not to forget how gross it can be to have to cut hair out of the brushroll. Brands like Dyson and Shark have pioneered technology to combat hair wrap and direct it straight to the dustbin, where it belongs, with features such as detangling vanes, rubberized rollers, or dual brush rolls. 

Sealed HEPA filtration: Pet fur carries dander, dust mites, and microscopic allergens. All vacuums will feature a filtration system, but the golden standard is HEPA, which stands for "High-Efficiency Particulate Air" and, as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency, traps and removes at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns. Know that models marketed as HEPA-style or HEPA-like, or anti-allergen, are not True HEPA, and may not have been put through the same standards as those labeled as HEPA. Most filters are washable, though some designs may require replacements.

Specialized pet attachments: Most vacuums come with a crevice tool and dusting brush, but when it comes to vacuums for pet hair, a pet tool or upholstery tool, which typically have a bristled or motorized design, is incredibly useful for cleaning sofas, pet beds, or other surfaces that need a close clean. It's also becoming common for brands to offer grooming tools alongside their vacuums, like Dyson's $90 pet grooming attachment, which includes a slicker brush that suctions away loose fur.

Dust bin and hands-free disposal: Pet hair takes up more volume in the bin than regular dust, requiring more frequent emptying. We prefer bins that are at least 0.2 gallons (0.75 liters). They also need to be easy to open and direct into the trash can, and don't require too much reaching up into the bin to cull out collected hair and dust. If you suffer from allergies, you may want to consider a bagged model or one with an auto-emptying base station to reduce how often you come into contact with debris.

Weight and maneuverability: The best vacuum for pet hair needs to be comfortable to hold for extended cleaning sessions and easy enough to push around your floors. If weight is a concern, consider size and opt for something lighter and smaller. Cordless stick vacuums are by default lighter than upright vacuums, which can offer stability but can be harder to carry between floors if your home has stairs. If you have multiple floors or stairs, target a cordless stick vacuum under 8 pounds (like the Shark PowerDetect). Traditional uprights and high-power pet vacuums weigh 15 to 18 pounds, which provides stability and deeper suction on plush carpet, but can be exhausting during multi-story cleaning sessions.

Battery Runtime (cordless): Ensure cordless models offer at least 40 minutes of runtime on standard modes. Keep in mind that running high-suction or turbo modes on thick pet carpets will drain most batteries in under 15 minutes.

Noise level: Some animals may be sensitive to the noise a vacuum emits. If you have a skittish animal in your household, a quiet vacuum will minimize disruptions. Standard vacuums run at 75–80+ decibels (dB), which can easily distress pets. If your pet is skittish, look for models operating at or below 70 dB—such as bagged canisters like the Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog, which muffle noise.

How we tested vacuums for pet hair 

We put all the best vacuums for pet hair through several tests that evaluate pickup performance and ease of use, including emptying and maintenance. Erica Puisis and James Brains contributed to testing insights.

Here's a breakdown of how much of each material the top picks cleaned up on each surface in our tests:

Floor cleaning: We poured different substances onto a patch of area rug, then onto the hardwood flooring, one at a time. We used 30 grams of baking soda, sugar (or coffee grounds), and rice (or cat litter); 15 grams of Cheerios; and a 1-gram mix of cat and dog fur of varying lengths. Then, we vacuumed up as much of each substance as possible in 30 seconds. We compared the dustbin's weight after vacuuming with its starting weight to determine how much of each material the vacuum collected. Previous iterations of testing entailed using flour instead of baking soda.

Battery (if applicable): We fully charged the vacuum and timed how long it could run on top power until the battery died. We also timed how long it took the battery to fully charge.

Ease of use: This is a somewhat subjective measure of experience. As I used each vacuum, we observed what made it difficult or easy to use. For example, the Dyson V15 Detect requires you to keep your finger on the trigger to keep the vacuum running and is heavy in the handheld configuration, making it harder to use. The cord got in the way with some of the corded vacuums we tested. The Miele lost points because of its suboptimal maneuverability.

Disposal: Aside from the Miele, which has a disposable vacuum bag, we emptied the dust bins of the vacuums at least a dozen times each and noted how messy the process was, and if we came into contact with the debris. Preference was given to vacuums that were easy to empty and didn't send dust flying outside the trash bin.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Jaclyn Turner, senior home editor: I've been testing the latest vacuum releases over the last five years, to the chagrin of my reactive cavapoo, who is sensitive to the noise. He doesn't shed that much, but I sure do, so I pay particular attention to how my hair wraps around the brushroll. The vacuums I use on repeat are the Shark Cordless Power Detect Clean and Empty and the Dyson V15 Detect.

Pet vacuum FAQs

What is the difference between a pet vacuum and a regular vacuum?

Many regular vacuums that aren't specifically marketed for pet hair work just fine for surface dirt, but dedicated pet vacuums are typically engineered with anti-tangle brush rolls that prevent hair from wrapping around the brush roll, sealed HEPA filtration to lock in dander and airborne allergens, and motorized pet tools designed to pull deeply embedded fur from upholstery and carpets.

Should I get a corded or cordless vacuum for pet hair?

Today's cordless stick vacuum performance is on par with that of their corded upright counterparts. Corded vacuums offer unlimited runtime and consistent high suction power, making them ideal for heavy shedders and wall-to-wall carpet. Cordless stick vacuums offer quick grab-and-go convenience for daily shed control, but high-suction modes drain batteries quickly (usually 10 to 15 minutes at max power).

Are robot vacuums good for pet hair?

Robot vacs are a great way to pick up loose pet hair before it becomes embedded in carpets. Run them daily or every other day for the best results, helping capture shed hair and whatever dirt and debris our favorite furry friends track in. However, they don't work on stairs or elevated surfaces. With pets around, you'll also want to consider options with advanced obstacle detection for the errant toy or worse, accident, sprinkled about the house. Auto-empty stations also help automate the cleaning task, so you'll only need to clean out the collected debris, for one less thing to have to babysit-we mean, pet-sit.

What are the best attachments for pet hair?

Brushrolls on the main head of most vacuum cleaners loosen pet hair enough for the vac to suck it up. But for furniture, cat trees, and dog beds, look for attachments with mini-motorized brush rolls or bristles that loosen fur. Also consider one of the best pet hair removers for quickly lifting embedded hair from furniture, carpets, and even clothing. 

• I tried Martha Stewart's favorite way to make scrambled eggs.
• Stewart said using clarified butter makes "the best scrambled eggs in the whole world."
• My scrambled eggs with clarified butter looked beautifully golden and tasted silky and creamy.

Martha Stewart has never led me astray.

I learn something new every time I interview the lifestyle icon, like how to make the perfect rice or one-pan pasta.

But Stewart's best tip was also her most surprising. I was shocked when she told me she often makes scrambled eggs with the same machine that whips up her coffee.

I put Stewart's hack to the test and made some of the fluffiest eggs I've ever tasted. So when I heard she had another technique for making the best scrambled eggs, I knew I had to try it.

Martha Stewart loves making scrambled eggs with clarified butter.

During a cooking demo at the 2021 Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, Stewart revealed that she got the idea for her egg hack after finding a pan of leftover clarified butter in the fridge.

"Usually, scrambled eggs are overdone or not so tasty," she told the crowd. "I cooked the eggs in the clarified butter, and they looked like golden, beautiful scrambled eggs."

I had never made clarified butter before, but Stewart said it created "the best scrambled eggs in the whole world." That was all I needed to hear!

You only need two ingredients to make Stewart's scrambled eggs.

"Clarified butter is unsalted butter that has been melted and separated from any of the whey or milk solids that are found in butter," Stewart explained on an episode of her former PBS show, "Martha Stewart's Cooking School."

You can buy ghee — clarified butter that has been cooked for longer — at the supermarket. But since Stewart made her own, I decided to do the same for this taste test.

Stewart said Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter clarifies nicely, so I grabbed a box from my local grocery store.

Then it was time to get clarifying.

During her Food and Wine demo, Stewart described how to clarify butter in some very simple terms: "You pour off the melted butter, the butterfat, and that's your clarified butter."

Since I wasn't familiar with the process before this experiment, I got a little more clarification with the help of this step-by-step article from Culinary Hill.

"Melt the butter over low heat," author Meggan Hill writes. "If the butter boils, the milk solids get dispersed throughout the fat, and you won't be able to skim them off."

"Skim off the foamy milk solids that rose to the top," she continues. "What you're left with is pure butterfat."

Sounds easy enough! So, I added knobs of butter to a small saucepan, turned the stove to low heat, and waited for the magic to happen.

Making clarified butter requires some patience.

Twenty minutes passed before I started seeing those foamy milk solids and could skim them off the top of the butter.

I carefully transferred the clarified butter once it was ready.

You can't just dump all the butter into a cup or jar once you've removed the milk solids on top. Clarified butter also has a bottom layer, which is the released water and more milk solids.

So, I used a ladle to transfer the clarified butter to a glass. It was a bright, gorgeous color that looked like pure liquid gold.

In hindsight, a glass wasn't the best way to store the clarified butter. I had plenty left over after making my scrambled eggs, so I'd recommend putting your butter in a jar or Tupperware instead.

It was time to make some eggs!

First, I cracked two eggs into a small bowl, sprinkled some salt on top, and gave them a quick whisk.

Then I added a spoonful of the clarified butter to my pan. I turned the stove to low heat and waited for the butter to warm up.

Stewart has an easy technique for cooking scrambled eggs.

In another "Martha Stewart's Cooking School" clip, the lifestyle expert gives her tips for cooking the best scrambled eggs.

Per her advice, I first checked if the butter was warm enough by sprinkling a few drops of water on top. If the water sizzles, the pan is ready. Then I added my eggs to the pan and continuously moved them around with a rubber spatula.

"You want the eggs to cook and set, but you don't want them to brown or get too hard," Stewart says in the clip. "So just stir around."

After two minutes in the pan, my scrambled eggs were ready.

They looked gorgeously fluffy and golden. I couldn't wait to see how they tasted with the clarified butter.

I spread my scrambled eggs on a slice of sourdough and dug in.

These scrambled eggs were absolutely delicious. They were silky, rich, and creamy, with a texture akin to the eggs I made with crème fraîche for Gordon Ramsay's breakfast sandwich.

My family tried the eggs as well and were big fans. My mom loved how "fresh and fluffy" they tasted, while my sister said the clarified butter added more depth of flavor.

This wouldn't be a true experiment without a comparison, so I also made a pan of scrambled eggs without clarified butter.

This was the first time I made scrambled eggs with Kerrygold, which has a higher butterfat content than most US brands.

So, were my scrambled eggs extra creamy because the butter was clarified, or simply because the butter was higher in fat? Let's find out.

After warming the butter, I once again added some eggs to the pan.

I didn't see a huge difference in appearance compared to the eggs with clarified butter, but I knew it'd really come down to the taste.

The eggs made with clarified butter tasted a little silkier and fluffier, but there wasn't a huge difference.

I won't be making clarified butter every week for my eggs, but I also don't need to — it can last for months in the fridge. Plus, you can use clarified butter for a number of things. My family finished our batch in a week, trying it on everything from branzino to the eggs on Ina Garten's avocado toast.

I think using a brand with higher butterfat, like Kerrygold, and cooking over low heat is really the key to getting a plate of super fluffy scrambled eggs. But if you happen to have some clarified butter or have time to whip up a batch, it will definitely make for a delicious breakfast.

• Inflation has cooled this summer, easing concerns about spiraling consumer prices.
• Morgan Stanley's top US economist sees lower CPI giving the Fed more breathing room.
• However, two drivers of inflation could force the Fed to keep rates higher for longer.

It's been a surprisingly cool summer on the inflation front, but there are still macro forces lurking that could cause the Fed to leave interest rates higher for long.

Morgan Stanley's chief US economist, Michael T. Gapen, said in a note to clients on Friday that core consumer price index data shows inflationary trends are receding. In his team's view, this will likely pave the way for the Fed to be patient and not rush to take action on interest rates after opting to hold them steady at the July meeting.

However, that forecast hinges on two key assumptions holding true.

"Our inflation forecast assumes full payback from recent supply side shocks without a new shock appearing," he wrote. "It also assumes limited AI-related demand side price pressures, either through the direct effect of memory and software prices or indirect effects of animal spirits via strong demand."

Gapen noted that either of these or both forecasts could prove incorrect. He highlighted two inflation risks that could complicate the Fed's outlook: an energy shock and the AI boom.

The US' war with Iran has kept inflation from falling further in recent month, with US households footing the bill for the historic disruption to global energy flows. Gapen is concerned about the possibility of further shocks spooking the central bank.

"Following the recent re-escalation between the US and Iran, both spot and futures prices have risen meaningfully, renewing concerns about inflation," he stated. "This has reversed the temporary decline in oil prices that followed the signing of the MOU between the two countries."

Meanwhile, Gapen also has concern about the impact of the AI buildout. He joins other bank commentators in predicting that, at least for now, AI isn't going to be a disinflationary force in the economy.

Gapen's analysis highlights the possibility that AI will raise the price of certain consumer goods, which could offset disinflationary trends elsewhere. Apple, for instance, has raised prices on some of its devices, with Tim Cook blaming the shortage of memory capacity driven by staggering demand from the AI buildout.

"We believe tariff pass-through is largely complete and that core goods inflation will move closer to its pre-Liberation Day trend," he said. "We do not expect a full reversion, however, as AI-related demand is likely to keep upward pressure on electronics prices over the next few quarters."

• The Tavo pet stroller is ideal for safely transporting small dogs.
• The 3-in-1 design works as a stroller, car seat, and carrier for dogs under 25 pounds.
• Tino, a chiweenie with IVDD, benefits from the Tavo stroller and it's improved his quality of life.

I love dogs.

As a toddler, I'd run up to stray dogs without fear, determined to pet every "good boy." After trying every pet imaginable — hamsters, fish, even a duck — my parents finally gave in and let me adopt my first dog, Doggie. My first adult pup, Violet, adored my kids but despised everyone else. In 2024, my husband and I adopted two chiweenies so our children could grow up with dogs, just like we did.

Then Tino, our 1.5-year-old black dog, got injured and was unable to walk. A colleague asked me if I wanted to try the Tavo pet stroller and car seat system, and I said something I'd never imagine saying, "I'd love to!"

I never thought I'd get a stroller for a dog

I'll be frank and admit that in the past, I rolled my eyes at the sight of dogs in strollers. I guess karma wanted to show me how wrong I was about them and how useful they can be, especially for little dogs.

In August 2025, Tino suddenly couldn't move his back legs. Panicked, I rushed him to the ER, fearing he'd eaten something toxic. After costly tests, a neurologist diagnosed him with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Surgery was over $10,000, so we opted for strict crate rest — eight weeks of short potty breaks and constant care in our living room.

My dog was sad, unable to be outside

At first, Tino seemed fine resting. But the more days went by, the more he tried to make his walks longer — something we knew we couldn't do. He was used to spending so much time outside, sniffing around, chasing squirrels, and sunbathing. He was getting depressed spending all day inside; he was listless, stopped wagging his tail in excitement, and only wanted to eat treats.

So I decided to do something unexpected: I accepted a Tavo pet car seat and stroller sample so we could take him out on walks without risking his health.

Tino is 13 pounds and pretty small overall. When he got injured, I had just had surgery and had a lift restriction, so I couldn't really pick him up at all. Both the small and medium car seats can hold dogs up to 25 pounds, which was perfect for what we needed.

The car seat alone weighs a little under 10 pounds, which meant I needed my husband's help to transfer it in and out of the car. That said, the wheels of the stroller are so smooth that it didn't feel like I was pushing nearly 20 pounds when we were walking around.

While we don't do a lot of commuting without a car, I can see how the Tavo might also be useful as a pet carrier. It's definitely sturdier than the travel carriers we use with our dogs and has a solid, removable handle, but I found it too heavy to carry just from the car to the house with Tino in it.

We both loved it

I know it sounds ridiculous, but all my skepticism flew out the window when I plopped Tino in the stroller. I secured him to one of the attached leashes to make sure he wouldn't jump out, and we stepped outside into the sunshine. His tail was wagging, and his nose was sniffing.

The Tavo pet stroller looks very much like a kids' stroller, and it didn't take long before my neighbors started stopping me to ask who was in the stroller. Many laughed when I told them it was Tino. My kids loved pushing it around, pretending we had a new baby in the family.

When I told this to my husband, he pointed out that it's from the same parent company as Nuna, the company that manufactures kids' strollers and car seats. We'd used the brand's strollers with our own kids, and suddenly, everything made more sense — no wonder the stroller had such attention to detail, like a cup holder, adjustable handlebars, brakes, a removable cover in case of accidents, and a retractable canopy that opens from both ends.

The price point is steep, but it does triple duty as a car seat and carrier

The Tavo can also be used as a car seat, something we had never used with any of our pets before. It came in handy with Tino since he kept trying to jump out of his travel bag, often knocking it sideways.

The car seat's base is so easy to install, and the carrier itself can be clipped and unclipped with one hand. I have a lot of experience folding up kids' strollers, and the Tavo pet stroller has got to be one of the easiest I've ever folded. I was able to do it with one hand, just by pressing a button and folding it.

With the car seat attached to my car, I could safely take him on his regular vet visits. That said, because we have three kids, if we were all going somewhere together, we either went in two cars (which was not ideal) or I had Tino on my lap (which he loved but wasn't very safe). The car seat's interior is soft and comfortable. The canopy can be closed and locked on either side, just one side, or left open on both sides. There's also the option of just leaving a mesh closed so your dog can look out while being fully enclosed. Tino loves sitting in it and looking out the window.

The car seat and stroller bundle retails for $500 for the small and comes in five different fabric colors. The larger car seat is $600. The price point is comparable to a kids' stroller and more than I had spent on a single item for my dogs before. But with Tino and Churro, we have been splurging a bit more and getting them quality products that solve our problems. While the stroller system is pricey, it was much cheaper than surgery, which would've also come with weeks of crate rest for Tino. There are other pet strollers available for less, but they are not as dynamic as the Tavo, and most don't double as a car seat.

I'm a dog stroller mom now

Tino finished his eight weeks of crate rest and can now walk small distances at a time. In his head, he is ready to start running after squirrels again, but we still can't let him since IVDD has a high chance of reinjury. Because of that, we are sticking to using the stroller longer than I first anticipated.

Now we walk around our neighborhood watching the leaves change colors around us — something I never imagined doing.

• Simone I. Smith shares four children and four grandkids with the rapper.
• She started a jewelry business to foster her passion for design.
• She learned about entrepreneurship and marriage from her grandparents, she says.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Simone I. Smith, founder of Simone I. Smith Jewelry. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Earlier this year, I spoke with middle schoolers at the same Queens school that I grew up attending. A lot has changed since I attended that school while being raised by my grandparents. Some things have stayed the same, though — my best friend from first grade still brings over pizza from our favorite joint when she's near my house.

I told those kids that communication is key in business. And, you've got to surround yourself with people who understand your vision, you know what I mean? It's going to be hard to bring your vision to fruition without that.

One of the people who understands my vision is my husband of nearly 31 years. I call him Todd, but he's better known as LL Cool J. Building a business, with Todd's support, has given me passion and purpose beyond being a wife and mother.

I think a good pair of hoops has power

One day, Todd came home and told me someone had approached him about starting a jewelry brand. I was immediately excited: it was a perfect fit for him, with his famous lyric in "Around the Way Girl" about the bamboo earrings, at least two pairs.

Todd decided he was too busy to take on the project, but he'd seen how excited I was at the idea of designing. I still had kids at home, but Todd told me that if I wanted to look into creating a business, he'd support me. I made a few calls and connected with a friend of a friend who's a jewelry manufacturer. He became my business partner.

I wanted to bless women with the best hoop earrings on the planet. I can't leave the house without my hoops. They're my superpower. I wanted women, from the boardroom to the block, to experience the confidence I feel when I wear my hoops.

My grandparents taught me about entrepreneurship and marriage

I learned about entrepreneurship from my grandmother, Anne Hayes Pyle. She wouldn't have called herself an entrepreneur, but she was. She did private nursing and was an amazing cook who catered events for 50 years, all while raising her grandkids. She'd have me, my sisters, and cousins in that kitchen, helping her. That's where I learned about hard work and dedication.

My grandparents also taught me about marriage. When Todd and I were living in LA in the 90s, I called home to talk to my grandmother. I was furious: Todd had done a music video, and I didn't like how this dancer was touching him, licking his cheek.

My grandma wasn't home that day, but my grandpa was. He said, "You know how Todd is — he's an artist." But he also told me it was OK to be mad. And he gave me words I still live by: no matter how annoyed I am, I never stop praying for my spouse. My grandfather and grandmother prayed together and for each other for their whole lives.

I want to be remembered for sisterhood

When I die, I want people to share amazing stories about me as they celebrate my life. I want them to say "Simone was dope. She was a god-fearing woman who was loyal and kind. And she designed the hottest jewelry on the planet."

I'm all about empowerment and sisterhood. That's what my jewelry really is about. My marriage is wonderful, but some of the closest relationships in my life are with my friends — my sisters. Whether it's my best friend from elementary school or Mary J. Blige, who has become a sister, I'm a girl's girl. I'm glad I can help give the women of the world the confidence they need.

• Trump is pushing a switch back to steam-powered catapults for a future Ford-class carrier.
• Trump has long criticized the Ford class' electromagnetic aircraft-launch system.
• The change could add billions in costs and force a major redesign, a defense expert said.

After years of criticizing the new electromagnetic catapults on the US Navy's newest aircraft carriers, President Donald Trump is now officially pushing for a return to steam-powered systems for a future carrier.

The first Navy aircraft carrier to use electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft was USS Gerald R. Ford, setting a new technology standard for future carriers.

During his first term in office, Trump railed against the new catapults, as well as the new weapons elevators, saying they "don't work" and telling troops future carriers would use steam.

On Thursday, Trump released a memo on Navy shipbuilding and the industrial base. As part of a longer list of initiatives and investments, including plans to establish a fifth public shipyard and grow the workforce, the president tasked the Department of Defense to begin planning for the replacement of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, and advanced weapons elevators on a future carrier with steam and hydraulic systems.

Trump gave the Secretary of Defense and the Navy Secretary 60 days to develop a plan with timelines and resource requirements.

The future carrier, USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), will be the US Navy's fourth Ford-class carrier; the ship is being built by Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding and is scheduled for delivery in 2034, two years later than originally planned.

The Doris Miller is preceded by the USS John F. Kennedy, which is expected to commission early next year, and the USS Enterprise, expected to enter service sometime in 2031.

In the memo, Trump didn't provide any particular rationale for the shift back to steam and hydraulics; however, the president has a history of complaining about the EMALS. Early in his first term, he referred to it as a "digital catapult system" and demanded the Navy go back "to goddamned steam."

He has said repeatedly that operators have to be Albert Einstein to work what he has called the Ford's "crazy electric catapult."

"They want to show next, next, next," the president said in a 2019 address to US service members abroad. "And we all want innovation, but it's too much. There's never been anything like the steam catapult."

The criticisms have continued into Trump's second term. Last month during a defense summit, the president again pushed back on EMALS. "Billions of dollars more they spent on electric catapults, and they're not good," he said.

Trump's plan to switch the catapults, arresting gear, and elevators on the future Doris Miller is expected to be costly and represent a massive shift in the carrier's construction.

Steam catapults are no longer in production, and the manufacturing lines for the components dried up after the Navy's last purchase 20 years ago, raising questions about how the industrial base will adapt to Trump's memo.

"The Navy is saving about $100 million a year on the Ford because it requires fewer people and less maintenance," Bryan Clark, a retired Navy officer and defense expert at the Hudson Institute, told Business Insider on Friday.

"Redesigning the carriers to replumb them for steam piping to the catapults will take multiple years and cost billions of dollars," he said in an email.

After Trump's announcement on Thursday, General Atomics, which secured a $1.2 billion contract to build the EMALS and Advanced Arresting Gear for the Miller, said that the decision "warrants careful reconsideration."

"With nearly 50 percent of production complete, changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule and integration risks, the company said in a statement.

USS Gerald R. Ford, the first-in-class carrier which cost over $13 billion to build, experienced severe delays and cost overruns during construction, set sail on a short deployment in 2022. That was followed by its first full-length operational deployment the following year.

The ship is currently in Virginia for repairs following a long 11-month deployment that saw it support operations in the Caribbean, including the raid to capture former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and in the Middle East as part of the US war with Iran.

Earlier this year, the Navy said that preliminary reports on the catapults and arresting gear indicated they had "contributed to an increased sortie generation rate compared to that of a Nimitz-class carrier."

• The UK is enduring its fifth heat wave this summer, with temperatures reaching 101 degrees.
• Londoners are using office AC, fans, outdoor pools, and cooler getaways to beat the heat.
• Business Insider's Roya Shahidi explains how she's trying (and failing) to stay cool on a workday.

The UK is going through its fifth heat wave this summer. At this point, trying to stay cool feels like a full-time job.

Unfortunately for me, I'm the sort of person who struggles with both the cold and heat. A breezy day at 70 degrees Fahrenheit is my idea of nice weather.

The hottest temperature recorded this summer so far was 101 degrees in Kew Gardens, London, on Thursday, and the UK's Met Office says this summer is on track to be the hottest on record.

Of course, this kind of temperature is typical in many parts of the world, but living in a country with an aversion to air conditioning and buildings seemingly designed to trap heat, it's been quite the struggle.

We Brits talk about the weather constantly — rain or shine. It's a stereotype that, from my experience (and that of my American colleagues), holds true.

And so, in keeping with tradition, I will offer a little insight into how my fellow Londoners and I have been trying to stay cool on a typical workday in the heat wave.

My job is flexible, but going into the office for AC is a must for me.

Work from home has been mostly out the window for me. Every time I attempt to get work done in my swelteringly hot flat — which somehow feels hotter than the outdoors — I regret not going into the office.

As someone with a short commute, I'm lucky in this regard, so I spent Thursday in the office. For those having to brave a long commute on AC-less public transport, it's more of a toss-up.

The only issue with this is that the air conditioning is almost too powerful in the office, so a sweater is a must.

After work, the streets were full of people drinking pints.

I've definitely spotted more people than usual out socializing after work.

Outdoor, riverside, and park-side venues have been outperforming indoor venues in London and the South East during the heatwave, according to analysis by the restaurant reporting and intelligence firm Tenzo.

Though it must be said, drinking pints of beer is not a way to stay hydrated.

A fan has been absolutely essential.

To actually be able to work in the first place, I need a decent night's sleep. Without any AC, the only way this is possible is by blasting a fan on my face.

I'm not the only one. Sales of fans were up almost 3,000% in June, Alex Baldock, CEO of electrical retailer Currys, told The Guardian.

But really, I should have invested in an electric mini fan, too.

If you take the tube, you'll see countless people holding handheld electric fans to stay cool on our mostly AC-less public transport.

In fact, it's become so essential that the $149.99 Shark ChillPill handheld fan has transformed into a status symbol, as Business Insider's Joshua Nelken-Zitser reported.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't get the memo, so instead I'm getting mild wrist pains from my (much cheaper) paper fan.

I tried to book a session for outdoor swimming after work, but it was harder than getting concert tickets.

London's lidos and outdoor pools are a great option for cooling down after a day of work.

But with everyone having the same idea, you have to book in advance, especially in that 5-7 p.m. window after work.

Business Insider's Georgia Hennessey spoke to Londoners visiting Sea Lanes in Canary Wharf about how they had to refresh the booking page and pray there was a cancellation just to get some swimming in.

I went to the park instead so I could avoid my always-hot flat.

With the high temperatures and dry weather, drought has been declared in most of England. Lush green grass, perfect for picnics, like at Potters Fields Park by Tower Bridge, has now turned into dusty brown ground.

Festivals, which are normally held in parks and fields, have become more like Burning Man than the rainy, muddy affairs they were in years gone by. My festival attire essential for this summer has been a dust mask, rather than wellie boots.

At the park, I ate a cold dinner; my diet has consisted of no-cook foods.

I usually love to cook, but I've had to adjust my diet to the heatwaves.

Turning on the oven or boiling water on the hob makes the flat unbearably hot, and so I've mostly got through the summer with salads and grazing spreads.

I wish I could get out of the city more regularly.

Booking a staycation somewhere near the sea or even outside London has been a great idea for many of my friends. While the whole UK is experiencing the heat wave, it does feel cooler when you leave the sweltering ecosystem that is London.

When I went to Wiltshire for a friend's birthday weekend in August, I actually felt cold — granted, this was at night — for the first time in months. It was strangely nice.

This week, I'm dreaming about getting out of the country to go somewhere cooler.

Instead of going to the usual Spain or Greece, many Brits have opted to go further north to Scandinavian countries.

Online travel agent Trivago told the Financial Times that bookings from the UK for July and August were up 57% in Sweden and 55% in Norway from last year.

Earlier this summer, I went to Dublin, where temperatures are usually cooler than in London. The weather was still warm enough to sunbathe, but don't be fooled by the photo; the water temperature was still freezing.

When all else fails, a cup of ice-cold water on the forehead will do.

I don't think I've had an icy glass of water this summer without having to place it on my forehead for some instant relief.

I'm more than ready for this heat wave to end — and, more seriously, the extreme temperatures are concerning.

Still, in the depths of January, in the cold, dark, endlessly rainy days, a part of me will miss the heat.

• I gave up freelancing after the instability became overwhelming.
• Two part-time jobs give me a reliable paycheck and schedule.
• My first summer as an employed mom has brought childcare stress, screen time, and plenty of guilt.

Ever since becoming a mom 12 years ago, most of my work has been freelance.

Being self-employed has always been the only way I could work, as my partner has no flexibility in his job, we haven't had family who could consistently watch the kids, and I couldn't afford to put my three kids in childcare.

If I wanted to make money and keep my résumé up to date, working for myself was the only option. It gave me the flexibility I needed.

I struggled to get freelance work

However, last November, running my own freelance journalism business became overwhelming. I watched as publication after publication laid off staff, leading to increased competition in the freelance market. I was struggling to get work, struggling to cope with rejection, struggling with inconsistency.

I knew the time had come to abandon self-employment and seek full-time employment instead. My kids were all in school, and after school, it would be fine to just watch TV or play games until I could shut off my computer.

Fortunately, I found two part-time jobs fairly quickly — working to support victims of domestic abuse and also reporting for a publication about the South Wales valleys, where I now call home. They both started in January.

Both my kids and I had to adjust

The first five months were a whirlwind as my kids and I adjusted to my new schedule. Our dinners were often grilled cheese with cucumber on the side, the house has been a constant mess, and I haven't been able to attend every event the school invites parents to.

But nothing could prepare me for the summer holidays as an employed mom. Here in the UK, kids are out of school from the middle of July until the end of August — about six to seven weeks.

We are all still adjusting to my being fully employed.

When I was freelancing, I spent most of the summer freaking out about where my work would come from. Staff would be on vacation, content had been pre-planned, and there was a skeletal staff. Everything was quiet. Even though I worked hard to get work, I struggled to find any. That meant inconsistent income during one of the most expensive times of the year for parents.

Now I know every month, I've got a paycheck coming in — even in the summer months. That's a huge weight lifted.

Even though the work feels like a lot, now that I'm employed, I do have consistent workdays and times, which means I can make summer plans for the kids. I signed them up for a free morning camp at their school for two weeks, asked friends to have them on days I know I have phone calls, bought a gym membership for my eldest so he can get out of the house while I'm working, and their grandparents agreed to take them out for a couple of days. I also plan hours of gaming and TV time when there is no other childcare option.

I miss spending time with my kids

I miss having fun with my kids. My three boys are full of energy and life, and I would love to spend more time with them during the summer.

When I was self-employed, I'd take them for unhurried walks, go to cafés, watch mid-afternoon movies with popcorn, do art projects, and just wander aimlessly through shops. This year, we have had the hottest summer on record in the UK, and I would have loved to escape to the beach with them, but I can't.

Instead, I have been attempting to find ways to keep them busy while I work. Planning childcare and activities to occupy them has become a job in itself. I'm all for letting them get bored, but when they do, they argue, ask for snacks, and interrupt my work. In the line of work I'm in, I can't be interrupted, so it's imperative that they have things to do. If not, I use technology.

They are watching a lot of TV and playing a lot of games. This isn't educational content — it's mind-numbing. But if there is nowhere else for them to go and I have to get phone calls done and meet deadlines, it's the best way to keep them quiet. I'm telling myself that I used to watch a lot of TV during the summers when I was a kid, and I turned out OK.

Our house has stacks everywhere, literally everywhere. Stacks of clothes — clean and dirty. Stacks of dishes. Stacks of papers. Stacks of toys. Stacks of books. Stacks of things to go upstairs and downstairs. I collect things from around the house and put them away before I go to bed — at least the house can then appear tidy — but actual cleaning has gone out the window. I'm considering hiring a cleaner to come and do an end-of-summer deep clean.

All of the above has led to extreme mom guilt. Parenting young children while working full-time is a mammoth task. I may not be doing it perfectly, but I'm doing it, and my kids are happy, safe, and loved — that's what matters most.

• As a recent college graduate, I love shopping at Aldi and spend roughly $30 a week.
• I think the store's fruit selection is reasonably priced and offers the best value.
• Clancy's jalapeño kettle chips are one of my favorite snacks, and they're only $2 a bag.

One of my biggest brags as a freshly postgrad 22-year-old is that I spend roughly $30 a week on groceries.

I have this frugal system down to a science: keeping my pantry stocked with Aldi staples leaves room in my budget for fun snacks and drinks, lots of produce, and desserts.

To make sure I'm getting the best value, I periodically buy these products in bulk and always take advantage of the store's weekly specials.

Here are nine of my favorite Aldi items.

Prices may vary depending on location.

I love the Friendly Farms nonfat Greek yogurt.

Whenever I'm at Aldi, I always make sure to pick up a container of the Friendly Farms nonfat Greek yogurt.

Not only is this yogurt thick and creamy, but it's also priced at only $3 for a 32-ounce container. Plus, each serving contains 17 grams of protein, and there are five servings per container — meaning it will last a while in my fridge.

The BelGioioso fresh mozzarella is one of my favorite snacks.

I love adding BelGioioso fresh mozzarella snacking cheeses to pasta salads for lunch or pairing them with a little tomato for a quick snack.

A bonus: they're only $4 a pack.

Aldi's cucumbers are a great size for the price, and they taste amazing.

One of my favorite meals is a cucumber salad, so I love that these are only $0.75 each at my local store.

Not only are they a great price, but I love that each cucumber is enormous — ensuring I'm getting a great value.

Season's Choice steamed frozen broccoli florets are a must in my household.

I eat broccoli almost every night with dinner, so I always stock up on the Season's Choice steamed broccoli florets whenever I'm at Aldi.

At $1 per bag, this frozen broccoli is the best quality of any store brand I've found.

My go-to chips are the Clancy's jalapeño version at Aldi.

I like my potato chips ridiculously spicy. Clancy's jalapeño kettle chips are the best I've tried, and are only $2 a bag.

The Moser Roth chocolate bars are my favorite sweet treat.

I can't believe how good the Moser Roth chocolate bars are.

These $3 bars taste great on their own, but I also like to add chunks to my oatmeal or yogurt bowls.

Earth Grown organic tofu has great flavor and is packed with protein.

I'm a vegetarian, so tofu is one of my favorite ways to incorporate protein into my everyday meals. I love the Earth Grown extra-firm organic version at Aldi, which is only $2 a pack.

I like to keep the tofu in the freezer, and when I'm ready to cook it, I air-fry or sauté it with some cornstarch.

Dakota's Pride garbanzo beans always end up in my cart.

Dakota's Pride garbanzo beans are the basis of every meal I eat.

Whether I'm making a salad or curry, I always need these in my cabinet. Plus, one can is just under $1.

I think Aldi's fruit selection is an incredible value.

Every time I visit Aldi, I always pick up some fruit. Of all the grocery stores I've visited, Aldi's selection of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries is the most reasonably priced and offers the best value.

On this trip, I grabbed a container of La Bella Vita strawberries for only $2.

Curious to know what other shoppers are buying? Check out our other Aldi diaries here.

• A Ryanair passenger was partially sucked out of a plane window last month.
• The NTSB's preliminary report found that an engine fan blade broke off, shattering the window.
• Pictures from the plane show substantial engine damage and a missing window.

Investigators released their first report on Thursday into how a Ryanair passenger ended up partially sucked out of a plane window.

The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report found that a fan blade broke off from the right engine, and engine fragments damaged the fuselage and shattered a window.

On July 10, the Boeing 737 was operating a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany. There were 149 passengers and six crew members on board.

As the plane was climbing through 16,000 feet, the pilots received a high-vibration indication for the right engine, the report said. The crew followed the checklist, and the vibrations decreased, but then "increased significantly."

Investigators said there was a loud bang and a cabin altitude warning. Passengers and the crew put on their oxygen masks. The pilots started an emergency descent.

One of the flight attendants then saw that some passengers were standing up and calling for help.

"The FA noticed that the passenger in seat 11F was partially lodged in a damaged cabin window, and that the entire window was missing," investigators wrote in the report.

"Other passengers were assisting and managed to pull the injured passenger back into the cabin," they added.

One passenger went to the front of the plane and got a metal box to block the hole.

The injured person was moved to the row behind and attended to by another passenger, who was a doctor.

After the pilots descended below 10,000 feet, where there is enough oxygen to breathe normally, they were able to fly back to Thessaloniki.

Investigators later found bird remains and feathers inside the engine, which were given to the Smithsonian Institution Feather Identification Lab for examination.

The incident is similar to one that occurred on a Southwest flight in 2018, also involving a Boeing 737 with the same type of CFM engines.

An engine blade broke off, shattered a window, and a passenger was nearly sucked out of the hole. She was pulled back in by other passengers, but later died from her injuries.

In 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration issued airworthiness directives designed to prevent the risk of broken engine fan blades being sent toward the fuselage.

The NTSB found that this work had not yet been undertaken on the Ryanair plane, but airlines are only required to do so by July 2028.

Ryanair declined to comment until the investigation is concluded.

• Disney is adopting an all-in-one strategy for its namesake streaming app.
• Disney+ may soon be home to games and merchandise, CEO Josh D'Amaro told staffers.
• One analyst warned that a super app could lead to "a whole lot of mediocrity."

Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro's dream of building a streaming "super app" is coming into focus, but big questions remain about whether it can juice revenue and engagement.

"Disney+ will continue to evolve, bringing together games, merchandise, and other experiences, while offering increased personalization, exclusivity, and benefits for subscribers," D'Amaro told employees in a post-earnings memo last week, first reported on by Business Insider.

The supercharged Disney+ would "deepen engagement, improve the value proposition, lower churn, and — most importantly — increase lifetime fan value," D'Amaro said to staffers. The memo said these updates could come starting next spring.

Some media analysts are skeptical that fans are eager to play games or buy merch in between streaming shows and movies.

"When you have a 'super app,' you wind up with a whole lot of mediocrity," said Alan Wolk, a media industry analyst at TVREV.

Folding games and shopping into Disney+ could create a confusing and annoying experience, Wolk said.

However, if executed properly, a more comprehensive Disney+ app could drive higher revenue while growing engagement and loyalty.

Hernan Lopez, founder of the media consulting firm Owl & Co., said that upselling experiences through Disney+ would help D'Amaro's company make more money from its most passionate fans.

"The potential revenue of a single day of a theme park visit can be higher than a year's worth of a Disney+ subscription," Lopez said.

Selling tickets to parks and cruises is enticing for Disney since its Experiences business drives the bulk of its profits. However, a "meaningful uptick" in sales of park tickets or merch sounds "aspirational," said John Conca, a media analyst at research firm Third Bridge.

"Any benefits from having a 'super app' are incremental rather than transformational," Conca said.

D'Amaro needs Disney's streaming business to be transformative to help jump-start the company's stagnant stock. Disney shares are down 8% in the past 12 months, and are up 10% in the last 10 years, while the S&P 500 has more than tripled.

Building a 'showcase for the entire Disney universe'

Disney has been looking for ways to jumpstart viewership on its namesake streamer. Disney+ is absorbing Hulu's content and features and added a short-form video feed earlier this year. Soon, Disney+ will add a curated feed of Disney-themed TikToks.

Disney's streamers had a 4.9% viewership share on US TVs in May, up slightly from 4.7% at the end of 2025, according to Nielsen. YouTube has grown its share from 12.7% to 13.8% in that same span, as consumers embrace free services.

Disney is "exploring a free product for consumers," D'Amaro said last week.

For Disney+ to meaningfully grow engagement, it "should be far more than a streaming service," said Paolo Pescatore, a media analyst at PP Foresight.

"Disney+ should be the masterpiece and showcase for the entire Disney universe," Pescatore said, adding that it should expand its offering from movies, TV, and sports to games, creator content, merch, and tickets to parks and cruises.

Adding e-commerce features to Disney+ can help the Mouse House better understand its fans, including what they like to interact with and buy, Pescatore said.

While a well-executed super app could help Disney make more money from its fans, Forrester analyst Mike Proulx said Disney must avoid turning its beloved streamer into "a digital shopping mall."

"Disney is chasing engagement, frequency, and ad inventory, but there's a risk to its customer experience if Disney+ becomes too cluttered," Proulx said.

Games could drive engagement, but may not be 'transformational'

Interactive content like games could also help Disney+ grow revenue by keeping fans from getting bored and canceling, Lopez said.

"Services need to give people more reasons to open them regularly, rather than simply turning up when a major film or series lands," Pescatore said.

Movies and TV shows are expensive to produce, so Disney+ could use cheaper ways to keep fans engaged between seasons of "Dancing with the Stars" and after hits like "The Bear" end.

"Disney is hoping to lower churn by filling those gaps with more reasons to engage," Proulx said.

That could be an uphill battle, though. Games don't seem to be moving the needle much for Netflix, even after years of investment.

"Netflix is proof that it will take significant time before that becomes any sort of engagement driver," Conca said.

• SpaceX closed its $60 billion acquisition of the AI coding startup Cursor on Friday.
• Cursor already helped train two new Grok models and uses SpaceX's Colossus supercomputer.
• Paid Cursor subscribers also already got access to some of SpaceX's AI products.

The ink has dried.

SpaceX closed its $60 billion acquisition of the AI coding startup Cursor on Friday. The two companies first partnered in April, giving Elon Musk's space company the right to buy Cursor. SpaceX officially committed to the acquisition in June.

On SpaceX's August earnings call, Musk was hesitant to give any details about the SpaceX-Cursor partnership. "We don't want to jump the gun on regulators for closing the acquisition," he said.

The two companies, however, have already been close collaborators. Here's how.

Supporting Grok

Used a new Grok model? You have Cursor to thank.

Cursor trained Grok 4.5 jointly with SpaceX. That included using "trillions of tokens of Cursor data," the AI coding company said. It was the first model Cursor built that wasn't only for software engineering.

"It's been a pleasure working with the SpaceXAI team on it," Cursor cofounder Aman Sanger said on X in July.

The company also helped train Grok 4.6, which SpaceX released on Wednesday.

Compute

Cursor's partnership had one colossal benefit.

The company got to use Colossus, SpaceX's supercomputer powered by 200,000 Nvidia GPUs. The data center is also used by Anthropic.

In its April announcement, Cursor wrote that using Colossus would allow the company to "dramatically scale up" its models' intelligence.

"We've wanted to push our training efforts much further, but we've been bottlenecked by compute," Cursor wrote.

Bundled subscriptions

SpaceX released its new AI agent, called Grok Bot, on Tuesday.

It was available for SuperGrok Heavy users, as expected. Cursor Ultra subscribers and Cursor Premium Teams also gained access to the product.

Recent Grok releases were also included as "first-party models" in Cursor's system.

• A version of this story originally appeared in the BI Tech Memo newsletter.
• Sign up for the weekly BI Tech Memo newsletter here.

Of all the things Anthropic has done, this one probably shocks regular people the most. The AI giant bought millions of used books, cut off their spines, scanned the contents to train its models, and then destroyed the originals.

Most people hear that and think it's awful. But Anthropic was actually following copyright law, which lets you digitize a book you own as long as you don't create an extra copy. In a high-profile case, a federal judge ruled this part of Anthropic's process was fair use.

The bigger question has always been what happens after the training, when models use what they've learned to generate new content.

The US Copyright Office examined that issue last year and identified the biggest weakness in AI companies' argument. One of the four fair-use tests asks whether the new work harms the market for the original. The Copyright Office concluded that using copyrighted works to create commercial content that competes with those works "goes beyond traditional fair-use boundaries."

The problem was proving it. Now there's evidence.

Researchers recently analyzed more than 14,000 ebooks sold on Amazon between 2023 and 2026. They found many books with substantial amounts of AI-written text — so many that they squeezed the market for everyone else.

The number of books with sales exploded 19-fold, while the total amount of money readers spent on those books grew ninefold. In other words, the market got much more crowded without growing nearly as fast, leaving less revenue for the average title. Books with no detected AI text lost market share as AI books spread, the researchers also found.

That's exactly the kind of market harm the Copyright Office said courts should be looking for. When AI can produce thousands of books at almost no cost, human authors end up competing against a flood of new content (that wouldn't exist without their original work).

Ed Newton-Rex, CEO of the nonprofit Fairly Trained, noted that AI companies have said their models don't financially harm the creators whose work they learned from. This research leaves that argument "well and truly dead," he wrote on X.

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

• First lady Melania Trump has appeared at numerous White House events in recent months.
• The first lady released a documentary, "Melania," in January.
• She continues to promote her Fostering the Future and Presidential AI challenge initiatives.

Melania Trump has been known as an enigmatic first lady since President Donald Trump's first term, but her public appearances and outfit choices can provide a window into her approach to the role.

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, she has attended numerous events during Donald Trump's second, non-consecutive term, such as the premiere of her "Melania" documentary, King Charles and Queen Camilla's state visit, and appearances promoting her Fostering the Future and Presidential AI Challenge initiatives.

Melania Trump's muted fashion choices could also indicate a more guarded approach to the role of first lady. At White House events, she has largely appeared wearing suits and 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.

March 24, 2026: She spoke on the first day of the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit.

The event, attended by the spouses of 38 world leaders, focused on children's well-being across education, innovation, and technology.

"This room is filled with extraordinary human capital," Melania Trump said. "Leaders: harness it to elevate your children, to empower your people, and to accelerate your economies."

Melania Trump wore a gray Dolce & Gabbana pantsuit.

March 25, 2026: On the second day of the summit, she held a roundtable at the White House with eight spouses of world leaders.

In attendance were Brigitte Macron of France, Princess Lalla Hasnaa of Morocco, Sheikha Alyazia bint Saif Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, Marta Nawrocka of Poland, Maricel Cohen de Mulino of Panama, Fatima Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Gertrude Mutharika of Malawi, and Prindon Sadriu of Kosovo.

Melania Trump wore a white suit.

March 31, 2026: The president and first lady attended the opening night of "Chicago" at the Kennedy Center.

Melania Trump wore a flapper-inspired white fringe dress designed by Michael Kors.

April 6, 2026: Melania Trump read a book to children at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

Melania Trump read "The Runaway Bunny" by Margaret Wise Brown. She wore a navy blazer and white shirt by Ralph Lauren, and white slacks by Dolce & Gabbana.

April 9, 2026: Melania Trump gave a statement dispelling reports of her ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Melania Trump said that Epstein did not introduce her to Donald Trump, that she "never had a relationship" with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, and that she was "not Epstein's victim" and had no knowledge of his abuse.

"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," she said.

April 13, 2026: Donald Trump and Melania Trump greeted King Willem-Alexander and Queen Màxima of the Netherlands at the White House.

Melania Trump wore a black-and-white Erdem gown to greet the Dutch royals, who visited the White House as part of a three-day trip to the US.

April 15, 2026: Melania Trump spoke at a roundtable discussion about the foster care system with the House Ways and Means Committee.

Melania Trump advocated for legislation related to "housing instability, educational advocacy, financial barriers, transportation, continuity, access to technology, and other related issues" in the foster care system.

She wore a beige pantsuit.

April 23, 2026: She was joined by Usha Vance at the annual First Lady's Luncheon.

The bipartisan event is hosted each year by The Congressional Club Museum and Foundation.

Melania Trump wore an ivory Dior jacket with a black Dolce & Gabbana pencil skirt.

April 25, 2026: Melania Trump appeared alongside Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner before a shooting cut the event short.

The president, first lady, and other high-ranking administration officials were rushed out of the Washington Hilton ballroom by Secret Service members when shots were heard in the lobby during the dinner.

A suspect was charged with attempted assassination of the president in what is the third known attempt on Donald Trump's life.

Melania Trump later reappeared with Donald Trump in the White House Briefing Room, still wearing her black Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo dress.

April 27, 2026: Donald Trump and Melania Trump welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla to the White House for a state visit.

On the first day of the royal visit, the Trumps shared afternoon tea with the king and queen and showed them the new White House beehive. Melania Trump wore a butter-yellow skirt suit by Adam Lippes.

April 28, 2026: The royal visit continued with a state arrival ceremony at the White House, where Melania Trump and Queen Camilla wore similar looks.

The first lady wore a white Ralph Lauren skirt suit with a straw hat, while Queen Camilla wore a mint-green Fiona Clare coatdress with a wide-brimmed hat and a diamond brooch that belonged to Queen Elizabeth.

April 28, 2026: Later that night, the White House hosted a state dinner in the royals' honor.

Melania Trump's pale-pink Christian Dior gown coordinated with Camilla's fuchsia Fiona Clare dress.

April 20, 2026: Donald Trump and Melania Trump bid farewell to the king and queen at the South Portico of the White House.

Melania Trump wore a charcoal gray suit from Dior, while Donald Trump's blue tie matched Camilla's pleated Anna Valentine dress.

May 6, 2026: Melania Trump introduced Donald Trump's speech at a Mother's Day event for military mothers.

In her remarks, Melania Trump called mothers "the soul of our nation."

"This is a time of military conflict for America," she said. "And whereby we honor our selfless and valiant Service Members regularly, today is the day we hold their mothers in the highest regard."

May 19, 2026: Melania Trump joined her husband at the annual Congressional Picnic.

The first lady wore a pink floral Valentino jumpsuit as she greeted lawmakers on the South Lawn of the White House.

June 9, 2026: Melania Trump hosted the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge National Champion Awards Ceremony.

Melania Trump presented awards to six student teams that placed as finalists of the Presidential AI Challenge. The student groups used AI to develop models, including a "Homework Helper" and a "Friendzone Chatbot Bullying Prevention App."

"Today is about opening doors," she said in her speech. "When new doors open, passions flow, courage blossoms, and dreams are realized. AI inspires."

She wore a Dolce & Gabbana pinstripe suit.

June 11, 2026: She appeared at the US Treasury Department to launch Fostering the Future Accounts.

As part of her Fostering the Future initiative, Melania Trump expanded access to Trump accounts — investment accounts for children supported by the US Treasury with a one-time $1,000 deposit — to support foster youth.

She wore a black Dolce & Gabbana blazer, a white skirt by Adam Lippes, and white Christian Louboutin heels.

June 15, 2026: Melania Trump accompanied Donald Trump to UFC Freedom 250.

Donald Trump held a series of Ultimate Fighting Championship matches at the White House in honor of his 80th birthday and America's 250th anniversary. The UFC Freedom 250 event was hosted in a temporary 4,000-seat arena built on the South Lawn of the White House.

Melania Trump attended the event wearing a black leather jacket and a black dress, both from Dolce & Gabbana.

July 4, 2026: She attended the "Salute to America" event on the National Mall to celebrate America's 250th birthday.

The president and first lady celebrated America's semiquincentennial at the "Salute to America" event featuring military flyovers, musical performances, and fireworks.

Melania Trump wore a belted, white polka-dot shirtdress by Adam Lippes.

July 19, 2026: Melania Trump kept a lower profile with just one other appearance in July, joining Donald Trump at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final.

Melania Trump and Donald Trump were joined by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at the match between Spain and Argentina.

The first lady wore a tan Thom Browne jacket, a white Gap T-shirt, and white Ralph Lauren pants.

While Melania Trump only made two public appearances in July, the Office of the First Lady announced on July 30 that she helped reunite five Ukrainian and Russian children with their families who had been displaced by the ongoing war.

"While diplomacy and peacebuilding are important to this effort, they are surpassed by our collective ability to place children above international disputes," she said in a statement issued by the White House. Every reunion is a reminder that compassion, dignity, and family can transcend even the darkest of times: war."

• I never thought I'd own a house — and then, I moved in with my homeowner partner.
• We both had some nerves and insecurities at first, but then had an honest conversation about money.
• We decided to split most costs and planned what would happen if we were to break up.

"I never want to own a house."

That's what I had said, confidently, for years. After growing up assuming I'd own a house one day, I realized, like most millennials, I might never be able to comfortably afford one.

I decided to be at peace with it and leaned in. No giant repair bills, no being house poor, no weeding a garden on weekends, no problem.

Then, I fell head over heels in love with a homeowner.

A year after we met, I moved in with her and her roommate — and along with that came my insecurities and fears about finances.

I was nervous to either contribute too much or too little to a home I didn't own

As we planned our move-in, a few parallel fears surfaced for me.

I wanted to contribute equally to our home expenses so that I didn't just feel like a renter, but I didn't want to overstep and assume I was now a part of this investment she had already poured five years into.

I was also afraid of what would happen if we shared big-ticket expenses like remodeling and then eventually broke up.

Not to mention, this was my first time moving in with a partner. So much felt foreign to me, but I felt safe enough in our relationship to initiate a conversation.

Talking about all of these topics felt scary. I didn't have a playbook for this — what was normal for couples like us? Where was the line between being responsible and being selfish? Would I jinx our relationship by bringing up a possible ending?

I brought it up a few weeks before our planned move-in date. I went with: "Can we check in about what you're picturing for finances when I move in?"

The conversation turned out to be very freeing for both of us. It turns out that she had nerves of her own about asking too much of me financially.

Speaking our fears out loud gave us the chance to ease each other's worries and make a plan

Although my partner makes more than I do, we decided to divide the mortgage and utilities evenly. I'm paying less than I did when I rented, especially because our roommate pays one-third of the total sum.

At first, my partner insisted she'd handle the utilities on her own, since she'd be paying those bills either way. She hadn't been charging our roommate for the utilities before, and felt fine keeping it that way.

I convinced her to let me contribute to those costs, though. In the end, the three of us decided to split rent, gas, water, electricity, and WiFi.

Finally, we talked through future home projects and bigger expenses. She was about to start a re-siding project timed to my move-in, which cost tens of thousands of dollars. She'd been saving and preparing for it for years and would pay for it herself.

For future large expenses, though — like swapping our clawfoot tub for a walk-in shower — we planned to split the costs. I'm majorly benefiting from her initial investment in this house, so I want to be a part of the rest of the home's life.

However, she doesn't want me to feel pressure to invest in a house I didn't choose. We decided that if we split the cost of a project that would improve the home's equity, she'd pay back my half if we broke up.

Of course, we're deeply in love and plan to stay together, but we're pragmatic enough to plan for our worst-case scenario.

The conversation felt nerve-racking, but then liberating

The conclusion we came to ended up easing both our anxieties. My nerves about a potential breakup mess are gone, and I know what my role is in our shared finances.

Her nerves about asking too much of me were soothed as well, since I'm eager to lean into this new aspect of our partnership. In the end, we both wanted the same thing: to walk into the next chapter of life hand-in-hand.

I must admit, being a grandfathered-in homeowner is pretty amazing. I can actually paint the walls. I have no fears of my rent being raised.

I don't have to deal with a no-pet policy (which is good because our dog loves living here). I get to live with my girlfriend in a cute yellow house that's completely ours.

Plus, weeding on the weekends isn't actually so bad. A few months ago, we scattered some seeds and buried bulbs in the ground. We now have a garden that's bursting with colorful wildflowers, fragrant herbs, and yummy vegetables.

Our home is in bloom.