• A Manhattan jury found Live Nation liable for violating antitrust laws.
• The DOJ and nearly 40 states sued to split the Ticketmaster parent company two years ago.
• The verdict could pave the way for a breakup of the company.

Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation holds an illegal monopoly over the concert and live event industry, a Manhattan federal jury found on Wednesday.

The entertainment giant was found liable for violating antitrust laws following a roughly six-week civil trial. The jury's verdict, which came on the fourth day of deliberations, could pave the way for steep monetary penalties — or a court-ordered breakup of the company.

The Department of Justice, plus 39 states and the District of Columbia, sued Live Nation about two years ago to force a split from Ticketmaster, alleging that the company's market dominance drove up ticket prices for fans of live music, sports events, and theater.

The plaintiffs have argued that Live Nation controls 78% of the large amphitheaters used by artists and, through Ticketmaster, 86% of primary ticketing at major concert venues — meaning the initial sale of tickets.

Days into the trial in March, it emerged that the Justice Department and Live Nation had agreed to a settlement that would allow the company to remain intact. Several states also signed on to the deal, which still needs approval from US District Judge Arun Subramanian.

A senior justice official told reporters last month that the DOJ was "confident" it would have won at trial, but that its goal was to get American concertgoers "relief as fast as possible."

The remaining 30-plus plaintiff states moved forward with the court fight against Live Nation as attorneys general bashed the settlement terms, saying they favored the company over consumers.

Live Nation, which merged with Ticketmaster in 2010, has maintained that it does not have a monopoly and that concert ticket prices are relatively low, especially compared to those for sporting events.

• Elon Musk's AI company xAI plans to allow Cursor to use some of its compute power for training.
• Cursor will train its AI model Composer 2.5 using tens of thousands of xAI GPUs, sources said.
• The arrangement marks a new strategy for xAI in a competitive AI landscape.

Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, plans to put its stockpile of computing power to use in a new arrangement with coding startup Cursor, according to people familiar with the matter.

Cursor plans to train its latest AI coding model, Composer 2.5, on xAI infrastructure, the people said. Cursor will use tens of thousands of xAI's graphic processing units (GPUs), the chips used to train AI models, they said.

The setup effectively turns xAI into a kind of cloud provider. By renting some of its GPUs to other companies, xAI could start generating revenue from its massive infrastructure while still developing its own AI models. The arrangement could help the company offset the costs of building and operating data centers, while also deepening ties with a startup that has access to valuable coding data.

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, the largest cloud providers, own millions of chips and rent computing power out to thousands of companies and developers, generating huge profits. Newer players like CoreWeave and Lambda have built businesses around supplying GPUs to AI model developers. Access to computing power has become an increasingly competitive aspect of the AI arms race.

Representatives for xAI and Cursor did not respond to a request for comment.

It's not the first time Cursor and xAI have overlapped. The startup hired two former Cursor product engineering leads in March, Andrew Milich and Jason Ginsburg. Ginsburg and Milich oversee xAI's product team and report directly to Musk and xAI president Michael Nicolls, Business Insider previously reported.

xAI is one of many companies racing to build the best AI models, and it has one of the largest data center footprints. Musk said during an all-hands last December that xAI would beat competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic because it would have access to more power to train its models.

Over the past two years, xAI has rapidly expanded the footprint of its data centers, a project it has named Colossus. Last year, the company said it had around 200,000 Nvidia GPUs, and Musk has said it plans to expand to 1 million GPUs.

xAI's infrastructure team has been experiencing a leadership shake-up. It lost its infrastructure lead, Heinrich Küttler, last week. The company moved Jake Palmer into a leadership role over the physical infrastructure team, and SpaceX's Daniel Dueri took a leadership position over the compute infrastructure team last week, Business Insider previously reported.

In a memo to staff last week, Nicolls, xAI's president, said the company's model FLOPs Utilization (MFUs), a measure of how efficiently a GPU is used during AI training, was "embarrassingly low" at about 11%. Nicolls said he aims for the team to reach 50% in the next few months. For comparison, according to AI infrastructure company Lambda AI, most large-scale AI training operates between 35% to 45% MFU.

Cursor is in talks for a reported valuation of around $50 billion, Bloomberg reported last month. Meanwhile, it faces pressure as major AI startups like Anthropic and OpenAI push aggressively into building coding assistants.

In March, Cursor released Composer 2, a coding model designed to generate and edit code across large projects. Cursor built the model on top of an open-source AI model from Chinese startup Moonshot AI and fine-tuned it using its own data from its developer user base.

Do you work at xAI or have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at gkay@businessinsider.com or Signal at 248-894-6012. Use a personal email address, a non-work device, and non-work WiFi; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Helping my dad plan for Medicaid showed me I had no estate plan of my own.
• I learned how easily a home and assets can be lost without proper preparation.
• I set up a will and trust to protect my family and avoid future complications.

I sat in a stiff chair next to my 86-year-old dad as a lawyer outlined the complicated rules of Medicaid law.

My dad furrowed his brow, trying to understand the legal complexities that could mean the difference between being able to leave his home — where he'd lived for nearly 60 years — for my sisters and me, rather than having it confiscated as collateral should he die in a long-term care facility.

A few months earlier, my dad — who was recently diagnosed with early-stage dementia — called me with an urgent request. "I want you to make sure they don't take my house," he said, obviously coming to terms with the possibility that extended memory care could be in his future.

My dad has no savings to cover long-term care

My dad grew up one of nine kids raised during the lean years of the Great Depression and World War II. He knew the value of owning a home, both monetarily and in the sense of pride he derived from knowing he'd at least leave that small piece of property to my sisters and me after he died.

But like many seniors, he lives on a fixed income and doesn't have savings to cover the often astronomical expense of long-term care facilities, even with Medicare. Should he need long-term care — a possibility despite his age since he's in great physical shape and had a mother who lived well into her 90s — the ownership of his home could be in jeopardy.

According to federal and many state laws, Medicaid is required to pursue "estate recovery" after a recipient dies, often placing liens on the decedent's home or estate to recover care expenses. There are several ways to avoid this, including setting up trusts and a form of property co-ownership called a life estate. Ultimately, our lawyer advised we take advantage of a caretaker clause in Medicaid law, which would apply to my sister, who lives with our dad.

As we went through all these scenarios, while also helping my dad set up his will, healthcare power of attorney (who makes healthcare decisions on his behalf if he's incapacitated), and durable power of attorney (who can make financial decisions on his behalf), I couldn't help thinking about my own family.

It made me realize I didn't have a will

My husband and I did not have a will, any power of attorney, or even beneficiaries on our bank accounts. We're both cruising toward 50, and we have a young son, so I knew we needed to address our own estate planning.

Our bank offers free estate planning consultations, so I booked an appointment for us to go through the basics before speaking with an attorney who will charge for their services.

Though we've been married almost 15 years and faced some health crises, such as my breast cancer diagnosis nearly a decade ago, my husband and I had never discussed what would happen if one or both of us died. While these conversations are hard, we knew they were necessary to ensure our son is cared for physically and financially after we're gone.

In our case, if one spouse died, the other would automatically inherit any assets and assume sole guardianship of our son. But if both of us were to die at the same time, things get more complicated.

Since we have an underage child, we set up a trust where any of our assets — our home, retirement accounts, etc. — would go to benefit our child once he reaches adulthood. Then we had to choose who would not only take guardianship of our son but also manage our estate, taking care of everything from ensuring our final tax returns were filed to managing the money left to our son.

Talking about death can be hard

Through these conversations, we learned that not having specific, legally verified instructions for your assets — even if it's just a checking account or a car — can cause bureaucratic headaches for grieving loved ones. And not establishing specific instructions via a healthcare power of attorney — such as whether you want to be resuscitated or put on life support — can put family in the difficult position of making life-or-death choices in the midst of a crisis.

I know that we've done all we can to ensure my dad is taken care of for the remainder of his life, and that everything he has worked so hard for will go where he wants it. And I know my husband, son, or sisters won't have to shoulder the burden of sorting out my affairs when I die.

Talking about my death, as well as the demise of my father and husband, was hard. No one wants to have these difficult conversations. But knowing that we've done the unpleasant work to make sure our wishes are respected and our loved ones are protected upon our deaths is well worth the discomfort.

It's almost time for the second leg of the remaining Champions League quarterfinals. We've gathered everything you need to know about where to watch Champions League, including free and global streaming options for Arsenal vs. Sporting.

If you don't want to read any further, Arsenal vs. Sporting will live stream on Paramount Plus in the US, TNT Sports on HBO Max in the UK, and Virgin Media 2 in Ireland. If you're away from the location where your streaming option works at kick-off, like Ireland, you can still access it with the help of a VPN, such as Proton VPN. More global streaming options are below.

Following last week's first leg, Arsenal leads Sporting Lisbon 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Both teams have had stellar seasons this year, with Arsenal topping the rankings during the group phase. Sporting sits seventh in the rankings, meaning both teams automatically advanced to the Round of 16 and avoided the knockout playoffs. Both teams have mostly breezed through the competition so far, but only one will be able to advance to the semifinals.

• See also: Where to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid for free

How to watch Champions League for free

The Champions League is available to stream for free in select regions. In Ireland, Virgin Media 2 hosts free coverage of today's Arsenal vs. Sporting match. The streaming service carries several Champions League matches each season. Check out our wider free Champions League live stream guide for details each match week.

How to watch Champions League from anywhere

Fans who are outside the location where their streaming service is available, such as Ireland, can still access their free option with a VPN. These virtual private networks are handy tech tools that let people temporarily alter their device's virtual location. They're popular among those looking to keep up with their usual services while traveling abroad or hoping to upgrade their cybersecurity.

Proton VPN is one of the best VPNs we've tested. It's fast and user-friendly. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find that it's not helping you out.

Where to watch Arsenal vs. Sporting in the US

All Champions League matches, including Arsenal vs. Sporting, are available to live stream through Paramount Plus in the US. While you need the Premium tier for some live content, the Champions League is available in both tiers, including the budget-friendly Essential plan. Paramount Plus Essential costs $9 a month or $90 a year.

Where to watch Arsenal vs. Sporting in the UK

Most Champions League matches, including today's Arsenal vs. Sporting game, are available through TNT Sports in the UK. This means that you can live stream the action through HBO Max, the new streaming home of TNT Sports.

There are some savings if you sign up with a 12-month commitment, but a month-to-month Standard with Ads HBO Max plan with TNT Sports costs about £37 a month. Sole access to TNT Sports costs £31 a month. If you have an existing Discovery Plus subscription (the previous streaming home of TNT Sports), you can keep watching TNT Sports by downloading HBO Max and signing in using your Discovery Plus credentials.

Where to watch Arsenal vs Sporting in Ireland

Irish Champions League fans are a lucky bunch. Arsenal vs. Sporting is available for free via Virgin Media 2. While this streaming service won't carry every Champions League match this season, it typically offers multiple matches each week, including yesterday's Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona.

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

• AT&T is facing two lawsuits over how it handled a recent relocation mandate.
• The plaintiffs, both former employees, claim the company discriminated against older workers in assigning offices.
• CEO John Stankey said AT&T had a problem with the age of its workforce, one lawsuit says. The company said the suit is "baseless."

Two recent lawsuits claim AT&T used its relocation policy to force out older employees, with CEO John Stankey favoring younger workers during the rollout.

The lawsuits, one filed in North Carolina in December and another in New Jersey in April, quote CEO John Stankey as saying in 2023 that AT&T needed a younger workforce. Both plaintiffs filed cases with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shortly after leaving the company and said they were recently notified of their right to sue, which they did within 90 days of their respective notices.

In 2023, as other big companies were strengthening return-to-office mandates, the telecom giant said it was calling back some 60,000 managers to the office at nine hub locations across the US. Stankey said at the time that about 9,000 managers would face the decision to relocate or lose their jobs.

The April complaint by former director Lorraine Lopez, who said she worked for 30 years at the telecom giant before she was "surplussed" at age 58, references remarks she recalls Stankey made during a livestreamed companywide meeting on July 26, 2023, about the planned relocation initiative.

"We have a mathematical issue that we have to deal with in our company," Stankey is quoted as saying. "The profile of our workforce does not match the profile of the population of the United States and the customer base, both in terms of matching it demographically and matching it from an age perspective. We need younger people working at this company."

He added: "It's hard to say goodbye to that which we know and really well-trained people who've had a lot of experience. It can be emotional. But it's also a great opportunity for us."

An AT&T spokesperson said in a statement that the lawsuit was "baseless" and the company would defend itself in court. As of Wednesday morning, AT&T had not yet responded in court filings.

Lopez's complaint alleges that "AT&T at the highest level openly expressed hostility towards its older employees and its preference for younger employees." It argues that Lopez's reassignment from a New Jersey office to an Atlanta hub was unnecessary, and her job duties did not require her to be in that office.

"This employee was not a victim of discrimination; she chose to leave her job because she did not want to relocate with the rest of her team," the spokesperson said in the statement.

The North Carolina case filed by former employee Kimberly Wall, which is in mediation, said that AT&T discriminated against her on the basis of age, gender, and disability when it denied her requests in 2023 to continue working remotely at her doctor's recommendation. The complaint also alleged that Stankey said, "We need young people," in response to the concerns about losing older workers.

Stankey's July 2023 age-related comments cited in the lawsuits are consistent with what more than half a dozen AT&T employees previously told Business Insider about the meeting. Several of those employees said that town halls held before that meeting were typically recorded and distributed on the corporate intranet, but this one was not released.

His remarks — and others like them in the following months and years — fueled employee concerns that the RTO and relocation mandates were also an effort to reduce head count, especially among longtime employees.

A little over a year after the initial relocation mandate, AT&T instituted a five-day in-office requirement, replacing the previous hybrid model.

Stankey later said in an August 2025 memo that the company was transitioning away from a culture of "loyalty, tenure, and conformance with the associated compensation," to "a more market-based culture — focused on rewarding capability, contribution, and commitment."

In later comments about the memo, Stankey told CNBC he aims to be transparent about how he runs the company. He also told The Wall Street Journal that he had been too slow to tackle the "culture evolution" AT&T needed.

Internal numbers previously obtained by Business Insider showed that about half of the 318 managerial workers in one division who received notification to move during the first wave in 2023 declined and left the company.

More broadly, AT&T employed more than 160,000 workers at the start of 2023, according to its annual report. It started this year with about 133,000.

• The private credit sector has been spooking investors.
• Some asset managers have been hit with billions in redemption requests from investors.
• Here's a timeline explaining why markets are anxious about the health of the sector.

The private credit market has been generating some nerve-racking headlines lately.

Questions about the health of the booming sector are growing louder amid a flood of redemption requests among some high-profile private credit funds.

The latest news has added to concerns that were kicked off late last year. While private markets appear steady overall, investors are growing increasingly worried that cracks could be forming at a time when more retail investors are being invited into the market.

Here's a rundown of everything that's happened lately to cause jitters to spike.

Jamie Dimon says he's "not particularly worried"

Date: April 14

JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon said he wasn't concerned about systemic risks stemming from the private credit universe.

"You have to have very large losses in private credit before, at least it looks like, banks are going to get hit or something like that. So it doesn't mean you won't feel some stress and strain, and that you might have to do something about it, but I'm not particularly worried about it," Dimon said of the sector, speaking on the bank's first-quarter earnings call.

Dimon was one of the first big names on Wall Street to raise concerns about the health of private credit, suggesting that the bankruptcies of First Brands and TriColor last year were "cockroaches" in the broader credit system. The bank also reportedly restricted its private lending earlier in the year.

Goldman CEO David Solomon says private credit is still "very, very attractive"

Date: April 13

Goldman Sachs chief David Solomon struck an optimistic tone when speaking about private credit on the bank's first-quarter earnings call.

The CEO said he expected continued "noise" about private credit from retail investors, but that he remained optimistic about the sector's investment potential.

"This continues, with any sort of a medium-term or longer-term view, to be a very, very attractive platform for us," Solomon said, speaking to investors on Monday.

More voices on Wall Street have started to brush off concerns about private credit, often pointing out that most debt in the space is neither distressed nor heavily discounted.

Carlyle limits withdrawals after investors look to exit flagship fund

Date: April 9

Carlyle said it would limit redemptions from its flagship private credit fund to just 5% in the first quarter.

In a letter to investors, the firm said its Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund received redemption requests totaling 15.7% of its total holdings. The fund has $7 billion in assets, per Carlyle's website.

"Recent market volatility has led to increased repurchase activity across private credit funds," the firm said in the letter.

Ares caps private credit withdrawals at 5%

Date: March 24

Ares said it would limit withdrawals from its private credit fund to just 5% of the fund's value this quarter.

The Ares Strategic Income Fund received withdrawal requests totaling more than 11% of its value in the first quarter, or around $1.2 billion, according to a regulatory filing. The firm is sticking to its 5% quarterly payout cap, which equates to $524 million in payouts.

The withdrawal requests largely came from a "limited number of family offices and smaller institutions" in select regions, which make up a small group among the fund's total shareholders, Ares told investors in a letter.

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

Moody's slashes its rating on a private credit fund to 'junk' status

Date: March 24

Moody's downgraded one private credit fund owned by Future Standard and KKR to "junk" status.

The rating agency slashed its grade on FS KKR Capital Corp from Baa3 to Ba1, citing the fund's "asset quality challenges."

The fund also lost a net $114 million over the fourth quarter, and could see "weaker profitability and greater net asset value erosion over time" compared to similar funds, Moody's said.

"The downgrade reflects FSK's continued asset quality challenges, which have resulted in weaker profitability and greater net asset value erosion over time relative to business development company (BDC) peers," Moody's said.

"FSK remains well positioned despite the decision. It has a strong, well‑laddered liability structure with no 2026 unsecured maturities and limited near‑term maturities, enabling us to continue supporting our portfolio companies and navigate the current market environment," a spokesperson for FSK said.

Apollo says it will fill less than half of investor withdrawal requests

Date: March 23

Apollo said it would fill just 45% of investor withdrawal requests this quarter from its flagship private credit fund.

In a filing on Monday, the asset manager said its Apollo Debt Solutions BDC received withdrawal requests equivalent to 11% of the fund's outstanding value in the first quarter.

The firm will be sticking to its 5% quarterly withdrawal cap, meaning it will return an estimated $730 million to investors, the filing said.

Many private credit funds have a 5% cap on quarterly withdrawals, but some firms, like Blue Owl and Blackstone, have honored redemption requests exceeding the quarterly withdrawal cap.

Marc Rowan, the CEO of Apollo, has joined the chorus of Wall Street voices warning of problems in private credit. Speaking at the Bloomberg Invest conference earlier this month, Rowan flagged the risks of a "shakeout" in alternative investments, pointing to problems among various private credit funds in particular.

JPMorgan reportedly restricts private lending

Date: March 11

JPMorgan is reportedly putting more red tape on private lending.

The bank is putting borrowing restrictions on some private credit funds after it marked down some loans in the firms' portfolios, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

The lending restrictions have only impacted a small portion of borrowers at the bank, the people said, adding that the rule-change hasn't resulted in any significant margin calls, or demands for clients to deposit more cash into their accounts, as of Wednesday.

Most of marked-down loans were made out to software firms, sources told the Financial Times and CNBC over Tuesday and Wednesday.

BlackRock limits withdrawals on its private credit fund

Date: March 6

What happened: The world's largest asset manager said it was capping withdrawals from its HPS Corporate Lending Fund, a $26 billion private credit fund that received $1.2 billion in redemption requests in the first quarter.

First reported by the Financial Times, the fund said it was paying out $620 million of those requests, or 5% of its net asset value. That meets a threshold after which BlackRock is allowed to restrict further withdrawals, a letter to investors said.

BlackRock shares dropped 5% on Friday amid a broader risk-off move in the market.

BlackRock declined to comment on changes to the fund beyond the letter posted on its website.

Blackstone taps execs for cash

Date: March 2-3

What happened: The private equity giant was hit with a wave of redemption requests from a private credit fund offered to retail investors.

Bloomberg reported that, in an unusual move, the firm tapped more than 25 top executives to raise $150 million in order to meet the flood of requests.

Speaking to CNBC, Blackstone president Jon Gray said he believed investors may be motivated to withdraw their funds due to the "constant spin cycle" over recent private credit failures.

"When that's happening, it's not a surprise that investors can get nervous, financial advisors can say 'Hey, I want to redeem,'" Gray said on Tuesday.

Blue Owl fails to syndicate a data center loan for CoreWeave

Date: February 20

What happened: Business Insider reported that Blue Owl failed to secure a loan for Coreweave's $4 billion data center.

An executive familiar with large data center financing told Business Insider that Blue Owl faced limited interest in the data center due to hesitation from other lenders and investors who were concerned about exposure to AI firms with weaker credit. Coreweave has a credit rating of B+, according to S&P Global, below investment grade.

The report followed others that have suggested lenders are growing skittish over data center deals being cut in private markets.

Last December, negotiations between Blue Owl and Oracle to build a $10 billion data center stalled, sources told the Financial Times.

In a statement, Oracle told Business Insider that the details in the FT story were "incorrect."

"Our development partner, Related Digital, selected the best equity partner from a competitive group of options, which in this instance was not Blue Owl. Final negotiations for their equity deal are moving forward on schedule and according to plan," Michael Egbert, a spokesperson for the software giant, told Business Insider in December.

Top economist Mohamed El-Erian sees a "canary in the coalmine"

Date: February 19

What happened: Famed economist Mohamed El-Erian said he believed Blue Owl's move was a warning for financial markets.

In a LinkedIn post, the chief economic advisor at Allianz said the firm's decision to halt redemptions could be a "canary-in-the-coalmine" moment that could hint at risks to the broader financial system.

He added that he believed the "investing phenomenon" in private markets had gone too far.

"There's also the 'elephant in the room' question regarding much larger system risks (nowhere near the magnitude of those which fueled the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, but a significant — and necessary — valuation hit is looming for specific assets)," El-Erian wrote.

Blue Owl halts withdrawals

Date: February 18

What happened: The Financial Times reported that Blue Owl permanently froze redemptions on its Capital Corporation II fund, a private debt fund it had opened to retail investors.

The firm said investors in the fund would no longer be able to cash out their investments on a quarterly basis, but would instead receive periodic payments as Blue Owl sells its assets over time.

Online, the move sparked comparisons to how some debt funds froze withdrawals leading up to the Great Financial Crisis.

Speaking to CNBC after the initial reports, Craig Packer, co-president and the company's head of credit, said he believed media coverage about the fund's changes was misleading.

"We're not halting redemptions, just changing the form, and if anything, we're accelerating redemptions," Packer said.

UBS sees private credit defaults rising to 15% in the worst-case AI scenario

Date: February 11

What happened: Investors grew more nervous about private lending as UBS speculated that defaults could soar in a severe "AI disruption" scenario.

In a note to clients last month, strategists at the bank said they lifted their forecasts for private credit defaults. In a scenario where AI disrupts the business world at a "rapid and aggressive" pace, the bank said it sees the private credit default rate potentially rising as high 15%.

In its analysis, UBS pointed to how AI disruption fears had sparked a deep sell-off in software stocks, one area of the market with large exposure to private credit. Software accounts for around 40% of all private equity-backed loans outstanding, according to a recent Bloomberg analysis.

"I do think, though, software is a big stick. You know, the credit market has had all these sticks being dropped on it, and one day, it'll really buckle," Victor Khosla, the CIO of Strategic Value Partners, said at the time.

Jamie Dimon warns of credit cockroaches

Date: October 14

What happened: Jamie Dimon, one of Wall Street's most influential bankers, said he was watching for more signs of trouble in private credit on an earnings call with investors.

"When you see one cockroach, there's probably more," the JPMorgan boss said, adding that his firm would "scour" its underwriting and other procedures after the collapse of First Brands and Tricolor.

"Asset prices are high, a lot of credit stuff that you would see out there, you will only see in a downturn," Dimon added, noting that the US credit space had looked "benign" for years.

Other figures on Wall Street have also warned of more trouble in the sector in recent months.

Apollo CEO Marc Rowan said he saw a potential "shakeout" in private credit when speaking at the Bloomberg Invest Conference on Tuesday.

Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs' former CEO, also doubled down this week on his view that financial markets could soon face a "reckoning," potentially stemming from private credit.

Tricolor and First Brands buckle

Date: September 10-24

What happened: Anxiety about the private credit sector picked up after subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings and auto parts company First Brands declared bankruptcy late last year. Tricolor was the first to go under, filing for bankruptcy on September 10, with First Brands following several weeks later.

In December, federal prosecutors in New York unsealed an indictment that charged Tricolor's founder, Daniel Chu, with bank fraud, wire fraud, and other offenses. In a statement, the US Attorney's Office said Tricolor's executives had attempted to "manipulate the characteristics of collateral to make ineligible, near-worthless assets appear to meet lender requirements."

In January, prosecutors unsealed an indictment revealing similar charges against First Brands' CEO, Patrick James, and his brother, a senior executive at the firm. Prosecutors alleged that the pair "perpetrated a yearslong fraud" that culminated in First Brands' bankruptcy.

• New photos show the ongoing testing of the US Air Force's B-21 Raider stealth bomber.
• The B-21 is expected to replace legacy bombers and offers several major modernization upgrades.
• Aerial refueling is a part of the testing process for the aircraft, which will be delivered next year.

The US Air Force released new photos of its B-21 Raider stealth bomber as the service continues flight testing of the aircraft intended to be the backbone of the force's long-range strike capabilities.

The B-21, developed by Northrop Grumman, is the Air Force's next-generation strategic bomber and a cornerstone of the service's nuclear modernization efforts, alongside the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. The program remains on schedule and within budget, with production now accelerating ahead of planned deliveries of production models next year.

One of the new Air Force photos of the B-21 Raider released on Tuesday shows the bomber being refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker and, as military news outlet The War Zone first noticed, offers the first full overhead view of the aircraft, including its refueling receptacle, paint markings, and exhausts.

The aerial refueling, the service said, represented "rapid maturation of the weapon system." Aerial in-flight refueling for aircraft like the B-21, which its manufacturer calls "the most fuel-efficient bomber ever built," is critical in a potential conflict, enabling the fleet to stay in the air longer, dramatically extending reach.

Aerial refueling tankers, for instance, have enabled US B-2 Spirit stealth bomber operations against Iran.

That said, the B-21, slated to eventually replace the Air Force's B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers, has been designed for fuel efficiency, consuming a fraction of the fuel of some legacy aircraft.

"This long-range strike bomber will reduce the demand on our tanker fleet and free up assets to support the joint force," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said in a service statement on the recent testing work. "This will provide a wider range of employment options and the deterrence our nation requires."

The Air Force and Pentagon have both viewed the B-21's development and testing timeline as successes, with flight tests and early procurement remaining on schedule.

The Air Force is now accelerating the production of its new bombers and expects to procure around 100 by the mid-2030s, although there have been calls to increase procurement. Airpower experts have advocated for a much larger fleet, arguing its necessity to effectively counter China.

"The B-21 program is the leading edge of the acquisition mindset we are instilling across the force," said Air Force Gen. Dale White, the Pentagon's direct reporting portfolio manager for critical major weapon systems. "Every test proves the success of empowering our leaders to deliver integrated capability from the start."

The Air Force is continuing to test the B-21 at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Other bases like Ellsworth, Whiteman, and Dyess will eventually house the B-21 for training and main operations. It'll mark its first operational fielding next year at Ellsworth.

Both the Air Force and Northrop Grumman have said that the Raider represents a major jump in bomber capability, including next-generation stealth, software, and weaponry.

The aircraft also features an open system architecture, meaning it can be quickly and easily upgraded with new technologies without needing to build a completely new version.

• Maine is set to pass a bill pausing new data centers until late 2027.
• Data centers face growing public resistance over environmental and infrastructure concerns.
• Maine's vote could mark the first-ever statewide moratorium on data center construction in the US.

Maine could be the first state to successfully call a timeout on the AI race.

Lawmakers in at least 12 states have tried this year to slow Big Tech's AI infrastructure buildout with legislation that would impose temporary bans on approvals and construction of new data centers.

The proposed moratoriums are a response to rising local resistance to data centers, as communities across the country raise questions about the impact of these facilities on local resources and infrastructure.

The US has 4,000 data centers, and 3,000 either proposed or under construction, according to the American Edge Project, a tech coalition. As their footprint has grown, local communities have mobilized protests over a wide range of concerns, from noise pollution to rising utility bills.

A Business Insider review of state legislative dockets found 12 data center moratorium bills brought by state lawmakers in 2026.

Proponents of the bans said that pausing data center development would give state agencies time to study the impacts of data center growth on the environment, electricity rates, public health, local infrastructure, and more.

Of those 12 bills, only Maine's hasn't stalled out or been voted down.

On Tuesday, the state's House and Senate approved the bill and sent it to the governor's desk to be signed into law.

As long as Maine Gov. Janet Mills signs off, the bill would impose a temporary ban on AI data center construction in the state until November 1, 2027.

If passed, the bill would impose a temporary ban on AI data center construction in the state until November 1, 2027.

Nearly all of the moratorium bills called for temporary bans on data center construction of at least a year.

While Maine doesn't have a large data center footprint, it has seen an uptick in developer interest as Big Tech's AI infrastructure buildout spreads to every corner of the country.

Legislators in states with mature data center markets, such as Georgia and Virginia, have had less luck drumming up support for statewide moratoriums.

Maine's moratorium isn't guaranteed until the governor signs it into law — and there's always a chance it could be vetoed.

Last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced federal legislation calling for a national pause on data center development to allow Congress time to better understand their impacts.

"Congress is way behind where it should be in understanding the nature of this revolution and its impacts," Sanders said in a press release.

Here's how 12 states have tried to pause new data center development.

Georgia

A group of Democrats in Georgia's House of Representatives proposed a temporary halt to data center construction and development in the state. The bill never made it to the floor for a vote.

House Bill 1059 would have required the state to form a commission to study the impact of data centers on Georgia's electric grid, water supply, and local infrastructure.

Georgia is home to 93 data centers, according to the bill.

Elon Musk's xAI has a large data center in Atlanta, and Microsoft is building an AI infrastructure hub nearby.

Maine

Maine's House and Senate passed a bill this week that would put a temporary pause on data centers in the state. They have sent it to the governor's office for a final sign-off.

If the governor approves, Maine will become the first state to enact a moratorium on data center construction.

Maine isn't exactly a data center hot spot. Business Insider's data center map shows that, as of early 2025, only two facilities in the state had requested permits for diesel-fired backup generators.

Maryland

A group of Republican lawmakers in the Maryland House of Delegates floated an emergency measure immediately halting all data center construction in the state. It failed to gain traction.

If passed, the emergency measure would have remained in effect until Maryland passed legislation requiring all data centers in the state to generate their own electricity.

Instead, lawmakers next week are expected to pass broader energy legislation aimed at reducing residential electricity bills.

Although Maryland's data center market is small, power-hungry facilities drive up electricity rates, according to the state's official utility watchdog.

Michigan

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill to temporarily suspend data center approvals in the state until April 1, 2027.

The legislation hasn't gone anywhere so far and isn't likely to succeed. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has previously indicated that she would oppose a data center moratorium in Michigan.

Meanwhile, grassroots efforts have taken off at the local level. In March, East Lansing approved a six-month moratorium to give the city planning commission time to study the potential impacts of data centers on the community.

Huron County, Delta County, and Big Rapids Township have approved moratoriums spanning from one to three years.

New Hampshire

A Democratic lawmaker tried and failed to push through a one-year moratorium on data center construction that would allow the state to study potential environmental impacts.

Rep. Peter Schmidt's House Bill 1265 was voted down on March 11.

New York

State Sen. Liz Krueger's S9144 would halt the issuance of new data center permits in New York for three years, pending an environmental review.

If enacted, the bill would also require the state's public service commission to issue a report on the impacts of data centers on everyday ratepayers.

The bill is stalled in committee.

Oklahoma

A Republican Oklahoma lawmaker, Sen. Kendal Sacchieri, is pushing for a data center moratorium in the state through 2029 "to ensure that progress does not come at the expense of Oklahomans' quality of life or their utility costs," she said in a press release.

Introduced in January, the bill stalled early on in the state's legislative session. That hasn't stopped local communities from making progress.

Tulsa last month passed a nine-month data center moratorium. In March, the Seminole Nation became the first indigenous group to ban data centers in its territory.

South Carolina

Lawmakers proposed a moratorium in February. The bill hasn't gained traction.

Google is expanding its presence in the state, and Meta is building a data center campus in Aiken County.

South Dakota

While a Senate committee in February killed a moratorium bill, South Dakota lawmakers didn't go too easy on data centers.

Several proposed bills that would have given the industry a boost in the state failed to go through, including one that would have granted a 50-year sales tax exemption.

Vermont

Like its nearby state, Maine, Vermont isn't home to any major cloud data centers.

That didn't stop Sen. Rebecca White from proposing a moratorium this year. The bill was referred to the Senate's finance committee in January and hasn't moved since.

Virginia

Lawmakers in Virginia, home to the world's largest concentration of data centers, reviewed a moratorium bill and decided to punt it to 2027.

Virginia houses the world's largest concentration of data centers and was one of the first states to offer the industry an exemption from sales tax on computer equipment.

In January, Virginia's Department of Taxation said the exemption had cost the state budget $1.9 billion in the 2025 fiscal year.

The state legislature will convene a special session later in April to debate the future of the exemption, which is scheduled to expire in 2035. Lawmakers are fiercely divided over whether to end the program early or extend it through 2050.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin's attempt to pause data center construction died on the Senate floor less than two weeks after it was introduced.

AB1099 would have implemented a moratorium on data center construction in Wisconsin until a statewide data center planning authority was established.

While state-level efforts failed, a Milwaukee suburb this week became the first city in the country to pass a data center referendum. Now, all future data center tax breaks in Port Washington, home to an Oracle-backed Stargate site, will require local voter approval.

Editor's note: Updated on April 15, 2026, to include additional information about the results of the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, previous Bayern vs. Real Madrid matches, and worldwide streaming options.

The final Champions League quarterfinal matches play out today. We've gathered everything you need to know about where to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid, including free and global streaming options.

If you don't want to read any further: the match will live stream on Paramount Plus in the US, TNT Sports on HBO Max in the UK, free on RTE2 in Ireland, and free on RTL Club in Belgium. If you're away from the location where your favorite streaming service works when the game starts, like Ireland or Belgium, you can still access it with the help of a VPN, such as ProtonVPN. You can learn more about additional global watch options below.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid met last Tuesday in a tight match that saw the German team pull ahead 2-1. The win follows a strong season for Bayern, which finished second in the league phase. Real Madrid had a trickier year and was forced to the playoffs. Prior to these quarterfinal matches, the two teams last met in the 2024 Champions League semifinals, which Real Madrid won 4-3 on aggregate. From there, they advanced to the final, where they beat Dortmund to win the title. Today's other Champions League quarterfinal match is Arsenal vs. Sporting.

How to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid for free

The Bayern vs. Real Madrid match will be available for free in multiple regions. In Ireland, fans can watch for free via RTE2. In Belgium, RTL Club will host the free coverage. While these options don't have every Champions League game, they do carry several matches each throughout the season.

How to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid from anywhere

If you're away from Ireland or Belgium when the game kicks off, you can still access these free streaming options with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are easy-to-use tech tools that let people change their device's virtual location. They're most popular among those hoping to keep up with their usual services while traveling abroad or looking to boost their cybersecurity.

Proton VPN is a solid option. It's fast and user-friendly (even for beginners). Plus, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find that it's not helping you out. You can learn more in our roundup of the best VPNs.

How to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid in the US

Paramount Plus is the streaming home for all things Champions League in the US. Games, including today's Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich match, are available across all service tiers. That means you can stream the action with Paramount Plus Essential, which only costs $9 a month.

How to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid in the UK

The majority of Champions League matches, including today's Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich game, are available to watch on TNT Sports in the UK. This means that you can live stream the action through HBO Max, the new streaming home of TNT Sports.

There are some savings if you sign up with a 12-month commitment, but a month-to-month Standard with Ads HBO Max plan with TNT Sports costs about £37 a month. Sole access to TNT Sports costs £31 a month. If you have an existing Discovery Plus subscription, you can keep streaming TNT Sports by downloading HBO Max and signing in using your Discovery Plus credentials.

How to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid in Australia

Stan is the live streaming home of the Champions League in Australia. Stan's Basic plan costs $12 a month, but you'll need to add the Sport add-on for an additional $20 a month to access sporting events like today's Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich match. All in all, it'll run you $32 a month.

Where to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid in Spain

In Spain, Champions League coverage is available through Movistar Plus. Subscription prices vary by plan, but there are options to add on La Liga access as well.

Where to watch Bayern vs. Real Madrid in Germany

Today's Bayern vs. Real Madrid match is available through DAZN in Germany. DAZN hosts lots of Champions League coverage, including today's Arsenal vs. Sporting Lisbon match. You'll need an Unlimited plan to access UCL matches. Subscription prices vary by contract length.

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

Artificial intelligence is here. Whether it's chatbots, predictive analytics, robotic process automation, or generative design, AI is reshaping how businesses operate across industries.

So what does it take to implement AI at scale? A sound strategy is the simple answer, but accomplishing that is far more complex.

At the core of these AI innovations are company leaders and employees who leverage their resources and build infrastructures to advance these technologies.

Business Insider's AI in Action series examines how organizations are integrating AI into the workplace through employee feedback and training, data-security procedures, financial strategies, and more.

Stories highlight the tools and techniques being tested, the business problems they aim to solve, and the technical and operational tradeoffs teams are navigating in real time.

As articles explore how AI is being used in operations such as supply chains, human resources onboarding procedures, marketing and sales, and pharmaceutical development, one thing is clear: Diligent collaboration is key to making AI a functional part of workers' lives.

Read the stories ahead for a behind-the-scenes look at innovation driven by high-level strategy and practical execution.

More stories from AI in Action

Almost one year to the day before he traveled to California in what authorities said was a bid to kill OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Daniel Moreno-Gama handed in an assignment for a college English class.

"My most important belief can be described in one of my favorite proverbs: 'A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,'" read the assignment for Lone Star College in Montgomery, Texas, which was posted to a Substack account using his name in February. It's a quote that would appear again in the bio of an Instagram account linked to Moreno-Gama.

He did not mention artificial intelligence, Altman, or OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, though those were frequent topics of his writings over the 22 months leading up to the 20-year-old's Friday arrest.

Since June 2024, posts from Instagram, Discord, and Substack accounts linked to Moreno-Gama paint a picture of a young man increasingly focused on AI and the "existential threat" it poses. He's part of a growing movement of discontent with and violence against Big Tech and Corporate America.

By earlier this year, posts linked to him became even more fatalistic, exploring the idea of martyrdom. One post reads: "It is my personal belief that there is no truer form of love than that of the Martyr."

Last week, authorities say, Moreno-Gama tossed a lit Molotov cocktail at Altman's San Francisco home and threatened an attack on OpenAI's nearby headquarters.

Public defender Diamond Ward said on Tuesday that Moreno-Gama has a "history of autism and mental health illness," and that her client's actions "appear to have been driven by an acute mental health crisis."

The court-appointed attorney called the federal and state charges against Moreno-Gama — which include state-level attempted murder — "unfair and unjust" and accused prosecutors of exploiting "the mental illness of a vulnerable young man by turning a vandalism case into an attempted murder, life exposure case to gain support of a billionaire."

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in response, "It wouldn't matter if this was a billionaire or a CEO or any average San Franciscan."

The Substack bearing Moreno-Gama's name suggests he was deeply religious in his youth, inspired by his father, who started two Spanish-speaking ministries.

His family was "extremely devout in protestantism," and he had a "debilitating fear of death," reads the post about his April 2025 school assignment. He shed those religious beliefs as he got older, which, he said, led to a new sense of purpose.

"I came to a realization that simply because a god had not given us some divine purpose does not mean that we are purposeless, it only means it is up to us to create our own," the post said.

He went to public school before starting classes at Lone Star College, about a 15-minute drive from the 1,500 square-foot, three-bedroom home he shared with his mom on a cul-de-sac in the Houston suburbs, social media posts and public records show.

Moreno-Gama was one week into his college tenure when he first posted in the PauseAI Discord channel.

"I am very passionate about this issue and am willing to learn and help whatever means necessary," he wrote on June 11, 2024, under the alias Butlerian Jihadist, a reference to a war between humans and artificial intelligence in the Dune science fiction series.

PauseAI, an AI safety advocacy group, condemned the attack on Altman in a statement. PauseAI said he was banned from its public Discord site following news of his arrest. His posts have since been deleted.

Over the next year and a half, he posted 34 times on the forum, PauseAI said. On Discord, he described himself as a "community college student with no tech background" who enjoyed writing and asked if he could help with recruitment or activism, according to copies of the Discord posts confirmed by Business Insider. In one early post, he shared a draft of a letter he planned to send to Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, saying a "small cartel of individuals has successfully pulled the wool over the eyes of our government and the public." The letter asked the representative to "look further into this issue."

An Instagram account linked to his Substack and followed by several relatives, features photos of empty European streets and church facades — as well as news segments, charts, and reports about the threat of AI. The account contains a clip from a "60 Minutes" interview with "the Godfather of AI" Geoffrey Hinton about the importance of AI safety, shared an article headlined "AI might let you die to save itself," and recommended a book titled "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies."

Toward the end of last year and into 2026, his writings appeared increasingly urgent.

"We owe it to everyone who came before us, and to ourselves, and everyone we know and love, and everyone who might exist someday, to be stronger than that and at least die fighting if it comes to that," he wrote on Discord on November 6.

A few weeks later, he wrote that the "someday" was approaching.

"We are close to midnight it's time to actually act," he posted.

In response, a moderator warned Moreno-Gama: "Advocating violence in any form is grounds for a ban."

Moreno-Gama did not return to Lone Star for the new semester in January, the school confirmed. He was working part time at a pizzeria, his lawyer said.

The Substack linked to him also posted increasingly detailed missives about martyrdom and tech CEOs like Altman.

"These people are almost nothing like you. They are most likely sociopathic/psychopathic and, in the case of Altman, consistently reported to be a pathological liar," said a January Substack post titled "AI Existential Risk."

He called for the US to halt all data center construction and strike a deal with China to end the AI race.

"Giving up is unacceptable, not trying is a death sentence," the January post said.

On Friday, he was caught on surveillance footage standing in front of Altman's $27 million San Francisco mansion overlooking the Bay in the tony Russian Hill neighborhood. Just after 3:30 am, authorities say he threw a Molotov cocktail at the six-bedroom home, setting fire to the top of the driveway gate.

Moreno-Gama ran off, and about an hour and a half later, he arrived at OpenAI's headquarters, where he struck the building's glass doors with a chair and threatened to "burn it down and kill anyone inside," according to a federal affidavit that included the surveillance images.

A three-part "anti-AI" note that San Francisco cops recovered from Moreno-Gama "identified views opposed to Artificial Intelligence (AI)" and included a target list with the names and addresses of other AI CEOs, board members, and investors, the affidavit said. The people on the list have been alerted, an FBI official said, though they have not been named publicly.

The alleged attacks by Moreno are not the first time fears over AI have turned physical.

OpenAI locked down its San Francisco office in 2025 after receiving what it believed at the time to be a threat from an individual who had previously been associated with an AI protest group.

A recent poll of 5,458 Americans by Bentley University found that 78% of respondents didn't trust companies to use AI responsibly.

Altman addressed the attack and fears over AI on his blog the day it occurred.

"A lot of the criticism of our industry comes from sincere concern about the incredibly high stakes of this technology," he wrote. "While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally."

Since the attack, several Instagram users have commented their support on posts linked to Moreno-Gama, echoing some of the same sympathetic reactions that emerged in the case of accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione.

"You are a good person," one comment read. "You are in league with Luigi now."

Have a story to share? Reach out to mberg@insider.com and nmusumeci@businessinsider.com.

When I've had a long day, there's nothing better than snuggling up with my weighted blanket. Whether I'm watching my favorite show on the couch or cuddling up for bed, the best weighted blankets provide gentle pressure to ease my racing mind and relax my tense body.

After testing two dozen options and talking to experts, we've picked our favorite weighted blankets based on feel, durability, care, and value. The science on weighted blankets is still emerging, but a recent study in Sweden found that weighted blanket use is connected to reduced insomnia symptoms and lower levels of anxiety and depression. While results vary for each person, and any benefits could very well be chalked up to the placebo effect, I've personally used and loved them for years.

Learn more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches home products.

Our top picks for weighted blankets

Best overall: Bearaby Cotton Weighted Blanket - See at Bearaby

Best comforter: Eli & Elm Weighted Comforter - See at Eli & Elm

Best for hot sleepers: Baloo Weighted Comforter - See at Baloo

Best budget: YnM Original Weighted Blanket - See at Amazon

Best heated: Pure Enrichment WeightedWarmth Weighted Throw Blanket - See at Amazon

Best king-size: HomeSmart Products King Size Weighted Blanket - See at Amazon

Best overall

Bearaby's blanket combines heft with a couch-worthy design. The Bearaby Cotton Weighted Blanket is instantly recognizable with its iconic knitted design. Unlike most weighted blankets that get their weight from glass or lead beads, Bearaby's blanket is made with organic, Oeko-Tex certified heavyweight cotton. The unique knit design creates its signature weight without relying on extra materials. It also doesn't obviously look like what you may expect a weighted blanket to look like, giving it a stylish edge over traditional options.

You can pick from four weights and nine colors. Bearaby's weighted blanket comes in four weights, ranging from 10 to 25 pounds. It's throw-sized for one person, so it's perfect for tossing on your couch for added comfort and decor. I think it's the best weighted blanket for adults, since it's equally comfortable and stylish. I tested a 25-pound blanket in midnight blue, a lovely navy blue shade. Bearaby also offers a queen and king blanket that weigh 20 and 25 pounds, respectively, and kids sizes.

I adore the knit fabric — with one (literal) catch. After having this blanket on my couch for months, I can say that I'm a huge fan. I love how breathable the design is. Unlike a solid blanket with little space for airflow, the knit weighted blanket has large gaps for air to flow through. While the knit holes are great for breathability, I noticed that my fingers and toes get caught in the fabric, which can feel awkward.

The lighter sizes are machine-washable. Bearaby's weighted blanket is technically machine-washable, but I wouldn't recommend machine washing any blanket heavier than 15 pounds since residential washers and dryers can only handle certain loads. When using, I've noticed a slight plasticky smell that has remained after use and multiple spot treatments.

It's backed by a year-long warranty. Bearaby added a 12-month warranty to all of its weighted blanket purchases that applies to blankets sold after June 1, 2025, adding a little extra peace of mind. The policy covers repairs and replacements if the product is defective due to faulty workmanship or materials, and is subject to case-by-case discretion.

Read our full Bearaby Weighted Blanket review. 

Best comforter

This pick from Eli & Elm is like if a weighted blanket and a comforter had a baby. Weighted comforters are a perfect hybrid of a comforter and a traditional weighted blanket. Like a conventional comforter or duvet, they are oversized with edges hanging off the bed. The plush fiber is paired with glass beads or a similar weighted material for a feel that is both fluffy and soothingly weighted. It's basically like getting a hug from a puffy cloud.

Each size has a different weight. The Eli & Elm Weighted Comforter has a long-staple cotton shell that protects an interior of glass beads and fiber filling. The comforter has a quilted design with silver edges and four loops for a duvet cover. It's available in three sizes and weights: 13 pounds for a twin, 17 pounds for a queen, and 20 pounds for a king. You can't customize your comforter's weight based on your body weight, but the Eli & Elm site states that it chose these weights, as opposed to the 20 and 25 pounds commonly found elsewhere, as a way to "help you get the benefit of the weight without the restriction for those that toss and turn during the night."

It's the perfect combination of fluff and weight. It looked and felt just like a traditional comforter, which sets it apart from other thin weighted comforters without interior fiber. It was also the perfect amount of weight for me, since it was heavy enough to have a soothing feel but not so heavy that I couldn't make the bed or pull the covers up in my sleep. I felt the beads through the cotton shell, which took some time to get used to.

It's great for couples, too. My partner and I are both blanket hogs, which can result in a game of tug-of-war over the blankets. That said, the Eli & Elm Weighted Comforter comfortably covered us both, so there was no need to steal more covers. We both woke up feeling well-rested and refreshed.

It actually stays cool. I was most worried about the heat dissipation with a weighted comforter. Both weighted blankets and comforters are notorious for being warm, and as a hot sleeper, I was concerned about overheating in the night. To my pleasant surprise, the Eli & Elm Comforter stayed cool throughout the night. The cotton shell is cool to the touch, and the comforter itself doesn't heat up. I'd also recommend using a duvet cover since the comforter is spot-clean only and designed to be paired with your duvet cover.

Best for hot sleepers

Some weighted blankets are stifling — but this one isn't. With their heavy weight and fill, weighted blankets are prone to overheating. For hot sleepers, finding a breathable weighted blanket in a cooling fabric is especially important. The Baloo Weighted Comforter is the best cooling weighted blanket, made with Oeko-Tex certified cotton and lead-free glass beads. It's made with natural materials, no polyester, as is common from many other weighted blankets.

It's also available as a regular weighted blanket. I was drawn to the comforter, but Baloo also offers a blanket-sized version, too. The key difference is the sizing, where the full/queen and king sizes fit the top of the bed, while the comforter sizes will drape. It's large enough for couples to sleep under, with the weight distributed in the middle of the blanket. Both versions come with loops so you can add a duvet cover. The blanket is available as a 12-pound throw, 15- or 20-pound full/queen blanket, or a 25-pound king blanket in four colors. The comforter is available in the same full/queen and king weights but measures 90 by 90 inches and 92 by 108 inches, respectively, in white and gray. It's noticeably thinner than the Eli & Elm Weighted Comforter, but the weight is also more pronounced and relaxing.

Its crisp feel is perfect for hot sleepers. As hot sleepers, my partner and I loved this blanket's cooling capabilities. Because it's a cotton comforter, the outer shell is noticeably cool and stays that way throughout the night. Pressing my face into the fabric felt like touching a cool, silky material. It's super breathable, too, so heat doesn't get trapped under the blankets overnight. I never woke up sweating when I used this comforter.

Only machine wash blankets up to 20 pounds. Because of its heft, this comforter should only be professionally washed or spot-treated, but the blanket sizes up to 20 pounds can be machine-washed.

Best budget

A good weighted blanket doesn't have to cost a fortune. Weighted blankets tend to be very expensive, especially when you consider quality materials like glass beads or natural cotton fabrics, reinforced stitching to make sure the weighted filling does shift or leak, and the research and development that goes into these products. It can feel difficult to find a good weighted blanket under $100. With a queen-size blanket starting under $60, we were impressed with the price and quality of the YnM Original Cotton Weighted Blanket.

It's available in tons of sizes and colors. YnM's weighted blanket is available in 10 weights and 30 colors. There are even a few printed designs, like penguins and yellow flowers, which they made with kids in mind. I tried the 30-pound king-size blanket in light blue. I'm a large person, so I wanted to try the heaviest option available since a weighted blanket should be about 10% of your body weight. The king-size blanket came with a bonus duvet cover, most likely because the larger size is not machine-washable, and the cover makes it easier to keep clean.

It feels noticeably cheaper than more expensive options. When I unboxed the weighted blanket, I noticed that the cotton shell was a little wrinklier and scratchier compared to the other high-end options on our guide. That said, it's cool to the touch. The blanket itself is filled with glass beads and fiberfill to supply its weighted feel. I've found that some blankets that are weighted with beads can feel like you're lying under a beanbag, which is the case with the YnM weighted blanket. That said, the weight was evenly distributed throughout the blanket.

Read our YnM Weighted Blanket review.

Best heated

It's so cozy, we fought over it. Weighted blankets are great for that hygge experience, but when you add heat, you take the coziness to a whole new level. Also featured in our best electric blanket guide, the Pure Enrichment WeightedWarmth Weighted Throw Blanket is the one we kept reaching for on cold winter nights. In fact, former reporter James Brains' wife loved this weighted heated blanket so much she didn't want to give it back to him to test.

It's throw-sized and dual-sided. At 52 inches by 60 inches, it's a little bit too small to cover most people completely, but it got the job done while lounging and watching TV. Even as antsy individuals who toss and turn, the Pure Enrichment heated weighted blanket kept us nestled underneath. The micromink and sherpa sides were both comfortable, though we prefer the sherpa side's plush comfort.

It heats quickly and efficiently. The Pure Enrichment WeightedWarmth blanket has four heat settings: warm, low, medium, and high, my favorite setting reaches 105 degrees Fahrenheit quickly. The 9-foot cord is long enough to reach electrical outlets without needing an extension cord or sacrificing comfort. After two hours, the blanket automatically shuts off.

Caring for it is cumbersome. It relies on glass beads for its weight and tips the scales at 13 pounds, which we found was sufficient for its size. We also like the five-year warranty. The biggest negative is the care instructions, which are so long and detailed that they require a 6-inch-by-6-inch explainer sown into the blanket.

Best king-size

This king-size comforter is the best weighted blanket for couples. Couples who want to share a weighted blanket will want a king-size comforter. The HomeSmart Weighted Blanket is sold in oversized queen and king varieties, measuring 88 by 104 inches in various weights up to 50 pounds — some of the most diverse weight options we've seen. There's even a unique split-weight version we haven't seen anywhere else.

It's easy to wash. The HomeSmart blanket features micro glass beads sewn into 5-by-5-inch pockets to distribute the weight evenly. The blanket is machine washable and dryable. We've washed it several times over the last two-and-a-half years and found it an effortless endeavor. If you want to add a duvet cover, the blanket has 10 loops for tying one on.

We prefer the 25-pound version. We tested the previously sold 15-pound and 25-pound comforters and enjoyed both, though the 25-pound was almost too restrictive. We prefer the 15-pounder, but since testing, 20 pounds seems to be the lightest weight available. Thanks to its breathability, it's a great year-round blanket but not necessarily fluffy like a traditional comforter.

It eventually leaked beads. The HomeSmart Weighted Blanket isn't without its flaws. After 18 months of use, the 25-pound blanket started leaking beads, likely because one of our pets had dug a hole into it. We tried to contact customer service but couldn't reach anyone.

Our top picks compared

What else we tested

• Sleep Number True Temp Weighted Blanket: Sleep Number's weighted blanket was impressively cool and available in 12 and 20 pounds, but its interior frequently separated from the exterior cover. It's available in just one color.
• YnM Weighted Comforter: We loved the fluff in this weighted blanket, but it slept very hot. It's a lot more affordable than the Eli & Elm comforter, however.
• Silk and Snow Hand Knitted Weighted Blanket: Silk and Snow's knit cotton blanket is an excellent option, and a great dupe for the Bearaby. The holes in the knit are fractionally larger than the Bearaby Cotton Napper, so fingers and toes are more likely to be caught in the loops.
• Luxome Weighted Blanket: This weighted blanket has an optional removable cover with a dual-sided bamboo and minky plush fabric for a cooling and a warm feel. We didn't love the slick feel of the minky fabric, and the beads were noticeable while sleeping. It's also expensive for its quality.

What to look for in a weighted blanket

Here are the main factors to consider when shopping for a weighted blanket:

Weight: Select a blanket roughly 10% of your body weight. You should be able to move freely under the blanket; if you can't, choose a lighter weight. You'll likely want something heavier if you share a weighted blanket with a partner.

Size: If you're sharing a blanket with a partner with a similar body weight, you'll want a weighted blanket that covers your entire bed. If you and your partner are very different weights, consider two smaller separate blankets in a throw or twin size. Remember that a 15-pound throw blanket feels much heavier than a 15-pound comforter since a larger blanket distributes its weight over a larger surface area. Blankets larger than the side of your bed can cause it to slip off, so many will fit the dimensions of a mattress exactly, but some comforter designs, like that we found from Baloo Living and Eli & Elm, remedy that by concentrating the blanket weight in the middle.

Material: Weighted blankets can come in various materials like cotton, TENCEL, microfiber, or polyester. Consider the outer fabric depending on whether you want a blanket with a more breathable design or something cozier. Some comforter-sized designs are also designed to be used with duvet covers or may even come with their own, in which case, designs with loops will make it easy to add a cover of your choice.

Fill type: Besides considering weight, size, and outer material, the inner fill is important. Weighted blankets rely on micro glass beads, plastic pellets, or steel shot beads, like in the case of Bearaby's knit design, the weight of its fabric. We don't prefer one fill over another regarding function, but steel and glass are generally more sustainable than plastic. Ideally, the fill shouldn't shift too much within the blanket or create a lot of noise when shifting under the blanket.

How we test weighted blankets

Our testing methodology

Aside from the general coziness and comfort provided by each weighted blanket, we also evaluated material quality, value, weight options, and aesthetics. For example, a blanket with more color and weight options beats out a blanket of equal quality with fewer options. We also considered return policies, sleep trials, and how easy these blankets were to clean.

The following are three tests we ran each blanket through to assess the general user experience:

Sleep test: We slept with each weighted blanket for at least three consecutive nights. We noted how well we slept overall and how the blanket regulated our sleep temperature. We also assessed how well the blanket stayed in place and how easy it was to adjust while lying under it. This test also included making the bed daily (hauling a weighted blanket is harder than it looks).

Wash test: We washed every machine-washable weighted blanket or cover at least once to ensure they held up well and didn't shrink, shed, or otherwise show signs of wear. We noted if the added weight made them more challenging to haul into and out of the washing machine. We also discovered that one of the machine-washable blankets was so bulky it didn't fit into the washing machine. For those blankets that weren't machine-washable, we noted the care instructions and factored that into the cons of the blanket.

Weight test: We wanted to ensure each blanket was the advertised weight. To get an accurate reading, we weighed each blanket with a luggage scale. We then noted any discrepancies in the advertised weight versus the actual weight.

Meet the experts behind the guide

Kinsley Searles, associate home editor: I'm the current tester and writer for this guide. I've personally used weighted blankets for years to help my anxious mind slow down and relax at the end of a stressful day. I love testing all kinds of weighted blankets on my couch and bed — with the help of my pets.

James Brains, former senior reporter: As the former writer on this story, I tested weighted blankets in my own home. I also used my expertise as a product tester and reviewer to develop in-depth testing procedures.

Weighted blanket FAQs

Which weighted blanket is the best?

Rebecca Robbins, sleep researcher, author, and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, recommends looking for brands with sleep trials and buyer-friendly return policies so you can test out a weighted blanket to see if it's right for you. "It's hard for the one-size-fits-all approach because we're all just so unique and have different physiologies," she said.

How do I wash a weighted blanket?

Many weighted blankets are technically machine washable, but we advise against washing any weighted blanket over 20 pounds in your residential washer and dryer. If your blanket is above 20 pounds, you'll need to spot treat it or take it to a professional cleaner. We recommend using a duvet cover, especially with heavier weighted blankets, for easier cleaning.

Read more in our how to wash a weighted blanket article.

How often should I wash my weighted blanket?

Brian Sansoni, Senior Vice President at the American Cleaning Institute, says to treat weighted blankets like any other comforter and wash them once or twice a year, while the duvet cover should be cleaned roughly once a month.

Are weighted blankets good for anxiety?

When we asked experts what sleep trends actually work, weighted blankets were toward the top of the list. However, no randomized clinical trials can speak to the efficacy of weighted blankets in treating anxiety since it would be obvious to participants whether they were using a weighted blanket. In our personal experience, weighted blankets have helped reduce stress and ease anxiety, but this could also be due to the placebo effect.

• I maintain my 35-pound weight loss while still enjoying my favorite foods in moderation.
• Almost every night, I have a variation of a yogurt bowl with fruit, honey, and chocolate.
• Because it has protein, fiber, and vitamins, it's a nutritious option that keeps me satisfied.

Seven years ago, I lost 35 pounds while still eating my favorite foods — chocolate included. Without changing my approach or restricting myself, I've managed to maintain a similar weight and physique.

Like most people, my weight fluctuates a little, and I've actually built muscle mass over the past seven years, which adds weight on the scale. However, I've maintained my fat loss.

I follow the 80/20 approach, meaning I eat a diet full of nutrient-dense whole foods, fiber, protein, healthy fats, carbs, and gut health-boosting micronutrients 80% of the time. The remaining 20%, I enjoy foods that are less nutrient-dense without worrying about it.

A huge part of my weight-loss journey was improving my relationship with food. When I no longer mentally categorized foods as "good" or "bad," it removed less nutritious foods from the pedestal I'd placed them on. I didn't feel guilty or tempted to overeat when I had them.

My staple evening snack reflects my balanced approach to healthy eating, combining fruit, yogurt, honey, and a little bit of chocolate.

I make a yogurt bowl at night that I tweak based on my mood, hunger levels, and fridge contents

I don't always eat the same evening snack. It changes based on my hunger level and mood. Some days, I eat a more classic dessert, like chocolate mousse or ice cream, and other days, I'm too full to have anything other than peppermint tea.

On most evenings, my go-to combination of fruit, yogurt, and chocolate hits the spot. I tend to mix all of the ingredients together to create a yogurt bowl, but there are also nights when I enjoy each one separately.

Trying out different combinations means I benefit from getting different nutrients and get to enjoy interesting flavors.

For example, I alternate between fat-free, high-protein skyr and full-fat Greek yogurt. Each nutritious, delicious option carries different benefits: Skyr typically has more protein and fewer calories, whereas Greek yogurt has more fat and a creamier texture.

The dietitian-approved snack has protein, vitamins, and fiber

I ran my Greek yogurt bowl by London-based dietitian Sophie Medlin, who told Business Insider it's a great snack, as the protein in it helps keep me full and satisfied.

"The fruit also provides additional vitamins and fiber, which are both beneficial for health," she said. "Honey is sugary, but when used sparingly and mixed with protein from the yogurt and fiber from the fruit, the impact on blood sugars will be moderate, which means it shouldn't affect your sleep."

To make the most nutritious choice, Medlin recommends using dark chocolate instead of milk or white chocolate because it contains more beneficial plant compounds and less sugar.

However, she cautioned against having too much dark chocolate in the evening, as the small amount of caffeine it contains might keep you awake.

I only add a small amount of chocolate — usually dark, but not always — to my bowl and try to eat it two to three hours before going to sleep so I can properly digest.

It's important to remember that all food, dessert included, can be part of a balanced diet

According to Medlin, any food can fit into a balanced diet that supports weight management, including this protein-filled snack combination.

If you want to lose weight, a calorie deficit is key, so Medlin advises keeping an eye on portion size.

"This is the sort of snack I recommend to patients, but with the caveats of being careful with the honey and ideally choosing dark chocolate," she said.

I've found that eating a delicious snack plate with fruit, yogurt, and chocolate satisfies my sweet tooth and keeps me from feeling hungry later at night.

• Retail traders are buying the year to date dip in Tesla stock, Vanda Research said.
• The cohort, meanwhile, has slowed its buying of Nvidia stock.
• Vanda said tax-day selling pressure could be to blame for the pivot from Nvidia.

Retail traders are flocking back to an old favorite.

According to data from Vanda Research, which tracks retail investor flows into stocks and ETFs, Tesla is seeing a renewed buying spree among retail investors following a tough start to this year.

Tesla stock is down 15% in 2026, and retail traders seem to be seizing on the opportunity to buy it on the dip. At the same time, Vanda said that individual investors are rotating away from Nvidia.

"NVDA is seeing sustained retail outflows after an extended period of buying," the report stated. "In contrast, NVDA has seen multiple successive sessions of net selling, a reversal from the record buying we saw in and around prior earnings. The last time the 5-day net buying was this weak (-$294mn) was last May."

Vanda added that this pattern recalls a similar scenario that played out last year, when retail traders pulled out of Nvidia after the market rally following Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcements. However, they quickly returned and resumed heavy buying, helping spark new momentum for the stock.

Vanda also said last month that retail investors had become net sellers of stocks for the first time in three years amid the volatility created by the Iran war, though they've since resumed buying.

"TSLA has seen $216mn of net buying over the past 5 days, making it the most actively bought retail name again. This comes as 1M rolling retail flows have moved to their highest since late Oct last year — with retail persistently buying the dip," Vanda noted.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a popular figure among retail traders. While Wall Street analysts have raised concerns about Musk's various ventures, Vanda's data suggests that everyday traders are still upbeat.

According to Vanda, their pivot from Nvidia might not be an explicitly bearish position, and the same selling pattern has been seen in previous tax seasons as investors take profits to help cover their IRS bills.

The research firm noted that tax day selling pressure is likely to pass soon. It said the data reflect a positive shift in investor sentiment, likely to help the market recover.

"Under the hood, retail engagement remains strong, with TSLA, PLTR, MSFT and AAPL dominating the most actively traded names," the report stated. "If retail flows do inflect higher post-tax day, this big tech cohort is likely to lead. But we would expect buying to broaden out across the usual retail favorites."

• The war with Iran triggered debate in Congress over war powers.
• Presidents have repeatedly ordered military operations without Congress since WWII.
• In some instances, lawmakers have checked the president's power in response.

Following the United States' and Israel's attacks on Iran, a host of ethical, economic, and political questions have been raised about the decision to strike the country.

One of the conflict's most pressing political questions has centered on the legality of the war itself. Operation Epic Fury, a large-scale military operation, was launched without congressional authorization, which lawmakers argue is required under the Constitution.

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said in a post on X on March 17 that President Donald Trump ordered the operation after determining Iran posed an "imminent threat." Trump's former head of counterterrorism, Joe Kent, refuted the claim in his resignation letter last month.

Trump, who has referred to the conflict as a war multiple times, has repeatedly said it could end "very soon" — or last longer. A two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran is currently in place, but Vice President JD Vance left peace talks with Iran on April 12 without securing a deal to end the war.

Congress hasn't officially declared war since December 8, 1941, when war was declared on the Empire of Japan the day after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Since then, in instances like the Gulf War, the war in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War, Congress has typically approved force via "Authorization for Use of Military Force." While not an official declaration of war, it allows the military to engage in targeted objectives, according to the Library of Congress.

Still, there have been plenty of times throughout American history when the president has ordered large-scale military operations without direct Congressional approval, whether through loose interpretations of presidential powers or without providing any legal justification. This has become much more common since World War II, as the US became a global superpower and maintained large standing forces of troops, aircraft, and ships.

While this practice has been met with legal challenges at times in history, in other instances, presidents have avoided scrutiny from Congress due to widespread support for the military action.

Andrew Wiest, a professor of military history at the University of Southern Mississippi, said these instances are part of a broader concession of Congressional war powers to the executive branch since WWII.

"Since 1946, Congress has relinquished this constitutional authority and granted it to the president, probably much to the founders' chagrin," Wiest said. "The founders were extremely wary of a president with too much military authority."

In recent decades, US presidents have repeatedly used drones and cruise missiles to strike at terror groups. In President Trump's second term, his administration has launched airstrikes in Nigeria, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia.

Here are 11 notable examples of US military operations conducted without direct congressional approval.

Philippine-American War

Even before WWII, certain US military actions were the source of fierce debate. Following the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Islands were ceded to the US in the Treaty of Paris in 1898. Despite the United States' claim to the territory, Filipino revolutionary fighters declared independence and resisted American attempts to acquire the islands.

President William McKinley never sought a formal declaration of war or authorization from Congress. Since the Treaty of Paris was newly ratified by Congress, however, McKinley interpreted it as an effective approval of force from lawmakers. The war was controversial in Congress, with anti-imperialists claiming the annexation of the Philippines was illegal, according to the House of Representatives.

The war lasted over three years, from 1899 to 1902, and American deaths totaled 4,200. About 20,000 Filipino fighters were killed, while up to 200,000 civilians died of disease, famine, and violence, per the Department of State.

Korean War

After the US and Soviet Union divided Korea into two countries following WWII, fighting ensued in 1950 when North Korean forces invaded South Korea. The United Nations Security Council soon directed its member nations to assist South Korea, prompting US involvement.

President Harry Truman, however, never sought any form of approval from Congress, instead labeling the US's efforts a "police action" under the auspices of the UN. This framing was refuted by some members of Congress, with Republican Senator Robert Taft claiming the lack of congressional approval was "a complete usurpation by the president of authority to use the armed forces of this country," per the Brennan Center.

The war's identity as an international effort overshadowed the lack of congressional approval, according to Wiest.

"At the time, the UN was young, robust, and something new," Wiest said. "With a UN resolution to defend South Korea, what more top cover do you need?"

The Korean War ultimately lasted three years and resulted in the deaths of 37,000 American soldiers, according to the Department of Defense. As many as 5 million people lost their lives in total from the conflict, many of them civilians.

Vietnam War

Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution in August 1964, giving President Lyndon Johnson the authority to use military force in Vietnam and the surrounding countries. But as the war dragged on and opposition at home grew, pressure mounted on the US government, and questions arose about Johnson's continued war powers.

Then, two years after Richard Nixon had assumed office, Congress repealed the resolution, meaning no law on the books authorized US military force in Southeast Asia. Though Nixon began reducing the number of deployed US troops when he took office in 1969, bombing campaigns continued until the end of the war.

A federal appeals court later declared the war a political issue and did not rule on the legality of Nixon's continued bombing, The New York Times reported.

A total of 58,220 Americans died as a result of the war, per the National Archives.

Bombing of Cambodia

Nixon also conducted bombing campaigns in Cambodia, which began in 1969 and continued after the repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. The operation — to disrupt supply routes along the Ho Chi Minh trail and to target suspected communist hubs — began in secret without Congress ever being informed.

The bombings prompted Congress' passing of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which aimed to limit the president's power in conducting military operations. Nixon vetoed the legislation, but Congress overrode the veto with a two-thirds majority.

The successful war-powers challenge represented a rare moment in modern American history where Congress reclaimed its war powers. Wiest said political factors play a large role in Congress' usual inaction.

"Partisanship and politics is part of it," Wiest said. "No congressman can be seen as being against the troops. In my view, there's no more risky electoral thing to do."

From 1969 to 1973, the US dropped 540,000 tons of bombs on Cambodia. Estimates for civilians killed as a result of the bombings range from 150,000 to 500,000, per PBS Frontline.

1983 invasion of Grenada

In 1983, a coup in Grenada resulted in the execution of the country's leader, Maurice Bishop. Ostensibly to protect hundreds of medical students in the country and restore order after the government's overthrow, the US invaded the island nation with help from Caribbean allies.

The US invasion, ordered by President Ronald Reagan, was carried out without congressional approval. This prompted Congress to apply the War Powers Resolution, forcing withdrawal of US troops within 60 days, The New York Times reported.

The campaign only lasted eight days, but it resulted in the death of 19 US soldiers and 24 Grenadian civilians, per Army University Press.

1989 invasion of Panama

In what was codenamed Operation Just Cause, the US invaded Panama in 1989 with the intention of overthrowing its leader, Manuel Noriega, who was indicted under US law for drug trafficking.

Other reasons cited for the operation were protecting Americans in Panama, defending democracy, and protecting the Panama Canal treaties. The State Department said the actions were also carried out with the consent of Panama's legitimate government, which was sworn in before the invasion.

Like Reagan before him, President George H.W. Bush didn't seek congressional approval beforehand. However, the invasion had strong public and congressional support, subduing potential war-powers challenges.

The invasion was swift, and Noriega was quickly captured and tried in the US. He was later convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison, eventually serving 17 years in the US.

All in all, 23 US soldiers were killed in the operation, and an internal US Army memo estimated the number of Panamanian deaths at around 1,000, per Politico.

1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

During the Kosovo War, NATO forces led by the US initiated a bombing campaign in Yugoslavia against the Yugoslav Army.

NATO said the strikes were intended to stop "ethnic cleansing" of Kosovar Albanians by Yugoslav forces and to pressure those forces to leave Kosovo.

Though Congress originally voted to send US peacekeeping troops to NATO in March of 1999 before the bombing began, a later House measure authorizing the strikes failed in a tie vote.

The continued bombing campaign under President Bill Clinton later prompted a war powers lawsuit filed by 31 members of the House, which was dismissed by a judge on the grounds that "a clear impasse between the executive and legislative branches" was absent, CBS News reported.

Much as with the Korean War after WWII, Wiest said, the notion of internationalism following the end of the Cold War provided cover for the operation's legality.

"It was a period of early optimism in the wake of a world-changing event, so that optimism, with the top cover of the UN or NATO, just overwhelmed any American constitutional need to declare war," he said.

As well as killing over 1,000 Yugoslav combatants, the strikes claimed the lives of roughly 500 civilians, per Human Rights Watch.

2011 US and NATO intervention in Libya

As part of an intervention conducted by NATO forces, US forces participated in strikes on Libya during the Libyan Civil War. In response to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's attacks on civilians, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973 on March 17, 2011, which authorized military action in Libya.

President Barack Obama never sought congressional approval for the action, leading to criticism from Congress and 10 House members filing a lawsuit in an attempt to block further military action, NPR reported.

The legal action was later dismissed by a federal judge, Reggie Walton, who noted that lawmakers already had the legislative means to challenge the military operation in Congress. In light of other pressing political issues, Walton said, "…the Court finds it frustrating to expend time and effort adjudicating the relitigation of settled questions of law."

The Obama administration used the UN Security Council resolution as a justification and claimed the operation was limited and thus within the scope of the War Powers Resolution.

US strikes in Yemen

The US struck Houthi targets in Yemen after the military group began targeting commercial ships in 2023 in response to Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations conducted strikes against the Houthis without seeking congressional approval. The most recent strikes in 2025, conducted by the Trump administration, killed at least 224 civilians, per the Middle East monitoring group Airwars.

Wiest said there's a double standard applied to ground versus air military operations, with the latter offering more war-powers leeway.

"The use of air power has almost been a kind of national 'Get Out of Jail Free' card when it comes to opening these types of conflicts," he said.

2025 strikes on Iran nuclear sites

In what was codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, the Trump administration struck Iran's nuclear facilities without Congressional approval. President Trump argued the strike was a necessary measure to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

While the strikes had the broad support of Republican lawmakers, Democrats and Republican Thomas Massie criticized the operation's lack of authorization from Congress, NPR reported.

2026 US raid inside Venezuela

On January 3, the Trump administration conducted surprise strikes on Venezuela that deposed the country's president, Nicolás Maduro. Maduro was captured and brought to the US, where he faces narco-terrorism and other drug charges. The former Venezuelan leader has pleaded not guilty.

The Trump administration justified the strikes by calling them "law-enforcement operations" to target what it called Maduro's "narco-terrorist organization."

The strikes resulted in about 75 deaths, including two civilians and 32 Cuban special forces, per the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Seven American troops were injured.

Critics in Congress questioned the legality of the intervention. While a war powers resolution was brought to the floor for a vote in the Senate, it was blocked by the Republican-led majority.

Editor's note: This story was originally published in March 2026. It was most recently updated in April 2026 to reflect the US-Iran ceasefire.

• Allbirds is trading shoes for GPUs and the stock is soaring.
• The sneaker company announced it's pivoting to AI, rebranding itself as NewBird AI.
• The company will focus on providing GPU compute-as-a-service.

What's All is New.

Allbirds, once the go-to shoemaker for finance and tech bros coast to coast, is transforming into NewBird AI, and its stock is seeing a wild rally on the pivot.

Shares exploded higher by as much as 876% to $24.31 after closing at $2.49 on Tuesday.

The sneaker company announced it entered into an agreement with an institutional investor for a $50 million convertible financing facility, which it will use to buy "high-performance GPU assets" as part of a pivot into AI computing infrastructure.

Allbirds announced a deal at the end of March to sell its shoe business for $39 million to American Exchange Group, which owns brands like Aerosoles, Ed Hardy, and Mudd. William Blair analysts said the offer represented a $5.70 per-share value when it was announced.

The new company cited a "long-term vision to become a fully integrated GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) and AI-native cloud solutions provider."

The company joins a list of firms stretching back to the early 2000s internet boom that have pivoted to initiatives far outside their core business in a bid to win back investors.

In 2017, the Long Island Iced Tea announced a pivot to become Long Blockchain Corp. The stock surged almost 500% on the news. The company was delisted in 2021 and the SEC charged three people connected to the company with insider trading.

More recently, media company BuzzFeed pivoted to AI in 2023, sparking a huge stock rally. Shares are down nearly 95% from their 2023 peak, and reports earlier this year said the company is teetering at the edge of bankruptcy.

Allbirds' statement framed the pivot as the company stepping up to meet a growing gap in the supply of critical AI computing power.

"The rise of AI development and adoption has created unprecedented structural demand for specialized, high-performance compute that the market is struggling to meet," the announcement read.

"NewBird AI is being built to help close that gap. The Company will initially seek to acquire high-performance, low-latency AI compute hardware and provide access under long-term lease arrangements, meeting customer demand that spot markets and hyperscalers are unable to reliably service."

The sharp pivot comes after Allbirds' stock valuation has plunged since going public in 2021. The Allbirds IPO raised roughly $348 million with the stock priced $15 per share.

Allbirds shoes were once a favorite of Wall Street traders, Silicon Valley tech workers, and even former president Barack Obama.

Yet the company, which focused on sustainability and comfort, has seen deepening losses since going public, with revenue declining in each quarter since 2022.

Correction: April 15 — An earlier version of this story misstated the dollar amount Allbirds was sold for. The figure has been updated.

• Tariff fluctuations over the last year have added a new level of complexity for importers.
• Companies are using generative AI to complete the time-consuming tariff refund process.
• Generative AI can also save weeks of time on complex scenario planning for sourcing materials.

US businesses have been on a tariff roller coaster over the last year. Sweeping tariffs were implemented at varying levels across different countries. Though some were eventually overturned by the Supreme Court, there is now an added layer of bureaucracy as companies seek potential refunds. Some are turning to AI for help.

Companies like EQI and customs advisory firms like KPMG are using generative AI "to process all that chaos," said Brendan Connallon, the VP of finance at EQI, a company that supplies metal components and provides supply chain advising services to manufacturers. The technology can rapidly scrape and synthesize vast quantities of data, track tariff changes, model potential supply chain scenarios, and accurately classify goods by their government-assigned tariff codes — a highly nuanced system with more than 17,000 codes.

Emil Stefanutti, the CEO of Gaia Dynamics, a software company that provides AI tools to help companies automate trade compliance, said AI is proving particularly useful in this rapidly changing environment, as it can reduce compliance errors and save businesses time. With the Supreme Court ruling specifically, Stefanutti said importers can use AI to analyze data on where and when they paid tariffs, quantify potential overpayments, and flag areas that need correction.

AI "can continuously track and adapt to new rules in a way humans simply can't at scale," Stefanutti said.

AI can shave weeks off pinpointing tariff refunds

The consulting firm KPMG has been advising its clients on trade compliance for decades, but last year in particular, "the tariffs were changing fast and furious," said Andrew Siciliano, the leader of the Global and US Trade and Customs practices at KPMG.

Company leaders needed real-time data quickly to make decisions, so KPMG launched an AI-powered tariff modeler.

The firm's clients include many large businesses that import goods ranging from auto parts to retail goods and pharmaceuticals, and that use several ports of entry and customs brokers. KPMG takes its clients' decentralized customs entries and product information from suppliers and freight forwarders — the intermediaries between importers and their transportation providers — and plugs the data into the tariff modeler, Siciliano said.

This approach has helped KPMG's clients navigate the process of applying for refunds for tariff overpayments resulting from the policy change that took effect after the Supreme Court overturned some tariffs. Many trade rules have nuanced exceptions, leading some businesses to pay multiple tariffs when they should have paid only one. Siciliano said his firm uses AI to interact with a client's data and better understand which products came from which factories, narrowing down which qualify for refunds.

Though the refund system is in the works, there could still be confusion and uncertainty, said Connallon. He told Business Insider that he anticipates the process will be "an administrative nightmare."

Before AI, manually sifting through thousands of custom entry data points to spot overpayments could take weeks or months — or not happen at all because of the complexity, Siciliano said. Now, an importer can prompt AI, which delivers the information right away.

AI can speed up complex scenario modeling

AI also saves weeks of time in scenario planning. An importer might wonder how costs could change if it moved sourcing from China to Vietnam, for example. Instead of taking weeks to update multiple spreadsheets, AI models scenarios with the click of a few buttons, Siciliano said.

Connallon said EQI uses AI in a similar way to model potential sourcing scenarios. The company uses the AI platform Altana, which focuses on supply chain management and trade compliance.

In a potential sourcing move from country A to B, EQI uses AI to model total costs, accounting for tariffs, manufacturing costs, and ocean freight rates. For manufacturing, which sources thousands of different products from myriad locations, "the complexity becomes extremely dense very fast," Connallon said. "So, AI helps us simplify it." EQI sends the simplified data to its trade attorneys, who can interpret it within hours, said Connallon.

"We've turned something that would take weeks into a same-day thing," he said.

He added that "AI is not good at critical thinking," and that humans are essential for sourcing decisions. For example, the AI model might say that sourcing all materials from one country results in the greatest cost savings, but business leaders have to consider the bigger picture, said Connallon. Supply chain executives have learned, especially in recent years, that sourcing solely from one country carries risks, such as product shortages or delays if a geopolitical or economic issue halts trade flows.

• Anxiety about private credit is likely overdone, a top JPMorgan strategist says.
• JPMorgan Private Bank's global investment head said institutional clients are still bullish.
• The sector has been battered by headlines about redemptions and investor concerns in recent months.

The drama unfolding in the private credit market hasn't deterred big-money investors, according to a top JPMorgan strategist.

Monica DiCenso, the global investment opportunities head at JPMorgan Private Bank, brushed off the jitters that have swirled around the private credit sector in recent months. Despite some funds freezing investor withdrawals, risks in the sector are likely overstated — and institutional clients are actually using the panic as an opportunity to continue adding exposure, she said, speaking to CNBC on Wednesday.

"I am seeing institutional clients add to private credit here. They're using this fear as a time to add. And so that's always something that you want to watch when you see a very sophisticated part of the market saying, 'This is probably a little overdone,'" Dicenso said, though she acknowledged that private credit was a "higher risk" corner of the market.

Fears about the health of private credit were first kindled with the collapse of TriColor Holdings and First Brands late last year. Since then, private credit funds have faced a wave of withdrawal requests, with firms like BlueOwl, BlackRock, and Apollo limiting amounts investors can withdraw.

The news fueled fears of a contagion event that could spread to other areas of the financial system, but DiCenso said she believed that firms putting up redemption limits was actually a "good thing."

"It stops the run of the banks, if you will. So while it doesn't feel good to see that headline, it helps calm people's nerves, and it helps these companies manage and run these risks," she said.

Private credit investments are less liquid than publicly traded assets. Many of the developments that have unfolded in the private credit sector recently stem from how retail investors, used to daily liquidity in stocks and ETFs, have been spooked by the relative illiquidity of private debt funds.

Meanwhile, much of the debt in the private credit universe is still doing just fine, DiCenso noted. The default rate for private credit loans hovers around 2.5%, in line with the historical average for high-yield and leveraged loans, according to one JPMorgan Private Bank analysis.

"If you're partnering with a manager who's well-seasoned and knows how to do this, I do think it's going to be okay," DiCenso said of the sector's performance.

Other big names on Wall Street have also shrugged off recent panic in the private credit sector.

Speaking on the bank's earnings call on Tuesday, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said he was "not particularly worried" about the systemic risks related to private credit. Dimon — who suggested that TriColor and First Brands were just some of the "cockroaches" lurking in the broader credit market last year — was among the first people on Wall Street to warn of risks in the private credit market.

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon also said he believed private credit is still an attractive space, despite more "noise" from investors in recent months.

• Private credit direct lending redemptions hit a record $19.5 billion in the first quarter.
• But only 53% of the requested cash, or $10.4 billion, was returned to investors.
• These three charts tell the story of the record redemption rush in the first quarter.

Investors asked to take out $19.5 billion from private credit direct lending funds in the first quarter, according to a Business Insider analysis of SEC filings.

However, firms only paid out 53% of requests, or $10.4 billion, across the 17 investment vehicles Business Insider analyzed. Nine funds decided to cap investor withdrawals to the maximum amount they are required to pay out per quarter (either 5% or 7%).

These redemptions are a sign of faltering confidence among some investors in non-traded private credit funds, as concerns mount about exposure to software loans in the age of generative AI and the difference between private and public market valuations. While some investors are pulling money out, others continue to invest, meaning that these vehicles may see much smaller net outflows, or even net inflows, for the quarter.

Private credit, or loans written by non-bank lenders such as asset managers, has been one of the fastest-growing asset classes in the first half of the decade. The largest segment of private credit is direct lending to businesses to help fund their operations, much of it to finance leveraged buyouts for its private equity cousin.

The private markets industry has also been making a large push into retail investors via semi-liquid investment vehicles sold to them by their wealth managers. The private credit vehicles, either business development companies or interval funds, promise higher returns than "public" credit, but the trade-off is that investors can only pull their money out quarterly.

The data comes from SEC filings. For some firms, the Q1 2026 numbers for are estimates based on their most recently disclosed net asset values, as they have not yet released the March net asset values that are the basis for final payouts to investors.

Business Insider included large funds that have a large percentage of direct lending loans, but didn't include funds that focused on other strategies, like asset-backed lending. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10th.

Many of these funds chose to limit withdrawals for the first time in the first quarter of this year. While that decision may irritate some investors, it helped keep more than $9 billion in these funds.

Requests were up 142.2% from the last quarter of 2025, but actual redemptions were only up 28.9% from the $8 billion redeemed at the end of last year.

While the $10.4 billion withdrawn this past quarter was a record, the amount withdrawn had been climbing steadily before that, jumping 154% from the third to fourth quarter when investors pulled $8 billion.

We decided to focus from the second quarter 2025 onwards because that was when redemption numbers began to increase, potentially after the impact of tariffs on BDCs.

The largest payout, by far, came from Blackstone's Private Credit Fund, the largest non-traded BDC with $82.7 billion in assets. It returned $3.7 billion to investors after the firm declined to limit withdrawals to 5%.

Just because Blackstone returned $3.7 billion to investors doesn't mean it has $3.7 billion less cash on hand, as nearly $2.5 billion of money came into the fund from new investors, as well as the firm and some executives.

The biggest requests in dollar amounts were Cliffwater's Corporate Lending Fund and Blue Owl Credit Income Corp.

Blue Owl Technology Income Corp, Blue Owl's smaller tech-focused fund, had the highest percentage of requests to redeem in the last two quarters and redeemed 15.40%, or $527 million, in the fourth quarter of last year. It also sold some assets held by this fund in the first quarter, bolstering its liquidity. The next quarter, it decided to limit withdrawals.

Andy Kiersz created the charts for this story.

• My partner and I flew from London to Sydney in the Emirates business-class cabin.
• As part of the experience, a car service picked us up at home and brought us to the airport.
• From the in-flight cocktail lounge to the luxurious amenities, I had a great time on board.

When my partner and I booked a 24-hour journey from London to Sydney, we decided to upgrade our Emirates flights to business class to make things more comfortable.

Emirates' business class has a reputation for being luxurious, so I was excited to take in all the company had to offer. Little did I know, however, the experience would start before I even entered the airport.

Shortly after booking the flight, I was prompted to book a private car service to pick us up from our house and take us to the airport. I was also able to book ground transportation to and from the airport in Sydney, as well as a car to take us home on the return trip.

I was particularly impressed that the chauffeur dropped us off at a dedicated Emirates entrance at London Gatwick airport, and we were escorted by an attendant to the priority check-in desk — we didn't need to touch our bags from the moment we left home.

It truly set the tone for the rest of the trip, which exceeded my expectations.

We spent time in the Emirates lounge in London, which was stocked with a variety of cuisines and drinks.

Our business-class fare also gave us access to the Emirates lounge, which offered lots of warm and cold food options, vibrant salads and desserts, and attentive staff.

The lamb shoulder and roasted potatoes were incredible on a cold winter night, and I loved the goat cheese and beetroot salad so much that I went back for seconds.

Boarding the flight was so easy, and my seat came with some amazing amenities.

Our business-class seats gave us access to priority boarding, which gave us plenty of time to get settled.

I noticed the aircraft for the first leg of our journey seemed to be older, and at first glance, the upholstery looked a bit dated. However, the lie-flat seat was incredibly comfortable with plenty of legroom.

My pod also had a large touchscreen entertainment system with an accompanying tablet, headphones, slippers, an eye mask, snacks, and both mineral and sparkling water.

We were welcomed with drinks and amenity kits.

Once I sat down, the friendly flight crew offered me a choice of Champagne or juice, plus hot towels.

One of my favorite parts of the experience, however, was the beautiful amenity kit full of Bulgari products, including a moisturizer, lip balm, perfume, and body lotion.

The kit also had a few other useful items like a hair tie, deodorant, tissues, a dental kit, a comb, and ear plugs.

The in-flight cocktail lounge was the best part of the flight.

About an hour after takeoff, the cocktail lounge opened, which, in my opinion, was the best part of flying business class on Emirates.

The flight crew became mixologists and created classic cocktails and delicious mocktails in the air. It was an incredible experience to order a drink and sip a cosmopolitan while looking out the window, watching the clouds drift by.

The crew even snapped Polaroids of us enjoying the lounge to take home as a fun keepsake.

I couldn't believe how much food I got during the flight.

The seven-hour flight from London to Dubai included three separate meals, served to my pod with a cloth placemat and silverware.

For one meal, I had a beef filet with gravy, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, which was great. However, my favorite was the traditional Arabic mezze plate with kibbeh, babaganoush, stuffed vine leaf, hummus, and pita.

The food was delicious and plentiful — with so much to eat and drink that I even ended up skipping the light meal served between dinner and breakfast.

During the flight, I also had access prepackaged snacks in my pod, and there was even more food available in the lounge.

During my layover, I explored the incredible Dubai Emirates lounge.

During a three-hour layover at the Dubai airport, we explored the Emirates lounge, and it was by far the most spectacular I've ever visited.

Sprawling an entire floor above the main terminal, it felt more like a hotel lobby than an airport lounge, offering three different food stations, each with its own cuisine.

During my visit, there was also an ice cream cart with an attendant, and a Costa Coffee stand with a barista. I had a frothy vanilla latte and a chocolate chip cookie while waiting for my flight.

The lounge even featured a Moët and Chandon Champagne-tasting mini-lounge, where we enjoyed a glass of Nectar Impérial paired with canapés.

The longer flight from Dubai to Sydney was even more incredible than the first.

The long 14-hour leg from Dubai to Sydney was on a more modern aircraft that really gave that wow factor. I gasped out loud as I was ushered on board and directed up a flight of stairs that opened up to the stunning first-class cabin.

I walked past the private suites to my pod in the business-class section, which was breathtaking as well, with chic seats that fully reclined into a horizontal bed.

As was the case on the first leg of my flight, the pod was clean, comfortable, and well-organized.

Unsurprisingly, I slept better than I ever have on a plane. On both legs of the flight, the flight crew added a mattress pad to my seat before bedtime, and handed out a loungewear set that was so soft and comfortable that I brought it home with me.

Overall, the entire Emirates experience was one I'll never forget.

Although it was a splurge, flying business class on Emirates was an experience I'd happily recreate in the future. It really did transform the travel experience across two long-haul flights.

There were only a couple of things I think could've made the flight better, like a privacy screen for each pod and a more up-to-date selection of TV shows and movies.

Overall, though, my Emirates business-class experience was delightful, memorable, and seamless — and it made my long journey fly by.

• Taxes are due April 15. File by mail or electronically to avoid penalties.
• You can file for a six-month extension, which gives more time to file but not to pay.
• Penalty relief is rare. If you owe taxes, submit the payment by April 15 to avoid penalties.

For most Americans, taxes are due on Wednesday, April 15.

Paper filers must postmark their return by the due date, and e-filers must submit it by 11:59 p.m. in their time zone.

Business Insider spoke with tax specialist Timothy Wingate Jr. about the consequences of filing and paying late.

You can request an extension to file, but it won't extend your time to pay

If you know you're going to need more time to file your taxes, you can request a six-month extension by filling out IRS Form 4868.

"Anyone can file for the six-month extension," said Wingate. "It's automatically approved once you file it."

Form 4868 is a one-page document you can send by mail or file electronically — just make sure you do so by April 15. Otherwise, you could face a failure-to-file penalty equal to 5% of your unpaid taxes for each month your tax return is late, up to 25%.

The penalty starts accruing the day after the tax deadline. If you file more than 60 days late, the minimum penalty is $510 or 100% of the taxes you owe, whichever is smaller. There is no late-filing penalty if you're due a refund, but you won't receive it without filing.

An extension to file does not mean an extension to pay.

"If you owe money to the IRS, it still needs to be paid by the 15th," said Wingate. "Otherwise, you will incur a penalty."

The failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5% of your unpaid taxes for each month you don't pay, up to 25%. The IRS also charges interest on penalties.

If you expect to owe taxes, estimate the amount and submit the payment by April 15 to avoid penalties. If you're unsure of your tax liability, "send them what you paid last year," advised Wingate, noting that if you overpay, the IRS will refund you.

You may owe taxes if you withheld too little on your W-4 form, took on a side hustle, or are self-employed and haven't made enough quarterly tax payments. Major life events can also trigger a larger tax bill.

Don't expect penalty relief

While there are valid reasons for failing to file or pay on time — you may qualify for penalty relief in the event of a natural disaster, for example — don't expect relief from the IRS.

Wingate highlighted four scenarios that taxpayers mistakenly believe constitute reasonable causes for failing to file or pay on time.

1. "My tax preparer told me that they filed on time." If someone else handles your taxes, you'll still want to review what they file and get proof that your return has been sent. "It's not the tax preparer's responsibility to ensure that the tax return was filed on time," said Wingate.

2. "This is my first year filing on my own." The IRS doesn't care if you're a first-time filer or filing for the 50th time.

3. "I gave the IRS my correct information, so my tax return shouldn't have been rejected." If your return is rejected, you'll receive an explanation as to why, said Wingate: "It could be rejected for the wrong tax identification number or not having used the identity protection pin when you file." Filing early gives you time to correct any mistakes you may have initially made before the deadline.

4. "I couldn't afford to pay the taxes, so I waited until I had the money to file my tax return." If you can't pay the amount you owe, it's still important to file. Then, you can apply for a payment plan with the IRS to resolve your tax debt.

This story was originally published in April 2025.

• The US Navy has confirmed the loss of its first-ever MQ-4C spy drone, which costs roughly $240 million.
• A new Navy mishap report said the drone crashed earlier in April during the US-Iran war.
• An MQ-4C had disappeared from flight-tracking sites last week, though its fate was unknown.

The US Navy has confirmed the loss of an expensive spy drone amid the Iran war, its first known loss of this particular uncrewed aircraft.

Naval Safety Command revealed in a new aviation mishaps report that an MQ-4C Triton crashed on April 9, with no injury to personnel. The document did not specify where the drone went down, citing operational security.

Last week, an MQ-4C out of Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy was flying a mission over the Persian Gulf when it suddenly and rapidly descended and disappeared from flight-tracking sites, leading to speculation that it had crashed in the Middle East.

The Navy report listed the MQ-4C under "Class A" mishaps, meaning the incident caused more than $2.5 million in damage and/or destroyed the aircraft. The designation is also used to indicate that an accident caused a fatality or permanent total disability, though that doesn't appear to apply in this case.

Neither US Central Command, which oversees American operations in the Middle East, nor the Navy provided a comment on or an explanation for the MQ-4C crash. The War Zone, a military news site, first reported the drone's inclusion in the mishap report.

The MQ-4C, manufactured by American defense contractor Northrop Grumman, is an advanced high-altitude, long-endurance drone designed for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft can operate for more than 24 hours and fly at up to 50,000 feet.

As of last year, the Navy was operating 20 MQ-4Cs, making the loss of one significant. These drones are estimated to cost $240 million apiece, roughly eight times more expensive than the Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper, a combat drone that has also seen losses during the US war with Iran.

The US has lost a number of crewed and uncrewed aircraft during Operation Epic Fury. Three F-15 fighter jets were shot down by Kuwait in a friendly fire incident, while a fourth Strike Eagle and an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft were downed by Iran. A KC-135 refueling plane also crashed in Iraq, killing all six crew members.

Iranian strikes have also damaged support aircraft on the ground at US bases in the Gulf region, including a high-value E-3 Sentry command plane.

The US and Iran agreed to a brief ceasefire last week, but the conflict has moved into a new phase. The American military said last weekend that it would start clearing naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz and block maritime traffic from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

CENTCOM said on Tuesday that the blockade involves more than a dozen US warships, as well as drones and surveillance aircraft.

Listening to vinyl doesn't mean you have to give up modern perks like wireless audio. The best Bluetooth turntables make it easy to pair with wireless speakers or headphones, so you can drop the needle and start listening without fuss. Some all-in-one record players even go a step further, with two-way connectivity, so you can transmit audio to a separate device or stream music from a phone to the turntable's built-in speakers.

I've been covering audio gear for more than a decade, and I've tested my fair share of record players along the way. For this guide, I spent hands-on time with several Bluetooth turntables to narrow down the best options for different setups. If you want something simple with built-in speakers, the House of Marley Rise Up stands out. It's one of the few all-in-one models I've reviewed that actually sounds great. Meanwhile, if you're willing to use external speakers, the Sony PS-LX3BT is a great upgrade pick with performance that outclasses most entry-level players.

Though purists will want to stick with a wired connection for the most authentic sound quality, the best Bluetooth record players are perfect for beginners or anyone who wants a pain-free setup that doesn't require a separate amp or pesky speaker wires.

Our top picks for the best Bluetooth turntables

Best overall: House of Marley Rise Up - See at House of Marley

Best for beginners: Victrola Automatic - See at Amazon

Best upgrade pick: Sony PS-LX3BT - See at Amazon

Best budget all-in-one: Victrola Eastwood II - See at Amazon

Best overall

The House of Marley Rise Up is my pick for the best Bluetooth turntable overall. It has everything you need to enjoy a record right out of the box, so you don't need to worry about extra components or even a pair of speakers.

The Rise Up supports two-way Bluetooth use, so you can stream a vinyl record to a separate wireless speaker, or you can stream audio from your phone to the player's built-in speakers. There are also RCA connectors on the back for wired playback, offering a host of connectivity options.

But what really makes the Rise Up stand out from other all-in-one players is one simple fact: its built-in speakers actually sound good. Seriously, so many all-in-one players have terrible audio quality, but the Rise Up sounds notably better than most rivals. The stereo speakers hidden beneath the fabric actually do an album justice. It also makes the Rise Up a viable Bluetooth speaker for streaming Spotify or Apple Music.

The turntable features a replaceable Audio-Technica AT3600L stylus and cartridge. This is a respectable entry-level component that sounds detailed and full, especially for this price point. I also like the player's unique bamboo finish. And this design choice isn't purely for aesthetics. The company has partnered with the Marley family to continue Bob Marley's legacy of championing music and sustainability. Its products are responsibly sourced, from packaging to materials like recycled slipmats.

If you like the idea of the Rise Up, but want even more kick from the player and speakers, the brand's Soul Rebel is the next step up. I haven't tested that model yet, but it features a dual-bass port design, which should enable deeper low-end sound. It also has a switchable preamp, a 3.5mm jack, and ambient lighting.

Check out our guide to all the best record players.

Best for beginners

The Victrola Automatic is the best Bluetooth record player for beginners, primarily because it's so easy to operate. It's not intimidating, even for people new to vinyl albums. It comes mostly assembled and doesn't require advanced knowledge beyond the most basic use.

Of course, it comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to easily stream to any wireless Bluetooth speaker or headphones without worrying about cables, an AV receiver, or an amplifier. The player is also fully automatic, with controls to play, repeat, lift the tonearm, and switch between speeds.

This design lets you place a record on the turntable, press a few buttons, and listen to your music in no time. There's also an automatic repeat feature. This function lets you keep your music playing indefinitely, which isn't common on many competing budget models.

I also like that it has an integrated, selectable preamp. The Automatic uses an Audio-Technica ATN-3600LA cartridge, which offers a robust sound profile, though it isn't quite audiophile-caliber. But for this class of turntable, it's perfectly fine.

The Victrola Automatic also stands out for its compact size, making it suitable for most locations. However, keep in mind that while the platter is aluminum, the Automatic is otherwise completely plastic, including the tonearm. The buttons can be quite clicky and loud, and it just doesn't have the build quality that you get with pricier turntables.

As an alternative, I also like the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT, which is another excellent stand-alone Bluetooth turntable for those new to vinyl. It offers simple, accessible use while still supporting upgrades to components like the cartridge if you want to enhance performance in the future. It's very similar to the Victrola Automatic, and prices for both fluctuate, so sometimes one is more than the other. Ultimately, I give an edge to whichever is currently cheaper.

Best upgrade pick

If you're willing to spend a bit more on a stand-alone Bluetooth turntable, the Sony PS-LX3BT is a great step-up model. It's the successor to the brand's time-tested PS-LX310BT, which was a favorite among casual vinyl fans. This new model keeps what made that older player so appealing: simple setup, automatic playback, and great sound quality.

Getting started takes just a few minutes, and once everything's assembled, you can play or stop a record with a single button. The tonearm moves into place automatically, which is great if you don't want to fuss with manual controls. Of course, the player also supports Bluetooth, including aptX Adaptive for higher-quality wireless audio with compatible headphones.

When wirelessly connected to speakers or wired through its built-in preamp and RCA cable, the PS-LX3BT delivers clear, balanced sound that's noticeably more detailed than what you'll get from cheaper Bluetooth record players. However, the turntable's automatic movements can be noisy. Its plastic housing and buttons also feel cheaper than those of similarly priced players that lack Bluetooth. Thankfully, these drawbacks are easy to overlook once the music starts.

The PS-LX3BT is pricier than my other picks, but it sounds better than most entry-level models while still offering the convenience that makes Bluetooth record players so appealing.

Check our full Sony PS-LX3BT turntable review.

Best budget all-in-one

The Victrola Eastwood II is all about affordability and convenience. It's a great entry-level choice for anyone who wants a budget-friendly all-in-one record player with built-in speakers. Not only can it wirelessly stream music to a Bluetooth speaker or pair of headphones, but it can also play music from your phone directly through its own integrated speakers.

To hit its low price point, the Eastwood II does make a few compromises, so it's best to keep expectations in check. Still, it's a clear step up from the many ultra-cheap suitcase-style record players out there. After using it, I'm confident it's one of the best Bluetooth record players in this tier. Prices vary depending on sales, but it often drops to around $99, which is hard to beat for an all-in-one unit like this.

Its compact design is another big plus. The Eastwood II is a real space-saver, making it a smart choice for people who don't have a lot of console or table real estate. It's so compact that a full-size record hangs slightly off the side, which explains the cutout in the dust cover — a thoughtful design touch that keeps the overall footprint small.

The Eastwood II uses the popular AT-3600LA cartridge and stylus, which is a solid entry-level setup. But while it's convenient that the player has built-in speakers, their audio quality is lacking. The speakers are fine for casual listening, but don't sound nearly as good as typical bookshelf speakers or the integrated speakers on pricier all-in-one models like the House of Marley Rise Up.

Fortunately, Victrola gives you options. There are RCA and 3.5mm outputs for connecting external speakers or headphones, and of course, Bluetooth is available if you'd rather stream your vinyl wirelessly to a better Bluetooth speaker.

Check out our guide to all the best budget record players.

What else we considered

The Standard from Wrensilva - See at 1st Dibs

If you're a big audio enthusiast who wants one of the most impressive vinyl listening experiences you can get, The Standard from Wrensilva is nearly unbeatable. Though most Bluetooth record players are aimed at beginners and budget shoppers, this system goes in the complete opposite direction. This isn't just a record player; this is a $14,000 luxury system with high-end speakers and a custom cabinet.

I've had a few listening sessions with the Standard, and its 200W-per-channel speakers sound incredible. The hand-built cabinet adds a level of presentation to the total package that's phenomenal. It houses up to 130 vinyl albums, along with the speakers, turntable, and all the components. The system is also compatible with the Sonos app, so you can stream vinyl records to other Sonos speakers around your home. You can also stream Bluetooth audio from your phone to The Standard for quick, easy use.

Though a bit too pricey to fit as a full-fledged pick in this guide, The Standard is too impressive not to get a mention. It's not only timeless but also, thanks to its plentiful connectivity options, fully modern.

How we test Bluetooth turntables

To select the best Bluetooth turntables, I spent hours testing different models while playing dozens of vinyl records. Whenever possible, I used the same album on multiple turntables to keep things consistent. For Wrensilva's The Standard, I visited the company's listening room multiple times to see it, hear it, and get hands-on time with it.

During each listening session, I focused on clarity, detail, and depth. While the models I reviewed weren't all direct competitors, I still paid attention to how players at different price points stacked up against one another. I listened for mechanical noise, unwanted clicks or ticks, and anything else that might pull you out of the music. Just as important was how each player felt to use — from the smoothness of the controls to the overall build quality.

For Bluetooth testing, I paired each record player with a variety of speakers and headphones, including the Sony WH-1000XM6, Marshall Stanmore, and Bose SoundLink Plus. When streaming music to a record player's built-in speakers, I used an Apple iPhone 17 Pro with Apple Music to see how easily and reliably everything connected and performed.

Meet the expert behind this guide:

Tyler Hayes, contributing reporter: I've been covering consumer technology since 2013 and have spent plenty of time testing and living with record players along the way. When putting this guide together, I focused on finding great Bluetooth turntables at a range of prices. I paid close attention to build quality, sound performance, design, and overall value, while also considering convenience features like built-in speakers for people who want an easy, plug-and-play setup. Though a wired connection will always get you a more authentic vinyl experience, Bluetooth is undeniably convenient, and my picks in this guide are for people who want a no-fuss turntable.

Learn more about the Reviews team at Business Insider.

Bluetooth turntable FAQs

How does a Bluetooth turntable work?

A Bluetooth turntable plays records the same way a traditional one does, using a needle and cartridge to read the grooves. The difference is that it also has a built-in Bluetooth transmitter, which sends the audio wirelessly to Bluetooth speakers, headphones, or soundbars instead of — or in addition to — a wired connection.

What's the benefit of Bluetooth support in a record player?

The primary benefit of Bluetooth on a record player is convenience, as you can wirelessly connect it to other Bluetooth devices, such as speakers or headphones. This eliminates messy cables. Not all Bluetooth record players will send audio out, however. Some with built-in speakers only work as Bluetooth receivers, meaning you can stream audio to them. The ones described as two-way can transmit and receive Bluetooth.

Does Bluetooth reduce sound quality when listening to vinyl?

Technically, yes, there is a drop in quality when wirelessly transmitting a vinyl record via Bluetooth. However, casual listeners will likely find the difference to be subtle. If you're an audiophile or vinyl purist, a wired connection will deliver better results.

Does a Bluetooth record player need an amp or a separate preamp?

Usually, no, at least not for Bluetooth listening. The best Bluetooth record players have a built-in preamp, which means they can send audio directly to Bluetooth speakers or headphones without any extra gear. If you want to use a wired setup with passive speakers or a traditional stereo system, you may still need an external amp or receiver, depending on the turntable and your speakers.

Can I connect a Bluetooth record player to any speaker or headphones?

As long as the speaker, soundbar, or headphones you're using support Bluetooth, they should pair just fine with a Bluetooth record player. If you're looking for recommendations, check out our buying guides:

• Best Bluetooth speakers
• Best headphones
• Best wireless earbuds
• Best soundbars

• Sydney Sajadi had an emergency hysterectomy, but said she felt unsupported and alone afterward.
• She researched her own recovery, realizing that she'd neglected her health for decades.
• The ex-financier wanted to help others like her, ditched her career, and founded a wellness brand.

This interview is based on a conversation with Sydney Sajadi, 46, the founder and CEO of a wellness brand from Toronto. It has been edited for length and clarity.

In the financial field, when I co-owned a real estate lending firm in New York City, I was the type of person who checked my emails first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

It was "go, go, go," and I didn't get enough sleep, underate by missing meals because I was too "busy," and overexercised to achieve the "right look."

I'd always had an issue with uterine fibroids. I dealt with the problem as something that came along monthly, which landed me in bed for a whole week.

I burst into tears with no explanation

Then, in 2024, I suffered a health crisis. I went to the ER with a towel wrapped around me because the bleeding wouldn't stop. I was hemorrhaging and needed four blood transfusions.

It wasn't enough, and the only option left was a full hysterectomy. Usually, the surgery is treated as the main event, but nobody talks about the aftermath.

People rallied around me during the operation. They were my cheerleaders. But after I got home, I was pretty much on my own. Everybody has their own lives to lead, and besides, I didn't want to be a burden.

I was completely depleted in every way. I would burst into tears with no explanation. I started feeling that my skin, even my hair, felt different.

Back at work after three weeks of medical leave, I experienced more stress because I couldn't focus and keep up with emails. The hours dragged, and I'd look at the clock and think, "When is it going to be noon? When will it be 1 pm? When can I go back to bed?"

I felt depressed and didn't want to socialize or go to the gym. I felt completely on my own for eight long months.

I tried to push through it, but there came a point when it was clear I couldn't keep operating at that level while my health was declining. The period forced me to step back and reassess everything.

I was suffering from burnout

I started researching my symptoms. My body was full of inflammation, and my hormones were out of whack. I took independent action to improve my digestion, lymphatic support, circulation, and tissue repair.

These were things I'd never thought of before. For years, I'd assumed I was a healthy person who went to the gym and drank protein shakes. I realized I'd burned myself out and not given myself enough time and grace to recover.

I also knew that I wasn't the only one. A lot of high-achieving women need guidance and support after surgery, whether elective, like a facelift, or an urgent medical situation.

I started my own business

So I changed direction in my career, moved from New York City to my native Toronto, and launched my wellness brand, Sanadi Life. It helps women navigate recovery, hormonal changes, and overall health.

Many are high-performing and don't have the luxury of extended downtime, so the focus is on efficient recovery while supporting long-term vitality and aging well.

As for me, I feel wonderful now, more so than I did pre-surgery. I have my energy and vitality back. I feel like the better version of myself, and I like her a lot.

From effortless everyday outfits to business-casual occasions, a good button-up top is one of the most versatile spring and summer fashion staples.

I often wear button-ups over a swimsuit with jean shorts for beach days, or pair them with nice slacks for professional lunch meetings or work events.

However, I noticed many of my tried-and-true staples were starting to wear down, so I figured it was time for a restock.

The first place I always turn to for wardrobe basics is the reliable roster of Gap Inc. retailers — Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy. So, I tested out similar options from each store to see which deserve permanent spots in my closet.

I wore each item for everyday activities and rated them based on design, fit, material, price, and overall quality. Here's how it went.

I tried on the Banana Republic option first

Banana Republic is Gap Inc.'s more upscale retailer that offers elevated staples. I ordered the cotton poplin Everyday Shirt in a brown-and-white striped design — a neutral color combination that would offer diverse styling options.

When I first opened my package, I noticed the material felt durable and structured, yet still lightweight. Made from 100% cotton, it felt soft on the skin and breathable when putting it on.

I wore it with jean shorts and flip flops for a day of running errands. It kept me comfortable going from place to place, and it seemed like it would hold up well over time.

In terms of style, I liked the oversize fit, but I wished it were a bit more relaxed and less stiff, especially around the collar and shoulders.

Although I typically prefer my button-ups to be slouchy, I think this fit would work well for corporate and professional settings. However, I probably wouldn't wear this again for such a casual outing.

I also didn't necessarily think it was worth the $90 price tag. I did appreciate the natural cotton fabric and well-constructed design, but the cost seemed a bit steep for what it was: a basic button-up.

Next, I put my Gap button-up to the test

Over the past few years, Gap has continued to earn its place as one of my favorite retailers for high-quality pieces at reasonable prices.

I ordered the organic cotton poplin Big Shirt in the blue-stripe shade, which looked nearly identical to its Banana Republic counterpart. It was even comprised of almost the same material.

The only true difference was that the Gap version was made with 100% organic cotton and cost $20 less.

In addition to the lower price, the shirt's cut and fit also caught my eye. The fit was oversize, but it had a tunic length (namely, a slightly longer hem) and a more relaxed fit around the chest and shoulders.

I paired it with white linen pants to create an elevated summer aesthetic, and wore the outfit to work from a coffee shop for several hours.

The shirt was comfortable and breathable, so I know that I could easily wear this throughout the spring and summer months.

At $70, it's definitely an investment, but for the organic materials and flattering style, I think it's a worthy purchase.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Old Navy button-up, but I think it's a great option for the price

Finally, I was excited to try a piece from Old Navy, which is Gap Inc.'s more budget-friendly retailer.

I ordered the classic button-down shirt in the pink stripe design, and loved the vibrant shade for spring and summer ensembles.

However, as soon as I opened the package, I noticed the shirt felt more flimsy — and of lesser quality — than the Banana Republic and Gap options.

Although the tag said this button-up was also made from 100% cotton, the fabric felt much thinner and less durable. This can be due to a number of factors that are invisible to the consumer — like how the cotton is processed, woven, or finished.

After putting it on, I also realized the style fit much more snugly than the others, even though I ordered them all in the same size. To be fair, though, this one wasn't marketed as having an oversize fit like the Gap version was.

Next time, I'd order a size or two up to achieve a more laid-back feel.

Once I styled the shirt with a pair of baggy jeans and some sandals, though, I loved the look of it.

I wore it to the local farmers market, followed by brunch. It was comfortable and perfect for a casual outing, but it would have been more breathable if it were a bit looser.

This was my least favorite option, but I still thought it was a solid choice. I didn't feel confident it would last more than a year, but for only $30, it's a budget-friendly piece worth wearing for the season.

At the end of the day, though, the Gap button-up proved to be my top choice for its durability, materials, and overall style.

• Pew released a report about teens and social media usage.
• Notably, Snapchat was what teens used most for posting and daily messaging.
• Instagram and TikTok would very much like to get in on Snapchat's DM party.

A new Pew report about teens and social media reveals something you probably could already guess: Parents are more concerned that teens are watching too much TikTok than teens are.

Among respondents, 44% of parents say their teen spends too much time on TikTok, while only 28% of teens feel the same. Breaking news: Water is wet!

At this point, we know — or feel like we know — a lot about how young people are experiencing the internet. Adults (and teens themselves) are reasonably concerned about the effects of social media on young people's mental health. Meta and Google just lost a landmark legal battle that found them liable for getting a young woman addicted to Instagram and YouTube. (Both of the companies said last month that they would appeal.)

But that's not the only story; plenty of teens happily use social media and find it enriches their lives. This leaves us with a big question about how they're using it, and what they do and don't like.

Pew asked both teens (ages 13 to 17) and their parents in the U.S. about their opinions on the three most popular social platforms for teens.

Snapchat is most popular for messaging, but also for bullying

Some of this was very straightforward, like the top reason for using all these apps was "entertainment," and the least popular reason was "keeping up with politics or political issues." As an adult, I can relate.

What stuck out to me was how much Snapchat is used for messaging. Of teens, 57% said they message people daily on Snapchat — 41% said several times a day. In comparison, only 24% of teens do daily messaging on TikTok, and 34% on Instagram.

Snapchat also beat the others in having teens actually post to it — 28% said they share or post daily on Snapchat, compared with 16% on Instagram and 19% on TikTok.

The reason is easy to understand: Snapchat is for direct connections; TikTok and Instagram are more public-facing (and therefore intimidating to post to), or for passive watching of professional creators' content. Snapchat is for people you know in real life; Instagram and TikTok are for strangers.

It follows that Snapchat was the app that most teens said had a positive effect on their friendships (44%). The downside was that Snapchat was also the place where teens experienced the highest rate (27%) of bullying or harassment, like someone spreading a rumor about them or calling them names.

(Although teens may love Snapchat, the company on Wednesday announced layoffs of about 16% of its global workforce.)

So what does this all mean?

Instagram's leaders have been very clear in the last year or more that they see messaging as the future. Several new product features have rolled out to encourage direct messaging, like a way to share a Reels feed with a friend (a dangerous premise, but I love it).

TikTok is less messaging-focused, but there are some signals it would like to change that: I've noticed a new feature where when you accidentally tap in the caption area of a video, it DMs it to a mutual friend (yikes!).

Snapchat's users are mostly younger people, so parents and adults aren't as familiar with it as Instagram and TikTok. But Snapchat is so crucial to how teens communicate with each other that perhaps parents should get themselves more familiar with it. It certainly seems that Meta and TikTok would like to learn from Snapchat, too.

• I wanted my son to participate in household tours, so I taught him how to do laundry at a young age.
• By 10, he was doing his own laundry, and he became more independent in his teenage years.
• Now he's teaching his college friends to do their laundry, and I'm so proud.

From the time my son was small, I took time to complete our household chores with him.

We are a household that believes everyone in the home should do their share of work and contribute fairly.

My husband would work with our son on the tasks that populated his list, and on Saturday mornings, my son and I would run through my own to-dos side by side. I would help my kid dust and vacuum, put his things away, and fold his clothes. He would stand on a stool and wipe down his bathroom counter or help with the dishes and cooking.

As he grew, so did his list of responsibilities. By the time he was 8, he was sorting his laundry and watching as I taught him how to measure the soap, adjust the water level and temperature, and hang everything except his towels, sheets, and whites on our drying racks. It was the start of something important.

I laid a foundation early on

I often walked him through the steps: "Don't forget to turn it to hot, but only for this load," "Did you remember the laundry soap, did you measure?" and "If you hang your clothes straighter on the drying rack, they won't have so many wrinkles when you pull them down to fold them."

We went over cleaning the lint trap and putting away the loads as they were dry, folding socks and T-shirts as we talked.

When he turned 9, our bodies switched places, and I provided over-the-shoulder encouragement as he took on the cleaning task himself. I took a permanent marker, noting settings for loads of colors and loads of whites. I did the same on the dryer, marking time and temperature for those reminders when he no longer wanted me hovering behind, but still wasn't sure about flying solo.

By the time he turned 10, I was completely hands off, but nearby if there was ever a question he needed to ask, be it steps he second-guessed or a new stain he hadn't encountered before.

Teaching him young helped in his teenage years

When high school and part-time jobs came around, it was a relief not to hear the common-moms complaint of dirty uniforms not washed in time or favorite jeans not being clean when needed.

By then, I had been hands-off for half a decade, never once wincing at the state of cleanliness my teenager exhibited.

There was freedom behind my common refrain: "I'm not your maid!" being echoed throughout our home from the time he was small.

It's a refrain I'm hoping is stuck, making a future transition into being an equal partner less fraught with uncertainty and smoothing any bumps along the way.

It all paid off in the end

After about a year of being a young adult, out of the house, and on his own, we were talking on a video call when he gently complained about his college friends.

"Mom," he said. "I had to teach them. It's like they've never had to do anything to keep a house before."

I didn't even try to hide my smile; I wasn't surprised either.

I may have fumbled at least as often as I won at parenting, but this? This was the payoff. This was the ability to sleep knowing he could take care of himself. This was the reminder of why I sacrificed time and energy. This was the very reason I painfully taught him, even when it would have been easier to do it myself. This was the very reason I had permanent marker reminders on the machines and lived with them until the machines needed to be replaced.

There is a lot said about nearly every aspect of parenting. I wanted to make sure I was on the best side — at least where our laundry was concerned.

• My family and I visited Bangkok for the first time and made a few key mistakes along the way.
• We definitely misjudged how the heat would affect us and should've structured our days differently.
• I also wish we'd allocated enough time to explore Thailand's beautiful islands.

Last year, my family and I spent four days traveling around Bangkok for winter break.

We stayed in the Siam Square neighborhood, also known as the shopping district, and thoroughly enjoyed tasting the street food and exploring the Buddhist temples.

Looking back, however, our trip could've been even better if we'd avoided these five simple mistakes.

We misjudged the heat.

During our trip, temperatures stayed at or above 96 degrees Fahrenheit. As Northern Californians used to temperatures closer to 55 to 75 degrees during the winter months, we weren't prepared for the extreme heat.

We ended up having to travel back to the hotel midday to rest and recharge, which we don't typically need to do on trips. Looking back, I wish I had prioritized building more breaks into the day to help avoid heat exhaustion.

For those traveling at a similar time of year, I'd recommend wearing loose clothing such as elephant pants, which are popular throughout Thailand because they're comfortable and appropriate for temples where you need to cover up.

I wish we'd known how long we'd have to wait for ride-hailing transportation.

While preparing for the trip, I saw many tour guides recommended using ride-hailing apps such as Grab, an alternative to Uber.

When we arrived in Thailand, however, we learned it could take upward of 30 minutes to get a ride, especially in crowded tourist areas.

So, we took advantage of Grab's ride-schedule feature to plan all our trips to the temples and attractions ahead of time.

However, scheduling rides provided less flexibility because we had a timed itinerary to adhere to. Still, I appreciated the assurance that we wouldn't be stuck waiting for a car.

We spent too much time in malls.

Our hotel was in the shopping district, so we inevitably wandered around the malls quite a bit. They were great for taking a break from the heat, and the decor and plant markets were impressive.

However, it was too easy to spend an excessive amount of time there and miss out on other parts of the city.

I wish we'd allocated enough time to explore Thailand's beautiful islands.

Next time I return to Thailand, I'd like to spend a few days exploring islands such as Koh Samui and Koh Phi Phi.

It would've been nice to experience a tropical beach destination on what was otherwise a city vacation.

We tried to pack too much into a day.

There are so many temples and sites to visit in Bangkok, and some are more elaborate and time-consuming than others.

We spent the first day following an itinerary we'd planned ourselves, and we thought doing a few activities each day would be perfect.

But we soon found that visiting more than two sites was both difficult and stressful because we didn't have enough time to explore everything, learn about the history, and take pictures.

So, the following day, we only picked two temples to visit, which was a much more satisfying choice.

This story was originally published on April 7, 2025, and most recently updated on April 15, 2026.

• Nas Daily's Nuseir Yassin has secured $27 million for his AI platform, Nas.com.
• Nas.com helps solo entrepreneurs build online stores using AI for marketing, ads, and branding.
• Read the pitch deck it used to secure $27 million in a round led by Khosla Ventures.

Nuseir Yassin, the content creator known as Nas Daily, has raised $27 million for his newest venture: an AI platform for solo entrepreneurs to launch and run an online business.

After quitting his job in 2016 to become a content creator sharing short, high-energy videos, Yassin amassed around 70 million followers across social media platforms. He says that era is behind him.

"My next 10-year bet is completely different, and it's about entrepreneurship on the internet," Yassin told Business Insider.

Yassin's focus is now on Nas.com, which the Israeli-Palestinian founded to provide "solopreneurs" with the tools to launch a business — even if they lack the technical skills to build a storefront or create marketing campaigns.

Entrepreneurs take a picture of a product that they want to sell, such as a printed T-shirt, and add it to the Nas.com platform. The startup's AI tools analyze that picture and then build a storefront — including logos, product descriptions, and branding — around the product to match it thematically.

Users can manually tweak the design and text of the AI-generated storefront. They can also generate ads and marketing content with AI by entering plain-English prompts and then run them as ad campaigns on Facebook.

Yassin says Nas.com can help the "mom in Wisconsin" who "would never start marketing" due to the complexity of tools like Meta Business Suite, and that his platform can help entrepreneurs without large followings find customers.

The startup aims to tap into the growing trend of businesses that are operating with smaller teams thanks to AI tools.

"You needed to be good at coding, you needed to be good at marketing, creating content, and you needed to be good at creating your product," Yassin said of the previous barriers to entry for entrepreneurs. "And how many people in the world are good at everything? Very few."

The startup says 3.5 million people have purchased products from businesses listed in Nas.com, and its annual recurring revenue grew from $1 million to $8 million in 2025. It has more than 350,000 businesses using its platform, according to its website.

It makes its money by charging a subscription fee, with the lowest tier starting at $6 a month, and taking a 5% cut of marketing spend made through its platform.

Nas.com operates in a competitive space, with companies like Shopify and Etsy offering online storefronts and e-commerce tools to businesses. Yassin told Business Insider that he believes Nas.com's simplicity can help it compete with larger incumbents.

While Shopify could "theoretically" build a platform like Nas.com, Yassin added, it would be too risky to shake up its features because so many big brands are accustomed to them.

Nas.com's $27 million Series A funding round was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from other VCs, including 500 Global, and angel investments from Shuo Wang, cofounder of Deel; Stanley Tang, cofounder of DoorDash; Scott Adelson, CEO of Houlihan Lokey; and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss.

Vinod Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures, told Business Insider that his firm backed Nas.com because he likes to "invest in companies that could not have existed five years ago and will be inevitable five years from now."

"Coding, customer service, marketing, and design are no longer blockers. This means millions of new entrepreneurs will be born. What I see is massive wealth creation opportunities," he added.

Nas.com plans to use the capital injection to hire more people for its 30-strong team, as well as for product development and expansion.

Read the 24-slide deck that Nas.com used to secure the funding.

• OpenAI said there's been a surge in tax-related queries on ChatGPT this tax season.
• The company also issued a disclaimer about relying too heavily on the chatbot.
• Americans are increasingly using AI for help with their taxes.

OpenAI said more Americans than ever are using ChatGPT to do their taxes — just don't rely too heavily on the chatbot.

OpenAI shared some stats on Tuesday, a day before tax day, on how people are using its AI to figure out what they owe Uncle Sam. The company said in an X post that total tax-related searches on ChatGPT were up four times in quarter one of 2026 compared to a year prior.

On the graphic showing the breakdown of what taxpayers were asking ChatGPT, there was some tiny but telling fine print toward the bottom.

"ChatGPT is not intended to replace professional advice," the graphic said.

Still, as the company broke down, people are using ChatGPT to answer a host of questions about their taxes.

OpenAI identified the three main themes for which users were turning to ChatGPT: a third of all tax-related queries were about earnings and withholding; over 30% were asking for help filing forms and using tax software; and around 10% were questions about investments and retirement reporting.

Surveys suggest more and more Americans are using AI for help with their taxes. Adobe surveyed 1,010 full-time employees about taxes and found that "surveyed US workers are 136% more likely to use AI for tax filing this year compared to last, with reported adoption jumping from 11% in 2024 to 26% for 2025 returns filed in 2026."

While professional tax preparers like H&R Block and TurboTax have rolled out AI features, tax experts have warned that AI can make mistakes and that relying on it too heavily could cost you.

AI chatbots and agents still make a lot of mistakes, so when it comes to trusting them with something as complex as US tax law, proceed at your own risk.

• Cleary Gottlieb is getting into the legal software game.
• ClearyX, a business owned by the law firm, has built services to help clients speed up legal work.
• It's starting with tools for due diligence and contract review, ClearyX's standard services.

A business owned by Wall Street law firm Cleary Gottlieb has begun selling software that could help clients send less work to firms like its own.

For years, law firms have worried that artificial intelligence will make lawyers faster and cut into billable hours. ClearyX, a Cleary Gottlieb subsidiary that provides routine legal work at a lower cost, is betting on a bigger threat: that the tools will let clients do more legal work themselves, leaving less to send to outside counsel in the first place.

ClearyX tells Business Insider it has built software for corporate due diligence and contract analysis, its core legal services. Clients can license it on its own or use it when they hire ClearyX to work on a deal.

It's a calculated bet. If some legal work is becoming cheaper and easier to automate, ClearyX would rather sell the software that enables that shift than lose that business altogether.

Since 2022, ClearyX has used third-party software and lean legal teams to handle work like due diligence and contract review — the kind of tasks clients no longer want to pay Big Law rates for. "The whole genesis was let's get out ahead of it," ClearyX CEO Carla Swansburg said in an interview. "Let's build the thing that's likely to compete with us."

But after years of hearing clients say they wished the technology could do more, the company concluded the existing tools were not cutting it. ClearyX works with companies across sectors, including consumer products, health and wellness, and private equity.

Swansburg said many in-house legal teams were testing AI tools like Claude or Copilot, but getting from a raw model to something useful for legal work still took a lot of effort. Plus, many budget-strapped in-house teams could not afford the specialized legal copilots on the market.

Swansburg said the rise of large language models made it possible for ClearyX to build the software clients had been asking for.

One product, CX+Transact, is built for reviewing deals. It lets in-house teams assign tasks across reviewers, track progress, flag key risks, and export the findings into a report. The other, CX+Insights, is designed for legal and business teams that want to search across their contracts and better understand what's in them. The software then displays those results in dashboards and graphics.

ClearyX is being unusually transparent about price in a market where that information is often closely held. Lawyers looking for what tools like Harvey or Legora cost often end up swapping estimates on Reddit. Swansburg, by contrast, sent Business Insider a full pricing sheet.

CX+Transact will be free for clients who hire ClearyX for diligence services, while stand-alone pricing starts at about $12,000 per project or $30,000 a year. CX+Insights, which is built for broader use across a company, is expected to start at about $50,000 annually for dozens of users. Pricing is still being finalized.

The open question is whether the legal industry really needs another software vendor. Unlike Harvey or Legora, which pitch broader platforms for law firms and legal teams, ClearyX is aimed at narrower workflows like due diligence and contract review — already a crowded corner of the market. Last week, Anthropic added more pressure by releasing Claude for Word, a tool built for Microsoft Word, still the default workspace for many lawyers.

With ClearyX's push into the software business, Cleary Gottlieb is not just testing demand for another tool. It's trying to stay relevant to clients who want to lean less on law firms.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at mrussell@businessinsider.com or Signal at @MeliaRussell.01. Use a personal email address and a non-work device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Now that I have more free time, I've found myself scrolling on my phone and reaching for it often.
• To change that habit, I've created a list of activities that satisfy me and reference it often.
• Instead of scrolling, I now bake, play Scrabble, go bird-watching, and so much more.

After I got home from work, my wife Michelle and I would decide how we'd spend our evenings. We did not have cellphones, and a TV was the only "device" we owned at the time.

Though we watched the occasional show or sporting event, we both felt agitated if we sat in front of the idiot box for too long. My wife started stenciling the kitchen wall. Each evening, she spent several hours painting.

I was bored. I didn't want to watch television; I read a bit, but if I did so for more than 10 minutes, I'd fall asleep.

In an attempt to fill my time with meaning, I bought a sketchbook and tried to emulate pictures of dilapidated barns, book covers, and animal faces. I erased more than I drew, but the process was comforting, and regardless of how ridiculous the end product appeared, it always felt like time well spent.

That was in 1996, when we were still newlyweds.

Over the next several years, I started running, dabbled in photography, bread baking, and writing. None of these endeavors came easily, but I found something valuable in their processes.

Soon, we had two young children, and discretionary time all but disappeared. The next two decades were filled with soccer practices, basketball tournaments, playdates, homework, and beach trips.

I was so busy working and living outside myself, I didn't think much about my hobbies. When given a brief respite from our busy lives, Michelle and I went out to dinner or fell asleep watching a movie.

After raising our kids, I was once again faced with how to spend my free time

In the blink of an eye, our children grew up. They are now in college, and most evenings, my calendar is empty.

While raising them, I'd longed for free time — time to pursue my interests, pick up my camera, or maybe, write that novel.

But once given that free time, I found myself scrolling mindlessly on my phone, which made me feel emptier than watching the idiot box in my 20s.

Even when I wasn't endlessly watching Instagram Reels, I was frequently reaching for my phone as a resource.

When I'd put my phone down and pick up a book, a question would inevitably surface — and this would require an immediate Google search. Who was president at the start of the Roaring Twenties? How was Prometheus related to Zeus? How many grams of fiber are in a serving of broccoli?

Though I knew none of these questions was urgent, I needed an answer — now. As a result, I'd either open my laptop to find the answer or I'd just grab my phone again.

One Google search would lead to another, and before I knew it, it was time for bed. What had I done that evening? How was I choosing to fill my free time? What did this say about how I'd spend my time in retirement?

I created a list to remind myself of what's important and push myself away from the screens

I did not like my choices, and I was afraid that I'd lost control of my decision-making. Defaulting to my phone or laptop was not how I wanted to live my life.

So, I made a commitment to myself: an ongoing to-do list.

The activities on it bring me satisfaction and joy: play tennis, strum the guitar (and try to learn a new chord), start a game of Scrabble with Michelle, go bird-watching, plan a dinner with friends, and so on.

Scrolling on my phone had become an automatic response to boredom or downtime. I had to train myself to break this habit, and I did so by planning ahead.

When I know I'll have a stretch of unscheduled time, I make myself read the list, which is in the front of my journal and on a sticky note hanging in my office. This prompts me to make a commitment to at least one of the activities. It's working.

Now, instead of picking up my phone, I'm connecting with my wife, baking a new recipe, or improving my photography skills.

My list is still growing. The more things I add, the more options I have, and the less likely I am to mindlessly scroll away my time.

• Uplane is a startup that wants to replace marketing agencies with AI.
• It just raised $4.5 million in seed funding, led by Play Ventures.
• Sign up for Business Insider's weekly marketing newsletter.

Uplane wants to replace marketing agencies with AI — and it just raised $4.5 million in seed funding.

The San Francisco-based startup has a platform where brands can launch and test ad campaigns on digital channels like Meta, Google, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and steer their ad spending toward the best-performing ones. Uplane also lets clients launch and test website landing pages.

Clients can upload their own ads or use Uplane to make AI-generated visuals. Uplane works on text and video ads.

The startup's seed funding round was led by Play Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, 20VC, Rebel Fund, and Multimodal Ventures.

Julius Körfgen, Lukas Vollmer, and Marvin Abdel-Massih founded Uplane in November. They're targeting companies that spend $100,000 or more a month on digital marketing and charging them an annual fee. So far, clients include Aonic, a wellness company cofounded by Kim Kardashian's personal trainer; Wagetap, an Australian fintech company; and German railroad Deutsche Bahn.

Körfgen said that overall, its clients have improved their return on ad spending by 30% in about six weeks, compared to their agencies' performance — with Aonic, the improvement in return was 60%.

Körfgen said Uplane enabled Deutsche Bahn to do the same work its big agency used to in a fraction of the time.

"They're literally taking them off many of or all of the tasks in the campaigns that we manage now," he said.

Anton Backman, general partner at Play Ventures, said his firm was impressed by Uplane's early signs of success in demonstrating the payoff from ad spending.

2 of Uplane's founders came from performance marketing

Körfgen said he got the idea for Uplane while working with Abdel-Massih at Enpal, a German performance marketing company. He realized that the measurable work he did could be improved with AI, from creating ads and landing pages to tracking and improving their performance. They teamed up with Vollmer, who was looking to start a new company.

"Each of those steps, AI can do faster and better than humans," Körfgen said. "And right now, only really large marketing teams can achieve this."

A number of agencies and marketing companies offer solutions similar to Uplane, including investment-backed players like Smartly and startup Pomo.

Uplane is limited by AI's capabilities. It's not yet offering audio as part of its ads, for example. Its focus is on measurable outcomes, not helping brands with their overall strategic direction or story. Using external agencies can also give a brand a useful independent perspective.

Uplane plans to use the new funding to grow its 15-person team, bring on new customers, and integrate with more ad platforms.

Check out the pitch deck Uplane used to secure its $4.5 million seed investment, shared exclusively with CMO Insider:

Uplane is an AI marketing startup.

Its founders bring performance and engineering experience.

The slide lists its founders — Lukas Vollmer, Marvin Abdel-Massih, and Julius Körfgen — and their past employers, including Enpal and Fastgen.

This slide shows how Uplane can test variations of a client's ad.

Its platform shows which ads are the most efficient.

Uplane says it takes the guesswork out of digital advertising.

Uplane said it's solving a problem that costs companies billions of dollars.

Uplane describes its offering as a 'full-stack solution.'

It tests ads, makes landing pages, and steers ad budgets to the best-performing ads.

Uplane says it can boost clients' growth.

Uplane wants to replace external and in-house marketers with AI.

Uplane lays out its targets to get to the next funding round.

Uplane says it originally sought to raise $4 million (versus the $4.5 million it ultimately raised). It aims to reach $200,000 in monthly recurring revenue and plans to add engineers to build more ads and to implement its tools in new channels.

Uplane gives an example of how it helps make marketers more productive.

It says that with Uplane, marketers can multiply the number of ads, landing pages, and budget adjustments they can make each day.

Uplane says its capabilities exceed Meta's.

Uplane says its results get better the longer clients use it.

Uplane says it can do more than other digital marketing companies.

• The Titanic, billed as an unsinkable ship, hit an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912.
• More than 1,500 people died in the maritime disaster, while about 700 survived.
• Among the victims was one of the world's richest men, John Jacob Astor IV.

As a new luxury ocean liner, the Titanic attracted some of the wealthiest and most prominent members of American society.

When the ship sank off the coast of Newfoundland on its maiden voyage to New York City in the early hours of April 15, 1912, among its victims were the co-owner of Macy's, an aide to President William Taft, and the richest passenger on board, who was a member of the Astor family.

Most of the well-known people on board were first-class passengers. Researcher Chuck Anesi found that 97.22% of the 144 female first-class passengers were rescued, while only 32.57% of their 175 male counterparts were saved.

Ultimately, he found that male second-class passengers fared the worst in terms of survival, with only 14 out of 168 making it out alive. The total survival rate for women was 74%, while the male survival rate was 20%, his analysis found.

Here are 12 of the most famous victims of the Titanic disaster, and 11 prominent people who survived.

DIED: John Jacob Astor, millionaire

John Jacob Astor IV, 48, was a member of the prominent Astor family and helped build the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. He was also an inventor, a science-fiction novelist, and a veteran of the Spanish-American War.

He was traveling with his wife, Madeleine, in Europe when she became pregnant. To ensure the child would be born in the US, the couple booked a trip home on the Titanic.

The New York Times reported that Astor was last seen smoking a cigarette on the deck. His wife, who was 30 years his junior, survived the disaster.

He had a fortune worth somewhere between $90 and $150 million, CNBC reported, when he boarded the fateful ship, or as much as $5 billion in today's dollars when adjusted for inflation. He was the richest passenger on board the Titanic.

SURVIVED: Archibald Gracie IV, historian and author

Gracie achieved prominence in the wake of the Titanic disaster because of his meticulous and detailed account of the tragedy.

The historian and Alabama native, who had written a book on the American Civil War's Battle of Chickamauga, was on the Titanic, returning from a European vacation.

He was woken up when the ship crashed into an iceberg. After escorting several women to the lifeboats, Gracie helped other passengers evacuate the ship.

When the ship sank, Gracie surfaced beside an overturned lifeboat. He managed to climb on top with other men, and they spent much of the night balanced there.

The historian was one of the first Titanic survivors to die after being rescued, on December 4, 1912, after a prolonged illness. He was 54.

The New York Times reported at the time that Gracie's final words were "We must get them all in the boats," according to Alabama News Center.

DIED: W. T. Stead, investigative journalist

Stead was a highly influential editor who, in an uncanny twist, may have foreseen his death on the Titanic.

As the editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, the newspaperman published an explosive and controversial investigative series about child prostitution, Britannica reported. He is credited with helping to invent investigative journalism.

A devoted spiritualist, Stead also established a magazine dedicated to the supernatural and a psychic service known as Julia's Bureau.

He also wrote a fictional story in 1886 that resembled the real-life events of the Titanic in unsettling ways.

"How the Mail Steamer Went Down in Mid Atlantic by a Survivor" tells a story of an ocean liner that sinks in the Atlantic.

In the story, only 200 passengers and crew members of the original 700 people on board survive the disaster because of a lifeboat shortage.

His website reported that Stead didn't hang around on deck as the Titanic sank. Instead, he reportedly spent his final hours reading in the first-class smoking room. He was 62 years old.

SURVIVED: Noël Leslie, countess and philanthropist

Leslie, the Countess of Rothes, was one of the Titanic's most famous passengers.

A popular figure in London society, Leslie became a countess after marrying Norman Evelyn Leslie, the Earl of Rothes, in 1900.

Leslie and her cousin Gladys Cherry booked a trip on the Titanic.

When Leslie made it into a lifeboat, she reportedly found it understaffed and volunteered to help row it away from the sinking ship.

The countess reportedly helped take care of her fellow survivors on board the Carpathia and was dubbed "the plucky little countess" in the press.

After surviving the Titanic disaster, Leslie became a prominent philanthropist and worked as a nurse during World War I.

DIED: Thomas Andrews, architect of the Titanic

Andrews was no ordinary Titanic victim. 

The longtime Harland & Wolff employee designed the ship itself. He traveled on the Titanic's maiden voyage to observe the ship and make recommendations on areas where the ship could be improved.

When an iceberg damaged the Titanic's hull and he learned that five of its watertight compartments had holes in them, Andrews immediately knew the ship was going to sink, the BBC reported.

The 39-year-old shipbuilder then began helping women and children into the lifeboats. He made no attempt to exit the ship and was last seen in the first-class smoking room, not wearing a life vest.

SURVIVED: Margaret Brown, socialite

Brown, a socialite and philanthropist, is best known for surviving the Titanic disaster.

Biography reported that she was born in Missouri to Irish immigrants. She married James Joseph Brown in New York City. The couple became fabulously wealthy when Brown's mining business struck ore.

Margaret Brown became a well-known socialite with a penchant for dramatic hats and social activism on behalf of women and children.

She was returning from a voyage around Europe when she decided to book a trip on the Titanic.

During the disaster, she reportedly helped row the lifeboat and demanded that the group of survivors row back to the spot where the ship went down to look for survivors. This earned her the nickname "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" — though her friends and family reportedly called her Maggie.

Brown's life was immortalized in the Broadway musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," which was later adapted into a Hollywood film. Kathy Bates also portrayed her in the award-winning film "Titanic."

DIED: John Thayer, railroad executive

Thayer was well known in 1912 as both a former cricket player and a Pennsylvania Railroad Co. executive.

The railroad company vice president was traveling on the Titanic with his wife and son following a trip to Berlin. After the ship struck an iceberg, Thayer made certain that his wife and their maid boarded a lifeboat.

According to Encyclopedia Titanic, Gracie's account of the events reported seeing Thayer looking "pale and determined" on deck before the ship sank. Thayer's body was never found. His son survived by diving into the water and swimming to an overturned lifeboat.

SURVIVED: J. Bruce Ismay, White Star Line executive

Ismay may have survived the sinking of the Titanic, but he never lived down the public scorn he received in the wake of the disaster.

The White Star Line managing director was the highest-ranking company official to survive the disaster. He boarded a lifeboat 20 minutes before the ship sank into the Atlantic.

He later said he turned away as the Titanic slipped beneath the surface of the water, saying, "I did not wish to see her go down. I am glad I did not," The Telegraph reported.

Ismay received a lot of flak for boarding a lifeboat before other passengers. He was ostracized in society and ultimately resigned from his post and kept a low profile.

The BBC reported in 2012 that Ismay's family said the press unfairly maligned him and that he never fully recovered from the ordeal.

DIED: Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's, and his wife, Ida

Isidor and Ida Straus first met after the Civil War when a penniless Straus moved to New York City.

Isidor and his brother later acquired Macy's, and he eventually became a powerful businessman and a member of the US House of Representatives.

Straus was reportedly offered a spot on a lifeboat while the ship was sinking. He declined, saying he wouldn't board a raft until every woman and child had gotten off the ship.

Ida then refused to leave her husband. When her husband urged her to evacuate the ship, she reportedly responded, "I will not be separated from my husband. As we have lived, so will we die, together."

She then ordered her maid to board a lifeboat and gave her a mink coat, quipping that she wouldn't need the garment anymore. The couple was last seen together on the deck of the Titanic. Isidor's body was recovered from the ocean, but Ida was never found.

Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York, memorialized Isidor and Ida Straus with a cenotaph bearing a line from the "Song of Solomon."

"Many waters cannot quench love — neither can the floods drown it," it reads.

SURVIVED: Cosmo and Lucy Duff-Gordon, landowner and fashion designer

Cosmo Duff-Gordon and his wife, Lady Lucy Duff-Gordon, were two of the most prominent passengers on board the Titanic. 

Cosmo Duff-Gordon was a major landowner and society figure in the UK known for his fencing skills. His wife was a top British fashion designer whose innovations included the precursor to the modern-day fashion show.

The Duff-Gordons booked a trip on the Titanic to travel to New York City on business. When disaster struck, they both escaped on the first lifeboat that embarked off the ship.

Vogue reported that Lady Duff-Gordon described the scene on the Titanic, saying, "Everyone seemed to be rushing for that boat. A few men who crowded in were turned back at the point of Capt. Smith's revolver, and several of them were felled before order was restored. I recall being pushed towards one of the boats and being helped in."

In the wake of the tragedy, Cosmo Duff-Gordon received criticism for not adhering to the ship's "women and children first" evacuation policy.

A few years later, in 1915, Lady Duff-Gordon escaped death again after canceling her voyage on the doomed Lusitania.

DIED: Benjamin Guggenheim, mining magnate

Guggenheim was a member of the powerful Guggenheim family, which earned its fortune in the mining industry.

He was traveling on the ship with his mistress, Léontine Aubart, and staffers.

Guggenheim was initially optimistic about the ship's prospects, telling his maid: "We will soon see each other again. It's just a repair. Tomorrow the Titanic will go on again," according to "Life Titanic: The Tragedy That Shook the World,"

Britannica reported that Guggenheim, whose body was never recovered, dressed in his best evening attire and quipped, "We've dressed up in our best and are prepared to go down like gentlemen."

He later passed on a message for his estranged wife to a Titanic survivor.

"If anything should happen to me, tell my wife in New York that I've done my best in doing my duty," he said.

SURVIVED: Dorothy Gibson, actor

After getting her start as a young girl in vaudeville, Gibson became a model and launched a career as a silent film star.

She was 22 years old when she booked a passage on the Titanic. Gibson reportedly heard the ship crash into an iceberg. She grabbed her mother, and together they escaped the ship on the first lifeboat.

"I will never forget the terrible cry that rang out from people who were thrown into the sea and others who were afraid for their loved ones," Gibson told a newspaper reporter shortly after the disaster, The History Press reported.

Gibson subsequently appeared as herself in a now-lost 1912 film about her experience called "Saved From the Titanic." The History Press reported that Gibson sported the same clothes in the film as she had on during the disaster. Gibson quit acting shortly afterward.

After that, Gibson's life is a bit cloudy. Her affair with a prominent film producer was a scandal in America and prompted Gibson to move to Paris. As World War II began, there were allegations that she was a Nazi sympathizer — the veracity of those rumors is unclear.

Later, while living in Italy in the 1940s, the former actor was imprisoned by fascists. She survived prison but died shortly after the war ended.

DIED: George Dennick Wick, steel magnate

The industrialist was the founding president of Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co., a now-defunct steel-manufacturing business. 

Wick had been traveling in Europe to improve his health. Unfortunately, he booked a trip on the Titanic to return to the US.

Encyclopedia Titanica reported that he was last seen on the ship's deck waving to his wife, daughter, cousin, and aunt as they escaped on a lifeboat.

SURVIVED: Elsie Bowerman, lawyer

Bowerman survived the sinking of the Titanic and went on to have an extraordinary career.

Biography reported that the British suffragette and Cambridge graduate booked a trip on the ocean liner with her mother to visit friends living in America and Canada.

They both survived the catastrophe by getting on the same lifeboat as Margaret Brown.

When WWI broke out, Bowerman served in a traveling hospital unit that moved across Europe. Later, in 1923, she was admitted to the bar and became the first woman barrister to practice in the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales.

Biography said that later in life, Bowerman headed the establishment of the UN's Commission on the Status of Women.

DIED: Charles Melville Hays, railroad executive

Hays started in the railway business as a teenage clerk. He went on to become the president of the Grand Trunk Railway, which operated in Canada and the Northeastern US. 

The American railway magnate may have had some reservations about embarking on the Titanic's maiden voyage. Encyclopedia Titanica reported that he told his companions that the trend toward large boats might end in tragedy.

Hays' wife, Clara, and their daughter, Orian, were evacuated from the ship on lifeboats. 

After Charles and Clara were separated, she called out to every other lifeboat they came across, hoping that he had made it on one of them.

But Hays had died when the Titanic sank — his body was later recovered and buried in Montreal.

SURVIVED: Helen Churchill Candee, author

An author and a single mother, Candee wrote the early feminist work "How Women May Earn a Living" in 1900.

The American writer traveled extensively and befriended several prominent people, including Theodore Roosevelt and William Jennings Bryan.

She booked a passage on the Titanic to return to the US to care for her son who'd been injured. The writer teamed up with Margaret Brown to operate the oars of the lifeboat.

Even after surviving the Titanic, Candee continued to travel the world, undaunted. She also spoke of the men aboard's bravery during the disaster.

"The men were the heroes, and among the bravest and most heroic, as I recall, were Mr. Widener, Mr. Thayer, and Colonel Astor," Candee said in a 1912 interview, Titanic Archive reported. "They thought only of the saving of the women and went down with the Titanic, martyrs to their manhood."

DIED: Henry B. Harris, Broadway producer

Harris was a major player on Broadway when he died on the Titanic. He was returning to the US after a business trip to London.

He went down with the ship after ensuring his wife, Renee, who had previously broken her elbow after falling down the ship's grand staircase, got on a lifeboat.

"Harry lifted me in his arms and threw me into the arms of a sailor and then threw a blanket that he had been carrying for me through the hours," his wife said, according to the author Charles Pellegrino's website.

Renee achieved prominence by taking up her husband's line of work and becoming one of the first female theatrical producers in the US.

SURVIVED: Karl Behr, tennis player

The Independent reported that Behr, a banker and tennis star, booked a trip on the Titanic only to pursue his future wife, Helen Newsom.

Behr survived the disaster because he was asked to help row one of the lifeboats. Encyclopedia Titanica reported that he may have asked Newsom for her hand in marriage while they were adrift in a lifeboat.

Behr went on to continue his successful tennis career, The New York Times reported.

DIED: Jacques Futrelle, mystery writer

Futrelle achieved success as a mystery author before dying on the Titanic.

The Georgia native started out as a journalist, working for the New York Herald and The Boston Post — two now-defunct papers.

Futrelle is best remembered for his fictional stories. He wrote a series about the fictional detective professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen. His most famous story was "The Problem of Cell 13."

Futrelle and his wife dined with Henry and Renee Harris on the night the ship sank. Futrelle ensured that his wife got on a lifeboat and was last seen speaking on deck with Astor.

SURVIVED: Edith Rosenbaum, stylist

Rosenbaum was a stylist, fashion buyer, and journalist who was returning to the US on the Titanic after embarking on a reporting assignment in Paris.

The Telegraph reported that a year before the Titanic disaster, Rosenbaum had "survived a car accident the year before in which her fiancé, a German gun manufacturer, had been killed."

Following the accident, her mother purchased her a small musical toy pig as a good-luck charm.

As the ship went down, the stylist would play the toy's tune to calm and distract the crying children on her lifeboat, The Daily Mail reported.

"The children were crying and whimpering," Rosenbaum said, The Huffington Post reported. "And I said, I believe I'll play music and maybe the children would be diverted. ... And the poor children were so interested, most of them stopped crying."

DIED: Archibald Butt, presidential aide

Butt led a distinguished — and varied — career before dying during the Titanic disaster.

Arlington National Cemetery's website said that Butt started out as a reporter but enlisted in the US Army during the Spanish-American War.

He served in Cuba and the Philippines. In 1908, he became President Theodore Roosevelt's military aide and served Roosevelt's successor, William Taft, in the same capacity.

Butt's "health began to deteriorate in 1912 because of his attempts to remain neutral during the bitter personal quarrel" between Roosevelt and Taft, which may have prompted his decision to travel to Europe.

There are a number of unverified accounts of Butt's behavior during the sinking, with many sensationalized stories of the military officer leading the evacuation or threatening male passengers who tried to ignore the ship's "women and children first" protocol.

"If Archie could have selected a time to die, he would have chosen the one God gave him," Taft said in a private memorial service, according to the Smithsonian. "His life was spent in self-sacrifice, serving others."

He added: "Everybody who knew him called him Archie. I couldn't prepare anything in advance to say here. I tried, but couldn't. He was too near me."

Taft then said: "To me, he had become as a son or a brother."

The president later broke down weeping while delivering the eulogy at Butt's funeral.

• The Iran war has affected businesses across sectors, from retail to advertising.
• Its impacts are starting to show up in earnings calls.
• Here's what top CEOs and execs are saying about the impact of the Iran war on the business world.

More than six weeks have passed since the Iran war began, and the impact of the conflict on businesses is becoming more evident.

The impacts of surging oil prices, supply chain issues, and lower demand from the Middle East are starting to show up in Q1 earnings.

In some sectors, such as investment banking, executives say business activity is in good shape overall.

However, for industries such as luxury goods, which have a strong retail presence in the Middle East, there are concerns about how the ongoing conflict will affect business.

David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs

David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, said in the company's first-quarter earnings call on April 13 that "the environment for investment banking activity continues to be incredibly robust, particularly M&A activity."

Solomon said that while leaders are "watching what's going on geopolitically," they are also looking at the opportunities that artificial intelligence could bring.

"They are focused on that, and that candidly trumps some of the geopolitical risk," Solomon added.

Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Groupe

The French advertising giant said on its first-quarter earnings call on April 14 that the conflict in the Middle East had led some clients to delay "large transformation capex projects" due to uncertainty over how the situation might unfold.

CEO Arthur Sadoun said on the call that clients had become resilient in navigating uncertainty, after other major events, including COVID, the war in Ukraine, tariffs, and inflation. Publicis said it hadn't seen brands making significant reductions in their marketing budgets in the first quarter.

"They know that if they cut marketing spend, they will lose market share," Sadoun said. "That will be very expensive and very difficult to win back."

Publicis' Middle East and Africa business posted a 5.1% decline in organic revenue in the quarter, with the United Arab Emirates and Israel most affected, the company said.

Cécile Cabanis, CFO of LVMH

LVMH said in its earnings call on April 13 that its first-quarter performance was negatively affected by the war in Iran.

Cécile Cabanis, CFO of the French luxury conglomerate, said that "demand is very much down" in the Middle East, particularly citing lower foot traffic to malls.

Cabanis said Sephora, one of LVMH's companies, has been able to resist this downward trend better because of its large presence in Saudi Arabia, which she said has been "more resilient" during the conflict.

"What we have not seen yet is repatriation. And what we know is that the wealth has not evaporated," Cabanis said.

She added that if the conflict persists and wealthy people leave the region, they will ensure that they are "there to serve the clients."

Armelle Poulou, CFO of Kering

Gucci parent company Kering said during its first-quarter earnings call on April 14 that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East weighed on its traffic and performance.

"Since the end of February, the situation in the region has remained an area of heightened attention for the group," CFO Armelle Poulou said.

It saw an 11% decline in retail revenue in the region during Q1, which dragged on the overall retail segment.

The Middle East accounts for about 5% of the luxury conglomerate's retail revenue, with about 1,100 employees and 79 stores, the company said. Despite some recent disruptions, it said stores are fully open.

Kering is also feeling the impact of the Iran war on sales outside of the Middle East. Its sales were down 7% in Western Europe in Q1, where "trends remain challenging, particularly due to softer tourist flows, notably from Asia and Middle East," Poulou said.

Eric du Halgouët, CFO of Hermes

Luxury brand Hermes said its sales in the Middle East were down 6% during the first quarter as the conflict in Iran kicked off.

The company also saw its sales in France take a hit as it saw a "strong decrease" in Middle East customers shopping for its products.

"The impact of the slowdown because of the Middle East is not significant on profitability," its CFO Eric du Halgouët said during the company's earnings call.

"It remains to be seen whether the events continue for a month or two, but if it's just two months, I think that we can absorb this impact without too many difficulties," he added.

• Meg Leonard renovated her kitchen a few years after buying her home in Annapolis, Maryland.
• She replaced the dark, early 2000s decor with white cabinetry and brass finishes.
• Leonard also created a cozy nook that serves as a dining and entertaining space.

Meg Leonard is rarely as happy as when she's squeezed between loved ones in her kitchen nook. Usually, sports are on the TV hanging from the wall, kids run through the kitchen to the backyard — which she can see from the picture window opposite the screen — and food waits to be eaten on the island a few steps away.

Since Leonard and her husband added the nook to their home during their kitchen renovation in 2023, it's become a go-to gathering spot in their house, whether they're dining as a family of three or hosting a party.

"Sometimes, almost 15 people are piled in the nook, and it's just so fun," she told Business Insider.

Leonard invested $150,000 to renovate her kitchen — a price tag she said was completely worth it.

Meg Leonard and her husband bought their dream home in December 2021.

Leonard, 34, is an entrepreneur and content creator who owns a digital and interior design studio.

In 2021, she and her husband were living in Baltimore City, but they were dreaming of buying a house in Annapolis, Maryland.

"We were looking for something to make our own," Leonard said, telling Business Insider that she and her husband are both drawn to homes with charm that's hard to come by with new builds. Leonard hoped to remodel a home and lean into the traditional, coastal vibe with her design.

Then, in May 2021, they found the perfect house: a four-bedroom, three-bathroom house in Annapolis. The 2,900-square-foot space needed a little TLC, which was just what Leonard wanted.

"It had great bones, but things were added on in different phases," Leonard said. "It felt entirely meant to be."

After some back-and-forth on the sale, they finally bought it in December 2021, eager to start turning the house into their forever home. They now live there with their son and golden retriever.

Their early 2000s kitchen was high on the renovation list.

As Leonard told Business Insider, the home's previous owners renovated the kitchen as an addition to the original house. It had wooden cabinetry and windows, tile floors, and a large stone wall framing the oven.

"It was definitely Italian style from the early 2000s that was brought into the home," Leonard said of the kitchen's style.

Though the kitchen had good bones, Leonard didn't love its details. The stone made it feel dark, despite the big windows, and the 8-foot ceilings didn't help. Likewise, the appliances were high-end but dated. Leonard also wasn't a fan of the orange wood cabinets, which she said were falling apart, or the dark granite countertops.

"It wasn't feeling like the happy, airy space that I wanted," she said.

Leonard also didn't think the kitchen's dining area was being used to its full potential.

Because the home had been renovated multiple times before Leonard and her family bought it, it had some strange design elements. For instance, the kitchen was added to the front of the house, so the former front door ended up on a wall inside the space after that addition.

Leonard also thought the space in front of the door felt too isolated from the rest of the kitchen to serve as a dining area.

After they moved in, Leonard and her husband tackled a renovation of their primary bedroom and bathroom, and added a laundry room upstairs. Then, after saving up some money, they hit the ground running with their kitchen renovation in October 2023.

"We really tried to balance the function on top of making it look better," Leonard said. "Storage and aesthetically really opening it up was our goal."

Leonard designed the kitchen herself.

Leonard liked the kitchen's overall shape, including the placement of the appliances, which helped the design process.

"We liked the footprint of everything," she said. "My goal was to kind of create a neutral, timeless base that I can then style everything around through the stools and the accent pieces."

To start the process, they gutted the space so they could start fresh. Leonard designed the kitchen herself, but she hired out a contractor and professionals to bring the work to life. Leonard said she thinks it's worth paying professionals to work on rooms like your kitchen, which are so central to a home.

"This is the space where you need to invest properly, especially when it comes to plumbing and gas lines in all of the things," she said. "You never want to then resent your space."

She also ended up feeling grateful she lived in the kitchen for a while before the renovation began, as it allowed her to see how she really needed the space to function.

"I listed out our dream inclusions, how I wanted them to flow, where I wanted the dishwasher to be, and even practiced unloading where the dishes would go," she said.

The tile floors and dark wood framing the windows needed to go.

Leonard didn't love the look or feel of the chunky tile floors that were in the kitchen when they bought their home. She didn't think they fit the space, nor did she love the feel of them when she walked around.

And while she loved the shape of the windows, she didn't like the wood framing them, particularly because of the color.

"To each their own, but orange wood is not something that brings me joy," she said.

Wood floors and white windows lightened the space.

Leonard decided to continue the white oak flooring from the rest of her home into her kitchen to create a "seamless" look.

"As long as you wipe things up right away, they last," Leonard said about the floors. "So we've been loving that."

The walls and trimmings were painted white, making the space feel airy, and Leonard also had white beams added to the ceiling for depth.

"As soon as they went in, I think that was the first time that I was like, 'I could cry,'" she said of how much she loved the beams. "It made the room look taller, and I think it's because they weren't a dark-stained wood."

Decorative touches — like a dinner bell hanging near the backyard door and dark-wood and wicker barstools at the island — give the kitchen the homey feel Leonard was searching for.

The wood cabinetry didn't work for Leonard either.

Although she liked where the cabinets sat, the dark color wasn't Leonard's favorite. She also didn't like that the cabinets didn't go to the ceiling, and she thought the countertops made the whole space feel darker. Plus, the cabinet doors were falling off, so they needed to be updated anyway.

Leonard planned to replace the cabinets with new white cabinets that extended to the ceiling, with appliance covers to match.

"I wanted inset cabinets that were panel-ready on the appliances just to have a more seamless, perimeter look," she said.

White cabinetry and countertops brightened the space.

Leonard got the ceiling-high cabinets she was hoping for, which she complemented with a white marble countertop that extended to the backsplash.

"I just loved the idea of it looking a little more rich and and grand by using that marble slab," she said.

The real marble was one of the biggest splurges Leonard and her husband made on the kitchen, and she said that even though some people think marble can be hard to maintain, it "was definitely worth splurging on" for her.

"Any of the etchings are great signs of life, and it shows that it's natural, real stone," she said.

Leonard chose brass finishes throughout the kitchen, from the hardware to her oven and a rack that hangs by a window. It elevates the kitchen's otherwise neutral tones.

Leonard also incorporated her personal style through small details, such as the sconce on one side of her sink, which serves as a high-end nightlight they turn on when their kitchen is closed for the evening.

"I just love those little bits of character that are a little different," she said.

The bulky, arched stone surrounding the stove and oven didn't work for Leonard either.

When Leonard bought her home, the oven sat in an alcove with an arch above it, surrounded by a dark tile pattern. Double ovens were inset into the tile, with a cabinet above them.

Leonard wanted to keep the arch above the oven and make it a statement piece in the kitchen, but the dark tile around it had to go. She also wanted to reduce the arch's footprint and decided to remove the double ovens, even though many people find them appealing in a high-end kitchen. It wasn't suited to her lifestyle.

"Double ovens sound like a dream, but we really only use those on Christmas," she said. "We needed that storage."

Leonard kept the arched shape, but she modernized it.

The new arch is wider and slightly square, allowing the white-and-gold oven and six-burner stovetop to shine. The marble backsplash flows all the way up the arch for a seamless look.

Combining the oven and stove freed up space to the right of her kitchen, so now an "appliance garage" sits where the double ovens used to be. The large cabinet gives Leonard space to store things like her coffee maker and air fryer. Her counters were left open for decorative rather than utilitarian touches.

She also added cabinets with glass panes framing the oven on either side so she could display some of her everyday items and pitchers.

The details around the stovetop helped elevate it.

Leonard had shelving built into the sides of the archway, where she stores everyday items and decor to add a pop to her space.

They also added a pot-filler above the stove, which Leonard said she loves.

"I know a lot of people are like, 'Is that worth it? Am I actually going to use it?'" she said. "We use that all the time. I love to have tea every day."

"It's like a piece of jewelry, but it definitely has changed our day-to-day routine," she added.

Leonard liked the large island, but it needed some updates.

Much as she did with the rest of the kitchen, Leonard wanted to keep the island in the center of the room but make adjustments to it. She liked it as a seating area for stools and as a prep space.

Leonard said it was particularly important to her to keep the trash can built into the island, as she likes chopping and preparing food there and easily tossing things into the bin below.

"We spend most of our time standing over that block and preparing, easily cleaning up, and turning to cook," she said. "It's been really functional for us."

The island's built-in features make it more functional.

Rather than white, Leonard decided to use a darker wood for the island.

"I always knew I wanted a dark island just to give it more of that traditional, rich contrast," she said.

The gold hardware and white marble top gave it continuity with the rest of the kitchen, and Leonard tried to lean into the elevated feel with the design, including table-like legs on one side.

The built-in features that make it easier to use are Leonard's favorite parts of the island. The built-in trash can still works great for her family, as does the paper towel bar above it. They also built a cabinet that stows a microwave, creating another hidden space for an appliance.

The off-white and brass light fixtures hanging above the island tied it all together. Leonard said she had the lights raised slightly higher than usual. The height allows people to see through the kitchen uninterrupted when they walk into the space.

Closing up the old front door was important to Leonard.

"That was actually one of the first projects my husband and my father-in-law did," Leonard said of removing the door and closing up the wall. "We wanted it to feel like a traditional hallway and not have this random door that was an old exterior door there."

That left them with an empty square off the side of the room, which used to be cut off from the kitchen by a peninsula. Rather than making it into a traditional dining space, Leonard decided to transform it into a nook with ample built-in storage.

"We figured we would get more use out of a nook than a traditional dining area," she told Business Insider.

The nook has built-in bench seating.

A three-sided bench seat creates the nook, and a rectangular table with two chairs on the exterior side sits in the center.

Leonard also lined the ceiling and walls of the nook with white paneling, making it feel distinct from the rest of the kitchen.

"I figured to panel that space would kind of give it a statement without doing some type of bold color," she said.

The bench tops also lift up, and Leonard uses them to store items she doesn't use day to day.

"We have all of our Christmas stuff on one side, and all of our bigger platters," she said. "We know exactly where things are, and they're not shoved in the basement."

The nook has become an entertaining space for Leonard and her family.

In addition to the bench storage, Leonard also had shelving built above the nook along one side, creating additional spots to display her style. She likes that she can change the feel of her kitchen by swapping out items on display.

For now, Leonard has platters and sentimental items she doesn't use day to day on the shelving, like a plate she uses for her son's birthday and a portrait of her late dog. A TV also hangs on one wall.

The nook has become one of Leonard's favorite spots in her home, both as an entertaining space and a place for her family to relax. People crowd into it for parties, and her family dines there daily.

"We never sat in that area before, and now I use it every day," she said.

Leonard also wanted to update the pantry.

Before the renovation, Leonard's pantry sat across from the island between two doorways. She wanted to keep it in the same spot, but she didn't want it to extend quite so far into the kitchen.

"You would be unloading groceries, and you couldn't walk around because it was basically hitting the island stools," she said of the issues the pantry's size caused.

As they designed the new pantry, Leonard decided to make it slightly smaller so there was a larger walkway between the pantry and the island.

"People find it hard to believe that you would make a pantry smaller, but we didn't really lose a ton of space," she said. "It was worth it to not have the kitchen feel a little claustrophobic. "

She made the new pantry a statement piece in her kitchen.

Leonard said she wanted to play up the island's dark wood as she crafted her space, and the pantry door felt like a natural fit.

She hoped to find antique doors that would work, but when she couldn't, she had her doors custom-built. They have glass panels, and brass bolts serve as her door handles and line the center.

"I feel like that kind of gave it that look on a lower budget," she said.

Striped curtains cover the bottom shelves, peeking through the glass for a quaint touch.

Leonard's family loves their kitchen now.

Leonard's family loves the whole kitchen, but she said the nook is her favorite spot in the airy space.

"I love having a place to sit down and have a substantial family meal, but it's cozy, and it doesn't feel like we're sitting at a formal dining area," she said.

She also said she's happy "having a place for everything," thanks to her ample and well-thought-out storage.

"It feels like us," she added of her kitchen. "We're happy to start and end our days in there. And I think that's the biggest thing, just making it a space that you actually enjoy."

All in, Leonard spent around $150,000 on the kitchen renovation.

Leonard said her kitchen was "absolutely" worth the price tag because it works so well for her family now.

"I was so strategic about not making it just a pretty kitchen but really thinking about where each dollar was going," she said. "I wanted us all to have a space that we're proud of and want to spend time in."

Leonard recommends really thinking through a kitchen renovation before starting it, focusing on how the space will function for your family before aesthetics.

"List out your priorities, your needs, your current pain points, your dreams, and make sure that they're easily documented, so you can always kind of refer back to that inspiration," she said. "You can have fun with the aesthetic parts and kind of fill that in."

• Starbucks launched a new ChatGPT app that lets users ask the AI chatbot for a drink suggestion.
• The feature will recommend Starbucks drinks based on user taste, the weather, or their outfit.
• Users can begin their order in ChatGPT and then finish checkout in the Starbucks app or website.

Starbucks' newest feature lets ChatGPT turn your "vibe" — or even a photo of your outfit — into a coffee order.

The coffee giant on Wednesday rolled out a new app within ChatGPT's app ecosystem that lets users provide a prompt, such as their preference for protein or sugar-free drinks, something that captures the essence of the sunset, or alters the vibe of their workday, and receive a drink recommendation.

Users can add customizations, such as cold foam or matcha powder, and choose a location through ChatGPT, then complete their order through the Starbucks app or website.

"Over the past year, one thing has become clear: customers aren't always starting with a menu. They're starting with a feeling," Paul Riedel, senior vice president of digital & loyalty at Starbucks, said in a statement about the beta app. "We wanted to meet customers right in that moment of inspiration and make it easier than ever to find a drink that fits."

Riedel added that the technology is meant to make customers "more excited" about their drink.

"As a beta experience, it's also an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and refine as we go," Riedel said. "You'll see us continue exploring new ways technology can delight our customers while supporting our baristas. This is only the beginning."

Users are already turning ChatGPT into everything from a personal stylist to a meal planner, and now, increasingly, a way to decide what to order online.

Several major retail brands — including Walmart and Target — have partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into their shopping experiences, allowing users to discover and purchase products directly within the chatbot's interface.

The push reflects a broader shift toward "agentic commerce," where chatbots don't merely suggest products, but help users buy them.

The practice is expanding among delivery operators and food and beverage brands. DoorDash and Uber Eats have created ChatGPT apps that let users turn recipes into shoppable grocery lists, browse restaurant menus, and place delivery orders, while fast-food operators like Burger King and Firehouse Subs have ChatGPT apps that show nearby locations and help users find deals.

The ChatGPT app isn't Starbucks' first foray into AI in its coffeehouses, but it marks one of its biggest public-facing bets on the tech.

In June 2025, Starbucks announced it would roll out Green Dot Assist, its AI-powered virtual assistant for baristas, powered by Microsoft Azure's OpenAI platform. First piloted at 35 locations, Green Dot Assist is being rolled out more widely this year.

The rollouts signal how quickly AI is becoming part of everyday consumer decisions — including something as routine as ordering coffee.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert at ktl@businessinsider.com or Signal at byktl.50. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Emergent is launching Wingman, a personal AI agent, to take on OpenClaw.
• Wingman operates on messaging platforms and integrates with tools like Gmail and Slack.
• Emergent emphasizes Wingman's security, offering features to prevent hacking and data leaks.

Vibe-coding startup Emergent is coming for the OpenClaws of the world with its own AI agent.

CEO Mukund Jha said that the company is launching Wingman on Wednesday, a personal AI agent that operates on messaging platforms like WhatsApp or iMessage and connects to tools like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Slack.

"It's going to come with its own identity. So it's going to have a phone number, it's going to have an email," he told Business Insider in an exclusive interview. "You would interact with it just like you would interact with a human employee, a human teammate, a human assistant."

The new product puts the AI coding company squarely in competition with tools like OpenClaw and NanoBot, which have seen blockbuster virality in the last few months. People around the world are using personal agents for practical and quirky uses such as productivity, stock trading, and even dating.

Wingman will also compete with agentic tools made by bigger AI labs such as Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI. AI agents use large language models to execute specific multi-step tasks semi-autonomously. Unlike chatbots, they can make decisions on behalf of the user, including through interactions with everyday applications.

Emergent, founded out of Y Combinator's startup class of 2024 by Jha and his brother Madhav Jha, is one of the fastest-growing vibe-coding companies. In February, the San Francisco and Bengaluru-based startup announced that it hit $100 million in annual run rate in eight months, and is used by more than 8 million builders. In the interview, Jha said that the company made $8.4 million in revenue in March.

In January, Business Insider reported that the startup raised $70 million in Series B funding, including from Khosla Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The valuation was not disclosed.

'Really, really secure'

Jha said that he uses Wingman to reply to his emails, schedule meetings, and do research — like finding the closest WeWork in a new city.

He said that once users scan a QR code and do an authentication step, Wingman lives on their messaging platform of choice. They can then chat with it and delegate their work.

Jha said that the potential "downfall" of some AI agents and open platforms is their susceptibility to hacking and security breaches.

"We spent a lot of our time and energy in essentially making sure it's really, really secure," the CEO said. "We have had like multiple security teams, red team us," he added, referring to simulated attacks to identify security gaps in a technology.

Security features include not granting any open permissions by default, flagging content from the internet as untrusted, and offering a draft for review before an email goes out.

Wingman's pricing starts with a small subscription fee, followed by usage-based pricing.

In the interview, Jha said that starting off in the AI coding space has given Emergent a leg up in building AI agents.

"Our thesis right now is that most of the work that agents will do, whether it's building a PPT, building a research report, is going to be by writing code," he said, referring to PowerPoint. Emergent's background in making coding agents that are topping benchmarks would be a plus here, he added.

The company also wants to differentiate itself by being more user-friendly and having better outcomes compared to other agents in the market.

"It's more snappier, much more friendly," he said about Wingman. "A lot of our focus is on the quality of the outcome, and that's where we think we're going to win."

• A version of this post appears in the CMO Insider newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's weekly marketing newsletter here.

Apple has quietly been making moves that show it's serious about building a formidable advertising machine.

The iPhone maker is bringing ads to Maps this summer, and this week, it rolled out Apple Business, combining a suite of business-focused tools — including ads — into a single platform.

The vast majority of Apple's ad revenue comes from app developers buying ads within the App Store. These new moves signal that it wants a bigger share of the ad market for small and midsize businesses.

Map ads make up a small but highly competitive part of media plans for marketers whose products are tied to physical locations. That's especially true in sectors like quick-service retail, where brands jostle for top placements.

Analysts at Omdia estimate that Google's revenue from map ads is around twice that from app install ads on the Play Store.

"There is big potential uplift in bringing ads to Apple Maps," Omdia analyst Matthew Bailey told me. He added that ads on Google Maps are closely tied to Google's broader base of search advertisers, which Apple doesn't have.

Widening the advertising aperture presents a delicate marketing challenge for Apple.

Ads and a "premium" brand identity make for awkward bedfellows.

"It's quite a tightrope that Apple is walking," Bailey said.

Apple frames privacy as a "fundamental human right," and famously threw the mobile ad market for a loop in 2021 with updates to its app-tracking rules. (Apple's ad revenue skyrocketed that year.)

Apple's approach to the ad market has been cautious and muted relative to its Big Tech peers.

Don't expect to see the "Apple beach" at Cannes Lions anytime soon. Apple ad execs prefer to keep it low-key.

"Apple is probably the largest advertising company that doesn't identify as an advertising company," Itai Cohen, chief strategy officer of the mobile ad company Digital Turbine, told me.

Omdia estimates Apple's ad revenue grew by 15% last year to nearly $7 billion, 95% of which was tied to app install ads on the App Store.

Despite continued growth, Apple's App Store is starting to give off "shaking the cushions" energy — to borrow a phrase from former Google ads chief Jerry Dischler — as it tries to keep its ad business growing in the double digits. Ad loads are rising: What was once a single sponsored search result has expanded to multiple ad placements.

Maps offers a fresh revenue spigot.

As iPhone upgrade cycles lengthen, Apple's $109 billion services business, which includes advertising, has become central to the company's growth.

It also faces challenges. Global antitrust regulators are zeroing in on the App Store over its fees and the tight grip the iOS ecosystem has on developers and users. Then there's the DOJ's threat to Apple's $20 billion-a-year Google search deal.

Apple's ad business is a hedge.

What will Apple do next with ads? It already sells TV ads during its MLS broadcasts, so a full ad tier for Apple TV could be a logical next step. Maybe in time for this year's upfront?

If you know anything, get in touch: loreilly@businessinsider.com.

• Soccer fans face jacked-up prices for this summer's World Cup.
• Train fares for games in Boston have been hiked four-times to $80.
• Politicians and fan groups have criticized high ticket prices for games and transport.

It isn't just tickets to games that FIFA World Cup fans will have to shell out for — they'll also have to pay way more for transit to stadiums.

Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots, is hosting seven matches of the tournament, which is being held across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Fans going to games at the venue face $80 round-trip train fares for the journey to and from Boston's South Station, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced last week.

Such tickets usually cost $20 during other events, or $8.75 on a regular day. The two rail stations are about 20 miles apart.

The Athletic also reported on Tuesday that New Jersey Transit is planning to charge $100 for a round-trip rail ticket between Penn Station and MetLife Stadium. It's set to host eight World Cup matches, including the final.

That journey usually costs $12.90, meaning prices during the World Cup could be up to 8 times higher than during most events.

The report drew criticism from Chuck Schumer, the New York senator and Senate minority leader.

"FIFA is set to reap nearly $11 billion from this summer's World Cup, yet New York area commuters and residents are being handed the bill," he said in a post on X. "The least FIFA can do is ensure New York residents can go to the stadium without being gouged at the turnstile."

Schumer also called on the sport's governing body to cover transportation costs.

FIFA and NJ Transit did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside US working hours. An NJ Transit spokesperson told The Athletic that prices "have not been finalized."

The MBTA said last Thursday that it sold some 17,450 rail tickets to Gillette Stadium on the first day sales opened.

Phillip Eng, the CEO and general manager, said the "tremendous demand" showed the MBTA "needed to think outside the box to safely deliver unprecedented train service."

With 6,200 tickets, fans attending the Haiti vs. Scotland game on June 13 broke the record for the most special-event train tickets sold for an individual event at Gillette Stadium — including Taylor Swift's three concerts in 2023.

This year's World Cup is the biggest one yet, as FIFA expanded it from 32 teams to 48. That has helped the debuts of countries including Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Jordan.

The price of tickets for games has drawn criticism from fan groups, particularly as only a small number of match tickets were originally offered at the lowest price of $60.

"In practice they were so scarce that the entire Category 4 inventory was practically sold out before general public sales opened," said Football Supporters Europe, a fan group that advocates for affordability.

While Scotland qualified for its first World Cup in 28 years, political leaders said fans could be priced out.

The BBC found that the cheapest ticket available on FIFA's resale platform cost $690 for the Scotland vs Haiti match, up from $400.

"Our historic return has been marred by FIFA's dynamic pricing model that has made the trip simply unaffordable for so many loyal supporters," Scottish First Minister John Swinney said in a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino earlier this month.

"This model has made this the most expensive World Cup in history and it is the opposite of what football, and indeed the biggest sporting occasion on the planet, should be about."

• Valvoline is launching its first-ever FIFA World Cup campaign this week.
• Chief brand officer Michael Kirtman spoke about how it feels to prepare for a World Cup debut.
• Sign up for Business Insider's weekly marketing newsletter.

What does it feel like being a marketer about to launch the first FIFA World Cup campaign of your career?

"Excitement. Anxiousness. I can't believe it. Boy, I hope it works," Michael Kirtman, chief brand officer of Valvoline Global, told CMO Insider in an interview.

"So, all the emotions I feel."

Three months into his tenure, Kirtman, a former Procter & Gamble marketer, has been charged with leading the 160-year-old motor oil and lubricant brand's first-ever FIFA World Cup sponsorship. It's also the company's largest global marketing push to date, aimed at expanding brand awareness beyond its North American roots. (Aramco, the Saudi oil company, acquired Valvoline's global operations in 2023.)

The World Cup is a big stage for a marketing debut.

The World Advertising Research Centre predicts the World Cup — hosted in the US, Canada, and Mexico and starting in June — will drive a $10.5 billion surge in global ad spend. Brands will look to capitalize on the tournament's feel-good factor, large live-TV audiences, and favorable kick-off times for US viewers.

FIFA said 5 billion people engaged with content from the Qatar 2022 World Cup across linear TV, streaming, and social channels, with over 1.4 billion viewers tuning in to watch the final between Argentina and France.

Valvoline's main World Cup ad — "The original motor oil for the driven" — follows a father-daughter trip to a soccer match, intercut with clips of other fans making their own journeys and mechanics ensuring the cars, buses, and motorcycles get them there reliably and safely.

Kirtman said he hopes the key takeaway consumers will have after watching the ad is: "I understand what Valvoline does, who they are, and if I use their product, I never have to worry about, 'Does my car get me to where I need to go?'"

For Valvoline, sales, volume, and profit will determine whether the campaign was a success.

"I think impressions and clicks are vanity KPIs a lot of the time," Kirtman said, referring to key performance indicators. "They make us feel good, but rarely do they really correlate to real business."

Kirtman said the company is spending half of its media budget on TV, and the rest on digital. It kicks off in Mexico on Thursday and will launch in other countries, including the US, China, India, and Saudi Arabia, shortly after.

Scenario planning during unpredictable times

The geopolitical environment has been "top of mind" in the planning stages leading to the campaign launch, Kirtman said.

Research released by the U.S. Travel Association earlier this month found that international World Cup visitors are concerned about safety, costs, and visa requirements. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has pushed up oil prices and could make travel difficult for some overseas supporters.

"Will there be some customers that make the choice not to come to the World Cup now? For sure," Kirtman said. "I have to be flexible about what the implications of that are."

He added that he's focused on "controlling the controllables," such as which media channels the brand appears on in certain regions and the timing and tone of its communications.

"What it requires is constantly looking at the data to understand what's going on globally," Kirtman said.

He said he hasn't been tempted to cut back Valvoline's World Cup ad budget, though.

"When you're a brand that has the pride to lean in during a time like this, I think it pays dividends to your stakeholders," Kirtman said.

• The IMF's latest outlook sends a "sobering" message about the global economy, Mohamed El-Erian says.
• The economist said the Middle East war threatens growth, inflation, inequality, and public finances.
• El-Erian warned of a "stagflationary wind" and "unsettling financial instability" in recent weeks.

The global economy faces a laundry list of threats, and the war in the Middle East could worsen pretty much all of them, Mohamed El-Erian has warned.

"Reading between the lines, the message of today's IMF flagship report is sobering: Virtually every challenge facing the global economy is poised to intensify due to the fallout of the Middle East War," El-Erian said in an X post on Tuesday.

The Wharton professor and former deputy director of the International Monetary Fund ticked off a bunch of those challenges: tepid growth, onerous living costs, severe inequality, large budget deficits and national debts, climate risks, and policy constraints.

The conflict between Iran and the US and Israel has sent shockwaves through the global economy in large part because of the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel for oil and liquefied natural gas. The upshot has been surging energy prices over the past few weeks.

El-Erian, the chief economic advisor at insurer Allianz and the former CEO of fixed-income giant PIMCO, sounded the alarm after the IMF released its latest World Economic Outlook.

The report warned of a "major test" for the global economy as the war threatens to choke growth and reignite inflation. The IMF cut its global growth forecast for this year from 3.3% in January to 3.1%, and hiked its inflation projections to 4.4% this year and 3.7% in 2027.

The global financial body also cautioned that if the war drags on and energy infrastructure in the Middle East is damaged, growth this year could fall to 2%, and inflation could exceed 6% next year.

The IMF also said that "larger fiscal deficits and increasing public debt" could heap pressure on long-term interest rates, tightening wider financial conditions.

"The current hostilities in the Middle East pose immediate policy trade-offs: between fighting inflation and preserving growth and between supporting those affected by the rising cost of living and rebuilding fiscal buffers," the agency wrote.

El-Erian has been sounding the alarm on the war's economic repercussions for a while. In an X post on April 13, he wrote that "each day of higher oil prices and interrupted energy supplies blows a stronger stagflationary wind."

In an April 2 post, he warned the fallout from the war for US households included "surging gas prices and more expensive mortgages," almost certainly a "broader hit to the cost of living," and potentially "lower economic growth and a higher risk of unsettling financial instability."

Another leading economist and Wharton professor, Jeremy Siegel, spelled out why consumers and businesses should brace for steeper prices in his weekly WisdomTree commentary on Monday:

"The key issue now is that higher oil, higher diesel, and higher fertilizer costs are likely to work their way into freight, shipping, airfares, and a broad range of goods prices over the next two to three months."

• BeReal has been making a pitch to creators that they should post more regularly on the app.
• The social media app is trying to regain some of the momentum from its breakout year in 2022.
• BeReal is hoping to attract creators with the potential for big-name advertiser tie-ups.

BeReal wants influencers to help chart its next era.

The social media app, which prompts users to quickly snap a photo or video within a two-minute window each day, is starting to proactively pitch creators in the US to get verified on the platform and post more regularly.

Ben Moore, BeReal's US managing director, told CMO Insider that the company has been talking with creators who "have this very unfiltered, raw, and authentic way of engaging with their audience, that are a perfect fit for BeReal."

He said the concentrated effort to begin courting US influencers began in the second quarter of this year. It builds on the outreach it kicked off in France and Japan in the first quarter, which helped it build deeper relationships with creators, including Léna Situations, Inoxtag, and Michou.

The move is part of a broader strategy to help the app regain some of the momentum from its breakout year in 2022, when BeReal went viral and topped app store charts.

The research company Sensor Tower estimates BeReal was downloaded about 8.5 million times in 2025, representing a 41% year-over-year decline. While BeReal's current user base might be much smaller than rivals, the company says its audience is loyal. BeReal says it has 40 million monthly active users, with more than 50% of them opening the app 6 days a week.

BeReal doesn't have an ad revenue-sharing program or a creator fund like other big social platforms. Instead, BeReal says it can help facilitate partnerships between creators and big-brand advertisers who use the platform. It also offers creators insights tools to help them understand the types of people who see their posts and which ones are gaining the most traction.

Moore said the company has worked with more than 500 advertisers since launching ads, including major brands such as Amazon, Apple, and L'Oréal. More than 60% of its clients in the US are repeat advertisers, Moore said.

Part of the pitch to creators is about expanding their potential audiences. BeReal says that around 27% of its US users aren't on Snapchat, 25% aren't Facebook users, and 23% don't use TikTok, citing November 2025 data from the research firm GWI.

In its outreach to creators, BeReal emphasizes that its feed is populated by real humans and that it will "never have AI" or encourage infinite scrolling, Moore said.

BeReal "resonates with creators that want to show the behind-the-scenes and want to show a different side of themselves that they don't post to other platforms," Moore added.

Simon Andrews, founder of the digital marketing consultancy Addictive, said BeReal could struggle to compete with larger platforms like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube for creators.

Those platforms demonstrate "huge numbers, constant innovation, and clear evidence of the platform's impact," Andrews said. "Apps like BeReal feel like they are lost — installed but nowhere near the first screen where people keep the apps they constantly use."

BeReal is hiring for a Paris-based head of growth who will report to the CEO and be responsible for scaling the platform globally, per a job ad on its parent company's website.

BeReal's creator-monetization strategy may create a tension with the app's original ethos, said James Poulter, founder of digital transformation consultancy ThreePoint Labs.

"They set themselves out as the unfiltered, unedited, no-algorithm-in-sight social platform, but it's exactly what breaks the moment creators start treating it as a monetization channel," Poulter said.

"Creators optimize for engagement, and then authenticity goes out the window, and you end up with a slightly less polished Instagram," he added.

This challenge isn't insurmountable, Poulter said, but he added that BeReal will need to build more formal matching mechanisms between brands and creators, with clear rates and transparent terms, if it wants serious creator buy-in.

• Snap is the latest tech company to announce layoffs.
• The company behind Snapchat will cut 16% of its global workforce, according to a regulatory filing.
• In a memo to employees, CEO Evan Spiegel referenced "rapid advancements" in AI.

Snap has become the latest tech company to announce sweeping layoffs.

In a memo to employees released in a regulatory filing on Wednesday, CEO Evan Spiegel said Snap would cut 1,000 employees, about 16% of its global workforce, citing "rapid advancements" in AI and "small squads" using the technology to be more efficient.

"While these changes are necessary to realize Snap's long-term potential, we believe that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence enable our teams to reduce repetitive work, increase velocity, and better support our community, partners, and advertisers," Spiegel wrote.

The Snap CEO said the company would also close more than 300 open roles, and that US-based employees would receive four months of severance, healthcare coverage, and equity vesting. Spiegel also wrote that employees based in North America should work from home on Wednesday.

Snap joins a wave of tech companies cutting staff this year. Oracle and Meta announced layoffs last month, while Amazon slashed 16,000 corporate roles in January, citing a need to chop bureaucracy. In some cases, leaders are citing AI. The CEOs of Atlassian and Block both said AI was changing the needs of their workforce when they trimmed staff earlier this year.

In an investor update included in Snap's regulatory filing, the company said the layoffs would result in estimated annualized cost savings of $500 million.

"Snap faces a crucible moment — squeezed between giants with enormous resources and nimble startups moving fast," the company wrote in the investor presentation. "To meet this moment, we are pivoting toward profitable growth."

Snap said this new strategy would include scaling its subscription business and higher-margin ad placements.

The company said it also plans to transform its internal business model to spread critical work across both human teams and "increasingly capable AI agents." Under Snap's new operating model, at least 65% of new code was generated by AI, the company said in its investor presentation.

Read Spiegel's memo below:

Dear Team,

Today we are announcing changes that will impact approximately 1,000 team members at Snap, including 16% of our full time employees, in addition to closing more than 300 open roles. This is an incredibly difficult decision, and I am deeply sorry to the colleagues who will be leaving us. You have made important contributions to Snap, and we are committed to supporting you through this transition.

Last fall, I described Snap as facing a crucible moment, requiring a new way of working that is faster and more efficient, while pivoting towards profitable growth. Over the past several months, we have carefully reviewed the work required to best serve our community and partners, and made tough choices to prioritize the investments we believe are most likely to create long-term value. As a result of these changes, we expect to reduce our annualized cost base by more than $500 million by the second half of 2026, helping to establish a clearer path to net-income profitability.

While these changes are necessary to realize Snap's long-term potential, we believe that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence enable our teams to reduce repetitive work, increase velocity, and better support our community, partners, and advertisers. We have already witnessed small squads leveraging AI tools to drive meaningful progress across several important initiatives, including Snapchat+, enhanced ad platform performance, and efficiency improvements in our Snap Lite infrastructure.

If you are part of our North America team, please work from home today. In the US, impacted team members will receive an email notification within the next hour, including information about next steps. For non-US locations, you will receive additional details about next steps from leadership and HR.

To our departing colleagues: thank you. Your hard work has helped shape Snap, and we are deeply grateful for your contributions. For U.S.-based team members who are leaving, we will provide four months of severance, healthcare coverage, and equity vesting, along with career transition support.

Outside the U.S., we will follow local processes and seek to provide comparable support aligned with local norms.

To everyone continuing on this journey: change of this magnitude and at this speed is never easy and it will not be seamless. Thank you for your resilience, compassion, and commitment to one another, and to the community and partners we serve. Our responsibility is to move forward with clarity, empathy, and determination as we build a faster, stronger, and more durable Snap for the long term.

Evan

• The Long Play is a series bringing together leaders, builders, creators, and thinkers who are shaping what comes next.
• For the first edition, attendees heard from Bryan Johnson, Jason Blum, Joanna Strober, and Carina Hong.
• Ben Bergman shared what it was like backstage.

I was eating a cup of fruit standing backstage at the Long Play, the first edition of Business Insider's new live event series, when Bryan Johnson, who has amassed more than 2.4 million Instagram followers for extolling the lifestyle of living forever, strolled in with his partner, Kate Tolo.

Fortunately, my meal was healthy and I could sense Johnson's seal of approval. But he said he couldn't partake because we were well past his strict cut-off for any form of eating before his mandatory 8:30 PM bedtime. Rules are rules.

People love taking selfies with Johnson and another speaker, Joanna Strober, founder and CEO of Midi Health, was not shy about immediately asking him for one. He politely obliged. "Can I also get a video?" she asked.

Since the floodgates were open, I could not resist asking him for a selfie too before he went on stage to discuss why Silicon Valley founders need to have more sex and shared a test for figuring out your biological age.

The event was held at The Exploratorium, a museum known for hands-on displays, located on the San Francisco waterfront. The Long Play also featured Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse, and Carina Hong, founder and CEO of Axiom Math.

An audience of more than 100 people gathered to snack on poke bowls and chicken thighs, and to glean insights about what the future holds in this perilous moment for AI when everyone is trying to figure out how to stay one step ahead of the bots.

But if they were looking for advice from Johnson, they were not going to get it.

"Nobody has anything intelligent to say about the future," he said.

• Hedge funds are in high demand, BlackRock says in its latest report on the industry.
• Still, the world's largest asset manager warns that outcomes across the industry will be varied.
• Hedge funds' value "is not inherent," the new report states.

The hedge fund industry is expected to grow by hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming years — exceeding $6 trillion by 2030 — but not every investment will be a winner.

Hedge funds will experience a "wider range of possibilities" than in the past, BlackRock states in a new report, due to choppy markets and the uncertain geopolitical environment. While those conditions give the roughly $5 trillion hedge fund industry more opportunities to outperform, the added volatility can wrongfoot even the smartest investors.

The institutions and family offices that invest in hedge funds need to know that the industry's value "is not inherent," the report states.

"Today's market environment is not only expanding the opportunity set for hedge funds, but it's also increasing the premium on manager skill," writes Michael Pyle, the $13.9 trillion asset manager's deputy head of the portfolio management group, in the report.

In other words, the gap between the industry's winners and losers will be significant, so the "selectivity, adaptability, and discipline" of hedge-fund backers will matter more than ever.

Hedge funds as a whole are not a monolith. Instead, they comprise a range of strategies, from sprawling multistrategy funds with dozens of teams trading different asset classes around the world to concentrated equity managers that focus on a small collection of companies to sophisticated systematic strategies run by algorithms and computer scientists.

Hedge funds' advantage in the increasingly volatile market conditions slamming equity and bond markets lies in their nimbleness and ability to use more complex instruments, such as derivatives, to express their market views, BlackRock writes. But these same instruments and against-the-grain views can backfire.

"Disciplined manager selection, thoughtful portfolio construction, and rigorous risk management" are essential to build a resilient roster of hedge funds, the report reads, and "that includes stress-testing exposures, trimming allocations where risk has risen alongside strong performance, and maintaining the flexibility to deploy capital to the most interesting opportunities."

The ability to move capital in and out of different strategies has diminished in recent years as sought-after managers, such as Izzy Englander's Millennium, have increased lock-up periods, and many of the top funds have been closed to new capital for years. The risks posed by the growth of multistrategy managers, in particular, should be top of mind, BlackRock states, as they've increased industrywide talent costs and warped markets through the leverage they employ.

Of course, the most essential part of any recipe is the quality of the ingredients, and a stew of hedge funds is no different.

"Access to and selection of the best hedge funds remains critical," the report states.

• MrBeast is on the hunt for his first global CMO to round out his executive suite.
• The move reflects the top YouTuber's growing ambitions as he aims to build an entertainment giant.
• MrBeast's company has expanded into categories including snacks and financial services.

MrBeast is on the hunt for his first global CMO as his company looks to round out its executive suite.

The world's biggest YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has been on a hiring spree lately, staffing up across brand partnerships, consumer products, and studio operations. Big hires have included NBCUniversal vet Corie Henson, who leads the studio division, and TikTok alum Beau Avril, who heads brand partnerships.

These moves reflect Beast Industries' growing ambitions, as it expands far beyond Donaldson's YouTube channel and seeks to become a Disney-style entertainment giant.

Along with Feastables, his snack company, Donaldson recently expanded into financial services with the acquisition of the app Step, and has plotted a mobile phone service.

He's also laying the groundwork to expand into ad and marketing services for brands, as well as services for other independent content creators like himself.

The CMO will have a wide remit, a person familiar with the search told Business Insider.

They'll step into a role overseeing a brand that's trying to become less reliant on its famous founder. It'll also require someone who can do everything from getting people to theatrical releases — Donaldson is lending his voice to "Angry Birds Movie 3," which is scheduled for a December release — to selling snacks and toys in stores, or pitching them on phone plans and checking accounts.

The person familiar with the search emphasized that the company is seeking a top marketer who's above all a businessperson, with a record of delivering results.

The person said the CMO role will report directly to Jeff Housenbold, who became CEO of Beast Industries in September 2024 and has been leading the charge to button up the company financially as it plans for an eventual IPO.

Housenbold, who brings experience at Shutterfly and SoftBank, is leading the search with chief people officer Tia Silas and hopes to fill the role within six months.

In recent months, Beast Industries has struck broad partnerships with blue-chip giants that reflect its growing marketing ambitions.

A Starbucks collaboration included sponsoring "Beast Games" season 2, providing round-the-clock access to Starbucks food and drink for contestants of the reality competition series, and creating a limited-time special "Cannon Ball Drink." Donaldson also lent his image and young-audience appeal to help Salesforce create a Super Bowl spot.

A 'dream job' with challenges

"This is a CMO's dream job," a MrBeast spokesperson said. "It's a chance to work with one of the world's most talented entrepreneurs and creators, alongside a seasoned CEO and executive team who have grown massive consumer businesses and taken companies public."

Filling the role presents some special challenges. On one hand, candidates could be drawn to the chance to help YouTube's top creator, with over 477 million subscribers, reach new heights. On the other hand, candidates with big-company experience may have to get used to smaller budgets and a nimble, creator-led culture. The company said it won't require a relocation to its Greenville, NC, home base, which could have been a dealbreaker for some.

"No matter how you slice it, this is still an early-stage business that's growing rapidly," said John McCarus, president of Content Ink, an executive search firm focused on the creator economy. "There's going to be chaos and resource challenges and significant expectations, so you have to be entrepreneurial and use unconventional tactics to increase awareness and bring in new customers who aren't watching the Beast main channel."

In January, Beast Industries, which was previously valued at around $5 billion, announced it raised $200 million in new funding from the ethereum holding company Bitmine Immersion Technologies.

• US stocks have been absolutely ripping since hitting a multi-month low in late March.
• All three major indexes have seen both Iran-war and year-to-date losses erased in the past few days.
• The rally can be traced back to three main reasons.

While oil traders stay suspended in limbo over the Iran war, stock traders seem to have called it a day.

Since dropping to a multi-month low in late March, US equities have accomplished the following feats, through Tuesday's close:

• The S&P 500 has rallied 10%, and the Nasdaq 100 has climbed 13%
• Both indexes have recovered all of their Iran-war and year-to-date losses, and then some
• The Nasdaq's 10-day winning streak is its longest since 2021

The primary reason is straightforward: Even as Iran-war uncertainty persists, investors are pricing in a peace deal. They've proven willing to overlook near-term war rhetoric. That's allowed them to focus on more positive catalysts, like future earnings growth, which has historically been the biggest source of returns.

The US stock rebound has also been driven by earnings forecasts getting more aggressive across Wall Street. Firms like Deutsche Bank and Barclays have raised estimates in recent days, while data from FactSet shows that there have been broad upward revisions by sell-side analysts.

The ratcheting-up of earnings expectations has secondarily served to help suppress stock valuations. As profit forecasts grow, the forward price-earnings (P/E) ratio for an index drops.

You know what else has helped it fall? The fact that the Iran war stock sell-off reset valuations across the market. Look no further than the chart below — which shows Bloomberg's forward P/E ratio for the Nasdaq 100:

Sure, the drop is enormous in the context of history. But the ratio also hasn't rallied back with stock prices, suggesting the sector remains attractively priced. That's been a popular argument for a growing chorus of market pundits who are advising clients to get back into tech stocks, and fast.

Just last week — in what now looks like a prescient move — Goldman Sachs released a list of seven reasons why tech stocks were a screaming buy-the-dip opportunity. Valuations were also cited as a primary reason for piling back into tech for a handful of the interview subjects for our latest edition of "How to Invest $10,000" series.

From a non-Iran perspective, the next big test for the earnings-driven bull narrative will be the last week of April, when juggernauts Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple report across a two-day period.

Investors will of course be watching to make sure newly raised profit forecasts are met. But there's also the wild card of how they'll treat capex spending on AI. If certain results don't sit right with them, tech stocks could see a fresh wave of selling.

• State Street's Michael Arone maintains a bullish market outlook despite recent economic turmoil.
• His firm has upgraded technology, energy, and materials stocks to overweight positions.
• Arone also highlighted real assets like gold as beneficiaries of deglobalization trends.

At the start of 2026, Michael Arone was one of the most bullish strategists on Wall Street, calling for the S&P 500 to rise 17% to 8,000. Things have changed quite a bit since January (see: surging oil prices, inflation fears, and AI threatening to upend entire industries), but Arone is sticking with his rosy outlook.

"I think that the market is like a spring right now, and that spring is kind of coiled, and you can see it really wants to move higher," Arone, State Street Investment Management's chief investment strategist, told Business Insider.

He pointed to a handful of factors he thinks will push the market higher:

• The US-Iran conflict is likely to be resolved soon
• The tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and other fiscal stimulus will provide a tailwind to growth
• Average tariff rates have come down to around 8% since the Supreme Court IEEPA ruling in February
• Inflation is likely to stay low as a low labor market quits rate implies suppressed wage growth, teeing up the Federal Reserve to cut rates later this year
• The FIFA World Cup should boost earnings a bit in the US as consumers spend on hotels, tickets, food, merchandise, and more

But Arone said a few new opportunities have opened up since the start of the year, leading State Street, which oversees $5.7 trillion in assets, to upgrade them to overweight in recent days.

4 trades State Street is overweight on

The first is technology stocks, which now trade at a lower premium while driving much of the market's earnings growth. Plus, he argues they're more protected from geopolitical volatility and a potential economic slowdown than other areas of the market.

"In many ways, technology is somewhat insulated from some of those dynamics and is delivering exceptional earnings and revenue growth, and I can buy that growth at essentially a market multiple," he said.

Second is the energy sector, which Arone argues had fundamental growth drivers behind it even before the US-Iran war sent oil prices soaring. Those bullish trends include an expected economic recovery cycle, expected lighter regulation, greater capital discipline from firms in the industry, and AI innovation.

Plus, their valuations are cheaper now.

"The stocks were already starting to rally prior to the conflict breaking out, and now all of a sudden at higher oil prices, their revenue outlook just got a whole lot better, and they're trading at a far cheaper multiple than the market," he said.

Third are materials stocks. Arone said they should continue to get a boost from a trifecta of factors: increased defense spending, AI infrastructure spending, and geopolitical tensions driving governments to take a national interest in certain materials. Earnings in the sector are growing 24% year over year, he said.

Finally, Arone said he's bullish on real assets like gold as deglobalization accelerates and government spending and debt grow. The firm had already been overweight on the trade, but Arone said that the US-Iran war only bolsters their view.

"That spending that they're all doing is also increasing the level of debt at a time when many of them can ill afford to expand their poor fiscal positions — Germany, Japan, the US, etc. And so they're debasing their currencies," he said. "All of this leads us to want to own more real assets.

• Should you reach out if you get ghosted after an interview? We asked career coaches and recruiters.
• While two job coaches said it's a waste of time, one recruiter encouraged candidates to do so.
• A recruiting leader at Zapier shared a template you can send if you do decide to follow up.

Getting ghosted is all too common when submitting job apps — but the silence feels even louder when you don't hear back after an interview.

After all, if you've taken the time and effort to prepare, the least a company can do is send a rejection note once they hire someone else, right?

While it may be best practice to let candidates know where they stand, sometimes hiring managers let follow-ups "slip through the cracks," said Bonnie Dilber, a recruiting leader at Zapier. Recruiters might accidentally archive everyone from the role once they've filled it, she said.

"It's general disorganization. It's not someone trying to be cruel," Dilber said.

What should you do if it happens to you? Is it a good idea to follow up with the company if you haven't heard anything for weeks? Or is it best to stay quiet?

To respond or not respond

Two job coaches told Business Insider that candidates should not waste their time sending a response to a company after they've been ghosted during the interview process.

"The likelihood that they actually care or going to change anything is very low," T. Brad Kielinski, founder and CEO of IT Pros, a tech recruitment and outplacement firm, told Business Insider.

Kielinski said that even if dozens of applicants provide the same feedback, it probably won't make a difference in the company's practice, unless the employer received public backlash. However, it's generally not a good look to publicly badmouth a company, Kielinski said.

If you had a bad experience with a company, you're probably not alone, however. Eventually, word will probably get out about the company's practices, Kielinski said, whether it's on Glassdoor or other channels.

Alan Stein, CEO of Kadima Career, Life, and Mindset Coaching, echoed the sentiment. He said that while it may feel "cathartic" to give feedback, most companies don't care. Stein, who has had 31 jobs, said that every company he worked for cared about whether the role was filled in time and within budget, not the kind of feedback that candidates gave.

However, Dilber encourages escalating the situation to a manager or department leader if there's been no follow-up from the recruiter after a week of asking for an update.

"As somebody who manages a recruiting team, I would want to know if my recruiters are ghosting people," Zilber said, adding that she's had candidates reach out about not hearing back from anyone and has asked recruiters on her team to follow up.

What to say if you choose to speak up

If you decide to speak up after getting ghosted, it's important to first consider your motive.

If the intention is to get closure about the job, sales coach Josh Braun suggests this template:

It seems like you decided to move forward with someone else. I'm guessing my dog barking in the background sealed my fate. I know you have a lot of candidates interviewing for the VP of sales job, so I appreciate you considering me.

He said the first sentence may elicit a response confirming that the decision has been made. The second brings humor into the conversation and lowers the stakes, and the third ends the conversation gracefully.

If your goal is to improve the process for candidates who follow, think carefully about your tone, said Dilber. As a recruiting leader, she said she's been on the receiving end of aggressive messages from candidates who haven't gotten a response from recruiter. That signals the candidate assumes negative intent and can't manage their emotions, she said.

Dilber said candidates should instead take an approach that assumes the best and provides constructive feedback on how companies can improve their processes and better retain engaged candidates. She said that she's successfully followed up twice with employers after being ghosted herself.

Dilber said candidates should first follow up to the recruiter they've been speaking to with a short and direct message that says something along the lines of, "I know it's been a while, so I can probably guess what the decision is, but just wanted a final update," or, "I've enjoyed our conversation and was curious if you had an update for me." Candidates should usually give it a week if they haven't heard back before sending that kind of message, she said.

Dilber said she's then contacted people in the C-suite of the organization and said, "Hey, I know you spend a lot of money on leveraging these folks, and it's a negative candidate experience, and it reflects negatively on your experience, and it reflects negatively on your organization."

Dilber said that both times she sent those messages, the company apologized and followed up with her.