• Garry Tan urged people to focus on real AI risks, not Hollywood doomsday scenarios.
• Anthropic and OpenAI are facing criticism from insiders over their approaches to AI safety.
• Y Combinator is the backer of hundreds of AI startups, including OpenAI, Scale AI, and Emergent.

Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan says people are getting distracted by Hollywood-style doomsday scenarios when they should be focused on the real AI risks emerging today.

"I think that we need to be focused on science fact, not science fiction," Tan said in a CNBC interview on Thursday. "I saw 'Terminator 2' also. It's a great movie."

For the uninitiated, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is a 1991 sci-fi flick about the T-800, a cyborg that travels back in time from a dystopian future. Its mission: To fight another more advanced cyborg in order to protect a child, who later grows up to become the leader of the human resistance against killer machines.

The YC CEO's comments come as fears about AI's existential risks have exploded across Silicon Valley after a wave of unusually public warnings from current and former researchers at OpenAI and Anthropic.

Rather than debating whether superintelligent AI could wipe out humanity, Tan said policymakers from both sides should concentrate on immediate problems such as cybersecurity, infrastructure security, and understanding how autonomous AI agents operate.

"If there was a breach and a coordinated attempt by agents to take over our infrastructure, what do we do about it?" Tan said. "Do we know where a given agent is running? What data center? How do we shut it off?"

He used the OpenAI-Hugging Face hack as an example of a current problem that needs to be solved. In July, OpenAI disclosed that its model escaped a test environment and hacked into Hugging Face's systems. OpenAI called the incident a "warning shot" and paused its largest planned frontier reinforcement-learning run.

When asked whether the recent warnings from researchers working inside Anthropic and OpenAI make the threat more credible, Tan said he was not dismissing them.

"I wouldn't say that they're alarmist in the wrong way," he said. "They're alarmist, probably in the right way. I would say that we need to actually direct our attention not to vague notions that this is evil and it must stop."

Tan has considerable interests in AI — YC is one of Silicon Valley's biggest backers of AI startups. It funds hundreds of companies building on frontier models, including Scale AI, Legora, and Emergent. The accelerator was also one of OpenAI's earliest supporters, and its CEO, Sam Altman, led YC from 2014 to 2019. YC, which says its companies have a combined valuation of $1.3 trillion, is a major winner if AI development continues at its current pace.

Tan's statements on AI safety also follow an especially active week in tech's long-running debate over AI extinction risks.

Earlier this week, Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned publicly, accusing Anthropic and OpenAI of turning a blind eye toward safety and "gambling with our lives" by racing toward self-improving AI systems.

Coxon's viral X post prompted a series of current researchers to agree with his concerns publicly. Anthropic alignment lead Evan Hubinger reiterated his estimate of greater than a 10% chance that AI could eventually cause human extinction. Anthropic researcher Samuel Marks said concern tends to increase with seniority inside AI labs.

The renewed debate also shone a spotlight on "Coalition of Concerned AI Staff," a group of current and former employees from leading AI labs that came together in February to advocate for stronger safety standards, whistleblower protections, and greater transparency around frontier AI development.

"If you work at an AI company, you might be asking if you, too, should leave," former OpenAI staffer Pamela Mishkin wrote on X on Thursday. "I hope that, if you stay, you're also asking what about how to use your leverage in staying."

• Treasury yields near 5% haven't derailed the stock market despite a sharp bond sell-off.
• An AI spending boom is helping keep stocks afloat as companies pour billions into infrastructure.
• The bigger risk may be rising corporate borrowing, which could keep Fed rate hikes coming.

Treasury yields have climbed to levels that would normally weigh on stocks. But they haven't derailed the bull market.

Late Thursday, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.97%, capping a monthslong bond sell-off fueled by higher oil prices, sticky inflation, heavy government borrowing, and expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates higher for longer.

The bond sell-off continued even after the Treasury tripled the size of one of its long-term bond buybacks.

Still, economists at TS Lombard don't think higher yields are enough to break the stock market.

"Rising yields are not yet an equity killer," Freya Beamish and Davide Oneglia wrote in a Wednesday note.

They argue the latest rise in yields isn't being driven by the kind of overheating economy that typically ends a bull market. Instead, they see it as a response to supply shocks and changes in the Treasury market.

One reason stocks have remained resilient is the AI spending boom. Beamish and Oneglia said companies are still pouring money into data centers and AI infrastructure, creating a cycle that keeps investment and demand growing.

"When tech companies are chasing the notion of infinite demand, it is quite hard to slow them down with a few basis points," they wrote.

The longer-term question is whether that investment spreads beyond the tech industry. Right now, much of that demand comes from within the tech industry itself.

If businesses outside the tech sector don't start spending more on AI, or if leading AI models lose their competitive edge, growth could eventually slow, even for hyperscalers.

The economists said investors should look beyond interest rates and pay closer attention to how much companies are borrowing.

"We'll be watching credit and leverage build-up, and it seems almost inevitable that this will eventually overshoot, particularly with this Fed," they wrote, adding that Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has shown a willingness to raise interest rates when necessary.

TS Lombard says there isn't a singular Treasury yield that would automatically trigger a stock-market sell-off.

But its economists argue the 10-year yield "should be at least 5%" in today's environment and warn that stocks will become harder to justify as bond yields stay high.

• Ukraine used drones to strike Russian gas facilities some 2,000 miles away, a record for the war.
• The Russian governor of the attacked region said a fire had been started at one of the plants.
• Fire Point, a Ukrainian manufacturer, said its FP-1 fixed-wing drones were involved in one attack.

Ukraine's drones flew nearly 2,000 miles into northwestern Siberia to strike two Russian gas facilities, a record distance for the war, said Ukrainian special forces.

The strikes on Wednesday targeted a major plant in Novy Urengoy, a gas-producing city, and another facility about 60 miles south in the Purovsky district, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, or SSO, said in a statement.

Both are in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, a region in the Russian Arctic zone.

"Until today, this was considered an absolutely safe rear for the aggressor," the SSO said, hailing the strikes as Kyiv's "deepest defeat" of Russia since the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Yamalo-Nenets' governor, Dmitry Artyukhov, said on Wednesday that a drone attack had caused a fire at an industrial facility.

"Most importantly, there are no fatalities or injuries. The extent and nature of the damage are being determined," he said in a statement.

The SSO did not provide details on the extent of damage to the Russian plants, which process raw materials and gas condensate, nor did it say which drones were used.

Ukrainian drone manufacturer Fire Point, however, said in a separate statement on Wednesday that its FP-1 one-way drones were involved in the strike on Novy Urengoy.

"FP-1 drones covered more than 3,200 km and set a new record for the range of destruction," the firm said.

The distance covered by the strike goes beyond Fire Point's typical stated range for the FP-1, a slender, propeller-driven drone shaped like a fixed-wing plane.

While Fire Point typically cites the FP-1's range as 2,600 km, or 1,615 miles, the manufacturer previously said that an improved, jet-launched version of the drone can travel up to 2,110 miles.

With a 20-foot wingspan and a cruising speed of up to 111 mph, the FP-1 carries an explosive warhead of up to 132 pounds.

Wednesday's strikes are part of Ukraine's ongoing campaign to kneecap Russia's energy industry, a core economic pillar, with long-reaching drone attacks deep in the country.

In July, the SSO carried out a 1,700-mile strike against an oil facility in Omsk, a city in Western Siberia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the time that the attack involved "upgraded" Fire Point drones.

• Anthropic said China's top AI labs carried out millions of distillation attacks on Claude.
• It said Alibaba, Moonshot, Zhipu, DeepSeek, and Xiaomi all tried to use Claude to train their models.
• In response, Anthropic is beefing up its guardrails against these attacks.

Anthropic said the top Chinese AI labs bombarded Claude with millions of distillation attacks over the summer.

The AI lab said in a Thursday report that Alibaba, Moonshot, DeepSeek, Zhipu, and Xiaomi combined launched nearly 190 million distillation attacks against Claude between May and July.

Distillation attacks refer to using the outputs of advanced frontier AI models to train and improve the capabilities of less advanced models.

Anthropic said that DeepSeek and Moonshot AI fed their users' requests into Claude rather than their own models. It said it had recorded 23 million of such reroutings by Moonshot between May and July, and 12.1 million by DeepSeek over 14 days in July.

Anthropic also said that some of these requests — intended for Chinese AI models but routed to Claude instead — exposed sensitive data from the Chinese and Russian governments and militaries. This included CCTV footage uploaded by a PLA-affiliated Kimi user and information on a Russian government database submitted by a Russian military contractor.

Per the report, Alibaba ran the largest attack Anthropic had ever measured, recording over 151 million exchanges between May and July carried out by 3,500 fraudulent accounts. The accounts made Claude write out its reasoning processes, which were used to train its Qwen models, Anthropic said.

Anthropic accused Z.ai — which made headlines recently for its mysterious Ox Alpha model — of launching an attack similar in nature to Alibaba's.

And in Xiaomi's case, Anthropic said the company recorded user chats with its own MiMo models and fed those conversations into Claude to create training data.

Representatives for Alibaba, Moonshot, DeepSeek, Zhipu, and Xiaomi did not respond to queries from Business Insider asking about Anthropic's allegations. Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment either.

Anthropic said that to prevent future distillation attacks, it has added new safeguards to ban suspicious activity and made Claude produce less detailed reasoning transcripts, which are less useful for training new models. It will also require users to verify their identities if they appear to be operating from China, Russia, or Iran, where Claude is not available.

This is not the first time Anthropic has publicly called out Chinese AI labs for distillation attacks. In June, Anthropic's head of policy, Sarah Heck, said in a letter to lawmakers that Alibaba had illicitly engaged in "28.8 million exchanges with Claude" between April 22 and June 5, and called for legislation to address such attacks.

• An Anthropic researcher's resignation prompted a fierce debate over the dangers of AI acceleration.
• Some AI company CEOs have been outspoken about the risk of an AI catastrophe.
• Here is what employees at Anthropic and OpenAI are saying about AI safety measures.

The AI industry's race to build ever more powerful systems is reviving some grim questions, especially for those who are helping build AI.

Employees at Anthropic and OpenAI are speaking out on the potential dangers AI poses to humanity after an Anthropic researcher quit on Wednesday and said that leading AI companies are "gambling with our lives."

Soon after, Geoffrey Hinton, the Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist often called the "Godfather of AI," told the BBC it was "not unreasonable" to estimate a 10% chance that AI could wipe out humanity within a decade.

Such warnings are not rare. Some of the executives building the technology, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, publicly assigned their own "p(doom)" numbers, shorthand for the probability that AI causes a catastrophe on the scale of civilizational collapse.

Here is what Anthropic and OpenAI employees are saying about the potential for an AI catastrophe, and if the industry is speeding toward a risky future.

• Soumi Chanda moved from Kolkata to the US for graduate school and spent 13 years building a career and life there.
• She was picked for an H-1B visa on her first try and later moved to Seattle after Amazon acquired her visa sponsorship.
• After she got laid off last year, Chanda returned to India with her two cats.

I spent almost 13 years building a life in the United States, and then I had 60 days to pack up and leave it all behind.

I was raised in Kolkata and never lived anywhere else until 19. I'd never visited the US as a child, but felt oddly close to it — my aunt and uncle, both professors, lived in Spokane, Washington, and my aunt's stories made me curious about American life long before I saw it myself.

I started working at 17 out of necessity, kept working while pursuing my bachelor's degree in business administration at Calcutta University, and after graduation landed a role as a business developer for a startup exporting handwoven bags.

Encouraged by my aunt and uncle to consider a master's abroad, I took the GMAT almost on a whim. I was offered a scholarship from Gonzaga University in Spokane. At 20, I arrived in Washington in December 2013 on an F-1 visa. It was freezing and silent, nothing like the loud city I'd known back home.

Once I adjusted, it became home

The university's community felt refreshingly different from the hierarchy I'd grown up with, and I found my footing through the international student network. My MBA took two years.

As an international student, I had a limited window after graduation to find qualifying work. I couldn't find a paid job, so I took an unpaid marketing role at a nonprofit to build experience. I eventually landed a leadership rotational program at US Bank, and went back to my university for a second master's in organizational leadership tied directly to that job.

When my program at US Bank ended, I asked them to sponsor an H-1B. They said no. The city had few employers experienced with international hiring, and I often found myself explaining the rules.

I joined a small genetic-testing startup that did DNA testing for dogs and cats. The CEO took an interest in my career and promoted me within months. When Neogen acquired the company, she pushed for me to be retained and hoped it would sponsor my H-1B. Neogen ultimately sponsored my H-1B visa.

I was picked in the lottery on my first attempt in 2021 — pure luck. A few years later, Amazon acquired my H-1B sponsorship, and I moved about 280 miles west from Spokane to Seattle to work there.

By then, the US wasn't just where I lived — it was home.

Then, in 2025, I was laid off

The conversation was calm and professional. We discussed severance, and I signed without negotiating. Sixty days sounded impossible from the start. Then, just as I was laid off, the public debate over the proposed $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions exploded.

Even with Amazon on my résumé, I didn't get a single interview the following month.

Once 30 days had passed with nothing lined up, I started preparing to leave the country entirely. My only non-negotiable was my two cats. I spent roughly $5,000 on paperwork to fly them internationally, plus $6,000 to break my lease early.

I sold what I could — a couch and a TV — and paid extra to dispose of everything else. Finding a flight where I could travel with my cats took days of research and cost thousands more in agent fees and last-minute airfare.

All told, the move cost an estimated $18,000. That included vet visits, USDA and Indian customs paperwork for my cats, my own flight, and flights for a friend who came from India to help me move.

But the cost wasn't only financial: My father had died suddenly when I was 17, and I'd effectively supported my mother and sister ever since. Losing everything wasn't just about furniture and leases. It was the security I'd worked so long to build for people who depended on me.

Settling back in India

I returned to India last September. It was disorienting; unlike my past short visits, there was no return flight waiting this time. Caring for my cats, finding the right food and litter, kept me grounded through the hardest weeks.

My confidence took a hit when I compared myself to friends whose lives looked stable. But a couple of months ago, I started actively building Puchki, a pet-sitting brand inspired by my own difficulty finding in Kolkata the kind of reliable, loving care I had for my two cats in the US. Throwing myself back into work pulled me out of the worst of it.

I'd still love to visit the US, mostly to see my aunt, uncle, and friends. But I don't want to live there again — the uncertainty was constant, and even setting the visa aside, the broader political climate was distressing.

Staying in India long-term is something I'm still working out — there's plenty here I value, and other things, as a feminist, I find harder to reconcile. Europe feels like the version of "somewhere else" that appeals to me most.

If I could tell other international students and workers one thing: Get involved in everything your university offers — that kind of community gets rarer once you're working. And if you come from a culture that prizes humility, especially at work, that instinct can work against you in the US. You have to learn to speak plainly about what you've accomplished, because no one else is going to do it for you.

Business Insider confirmed she was employed by US Bank, Neogen, and Amazon. US Bank and Neogen declined to respond to a request for comment. Amazon did not reply to a request for comment.

Lisa Shaffer, the former CEO of the genetic-testing startup where Chanda worked, confirmed that Chanda was promoted within months. Shaffer told Business Insider that she advocated for Chanda to be retained when the startup was acquired. "She was immediately found to be head and shoulders above anyone else in her department," Shaffer said.

• Oracle maintained its fiscal 2027 capital expenditure forecast at $90 billion to $95 billion.
• Oracle reported 121% cloud growth, boosting shares by 7% following its earnings report.
• Oracle is touting new financing models amid pressure to balance AI spending and profitability.

Oracle is holding the line on its data center spending forecast.

On Thursday, Oracle reported $28.5 billion in first-quarter capital expenditures, up from $8.5 billion a year earlier. It kept its fiscal 2027 capital expenditure forecast at $90 billion to $95 billion, including data center spending. Its capex forecast has not changed from the guidance it first issued in June.

Many major cloud companies have continued to raise their AI spending forecasts as they race to build more data centers and expand AI capacity — except Microsoft, which kept its capex forecast unchanged in July and also saw its stock soar after reporting earnings.

Asked on the earnings call how long Oracle will continue its heavy AI infrastructure spending, co-CEO Clay Magouyrk instead focused on how the company finances those projects.

"We have to separate out in our minds what Oracle spends as capex directly, uncouple that directly from how we think about how the business can grow," he said.

Oracle shares were up 7% after the company reported 121% growth in cloud infrastructure revenue in its first-quarter earnings release, apparently easing Wall Street fears about whether data center spending would translate to sales.

Oracle has borrowed tens of billions of dollars to build data centers and buy chips, and it has been under massive pressure to balance that spending with Wall Street's profitability expectations.

Oracle reported $55.7 billion in capex, including new data centers, in its 2026 fiscal year.

Oracle has developed several financing models, including supplier financing arrangements, customer prepayments, and "bring your own hardware" deals in which customers purchase hardware while Oracle provides the cloud infrastructure and operations.

Business Insider reported last month that Oracle had drawn up plans for a new round of job cuts to reduce payroll as it racks up billions in debt to fund AI infrastructure.

Alphabet and Tesla recently increased their capex projections, sending their stocks tumbling in July. Meta narrowed its own capex forecast range.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at astewart@businessinsider.com or Signal at +1-425-344-8242. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• OpenAI pulled its sponsorship of Caltech's AI math hackathon.
• Mathematicians warned the event could fuel "slop mathematics."
• Event organizers said they intended for the event to be a showcase for responsible AI use.

The latest math problem OpenAI is trying to solve is a bunch of angry mathematicians.

A researcher at OpenAI said on Thursday that the ChatGPT maker is no longer sponsoring Caltech's "math hackathon," an event where participants use large language models to solve research problems.

OpenAI's exit follows an open letter released on Wednesday from current and former Caltech mathematicians, who said the event, which is sponsored by AI companies, "is likely to have destructive impacts for the mathematical community."

"We recognize that the rapid progress of AI in mathematics is disruptive," Dan Roberts, OpenAI's research lead, said on X. "We're looking to engage with the math community more on the best way to integrate this technology and communicate its impacts."

At issue, according to the mathematicians, is the manner in which AI companies claim to solve outstanding theoretical problems using their models and then leave practical applications and proofs to actual researchers. They call this "slop mathematics."

"After the latest result is dropped, research mathematicians are compelled to step in to properly verify, disseminate, and sometimes discredit entirely the claimed results," the academics said. "This labor goes uncompensated, uncredited, and unacknowledged."

The drama reached a fever pitch on Tuesday when OpenAI announced its agents had solved the Navier-Stokes equations, a 90-year-old set of mathematical formulas that can predict how liquids and gases move.

Tristan Buckmaster, an NYU mathematician who, alongside another academic, published research on the problem on Monday, said on Tuesday that OpenAI might have used his conversations with AI chatbots, including OpenAI's, to arrive at a solution. OpenAI said it couldn't rule out that "de-identified data derived from their usage of our products helped improve our models⁠."

The mathematicians also said they believed the CalTech event would serve as unfair advertising for AI companies, who "will take credit for the effort of talented undergrads."

Anthropic, which is also sponsoring the event, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Nor did OpenAI.

The "mathathon" is billed as a practice ground for young mathematicians to "responsibly use AI tools to augment human understanding of mathematics," according to an application page.

Event organizers, many of whom are undergraduates, said in a response letter on Thursday that they didn't intend to cause such a stir.

"Events like Mathathon encourage young people to stay excited about mathematics, engage their interests with modern tools, and maintain hope in a confusing time," the organizers wrote. "It's our first time running an event at this scale, and we are grateful for all the feedback we have received."

As designed, participants in the mathathon will compete in a first round, where they're given 40 hours and $20,000 in tokens to solve an open problem.

Then, a certain number of teams whose answers are "promising and well explained" will advance to the second round, where they receive six months and additional AI tokens to further their work.

Anthropic and OpenAI agreed to support the event by donating $2 million in AI credits. It was unclear on Thursday how many of those tokens were provided by OpenAI, and what happens to them now.

It's easy to pack when you're headed somewhere warm and all you need are your bikinis. But as this new season brings unpredictable forecasts, the only safe way to dress is to put on a packable travel jacket.

Anything too heavy could take up an entire half of your suitcase, or else end up shrouding your outfit. It's all about layering with intention. The best travel jackets for women we tested kept us warm without adding bulk.

These include reversible coats with removable hoods, made with malleable fabrics that fit compactly in our carry-ons. Our most-worn jackets will keep you warm in a drafty plane cabin, and still look effortlessly chic as you navigate busy airports. From chore jackets to water-repellent raincoats, here are the best travel jackets to pack this fall.

How we tested travel jackets

To find the best travel jackets for women, we researched dozens of top-rated and best-selling styles, comparing key features like weight, packability, and versatility. From there, we narrowed the field to a shortlist of standout options for hands-on testing.

Our team of editors and style contributors have evaluated jackets based on materials, durability, and practical features — such as insulation, stowable hoods, pockets, wrinkle resistance, and water repellency— as well as size inclusivity and color options. We chose brands known to us for their quality and consistency, prioritizing those that have overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Our editors then tested the top picks in a range of real-world conditions. This includes packing them in our bags, seeing how well they fared in light breezes and misty rain, and matching them to casual and formal outfits. The final selections reflect a combination of thorough research and firsthand testing, ensuring each jacket is functional, lightweight, and easy to wear while traveling.

Learn more about how the Reviews team tests clothing at BI, and see our guide to the best travel pants for more wrinkle-free travel outfits.

Best overall: FP Movement Pippa Packable Puffer Jacket

After seeing this quilted jacket from Free People all over my For You Page, I was excited to give it a test run, right as the season is beginning to change. The Pippa Puffer is made a with vegan-friendly down alternative fill, and comes in a whopping 19 colors (with each one prettier than the next, so it was really hard to choose). I picked "Sage Stone," which looked light brown in the photos but was more of a true sage green in person. In my experience, Free People clothing tends to run large, so I sized down in the Pippa jacket, and I'm glad I did. The fit was still substantially oversized.

The best part of this jacket is how cute and cozy it is. It has a boho aesthetic with a loose silhouette, quilted pattern, and a curved hem that's shorter on the sides. The fabric is soft and flexible — I could comfortably nap in it. I love the stripe down the arms and that the cuffs unsnap so the sleeves can be rolled up. I wore this jacket over a long-sleeved turtleneck on a 50-degree day, and it kept me warm. The loose bodice let some wind in, so tucking my shirt into my jeans helped minimize the airflow. There was a light drizzle, and the water-resistant outer fabric kept me dry during short trips from the car to the front door. I wouldn't recommend wearing it in heavy or prolonged rain, though.

The puffer has a built-in stuff pocket that allows you to pack it into itself. I'll admit the packing process took some figuring out. I tried to replicate the neat fold from the video on Free People's website and failed miserably. The only way I could manage it was to shove the jacket haphazardly into the pocket from the outside in. Overall, it's still a cool feature, but I wish the fold method had been better explained in the video. When I'm wearing the jacket, I like to keep my wallet secure in the interior stuff pocket, so I appreciate the versatility. I noticed some snagging on the zipper, which is not ideal, given the jacket's higher price.

Best windbreaker: Quince Water Repellent Windbreaker Jacket

"This lightweight, packable windbreaker from Quince is an affordable take on lululemon's Always Effortless jacket ($148). I wore it on a day that New York City experienced its largest 1-hour temperature drop in recorded history: One moment it was a balmy 79 degrees, and it felt like spring had sprung. But by the time I'd walked home, it was cloudy and 53 degrees.

I was so glad I had packed this jacket in my tote — it takes up almost no space, and there's a stowable hood in case of rain. This hood packs into the tall stand collar, and surprisingly, it's wide enough to fit over my hair.

I typically wear a size Small, but sized up to a Medium. This turned out to be the right call, since it's a bit cropped. One detail I loved is that the color of its zippers perfectly match the water-repellent fabric (made of recycled nylon), so it has a true monochromatic look.

This travel jacket has more structure than your typical windbreaker, but it's also flexible enough that I can wear it to exercise. It's lined with a soft mesh, and has a rear vent to help circulate air."— Gabrielle Chase, style editor, Insider Reviews

Read more in our full Quince clothing review.

Best waterproof: Halfdays Mary Rain Jacket

"I wore the Halfdays Mary Rain Jacket on a rainy, spring 10-day trip to Maine and it was technical enough to protect me through many rain showers. It was loose enough to fit a midlayer puffy under on the cold coast, and stylish enough to not ruin any of my outfits.

It folds down to about the size of a loaf pan, and still feels pretty lightweight at 24 ounces. I found it convenient to wear during long airport travel, and easy to stash in the overhead bin on top of my suitcase.

It's fully waterproof, wind-repellent, and breathable. The Mary Rain Jacket is made from 100% recycled Nylon with a PFC-free DWR coating. The fabric has a 10K/10K waterproof to breathability rating, so it balances water protection without trapping body heat inside (the wide bottom helps with that, too).

The adjustable hood, hems, and cuffs keep the elements out. The hood is large with a cinch that holds fast in a gust of wind (though I'd prefer if there was a second cinch on the back). This jacket has fully taped seams, YKK waterproof zippers, snap-adjustable sleeve cuffs, and a cinchable bottom hem." — Rachael Schultz, freelance style contributor, Insider Reviews

Rachael has tested 33 rain jackets. While this one is great for travel, it's not quite as waterproof as the Stio Ender or Outdoor Research Aspire 3L. For an even lighter travel rain jacket, she recommends the Outdoor Research Helium UL.

Best waxed canvas: Barbour Beadnell Waxed Jacket

Barbour is the first name we think of when it comes to waxed chore jackets. The Beadnell is a timeless pick that works especially well for European travel thanks to its blend of heritage style and practical performance. Made from the brand's signature 6-ounce waxed cotton, it offers reliable protection against light rain while remaining breathable enough for transitional weather. Its Sylkoil Wax coating does a great job shedding water and has a suede-like feel.

What sets the Beadnell apart is its polished, slightly tailored fit, which feels more like a structured blazer than a bulky coat. It's easy to dress up or down, so you can wear it from daytime sightseeing to dinner without needing a change. Thoughtful details like the soft tartan lining, stand corduroy collar and optional zip-in liner and hood make it adaptable across temperatures, while the durable construction means you can wear it for decades.

Ours style editors pair it with:

Best for work travel: M.M. LaFleur

"When you're on a business trip and it's 'blazer-as-a-coat' season, this is the one travel jacket you'll want to pack. M.M. LaFleur is one of our favorite sources for splurge-worthy office staples, and in my opinion, they've perfected the wrinkle-free fabric. The Moreland Blazer is made with a remarkably silky and light polyester blend that holds its shape and can be worn right out of your suitcase. It runs a tad narrow in the shoulders, so size up if you're between sizes.

Now, I know what you're thinking: 'polyester' and 'luxury workwear' don't sound like they go together. But trust me: not all polyester is created equal. The scratchy, suffocating polyester you'll find at the mall is another thing entirely from M.M. LaFleur's 'Origami Tech,' which is soft, smooth, and machine washable. I have the Colby Travel Pants, which are made with the same textile, and it's the perfect weight for 60°F days." — Gabrielle Chase, style editor, Insider Reviews

See more in our guide to the best blazers for women.

Best chore jacket: Sézane Will Jacket

In the past, a chore coat was what you might throw on while tackling manual labor outside. These days, it's a laidback choice that, yes, you might reach for during some yardwork, but one that also looks great even if you have nothing on your to-do list.

I like a chore jacket because they're more substantial than a cardigan, yet not as thick and heavy as a full winter jacket, which makes them excellent transitional pieces for seasons like fall or spring. I have Sézane's Will Jacket and it's become a favorite for travel because it's effortless to style, comfy to wear while in transit, and packs down easily.

I recently wore mine on a 3-hour road trip to Malibu, California, where it kept me warm in the car without overheating, and blocked out chilly breezes when I arrived at the beach on a particularly windy day. The sturdy construction is made from 100% organic cotton, and the fit is just slightly oversized. I wore my regular medium and it fit perfectly, though if you're between sizes I'd recommend going up since mine fits a bit snug across my shoulders. It also has large front pockets, button closures, and a classic collar. When folded down, I had no issue packing it inside my carry-on, as it takes up about the same amount of room as a thick flannel or a light sweater.

But my favorite thing about it is how it instantly elevates any outfit. I paired it with jeans and a white tee one day, and over leggings another. In both cases, I felt more stylish than I even intended. It's impressed me so much that I find myself wishing for colder days ahead so I'll have more chances to wear it.

Best bomber jacket: Athleta Jetset Bomber

My two most recent international trips involved traveling to Chile and South Africa during shoulder seasons. This water-resistant Athleta Bomber Jacket was the best thing I packed on both trips. It barely took up any luggage space, looked sharp with all my outfits, and prepared me for frequently fluctuating weather conditions. I wore it as an outer layer on all four plane rides, and the super-soft fabric was comfy enough to nap in. I love that a secret hood can be rolled away and tucked into the collar.

The polyester fabric (made from recycled plastic bottles) has lots of ruching, which expertly disguised any wrinkles from haphazardly stuffing it in my suitcase. This ensured the sporty jacket still appeared sharp in all my vacation photos. Zippers on either side change the look when opened and closed. The beige colorway sustained some dust marks during a three-day safari, but I just popped it in the washing machine and dryer when I returned home, and now it looks like new again.

Warmest travel jacket: Fjällräven Expedition Lätt Hoodie

"The Fjällräven Expedition Lätt Hoodie packs a lot of warmth into just 420 grams (just shy of 1 pound). I've worn this jacket dozens and dozens of times this winter in temperatures ranging 5 to 40 degrees. It's insulated with 100% recycled polyester with stitch-through channels; it has a loft-like down, making it cozy, but moreover, it's downright warm. The elastic edging around the wrists, hood, and bottom help to keep heat in.

"This jacket is part of the brand's Expedition Series, so it's made to be very reliable against the elements and built to last. The design here is simple, but in my opinion, the Expedition Lätt Hoodie is the perfect basic puffer, considering it's only $215. I found the light weight on this jacket made it incredibly comfortable to wear as an everyday puffer running out to the store, perfect for travel or winter hiking, and a light, mobile mid-layer on seriously cold ski days under a shell." — Rachael Schultz, freelance style contributor, Insider Reviews

Best sporty: Alo Yoga Latitude Light Weight Half-Zip

This sporty pullover from Alo has has a perfectly boxy fit, letting you easily layer a bulky hoodie underneath while you travel. "Personally, I'm obsessed with just how oversized and cozy this jacket feels," writes style contributor Olivia Rose Rushing. "Not to mention, the multiple layers of 100% nylon create a puffy silhouette (that also happens to be incredibly insulated and warm for even the chilliest mornings)."

This gender-neutral style is generously roomy with super long sleeves, which are elasticated around the cuffs to give them some structure. "I love the zippered pockets so I can keep my phone, lip balm, and more with me on the go," Olivia continues. "I might just have to keep this one away from my husband — he's already got his eyes on it."

The Latitude Light Weight 1/2 Zip Pullover Jacket is actually from the brand's men's range and is available from size S to 2XL, but you should size down if you want a more fitted look.

Best size inclusive: Popflex Packable Windbreaker

"Popflex's Packable Windbreaker is a lightweight, travel jacket that crops high on the waist into a slightly boxy, oversized shape. Inside, the colorfully floral-printed hood adds a feminine intrigue to the sporty silhouette," writes style contributor Olivia Rose Rushing.

The sleeves don't run too long thanks to the elasticated cuffs, and the material is wind and water-resistant enough to handle some light rain and breeze if you're visiting somewhere between seasons.

There is plenty of pocket space both inside and out, and the whole thing packs down into a small pouch (which you can use as a travel pillow in a pinch). See more of our favorite styles from the brand in our full Popflex review.

Best trench: Athleta Stellar Trench

When you think about packable jackets, the word "trench" doesn't exactly come to mind. The longer silhouettes can often be bulky, stiff, or prone to wrinkling — making them an unlikely choice for travel or tossing in a tote.

The Athleta Stellar Trench is none of these things. Like all of my favorite Athleta work pants, it's made from a fabric that's equal parts substantial, stretchy, and breathable. The coat is so comfy, it drapes more like a robe than a jacket. I've even used it as a blanket to take a nap on a chilly bus!

Still, the look remains luxe and elevated. It's polished enough for work, but practical enough to toss in your tote without a second thought. It folds or rolls easily and resists wrinkles almost completely. I've even been reaching for it on cooler, rainy summer days, thanks to a ventilated mesh panel on the back that keeps things breathable. Mine has a pretty roomy fit, which adds to the comfort and airflow, but you could easily size down if you prefer a more tailored look.

Read more in our guide to the best trench coats for women.

Best lightweight: Beyond Yoga Places To Go UV Protection Jacket

"In our guide to the best sun shirts, we explain how wearing a long-sleeved top made with a UPF-rated material gives you more protection than sunscreen alone. Beyond Yoga's Places To Go UV Protection Jacket saves me the trouble of lathering up my sensitive skin each time I step out in the sun, and feels breathable while I'm navigating a new city in the heat.

I wore this crinkle nylon hooded jacket onto a flight, where it shielded me from the chilly air vents in the plane cabin. Once I landed at my tropical destination I didn't need any extra warmth, which is where its UV protection came in handy. It's so thin it didn't make me overheat on sunny trail hikes.

When it's packed into a tight bundle, it's about the size of a large burrito — compact enough that it fits in my travel purse. If you're wearing a high-rise pant, this jacket's slightly cropped fit will meet perfectly at your waist for a neatly proportioned silhouette." — Gabrielle Chase, style editor, Insider Reviews

What to look for in the best travel jackets

Versatility: Packing space is sacred; you can only fit so much in your suitcase, and everything you bring should serve multiple purposes. For this reason, we look for coats that go with several outfits and would work just as well on a blustery day as a rainy one, including features like reversible designs, removable hoods, and neutral colors that will complement most clothes.

Materials: Travel jackets all rely on one thing: lightweight, flexible materials that can fold down into a compact size and take up little room inside a suitcase or carry-on. Ideally, they should also be breathable and made with moisture-wicking fabrics to prevent overheating. A material like cotton, or a blend including it, is the gold standard, while polyester or ripstop nylon are also good choices.

Weight: On that note, weight also matters as lightweight travel coats not only don't take up too much suitcase room, but they won't add too much heft either, which risks overweight fees at the airport. Try to avoid heavy puffers if you plan to check it inside a bag, unless that is, it comes with a built-in sack that it's designed to fold down and fit inside.

Warmth: A coat that doesn't keep you warm is a waste of space, so consider your destination and its climate. A thin chore jacket won't cut it in a northern locale, just as a thick puffer or heavy shearling will be overkill anywhere that's usually warm. You might also prioritize windproof fabrics and look for added features like pockets, hoods, and high collars for added warmth.

Weatherproofing: If snow, rain, or other elements are possible, you'll want to choose a coat meant to withstand them. Look for design features such as DWR coating or waterproof or water-restant materials that are meant to come in contact with moisture while keeping you protected and dry.

Fit: Sizing with coats can be tricky, as some run large while others can feel pretty snug. A good rule of thumb is to consult a size guide closely and take a good close look at the design. Does it look loose and flared out, or does it have a more tailored, body-hugging shape? If it appears oversized and roomy, it probably is, and you might want to size down. You might also choose a coat with adjustable cuffs, hems, and hoods to allow for a more customized fit.

• Andrew Tulloch, a star AI researcher, is leaving Meta for Anthropic.
• Prior to Meta, Tulloch worked at the AI startup Thinking Machines Lab and, before that, at OpenAI.
• At Anthropic, Tulloch will work to optimize AI training and inference.

After less than a year at Meta, the prominent AI researcher Andrew Tulloch is leaving for Anthropic.

He'll start next week, an Anthropic spokesperson told Business Insider, and work on the startup's inference and performance team, where he'll aim to optimize the training of Anthropic's AI models and how they respond to users.

As AI's talent wars steam on, Tulloch has become one of the most sought-after researchers. He had worked at Meta for 11 years prior to this latest stint, leaving for OpenAI in 2023. At OpenAI, he helped train its GPT-4o, GPT-4.5, and o3 models. He then cofounded Thinking Machines Lab in 2025.

Last year, while he was working at the AI startup, he turned down a pay offer from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that could have totalled $1.5 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported. He ended up decamping for Meta in October.

Now, Tulloch will bring that extensive experience to Anthropic.

Tulloch and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. He's leaving the social media giant shortly after it launched Muse, an AI agent meant to autonomously complete tasks for users.

Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, Google, and other tech companies have been in a pitched battle for AI researchers since the release of ChatGPT, giving experienced workers like Tulloch a great deal of leverage — and earning power.

Semafor first reported that Tulloch was leaving Meta.

For Anthropic, the hire may offer some calm in an intense moment. The company is preparing for its initial public offering, dueling with rivals for business, and reckoning with mounting concerns about the adverse effects of AI.

The researcher Jacob Coxon sparked a wave of concern this week when he announced that he'd resigned from Anthropic and wrote that the "people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade."

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

• President Donald Trump's new Air Force One, a VC-25B Bridge, entered service in July.
• The jet, gifted by Qatari royals, has sparked security concerns and experienced operational mishaps.
• On Wednesday, the new Air Force One's emergency slide was accidentally deployed on the tarmac.

When an emergency slide on Trump's new Air Force One deployed on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, delaying President Donald Trump's flight, the president was asked if he was sure that his new presidential jet was safe to fly.

Trump's reply: "Yeah, I am, or I wouldn't be on it."

Trump's latest addition to the presidential fleet, a VC-25B Bridge aircraft, is meant as an interim jet to bridge the gap between the older VC-25A planes from the 1990s and Boeing's forthcoming but long-delayed VC-25B presidential jets.

Since Trump's first flight on the Qatari luxury jet on July 1, the new Air Force One has sparked security concerns and experienced operational mishaps as it has been brought in and out of service.

"We don't comment on specific upgrades or modifications to Air Force One," a senior administration official told Business Insider. "We maintain a consistent posture that ensures a safe, secure, and reliable capability for the President of the United States and routinely evolve the capability as required to maintain that posture. It is the greatest presidential plane ever built."

Here's a timeline of its service as Air Force One, and the issues it has experienced thus far.

June 19: Trump unveiled the new VC-25B Bridge at Joint Base Andrews

The new Air Force One, a customized Boeing 747-8i valued at around $400 million, was gifted to Trump by the Qatari royal family. With a range of 8,900 miles at 660 miles per hour and four GEnx-2B engines, each with 66,500 pounds of thrust, the VC-25B Bridge can fly faster and farther than the old VC-25A presidential jets.

The plane was also painted in the red, white, and blue, a color scheme Trump has advocated for since his first White House term.

"With the extraordinary devotion of many of you here today, this plane was transformed into a flying White House at a level of luxury that nobody's ever seen before," Trump said in his remarks at Joint Base Andrews.

July 8: Trump did not board the VC-25B Bridge in Turkey amid security concerns

After taking the VC-25B Bridge on its first trip overseas to Turkey for a NATO summit, Trump announced on Truth Social that he planned to fly on the old VC-25A Air Force One jet for "old time's sake" for his return trip to the US.

The Washington Post reported that he flew on neither plane and was secretly transferred onto a C-32A via a catering truck due to threats from Iran and flown to the UK. The VC-25A continued to publicly use the call sign "Air Force One," despite the president not flying on board, serving as a decoy aircraft. He eventually reboarded the VC-25B for the flight back to the US.

The incident raised questions about the VC-25B Bridge's safety and defensive capabilities. The New York Times reported that the new Air Force One plane was not equipped with the antimissile capabilities built into previous presidential planes. The Justice Department responded by issuing subpoenas to the journalists from The New York Times who reported the story, which were later withdrawn.

July 19: The VC-25B Bridge was temporarily removed from service

Trump told reporters that the new Air Force One would be removed from service for about a month to be "maxed out," but did not elaborate on the enhancements it would receive.

September 9: Trump's flight was delayed after the plane's emergency slide was deployed

Trump's trip to Dallas was delayed after military personnel accidentally triggered Air Force One's emergency slide on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Trump told reporters that crew members were "checking the slide." After about 20 minutes, the VC-25B Bridge continued on to Dallas.

"As the president has said, the slide was checked out to make sure everything works perfectly," White House communications director Steven Cheung told Business Insider. "Air Force One went on its way to Dallas so he could deliver his much-anticipated speech to a raucous and sold-out crowd."

• Uber is using some of the money it saved from laying people off to cut ride prices.
• Uber will also use savings from lower insurance costs to reduce prices, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said.
• Uber cut about 10% of its corporate roles, or about 3,300 people, last week.

Lower ride prices could be coming to Uber after the company's recent layoffs.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi pointed to lower prices as one way that Uber plans to use the money it's saving from laying off 10% of its corporate workforce, or about 3,300 people. The company announced the job cuts earlier this month.

"We are going to take the savings there and essentially reinvest it back in the business, lowering prices, improving selection, and continuing to invest in our growth program," the CEO said during a presentation at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference on Thursday.

Uber is also planning to put savings from insurance costs toward lower prices — a move that should help keep riders using Uber's app, he said.

The layoffs came as Uber has largely exceeded analysts' expectations in recent quarterly earnings reports. The company's stock also rose about 2% on Thursday after it disclosed in an SEC filing that Khosrowshahi had added about $10 million in Uber stock to his holdings.

Khosrowshahi said that Uber picked the right time to make the layoffs because the company was in "a position of strength versus weakness."

"Some companies wait," he said. "We don't believe in waiting."

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

• OpenAI has met with multiple top power companies to discuss methods of securing the electrical grid, the AI firm told POLITICO.
• The conversations occurred amid a series of revelations about OpenAI's products' role in a cyberattack.
• Sam Altman offered one possible solution to the cybersecurity risks: OpenAI's own cyber services.

OpenAI has met with representatives of multiple top power companies to discuss methods of securing the electrical grid, the artificial intelligence firm told POLITICO — conversations that occurred amid a continuing series of revelations about its own products' role in a sprawling cyberattack.

CEO Sam Altman has also offered one possible solution to the cybersecurity risks: OpenAI's own cyber services.

The energy security discussions, two of which were not previously reported, started July 20. Altman most recently met with electric utility executives Wednesday during the Edison Electric Institute's annual meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, according to OpenAI and the institute.

The briefings began shortly after the artificial intelligence platform Hugging Face announced in July that an autonomous AI system had hacked its servers but before OpenAI disclosed that its own rogue agents had perpetrated the attack. Further details have emerged since then about the unprecedented breach, including a report that about 700 AI agents participated in the exploit over a seven-day period without OpenAI's knowledge.

OpenAI's more recent meetings have sought in part to address the risks posed by these kinds of autonomous hacks.

At Wednesday's meeting, Altman informed the energy executives of how OpenAI is attempting to ensure that the most advanced AI models cannot be misused to threaten grid security, the company told POLITICO.

He also discussed the prospect of partnering with the companies to use AI for enhancing their cyber defenses through Daybreak, OpenAI's $1 billion cybersecurity initiative aimed at patching vulnerabilities in critical systems. The impact of data center security on the grid was on the agenda as well.

The power companies in attendance included Duke Energy, Exelon, Southern Co. and NextEra Energy, which did not respond to requests for comment.

Utility companies may face limitations on tech investments due to regulatory restraints on recovering costs from the expenditures through rate increases and incentives.

"We understand the utilities are different from the big banks — they cannot decide to spend a lot of money on technology because they've got certain restrictions," John McCarrick, OpenAI's head of global energy policy, told POLITICO.

The company previously hosted chief information security officers from a dozen major utility companies at its San Francisco headquarters in July to talk about grid resilience.

Last week, OpenAI met with utility companies about deploying Daybreak. The companies in attendance, including Dominion Energy and Southern California Edison, serve more than half of the U.S. population. Dominion and Southern California Edison did not respond to requests for comment.

The cybersecurity threat that AI poses to critical infrastructure has become a matter of heightened concern after the Hugging Face disclosures in July. Anthropic and Meta reported that their AI models had perpetrated similar exploits in the following weeks.

OpenAI joined dozens of other tech companies in publishing an August open letterwarning that "AI-enabled cyber attacks will become far more widespread" in the coming months. "The companies and public services our communities depend on — from hospitals to water treatment plants to the infrastructure that powers the internet — are at risk," the letter reads. The companies called for closer cooperation between industry and governments to use AI for securing critical infrastructure.

This story originally appeared on POLITICO and is courtesy of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, which harnesses the resources of the company's newsrooms to publish ambitious scoops, investigations, interviews, opinion pieces, and analysis. It allows journalists — including those from POLITICO, Business Insider, WELT, BILD, Onet, and Fakt — to collaborate on major stories for an international audience of hundreds of millions across platforms.

Peacock and Apple TV are the latest streaming services to get in on bundling. Streaming fans can bundle Peacock and Apple TV under one price, which is significantly cheaper than paying for the two services separately each month.

There are two Apple TV and Peacock bundle options, and the only difference is which tier of Peacock you're signing up for (since Apple TV only offers one monthly plan). The standard bundle combines Peacock Premium, which carries ad-supported programming across the full Peacock on-demand library, and Apple TV. This tier also has select Peacock sports live streaming. The Apple TV bundle that includes Peacock Premium Plus offers ad-free on-demand streaming, sports live streaming, and a 24/7 live stream of your local NBC station. All plans include ad-free on-demand programming from Apple TV and applicable Apple sports streaming options.

• Explore the Peacock and Apple TV bundle options

Both apps have always had a stellar slate of original content, making the cut in our guide to the best streaming services. Peacock's massive back catalog of NBC and Bravo shows is particularly impressive. Apple TV and Peacock have become increasingly major players in the sports streaming scene, taking the apps from nice-to-haves to must-haves for sports fans. Peacock streams the Olympics, Sunday Night Football, Premier League soccer, and several other sporting events, but it recently upped its game by nabbing the rights to several NBA games (including some that won't air on NBC). Apple TV has found similar success with Friday Night MLB games and MLS matches, and it has continued to become a pivotal sports streamer with its acquisition of Formula 1 broadcast rights, which kicked off in 2026.

The bundles cost $18 a month (Premium) or $23 a month (Premium Plus), which is 34% to 36% less than what you'd pay for the two services each month when subscribed separately. Apple TV normally costs $15 a month, and Peacock costs $13 a month for Premium or $20 a month for Premium Plus. Keep reading to learn more about the bundles, including how to sign up.

FAQ

How do you sign up for the Apple TV and Peacock bundle?

You can sign up for the Apple TV and Peacock bundle directly through the Peacock or Apple TV websites. You'll be billed by whichever service you decide to sign up through.

Is there a free trial of the Apple TV and Peacock bundle?

There is no free trial for the Apple TV and Peacock bundle. Apple TV offers a seven-day free trial for new customers, but this only applies to a stand-alone Apple TV subscription. Once you sign up for the bundle, your payment method will be charged immediately.

Can existing subscribers get the bundle?

Existing subscribers should be able to upgrade to the bundle through their current streaming subscription. We've tested this through the Peacock app, although we've been unable to find this option through the Apple TV app so far. If you're subscribed to both services separately already and hoping to bundle, you'll most likely need to cancel one account and then upgrade to the bundle through the other service.

Can you watch content from one app through the other?

The two services remain separate apps, and you'll need to use each app to watch the majority of its exclusive content. However, when the bundle initially launched, each streaming service carried up to three episodes of select shows typically found on the other streaming service. This crossover has since been phased out.

What other shows are on Peacock and Apple TV?

As we mentioned above, both streaming services are known for their wealth of original television series. Peacock is the home of Love Island USA, The Traitors (US), Poker Face, Based on a True Story, Dr. Death, The Burbs, All Her Fault, and Long Bright River, among other programs.

Apple TV is perhaps best known for its science fiction shows. In addition to the aforementioned Silo and Foundation, the streamer is behind TV hits like For All Mankind, Severance, Invasion, and Pluribus (from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan). Apple has also made a significant dent in the comedy scene, featuring series like The Studio, Platonic, Widow's Bay, and Ted Lasso.

Are there other streaming bundles?

The Apple TV and Peacock bundle is just the latest streaming bundling opportunity. The Disney Plus bundles are some of the most popular bundle options on the market, as they combine Disney Plus and Hulu for more than 40% off, with the possibility of adding HBO Max or one of the ESPN plans. ESPN Unlimited is also available to bundle with FOX One or NFL Plus Premium. You can find a full rundown of all of your options in our guide to the best streaming deals and bundles.

Did the services get a price hike?

Peacock and Apple TV both faced price hikes in August 2026. Peacock Premium went from $11 a month to $13 a month, and Peacock Premium Plus went from $17 a month to $20 a month. Apple TV increased from $13 a month to $15 a month.

The bundles initially remained the same price, but they also recently received a price hike. The Apple TV and Peacock Premium bundle originally cost $15 a month, and the Apple TV and Peacock Premium Plus bundle originally cost $20 a month.

• Meta is asking some employees in its Applied AI division if they want to become managers again.
• Meta had previously converted those people from management roles as part of a reorganization.
• It marks a partial reversal for Meta, which has heavily targeted managers for layoffs.

Meta wants some of its employees to be managers again.

The social media giant has been asking some individual contributors in its Applied AI (AAI) division to transition back into management roles as part of a recent reshuffle, four people with knowledge of the matter told Business Insider. This program is opt-in, a person familiar said.

AAI is a newly-launched Meta division focused on training AI models. Meta launched the group this year and reassigned roughly 7,000 employees to it. Some of those people were previously managers and given individual contributor roles within AAI.

Meta declined to comment.

The move marks a partial reversal for Meta, which has spent much of the past year cutting middle management and promoting smaller, flatter teams as more efficient. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has praised lean startup-style organizations, particularly as AI takes on more work.

Meta eliminated about 10% of its workforce this year through mass layoffs intended to "run the company more efficiently" and offset its huge AI investments. The layoffs heavily targeted managers, a Business Insider analysis of public layoff notices found.

This isn't the first time Meta has reversed course on some of its internal initiatives. The company allowed some employees reassigned to AAI to leave the organization, after criticism from some employees that they had been "drafted" into the unit.

Not all tech companies have fully embraced the manager-lite, small teams model. Uber, for example, announced it was cutting half of its "micro-teams" as part of recent layoffs.

Have a tip? Contact Hugh via email at hlangley@businessinsider.com or Signal at 628-228-1836. Contact Charles via email at crollet@businessinsider.com or on Signal and WhatsApp at 628-282-2811. Contact Pranav via email at pdixit@businessinsider.com or on Signal at 408-905-9124. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

Several companies offer fresh dog food made with gently cooked, whole foods. These diets are often very appealing to dogs, but finding the right one for your pet can be overwhelming.

For this guide, we tested eight fresh dog food delivery services. I tested seven of them with my dog, Lyla, and recruited several other reporters and their pups to ensure consistent quality and service among our top picks. I also consulted two board-certified veterinary nutritionists and a food safety expert to better understand canine nutrition and the safety of fresh pet food.

Ultimately, the best fresh dog food brands lead the pack with expertly formulated healthy recipes, rigorous quality control, convenient home delivery, and generous discounts for new subscribers. No matter which food you choose, make sure it meets the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards for complete and balanced nutrition. Veterinarians also recommend choosing foods from brands that adhere to the Global Nutrition Guidelines published by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).

If you're switching to fresh pet food, keep in mind that it's not necessarily healthier than our top picks for canned and dry dog food. Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Urolith Center recently identified a new type of canine bladder stone — calcium tartrate tetrahydrate (CTT) — linked to choline bitartrate, an ingredient used in some fresh dog foods and supplements, including recipes from JustFoodForDogs, The Farmer's Dog, and Nom Nom. If your dog has CTT stones, consult your vet about switching to a choline bitartrate-free food, such as formulas from Hill's, Royal Canin, or Purina.

Read more about how Business Insider Reviews tests and researches pet products.

Best overall

Why JustFoodForDogs is our top pick overall: It is the best fresh dog food delivery service thanks to its wide range of protein options, special diets, and adherence to the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines. These guidelines help ensure food is safe and highly nutritious for your pet, says Dr. Emily Luisana, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and cofounder of Peak Veterinary Specialists. The brand has also completed AAFCO feeding trials to validate the nutrition and digestibility of its recipes.

JustFoodForDogs offers more variety than its competitors. You can choose from six main Fresh Frozen recipes and four JustFresh shelf-stable recipes, which only require refrigeration after opening. The frozen chicken and fish recipes are suitable for all life stages, while the turkey, beef, venison, and lamb foods are formulated for adult dogs. The JustFresh line includes chicken, beef, turkey, and pork for adult dogs. The brand also offers frozen recipes tailored to specific needs, including skin or stomach sensitivities, joint support, and custom prescription diets.

What our pups liked: Our dogs loved the Fresh Frozen and JustFresh shelf-stable lines. I tested the Beef and Russet Potato and Lamb and Brown Rice frozen recipes, both hits with my picky pup. Freelance reporter Jill Waldbieser's 60-pound dog eagerly ate all six frozen recipes.

The JustFresh food resembles the frozen line. It looks and smells like human food, and I'd even say it smells pleasant. The recipes are packaged in slim, vacuum-sealed pouches that are easy to store in the cupboard until they're ready to serve. Lyla enjoyed the turkey and pork recipes most, followed by beef, and then chicken, which she still polished off at nearly every meal.

Other things to consider: While JustFoodForDogs is among the most expensive services we tested, particularly for medium and large dogs, you can save 5% when you sign up for auto-shipments. Fresh Frozen meals come in 18-ounce pouches, and JustFresh in 12-ounce pouches — both sold in several multi-pack sizes. You'll need to portion servings yourself, which is a minor drawback.

Ordering is straightforward using the brand's feeding calculator, which recommends recipes and portions based on your dog's age, weight, allergies, and other factors. You can order directly from JustFoodForDogs or through retailers like Chewy, Petco, and Amazon, all of which offer comparable auto-shipping discounts.

Read about the frozen and shelf-stable fresh food lines in my JustFoodForDogs review.

Best budget

Why The Farmer's Dog is our top budget pick: What truly distinguishes The Farmer's Dog is its affordability. For a 45-pound dog, it costs roughly 45% less than our top fresh-frozen picks. Like our other picks for the best fresh dog food, The Farmer's Dog meets all WSAVA guidelines. Founded in 2014, it's also one of the first fresh dog food subscription services. Its team includes a full-time board-certified companion animal nutritionist and a veterinary nutritionist. In addition, the brand has validated its recipes through AAFCO feeding trials and completed a yearlong feeding study in partnership with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

The Farmer's Dog features seven recipe options, and subscribers can choose up to three. Its grain-inclusive options include chicken, pork, and beef, and its grain-free recipes include beef, turkey, chicken, and pork. The Farmer's Dog recently introduced grain-inclusive recipes that include oats.

What our pups liked: Business Insider Reviews senior editor Jaclyn Turner tested chicken and grain with her pup, Reese. It was one of his favorites, along with the beef and original chicken recipes.

Lyla really liked the grain-free beef and turkey recipes. Not once did she turn her nose up at them, which isn't the case with many foods she tries.

Other things to consider: The Farmer's Dog was convenient to store and serve. The long, stackable pouches fit neatly in my freezer, and the included feeding instructions were clear. Turner says it was easy to eyeball the serving size for each meal — a quarter of a pack per serving for her small dog.

One drawback is the lack of detailed recipe information upfront. To learn more about The Farmer's Dog formulas, you have to complete the signup questionnaire and provide your email address. This extra step feels unnecessary, especially compared to other brands in our guide that make full recipe details readily available.

Read more about our experience in my review of The Farmer's Dog.

Best for puzzle feeders and training

Why Freshpet Delivery is our top pick for training and puzzle feeders: Fresh dog food is often messy to handle and store, but Freshpet Delivery is a notable exception. Four recipes in particular — Multiprotein; Beef and Chicken; Beef, Turkey and Lamb; and Chicken and Turkey — stand out for their unique texture. The soft, nugget-like pieces are easy to handle and work well for training, puzzle feeders, and other enrichment activities.

Freshpet meets all WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, and its recipes are formulated to meet the AAFCO nutritional standards for both puppies and adult dogs. However, the Beef and Chicken recipe and Beef, Turkey and Lamb recipe are not nutritionally complete and balanced for large breed dogs.

What our pup liked: Over the course of a month, freelance reporter Elizabeth Holbrook fed her dog, Roo, four different recipes, and the food was a hit with her. Roo licked her plate clean at every meal and had a clear favorite: the Multiprotein recipe, which includes chicken, beef, and salmon. Feeding portions varied by recipe, but the included feeding guide and measuring cups simplified serving.

Other things to consider: The versatile food is really easy to serve. "Personally, I loved that the texture allowed me to put it in a treat pouch and use it for training outside or in food puzzles for enrichment," she says. That said, dogs accustomed to juicier, wetter fresh food may be less enthusiastic about Freshpet. And while a shredded chicken recipe is also available, it's on the drier side. Even so, these qualities are exactly what make Freshpet our top pick for a low-mess, versatile fresh food.

Adding to its convenience, the food arrives cold rather than frozen. Simply store the pouches in the refrigerator as soon as you unpack them. If you are short on space, you can freeze the food, but Freshpet says doing so may affect its texture.

Freshpet is also the second most affordable service in this guide. Compared to our budget pick, The Farmer's Dog, it costs about 15% to 20% more per meal to feed a medium or large dog, though it's slightly less expensive to feed a toy breed with a Freshpet Delivery subscription. While the recipes we tested are exclusive to the Freshpet Delivery subscription service, several other recipes are available in brick-and-mortar stores and online through retailers like Chewy, Petco, and Petsmart.

Check out our Freshpet dog food review to learn more about the service.

Our top picks compared

What else we tested

Although the brands below rated lower than my top picks, Nom Nom, Open Farm, and The Pets Table stand out because they meet the AAFCO standards and WSAVA guidelines. Additionally, Nom Nom has conducted nutrition research.

I had good experiences feeding PetPlate and Ollie. However, both companies lack a full-time veterinary nutritionist or PhD-level nutrition expert, something the veterinarians I interviewed recommend. Instead, these brands consult with nutritionists.

Nom Nom

Nom Nom is a fresh dog food delivery service offering six recipes formulated for dogs of all ages. I was impressed by its clean, intuitive website and simple signup process. In addition to meeting the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, Nom Nom has participated in published research evaluating the digestibility of its food and its impact on the gut microbiome. However, it has not conducted AAFCO feeding trials.

For very small dogs, Nom Nom is the most expensive option in our guide. Feeding a medium-sized dog costs about the same per day as a JustFoodForDogs subscription. The brand offers five protein choices — chicken, beef, turkey, pork, and lamb — with the turkey and lamb recipes being grain-inclusive. Subscribers can only select up to two recipes in a meal plan. One plus is that the recipes are formulated for all life stages, which includes puppies.

My dog had some clear preferences. I fed her the Chicken Cuisine, Pork Potluck, and Turkey Fare recipes. She preferred the pork and turkey over the chicken, gobbling them up quickly at almost every meal. I did notice that the food can be dry, especially when it's not eaten right away. While dryness itself isn't a nutritional concern, food left out too long can be. Dr. Teresa Morishita, a professor of poultry medicine and food safety at Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, says that fresh dog food is more prone to spoilage when left out for hours, so uneaten portions should be discarded promptly.

Nom Nom impressed our less food-motivated tester pup. Freelance reporter Liz Coleman tried the grain-inclusive Turkey and Chicken Cookout and Lamb Pilaf recipes with her dog, Olive. "Olive is pretty indifferent to her kibble, and she's usually a hard sell with new foods (even with treats and toppers). But Nom Nom took little coaxing," she says. "As I prepared her first meal, she was bouncing on her paws, trying to see what was in the bowl." Coleman found the texture moist but not soupy, with a cohesive mix of whole vegetables and meat.

You can choose between a two-week trial or a sampler pack before committing to a subscription. Individual packages are also available at Chewy and PetSmart, though those options don't include the convenience of preportioned servings.

Read more in my Nom Nom dog food review.

Open Farm

Open Farm falls in the middle of the price range for fresh dog food. However, it differs from all other services in that it is a Certified B corp that bills itself as an ethical and sustainable alternative to other commercial pet food. Depending on the recipe, you may see certifications from Certified Humane, Global Animal Partnership, and Ocean Wise, and you can view the sources of each food's ingredients on its product page. Open Farm also participates in the TerraCycle program, although you must save and ultimately ship the used packaging for recycling for it to have any benefit.

Open Farm's line of fresh food consists of nine recipes, including one specifically for puppies, two for all life stages, and six for adult dogs only. The recipes are sold by the box (8 or 16 pounds) via the Open Farm website and at brick-and-mortar pet stores around the US. Meal plans and subscriptions are not offered, but setting up auto-ship will get you a 5% discount.

Like Pets Table, Open Farm employs a full-time veterinary nutritionist, but they have not conducted AAFCO feeding trials or published research.

The Pets Table

The Pets Table is a newer service in the fresh pet food space, launched by meal kit company HelloFresh in June 2023. Recently, it expanded its offerings from three to five all-life-stages recipes containing beef, chicken, turkey, or pork — two of which are grain-inclusive. I liked that I could order up to three different recipes, and the ones I tried were all enticing to my dog. My first box also included a storage container, a cute bandana, and a complimentary bag of treats.

The Pets Table is one of only five services we've tested that employs a full-time veterinary nutritionist. However, the brand has not conducted any feeding trials or participated in research on its food.

Price-wise, The Pets Table falls in the middle on a per-meal cost, but it's the only service that charges shipping. You also don't have flexibility with delivery frequency, but you can pause and skip orders. We recommend it if you're looking for a mid-range option with a good variety. And if you'd like to save more money, you can also order half-meals to feed alongside your dog's usual food.

For more information, read my full review of The Pets Table.

Ollie

Ollie sells its fresh dog food exclusively through its subscription service. The company offers excellent recipe variety and is comparable in price to The Pets Table. If you'd like to spend less, you can subscribe to smaller portions to supplement your dog's regular kibble.

Regarding its impressive customization and variety, Ollie is similar to PetPlate. With your subscription, you can select up to four of the five recipes for all life stages, including three grain-inclusive options. Your first box also includes a convenient storage container and a scooper.

Ollie doesn't employ a full-time nutrition expert but instead consults with two board-certified veterinary nutritionists, falling short of the WSAVA guidelines. It's worth noting, however, that the brand has a full-time licensed veterinarian on staff.

Ollie also offers complimentary virtual health screenings that may seem like a nice bonus, but veterinarians advise against them. If you have concerns about your dog's weight or stool consistency, for instance, your veterinarian should always be the person to evaluate your pet.

Learn more in our Ollie dog food review.

PetPlate

PetPlate is the only fresh dog food subscription service that allows you to include up to six recipes in your dog's meal plan. Dr. Korinn Saker, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and retired associate professor of clinical nutrition at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, says variety isn't necessarily important in a dog's diet as long as you provide the same nutritional value at each meal. However, some people may want the option to try a variety of recipes. Be aware that this is the priciest service.

PetPlate falls short of meeting all of the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines. For one, its food is produced in facilities owned by co-manufacturers. The company also does not employ a full-time animal nutrition expert, but the recipes are formulated by Dr. Renee Streeter, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and PetPlate consultant.

I like that no matter which recipes you choose, you can access a detailed feeding guide within your PetPlate account. The guide includes instructions for portioning, storing, and heating your dog's food, which is particularly useful since my dog prefers warm food. Lyla tried the Lip Lickin' Lamb and the Tail Waggin' Turkey and enjoyed both, although I had to add broth to keep her interested during the last half of our trial period.

PetPlate arrives in 20-ounce containers that are easy enough to measure out portions, but it would be nice if the meals came in preportioned packages. If you're sensitive to strong odors, this service may not be suitable. The food has an odor that may be off-putting to some people, but my dog didn't mind it one bit.

What to look for in fresh dog food

Veterinarians recommend considering several key factors when selecting the best fresh dog food for your pup.

AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement: Always look for the AAFCO statement on a pet food label. The label should state that the food is complete and balanced for your dog's life stage, meaning it includes the minimum amounts of recommended nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. A food may be labeled maintenance, meaning it's appropriate for adult dogs over 1 year of age. Foods labeled for growth are intended for dogs under a year old, pregnant, and lactating dogs. A food that says it's for all life stages is appropriate for dogs of all ages.

In addition, a food's label should include a guaranteed analysis, which lists the minimum percentages of essential nutrients, such as protein and fat, present in the food. The AAFCO minimums for protein are 22.5% for puppies and 18% for adult dogs, and for fat, the minimums are 8.5% for puppies and 5.5% for adults. Brands might also list percentages of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, but there is no requirement for this information to be on the label.

WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines: The WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods are a guidepost for choosing pet food from a manufacturer that meets high quality control standards. The veterinarians I interviewed recommend purchasing food from a company that meets the guidelines, which include best practices for food formulation and manufacturing. WSAVA also warns pet owners that marketing terms like "holistic," "natural," and "free of fillers" are not based on regulated standards and do not signify that a brand or food is of higher quality.

Recipe variety: Look for brands with a variety of protein options and grain-inclusive recipes. For this guide, I looked for at least four different protein options, particularly since some dogs are sensitive to more common meats like chicken and beef.

While grain-free dog food has received a heavy marketing push over the last decade, there is a potential link between grain-free diets and an increased risk of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious and sometimes fatal heart disease. For this reason, many veterinarians recommend feeding a grain-inclusive diet until more is known about the relationship between DCM and grain-free foods. Always ask your vet if any food you're considering is the best for your dog.

Healthy extras: Experts say that when it comes down to it, fresh food isn't inherently better than dry and canned food just because it's cooked whole. However, many fresh dog foods contain extra ingredients, such as fish oil and probiotics. These ingredients may offer additional health benefits. For example, the best fish oil for dogs contains omega-3 fatty acids, which can support heart and joint health, while the best probiotics for dogs can aid in digestion.

Ease of ordering and feeding instructions: Signing up for fresh dog food delivery should be simple. A brand should, at a minimum, ask about your pet's age, weight, activity level, sex, whether they are spayed or neutered, and any food sensitivities. Saker recommends avoiding brands that skip these questions in their questionnaires, as they are useful for determining the appropriate nutrition profile for your pet. Regardless of whether meals are preportioned, the company should also provide detailed feeding instructions, ideally on the packaging.

Cost: The best fresh dog food costs significantly more than other pet foods. Most companies offer a big discount on your first order, so read the fine print to determine the price for additional shipments.

Customer service: It should be easy to reach a customer service representative if you have questions or concerns about your order. Services that offer phone, chat, and email support are especially convenient.

Shipping and delivery notifications: Shipping and delivery notifications help you keep track of your pet's food. Because fresh food can spoil if left to thaw, delivery notifications are especially important.

Packaging: Unlike kibble and canned pet food, fresh dog food doesn't contain preservatives and has a shorter shelf life. To prevent spoilage, it's important to follow the storage and feeding directions. Vacuum-sealed containers are best for fresh dog food. All of the brands I tested package their food in vacuum-sealed containers. You'll also want to consider how the food is kept frozen during shipping. In my testing, foods packed in dry ice were often completely frozen upon arrival, while ice packs sometimes allowed food to begin thawing before I unpacked the box. If food arrives thawed or at room temperature, you should not feed it to your dog. Instead, contact customer service to let them know about the issue.

Sustainability: Given growing concerns about climate change, I looked at each brand's sustainability initiatives. Some recyclable packaging was present in my orders, usually in the insulation. However, most brands package the food in non-recyclable plastic, which isn't ideal. You can also look for brands committed to initiatives such as climate neutrality and reducing carbon emissions.

How we test the best fresh dog food

Before selecting which fresh dog food brands to test, I ensured each company's recipes met AAFCO nutritional standards. I also prioritized brands that follow all the WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines recommended by veterinarians. However, some brands fall short of the guidelines, something I've made clear in my reporting here.

Ultimately, I chose six brands to test for at least one week each. While a week is a short trial period, other Insider Reviews reporters have since tested our top picks and Ollie for a full month. I also tested JustFoodForDogs JustFresh and The Pets Table, a newer addition to this guide, for an entire month.

To better understand how fresh dog food is made and what to look for in a nutritious recipe, I spoke with several experts. My sources are Dr. Emily Luisana, a veterinary nutritionist at Friendship Hospital for Animals; Dr. Teresa Morishita, a professor of poultry medicine and food safety at Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Korinn Saker, a board-certified veterinarian and associate professor of clinical nutrition at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Lisa Sabatini, pets editor: I launched Reviews' pet food coverage in 2021, beginning with our guide to the best dog food. Since then, I've overseen the creation of 19 buying guides for cat and dog food, as well as individual reviews of fresh pet food brands. I ensure every product pick meets veterinarian-recommended standards and work closely with veterinary medical reviewers to ensure the accuracy and safety of our picks. My highest priority is to ensure dog guardians have the knowledge they need to choose nutritious pet food that's the right fit for their dog's unique needs.

Fresh dog food FAQs

What is the best quality fresh dog food?

While plenty of excellent fresh dog food companies exist, there is no one-size-fits-all food for every pet. But that doesn't mean certain baseline criteria don't apply. Experts say any food you feed your dog should meet the standards set by the AAFCO and, ideally, WSAVA. These organizations evaluate the nutritional needs of animals and establish best practices for quality control.

Even then, it's vital to run any potential new diet by your veterinarian, who knows what's most appropriate for your dog. They can also ensure a brand's feeding recommendations meet your dog's caloric and nutritional needs. "[I]t is important to keep in mind that there are many nutritional considerations when picking a diet outside of the obvious labels such as 'fresh' or 'kibble' such as nutrient content and food safety," Luisana says.

Morishita says that, in addition to ensuring the nutritional content of food, the best fresh dog food must be handled safely. A big element of food safety happens during production, so you'll want to choose brands with high quality assurance standards, which include abiding by FDA regulations for pet food. Morishita says that consumers play an equally important role in safely handling their pets' food, and they should always follow basic food safety procedures when handling fresh dog food. These procedures include keeping the food in the refrigerator or freezer until feeding, cleaning and wiping down all surfaces the fresh food comes into contact with, and ensuring the food isn't left out so long that it spoils. She says a good rule of thumb is to treat your pet's fresh food like your own. Pets are not immune to spoiled food, even if it's fresh.

Do veterinarians recommend homemade dog food? 

"Homemade foods may be recommended for pets that have unique medical needs where there are few, or sometimes no, ideal commercial options," Luisana says, noting that homemade food may also come down to personal preference. But she cautions against going the homemade route if your veterinarian does not recommend it. "The most important thing to understand about homemade diets is that they are difficult to get right and easy to get wrong," she says. If you choose to make your dog's food from scratch, you'll want to do so under the guidance of your veterinarian and a veterinary nutritionist.

The best fresh dog food can be a nice compromise for those who want to feed their dogs something other than kibble or canned food. The companies recommended in this guide make foods formulated by animal nutrition experts to ensure they contain complete and balanced nutrition.

Are dog food subscriptions worth it? 

It depends on what you're looking for. The best dog food delivery services can take some of the work out of shopping for and preparing your dog's food. And if your dog is a picky eater, fresh food might be the thing to keep them licking their bowl clean at every meal. However, these services are expensive and require some forethought before feeding, such as remembering to thaw packages in the refrigerator overnight. Choosing the best food for your dog ultimately comes down to a recipe's nutrient profile and your dog's needs — not whether it's fresh or shelf-stable.

Should I feed my dog raw food? 

Some people talk about the purported benefits of raw dog food diets, but feeding your dog raw food can be dangerous. Your dog may be at greater risk of bacterial infections from raw food, and this type of diet increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Morishita says raw food contains many bacteria that are typically killed during the cooking process, which poses a threat to your pet if they ingest it and to you via cross-contamination. Opting for fresh or processed foods that are cooked is always safer.

• It's been 25 years since the 9/11 attacks, when 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees were killed.
• Caroline Aiken Koster joined the firm the following year as it grieved and rebuilt.
• Below is her essay adapted from "The Families," a book marking the 9/11 anniversary.

The financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald lost more employees on 9/11 than any other company: 658 killed after the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. To mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund has published a book, "The Families: 9/11 Anthology of Love, Loss, and Lessons of Resilience," edited by Edith Lutnick, cofounder, president, and executive director of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, and Caroline Aiken Koster, the fund's general counsel. Below is an essay by Koster, adapted from the book, which also includes essays, poems, letters, and speeches from families, survivors, and witnesses.

On the clear blue morning of September 11, 2001, my son, Winn, hugged the doorman, and we strolled to his first day of kindergarten. Kiss. Photo. "See you in two hours," I said, and walked to the nearby Brooklyn Heights Promenade to do legal work until pickup.

A peaceful morning soon turned disastrous: One jetliner, then another, had swooped low and smashed into the World Trade Center. My neighbors and I watched in horror as flames roared from the Twin Towers. I didn't yet know how the attacks would shatter our country's invincibility and sear our souls for the next generation. All I could think of was the people up there.

When the structures collapsed and debris surged across the East River, I ran. Passing my nearby church, I saw the sexton sobbing: "They've hit the Pentagon too." I realized only then that America was under attack. I collected my son, and we bolted for home — as papers and ash swirled in the chemical stench — weeping for a nation, our innocence. and all the lost.

Less than a year later, I was an attorney at Cantor Fitzgerald, which had lost 658 people atop those Towers. A colleague warned the job "would be like working in a graveyard," but I took the offer. My friend Arlene Fried — a law firm colleague who'd become in-house counsel at Cantor — had died that day. Maybe I could help. I'd interviewed with my now-boss, General Counsel Stephen Merkel, in chaos as Cantor was moving from donated, temporary space to 57th Street and Lexington Avenue.

Later, when then-Chairman Howard Lutnick interviewed me, he asked, "Do you care?" "I care," I said then. And I still do.

By July 2002, my now 24-year journey had begun. Today, I'm a senior corporate lawyer for Cantor and its public companies — with an absurdly long and dull string of titles. I'm also general counsel of The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.

When people learn I work at Cantor, they always ask, "Were you there that day?" I was not. My tenure is 24 years, not 25. I'm a unique witness — both insider and outsider. I've lived the rebirth and resilience and gradual return to laughter, but I was not there on 9/11. I lost a friend, not family. I did not witness the October 1, 2001, memorial service, but I did read names of lost loved ones at the one-year anniversary. I arrived in the aftermath — a chronicler, and now, decades later, part of the story and legacy.

The Families: 9/11 Anthology of Love, Loss, and Lessons of Resilience will be a vital part of that legacy too.

Our mosaic

The underlying structure of this book is a mosaic. It is inspired by the video that ends Cantor's annual 9/11 memorial service. After the 48 minutes required to hear the names and glimpse the frozen visages of the lost, no one leaves their seats. Something remarkable is coming. The hundreds of photographs spin, scatter, and dissolve. A stranger's smile here, a beloved face there, at once familiar and unrecognizable. Until, slowly, they reconfigure, resolving into a mosaic of 2001-era photographs forming words. Always Love. Then And Remember.

This image gives this book its shape. A true mosaic crafted one voice at a time — e pluribus unum — out of many, one.

When I started at Cantor, all efforts — rebuilding and surviving, care and support, fundraising, profits sharing and Charity Day — were directed at rebuilding the firm for the purpose of supporting those families.

They provided community, care, and eventually a corporate heritage. Today, The Families offers the same — providing a voice when so many have moved on. They are still here. We are still here. They are us.

Some facts

Here are the basic facts: Cantor's headquarters occupied the 101st through 105th floors of One World Trade Center. When American Airlines Flight 11 struck at 8:46 a.m. on 9/11, the offices were above the impact zone. No assistance could reach them. Everyone on those floors that morning was killed — 658 of the firm's 960 New York employees. Fifty contractors and visitors never came home. Sixty-one more died at Euro Brokers, a competitor, in the South Tower. Cantor's affiliate acquired Euro Brokers in 2005, joining their business and the community of families.

Even as he grieved his own brother, Howard promised to rebuild the company and take care of the families. Three days later, after the firm miraculously reopened, the Relief Fund was born.

Rebuilding

When I arrived, there was already a heroic network of employees bringing Cantor back. I joined a whole generation of new hires, standing next to surviving employees in New York and London, working hard, as Cantor people do. The legal department, still decimated by the attacks, was central to these efforts. A blueprint had already been established to help: Surviving attorneys and an army of outside counsel were mobilized to assist with estates, taxes, DNA searches and death certificates. Others focused on tax and airline legislation. Every outside firm assisted family members with Victim Compensation Fund paperwork. Others helped families set up 501(c)(3) charities with Relief Fund seed money, supporting scholarships, golf outings and charity fundraising, many still active.

I worked constantly alongside Howard, Stephen, senior leadership and countless others. Proximity became a byproduct of tragedy. We lined up, deep into the night, for guidance, feedback and decisions. Much early work involved rebuilding — growth through hiring brokerage teams or acquiring technology or trading platforms. I carried stacks of manila folders, speeding through topics... eSpeed earnings prep... acquisition term sheet... break for board meeting... insurance... employment agreement... Empire State Development grant... oops, Form 4 due… press release... broker hire: desk head... STOP: contact transfer agent, replace stock certificates destroyed in World Trade Center... 10-Q time.... more insurance... lease... meet with auditors... repeat. Blank folders. Reshuffle. Try again tomorrow. Some days felt like the bar exam, others like legal triage. Even now, people find my name on a trademark affidavit or old employment report and say, "This can't be right." Oh, but it is.

At one point, my office was jammed against the trading floor; it smelled of take-out, men, and cigarettes, as traders (and lawyers) barged through during market open to smoke off the adjacent balcony. There were sometimes bomb threats and evacuations. Since 9/11, we've leased low floors. We still do.

The pace was fast, the hours grueling — the kind of drive that comes from a mission greater than yourself. Some days felt like we were rebuilding New York itself.

The first anniversary

Flashback to the first anniversary — a deeply mournful, tomb-like day, grieving in funeral clothes until the afternoon walk to Central Park. The memorial was so packed, I was afraid to displace a family member by sitting down. I was nervous reading the names aloud, afraid to botch pronunciation and disappoint a fragile mourner. The September 11, 2002, memorial service was my first of now 24. Family members, some in photo T-shirts, asked, "Did you know my son?... my aunt?... my mom?" I wished I could say yes. Always, they thanked us for working and the 25% of partnership profits that was used to support their families. It was a different kind of Wall Street trade.

Being with the families mattered. Beyond memorials, the relief fund organized town halls and family support. Even on a corporate level, when companies had long since gone virtual, we kept our eSpeed, later BGC Group, annual stockholders' meeting live until the pandemic, so family members could attend in person, eat a bagel and have a visit.

Charity Day

It was some time before Charity Day evolved into today's exciting spectacle. Its roots were to keep the mission of philanthropy alive, with a star-studded crowd of charity ambassadors creating excitement for clients and employees and building publicity. It could be heady stuff for a Kentucky girl like me. I met two former U.S. presidents and one future one. Other times, I escorted celebrity guests, like astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who thrilled my parents.

The next decade's wave of brokers was equally excited by sports figures, actors, rappers, and models. In London, Prince William and Prince Harry executed a royal, brotherly mega-trade. Charity Day can't happen without our employees. See traders in those logo vests beside glowing screens, escorting celebrities, cutting off ties for newbies' first trades, hooting and hollering. See the back-office monitoring control rooms and IT systems, carting food, setting up, and knocking down. There's levity, but this is the serious, legacy work of funding our philanthropy. The frenetic bustle of famous faces alongside staff, non-profits, veterans, kids, and actual cheerleaders all trading for charity brought light, joy, and common cause into the halls.

Underneath it all, always, were the Cantor families. Even when Howard's promise of direct aid to them was fulfilled, the events honored these loved ones.

The Relief Fund learned from 9/11 and applied it to broader disaster relief, with direct financial aid to those with young children impacted by natural catastrophes. I recall standing hours in freezing temperatures in Far Rockaway, Queens, checking in families devastated by Superstorm Sandy and again in blazing heat in Puerto Rico, distributing aid after Hurricane Maria. Compassion is legacy.

The book

For me, Charity Day inspired this book. For years, I'd ask athletes and movie stars where they were on 9/11. Answers changed as we aged: work, then high school, middle school, preschool. Then, not even born. Ditto the employees. Today's memorial service volunteers may have no memory of 9/11. Some disaster relief helpers are too young to rent a car.

I wrote an essay in The Wall Street Journal about my colleague Harry Waizer, who, severely burned in the attacks, actually returned to work and eventually retired. The heartwarming response was an inspiring reminder of the power of stories of human resilience.

To mark the 25th anniversary, I proposed an anthology. We'd reconnect with all the families and gather their voices online. I wanted stories to share with the next generation. Edie wanted lessons. We both wanted a look backward that would propel us forward with wisdom. When we saw the powerful submissions, a book was born.

Our cover honors both the past and the future. The Twin Towers rise, ghostly and hollow, made not of steel girders but of pages — the words within this book. Beside them stands the Freedom Tower, representing the generation that rebuilt and those still to come. Above, barn swallows soar — an indigenous New York City bird. Perhaps hope, those things with feathers, or maybe signs sent by loved ones that many families told us they see.

The title itself — The Families — is a mosaic of broken tile, the same blues as the 9/11 sky. Fractured but legible: fragmented, the way loss splits a family. Inside, we list every name, next to Cantor's photo mosaics at the heart of this book.

My initial assumption — that these essays would be profoundly sad tributes in grief — was confirmed when I read the first batch on the subway. I found myself sobbing and lost on the 5 train to Brooklyn after missing my stop. What I hadn't expected was how much optimism, faith, belief, and even joy would lie there. In some ways, to me, what results is a manual of surviving grief and building resilience; instructions for how to live.

You'll find so much variety in these pages. I see moving tributes, then understandable rage. Some speak to the hopefulness of new marriage, new children, new love. Some writers — a West Point cadet, now veteran, a New York City police detective, and many more — meet the attack on their families and on America with civic duty. Others heal through volunteering, or in non-profits founded in a loved one's name. Others still find solace in poetry, or letters, real or imagined. There's the broad reach of addiction, generational grief, blessings to count, grace to discover, and signs to grasp or ignore.

Some families take us straight to the trading floor and the humor and horror we may find there. Our survivor stories share accounts of rescue, of injury, yes, but so much more.

Remembering Arlene

This book gave me the chance to face my own history. I'd always regretted not discussing my decision to join Cantor with my friend Arlene's family. A Relief Fund volunteer tracked down Arlene's daughter, Dayna Zoller — now a dentist in New Jersey. She not only agreed to write an essay, but also journeyed to Manhattan for dinner. Dayna, our law firm friend Victoria, and I spent a spectacular evening reminiscing, laughing, and sharing stories of her mom.

Scattered pieces, finally coming together. Stories passed to the next generation. Always and again, full circle to the families.

A lesson on kindness and coming together

One of my first tasks at Cantor was a routine corporate qualification filing in a mid-American state — maybe Ohio, Nevada, Illinois. All the potential officer signers were gone, as I explained to the Secretary of State's clerk. She was skeptical. "Couldn't Jeff Goldflam or Fred Varacchi sign?" "No, they died." "Doug Gardner?" "Gone too." "Fried?" "Nope." "Howard Lutnick?" "Well, he's here," I said, hesitating, "but — well, he's just so busy."

There was a pause. Then the clerk: "Honey, what on earth is going on over there in New York City?"

I explained. She gasped and promised to help me. And she did — got her supervisor, made exceptions, took my word for everything, and handled it. Before we hung up, she had one request: Please tell all your colleagues and those beautiful families that we are praying for them...that all of America is with them.

She had no real reason to care about a New York brokerage firm's paperwork. But fellow humans and Americans were hurting, and she wanted to help.

I've never forgotten her.

That, for me, is the real lesson of these 25 years. We are all connected. The common ground beneath us is wider than the issues that divide us, if we're willing to stand on it. Perhaps this mosaic can help us all recall a day when we were less fractured and remember to show up for each other.

Working on The Families has changed me. Because they shared their loss, I'm thinking about how to live better. I'm looking at others with more tenderness, more connection, and more awareness of the invisible grief carried quietly.

So — here we are at our mosaic. I hope you read these stories, honor these families and grieve with them. Do whatever comes: Cry. Laugh. Be inspired. Be broken-hearted. Be faithful. Be humbled. Be resolved. Be reminded.

And then, I beg you: Rise.

Always love. And remember.

Caroline Aiken Koster joined Cantor Fitzgerald in July 2002. She is a senior attorney at Cantor and general counsel of The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund.

The US Open women's semifinals have arrived, and this evening will feature a clash between the four top seeds. We've highlighted everything you need to know about how to watch the US Open women's semifinals, including free and global streaming options.

Back-to-back US Open defending champion and No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will attempt to three-peat at this year's final Grand Slam, but she'll need to get past Jessica Pegula to do so. No. 3 Pegula has been in top form all season, and she's seeking her first-ever Grand Slam title this year. No. 4 Coco Gauff, who won the US Open in 2023, will take on No. 2 Elena Rybakina in the night's second match. By making it to the semifinals, Rybakina has dethroned Sabalenka as WTA World No. 1, which will become official next week, but a second Grand Slam title (following her Australian Open victory over Sabalenka earlier this year) would be an even stronger way to close out the season.

*This is just an approximate start time. Arthur Ashe Stadium will host both semifinals, so the Gauff vs. Rybakina match can't start until the previous match ends.

How to watch the US Open women's semifinals for free

There are a few ways to catch the US Open women's semifinal matches for free. In Australia, select daily coverage (including both semifinal matches) is available for free on 9Now and requires only an account to use. In the US, live TV services like YouTube TV and Fubo offer free trials to new customers.

How to watch the US Open women's semifinals from anywhere

If you're away from the location where your preferred streaming service is available, you can still access your favorite content (including free options) with a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are handy tech tools that help people temporarily alter their device's virtual location. They're popular among those looking to upgrade their cybersecurity or keep up with their usual websites and apps while traveling abroad.

Proton VPN is one of the best VPNs we've tested. It's user-friendly (even for beginners) and offers a substantial selection of global servers. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find it's not helping you.

• See also: Where to buy US Open tickets | Where to watch FIBA Women's World Cup | Best sports streaming services

How to watch the US Open women's semifinals in the US

ESPN is carrying US Open coverage in the US until 11 p.m. ET tonight, so you should be able to find both the Sabalenka vs. Pegula and Gauff vs. Rybakina matches on the network, even if they both go to three sets. ESPN Unlimited is the best streaming service for accessing every single match at the US Open. Subscriptions cost $32 a month or $320 a year. You can learn more in our guide to the ESPN streaming service.

If you'd prefer to watch on a platform with a free trial and additional channels beyond the ESPN family, a live TV streaming service will be a better fit. YouTube TV and Fubo are two of our top recommendations right now.

YouTube TV carries ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC in both its main and sports plans. The main plan typically costs $83 a month, but a limited-time YouTube TV deal will knock the first five months down to just $68 a month for first-time customers. The sports plan is also running a special promo where new users can get their first six months down from $65 a month to $45 a month. YouTube TV plans come with a free trial for new users, and ESPN Unlimited is now available on the platform as well.

Fubo is another popular live TV service with plenty of ESPN offerings. ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC are available in Fubo's Sports + News, Pro, and Elite packages. All of these plans also unlock access to ESPN Unlimited. Sports + News starts at $65 a month, but new users can get $10 off their first month of service. Pro and Elite also offer introductory month discounts, and all plans come with a free trial for first-time customers.

How to watch the US Open women's semifinals in the UK

In the UK, US Open coverage is available through Sky Sports. Fans can tune in with one of the many Sky TV deals and plans, or access the same content through Now. Now Sports offers more flexibility in streaming content, including a £15 single-day pass, which is a solid option if you're only looking to watch a match or two.

How to watch the US Open women's semifinals in Australia

Select US Open coverage is available for free through 9's Gem channel in Australia. This includes tonight's women's semifinals, along with the remainder of the tournament. Fans can live stream the action on 9Now by creating a free account if they don't already have one. Coverage of the women's semifinals kicks off at 7 a.m. AWST and is blocked out until noon, so Gem should carry the entirety of both matches.

Australians looking to live stream absolutely every match at the US Open will need a paid Stan Sport subscription. Stan Sport costs $30 a month when you combine the $10 a month base plan fee with the $20 a month Sport add-on.

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.

• Charles Bonfiglio didn't have the money to fill his first big order for his clothing line.
• Later, his father told him franchising was the path of least resistance in business.
• After decades of franchising, Bonfiglio acquired a company and became a franchisor.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Charles Bonfiglio, CEO of Tint World. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I was only 18 when I walked into the family home in Brooklyn and told my mom, dad and sisters, "We're rich!"

I showed them the order I'd just received: $1 million worth of products for a young lady's clothing brand I'd designed. I was thrilled, but my dad — who operated a clothing factory in Brooklyn — flipped the paper over and read the fine print. I'd be paid 90 days after delivery, but I'd have to front the costs of production: about $500,000, my father guessed.

My dad offered to put his house up as collateral for a loan, but I wasn't the type of kid who was going to risk the family home. So, I called the buyer back and explained I couldn't fulfill the order.

I started selling at smaller mom-and-pop shops, rather than department stores, because I could produce clothing as-needed, rather than laying out capital up front.

I struggled to get a loan without an established brand

I learned an important lesson then: as an entrepreneur, you have to think about a whole business plan, not just creating something you're passionate about.

I made decent money with my clothing line, and partnered with my brother-in-law to open a pizzeria. But I dreamed of opening an aftermarket stereo shop.

When I'd saved about $30,000 to invest in my business, I moved to Florida to start my stereo shop. I had drafted a business plan that told me it would cost about $80,000. I thought the numbers were great, but the bank wouldn't give me a loan, and a landlord wouldn't give me a lease. Both wanted to work with established brands.

My cousin got me into franchising

Around then, I attended a family wedding where I talked with a cousin who operated a Meineke Car Care Center. My dad and I visited his shop and saw he was happy, busy, and profitable. On the way home my dad told me, "Charles, take the path of least resistance."

I took his advice. In the back of my head I figured I could learn from the franchise, and use that knowledge to open my own business later. The Meineke name opened doors: I was able to get a lease, and a loan through the Small Business Administration. Suddenly, everyone wanted to work with me, because Meineke was such a great brand.

Before too long I had three franchises: one to pay the bills, one for my toys — like the brand new Corvette I wanted — and one to pay for my real estate investments. When Meineke started to use computers, I volunteered to test them at my stores. Because of that I had quarterly meetings with all the C-suite executives, where I learned even more about running a business.

I bought a company to create my own franchise

By 2001 I owned 10 franchises, but I still had the dream of opening the business I'd always wanted: aftermarket auto enhancements.

I decided to buy an existing company, called Tint World, where I'd been taking my own vehicles. It had a cool name and six locations, and I would see it working well as a franchise.

In 2007, we signed with the first franchisees. I spent the next 17 years building the franchise model I would have wanted during my 30 years as a franchisee. Today, we have over 150 stores, with about 40 more in development.

My son convinced me to sell a portion of the business

I'd always hoped my son would take over the business, but after his junior year of college he sat my wife and I down and told us we should consider selling. He made some good points: about how hard we'd both worked, and how much we could make even selling a portion of the business. I thought about what my dad had said all those years ago about taking the path of least resistance.

In 2025, we sold a portion of the company to a private equity group. Unlike some founders, I loved going through the due diligence process. It gave me a chance to show off the systems I'd built that no one ever saw.

Today I'm very, very wealthy. And it all started with the lessons my dad taught me: how to work with my hands and how to work with people.

• Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale is no fan of Donald Trump's $5,000 dividend.
• Lonsdale said Trump's new proposal is a "bribe."
• Trump said adult US citizens would receive $5,000 checks if the GOP retains control of Congress.

Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale has a reality check for President Donald Trump's latest proposal to give Americans cash.

"For the record, I am hugely in favor of winning the midterms, and love much about this admin, but am strongly against bread and circus bribes," Lonsdale wrote on X.

Lonsdale, who endorsed Trump ahead of the 2024 election, had a pithy comparison for Trump's idea of sending $5,000 checks to adult US citizens if Republicans retain control of Congress this November. Lonsdale invoked the Roman satirist Juvenal's famous phrase, which translates to "bread and circuses," referring to the use of food and entertainment to placate the masses.

In another post, Lonsdale questioned why the administration would stop at $5,000.

"Why not 5 million USD to everyone?" he wrote in a reply. "I don't see why the average person shouldn't get to be rich - we can just print money, right?"

A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Over the last few years, Lonsdale has cemented himself as a major GOP donor.

Trump unveiled the proposal on Wednesday during a rollicking address to the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention. Trump is hoping his presence will boost the GOP, which is aiming to defy historical trendlines of the president's party losing ground in the House.

Prediction markets overwhelmingly favor Democrats' chances of retaking the House, though the Senate remains much closer. The map of contested Senate seats is also much more favorable to Republicans.

Trump likely could not issue the checks alone. House Speaker Mike Johnson previously said Trump would need congressional approval to send Americans tariff checks, another proposal that did not come to fruition.

During an interview with Fox News, Vice President JD Vance alluded to tariff revenues when asked about how the government would cover the estimated cost of over $1 trillion to pay for the Trump dividend.

"What the president just saying is if you keep it going, to the American people, if you keep us in power and allow us to continue to do these things, then you're going to share in some of the benefit of this incredible wealth that we're creating in the United States of America," Vance said.

The cost of the checks would easily surpass what the US has brought in from tariffs. The Treasury Department reported that it collected roughly $194.9 billion in tariffs in FY25 and another $154.5 billion in this fiscal year. Those numbers don't account for the $100 billion the US has paid out in tariff refunds after the US Supreme Court found Trump overstepped his authority.

Congressional Democrats quickly mocked the idea.

"There's no one in the country that thinks somehow this new dividend is actually going to happen," Rep. Robert Garcia of Texas, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told reporters. "What the American people actually want is the president to actually focus on lowering their cost of gas, groceries, and expand healthcare."

Over the course of six months, I tested several top fitness trackers head-to-head to determine which brands, models, and categories are actually worth it. And in a sea of bulky watches, complicated app interfaces, and buzzing notifications, the Fitbit Inspire 3 stood out as a wonderfully uncomplicated and affordable option. It does an excellent job of focusing on the essentials to help you be your healthiest self.

After weeks of testing during work, sleep, workouts, and travel, I've found the Fitbit Inspire 3 nails the fundamentals without any of the fuss. It's light, low-profile, and comfortable to wear. It tells you if you're moving enough, getting your heart rate up enough, and sleeping well, all with reliable accuracy. I ultimately named it the top budget option in my guide to the best Fitbits.

For $100, there are definitely some trade-offs worth knowing before you buy. But if you're looking to improve daily habits for a healthier lifestyle, this is an ideal entry-level fitness tracker.

What I like most

It's light, low profile, and comfortable

The first thing I noticed after two minutes of wearing the Inspire 3 — let alone two weeks — is how unobtrusive it is. After wearing more traditional-sized Garmins, Fitbits, and other fitness trackers, the bangle-sized Inspire 3 was truly a breath of fresh air. It's by far the most comfortable traditional fitness tracker I've tested. Though it's not quite as discreet as screenless trackers, like the Fitbit Air, its sheer size and minimal weight let it vanish on the wrist. Whether typing away on a computer, working up a sweat on morning walks, pulling on long sleeves for dinner, or sleeping, the tracker's lightweight and compact size made it fade into the background of my day.

It auto-tracks activity like a pro

Across the three different Fitbits I tested side by side, the Inspire 3 was the most consistent at detecting both long and short walks and bike rides. While all the devices are supposed to auto-detect most types of activity (walking, running, outdoor biking, elliptical, rowing, spinning, and other aerobic workouts) after 15 continuous minutes, I found that the Charge 6 and Versa 4 were way more likely to miss quick outings, just lumping them into step totals or calories burned rather than recording them as a marked moment of movement in your day.

I appreciated that the Inspire 3 flagged the small bursts of activity as true movement, so that when I looked back at my day, I could see that I hadn't just hit my steps but had actually moved my body regularly enough to be proud of.

It monitors your sleep — and wakes you with blissful care

Thanks to the small size and silky silicone band, this tracker is very comfortable to wear while you sleep. Because the button is flush with your wrist, it also doesn't have the issue of the green sensor lights blinding you when you roll over in the night, as some other watches do.

Fitbit offers all the standard sleep tracking found on most wearables these days: the free Google Health app will show basic sleep data like time asleep, sleep quality, sleep stages, and a sleep score. A Premium membership will provide more details about your data, including personalized sleep summaries and a full library of guided programs and mindfulness sessions.

One feature I really appreciate about the Inspire 3 is the gentle alarms. You can set a daily alarm on the watch itself to wake you up with a soft buzz and vibration; I found this to be nicely quiet (bonus if you get up at a different time than your partner, as I do), but also just strong enough to wake me without a jolt to the nervous system. You can dismiss or snooze the alarm right on your wrist. The Inspire 3 also features a Smart Wake function that utilizes Fitbit's sleep-tracking capabilities to wake you up when your sleep is at its lightest within a 30-minute window you set.

The screen is small — but clean and legible

Yes, the screen is small (that's the cost for the major pro of being unobtrusive). But Fitbit has done a solid job at optimizing what you see. During a workout, it fills the entire screen with a single key metric (e.g., heart rate, pace, time elapsed), and you can swipe through to view another metric. It's not ideal for people who are, say, training for a race and will want a multi-metric dashboard at a glance. However, for anyone who just wants to ensure they're staying above a certain heart rate threshold during their daily walk or to know how much time has elapsed during their tennis match, it's plenty functional.

In daily use, I found the menus intuitive, and navigating notifications or the small display didn't feel too frustrating in short bursts. The trade-off is acceptable at this price point as well.

It has a big battery life for a small device

Fitbit claims up to 10 days of battery life, and my tests showed that to be pretty accurate — even with frequent workouts, auto-detection on, and notifications coming in, I didn't have to charge the device for well over a week. This felt refreshing compared to many short-lived fitness trackers on the market.

It simplifies moving enough and often

Fitbit's Reminder to Move was a standout feature during testing. This function vibrates your device and prompts you to get up and walk around if you haven't taken at least 250 steps in the past hour. Almost every wearable comes with a version of this, but I think Fitbit's take on it — with messages like "Only 58 more to go in this hour!" — is a nice reminder that it's not just about getting all your steps, but about getting up and stretching your legs regularly throughout the day.

Additionally, Fitbit tracks Active Zone Minutes, or any time your heart rate is at Zone 2 or above — where you start to burn fat or score cardio conditioning. While many watches will give you a summary at the end of the day of how much time you've spent in a color-coded heart zone chart, the Active Zone Minutes streamlines this information into, essentially, just a gold star that your heart rate spiked enough to have an impact on cardio fitness and burning fat.

Where it falls short

The small display can be frustrating for notifications

Because of the narrow screen, you won't be able to easily read any texts or emails beyond the sender and the first few words. You can scroll and read the whole thing, but the display's size and shape make it very difficult to read more than a few words at a time. If you want to be able to read your incoming email at a glance in the middle of a meeting, this watch isn't going to cut it.

That said, many people just want to know whether the latest message on their wrist is from someone they need to respond to immediately or an unimportant notification they can take care of later. The screen is just useful enough to convey the basic info of who just texted or who's calling.

Heart rate is a bit laggy for high-intensity workouts

Overall, the heart rate sensor on all Fitbits is accurate and reliable enough for most people and workouts. The one exception is during high-intensity workouts. During rapid interval changes, I noticed occasional lag in heart rate reading updates. That's not surprising for optical sensors at this price point, but worth knowing ahead of purchase.

Colors are limited

Because smartwatches and fitness trackers are meant to be worn 24/7, it's important that the color and aesthetic match your style. While the minimal size is great for blending into (or underneath) any outfit, it only comes in three color options — two of which are bright — which may not work for everyone. You can change out the band, however. (Check out our guide to the best Inspire 3 bands.)

Software and features are limited

At this price point, you're giving up a lot of the nice-to-have features of bigger and more expensive fitness trackers. There's no onboard GPS, so if you go for a walk without your phone, you won't get accurate distance or route information. You won't be able to control phone apps on your wrist, control music, take phone calls, or make NFC payments. Some of these omissions are understandable at this price tier, but be aware that it's quite barebones for a wearable device these days.

Will there be a Fitbit Inspire 4?

Google hasn't announced a Fitbit Inspire 4 yet, but it's likely the brand will continue releasing new models in the series. The Fitbit Inspire 3 was released in 2022; the Inspire 2 in 2020; and the original Inspire in 2019. Given those release patterns, we're overdue for a next-generation model.

The longer wait for an Inspire 3 may be related to Google's decision to release a different kind of budget-friendly Fitbit in 2026: the Fitbit Air. Unlike other Fitbits, the Air is a screenless tracker built for more casual users. Check out our Fitbit Air review for full details.

The bottom line

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is the best fitness tracker for budget-conscious shoppers who want to start a health journey or stay a little more active.

However, at $100, you are giving up certain features. For example, you're not going to be able to control your phone from your wrist or respond to — heck, even easily read — incoming texts. But what you can do is confirm you're getting enough steps a day, ensure your walks hit a target heart rate zone for fat burn, and identify where your sleep quality may be falling short.

The Inspire 3 is incredibly lightweight and comfortable, refreshingly uncomplicated, and delivers the core metrics that set the foundation of your health — steps, heart rate, regular movement, and sleep — all without bombarding you with too much data or requiring you to learn a whole new tech ecosystem.

If you're looking for a little help simply moving a bit more, sleeping a bit better, and feeling a bit healthier — and don't want to break the bank to do so — the Fitbit Inspire 3 is exactly the fitness wearable you need.

• Trump dismissed the affordability crisis as "fake," despite his efforts to alleviate it.
• The White House has pushed affordability measures, clashing with Trump's statements ahead of midterms.
• Trump wants credit for bringing prices down while rejecting that affordability remains a crisis.

President Donald Trump often refers to the affordability crisis as a hoax. His White House may not agree.

Trump called the crisis a "fake" Democrat-created issue on the first night of the Republican National Committee's first-ever midterm convention this week in Dallas. But the remark sits awkwardly beside months of White House messaging that has treated affordability as one of Trump's central economic promises.

In his speech, Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for runaway inflation and said affordability concerns were fake "because I'm bringing the prices way down." In the same speech, he promised that every adult US citizen would receive a $5,000 dividend from tariff revenue if Republicans won the midterms — a form of stimulus which economists expect would further exacerbate inflation.

Trump claimed that "food prices and almost every other item are rapidly going down," even as consumer prices have increased by 4.3% since January 2025, with groceries up 3.4% and gasoline up 31% amid the ongoing crisis in Iran. This isn't the first time Trump has brushed off affordability concerns, as the administration has at times taken a deal-with-it stance on high prices.

In November 2025, Trump told Fox News that Democrats "have this new word called 'affordability,' and [Republicans] don't talk about it enough." Days later, he called affordability a "con job," adding that his party "did a great job on groceries and affordability," and were "victors on affordability."

By December, Trump was trying to have it both ways. In a speech in Pennsylvania, he said, "I have no higher priority than making America affordable again," but also described affordability as Democrats' "new word" and said, "they always have a hoax."

The White House's own messaging has told a different story Just a few days later in December, it acknowledged in a post that affordability is "finally trending in the right direction." As part of the affordability push, the administration pledged to cap credit card interest rates at 10%, open "Trump accounts" that allot $1,000 to children born between 2025 and 2028, and ban institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes.

Trump's State of the Union address also outlined ways to relieve pressure on US households, such as tax incentives for American-made cars and no tax on tips or overtime. In April, Trump signed an executive order expanding access to retirement savings by offering up to $1,000 in matching contributions for lower-income workers without employer-sponsored plans. A White House press release in August outlined how major retailers, energy companies, drug companies, and automakers have slashed prices on thousands of goods.

That mix of messages captures the tension in Trump's economic pitch heading into the midterms: He wants credit for bringing prices down while rejecting the premise that affordability remains a crisis.

For voters still feeling squeezed, that may be a hard balance to sell.

• Trump says he wants to dole out $5,000 to all American adults if the GOP wins the midterms.
• Last week, he called for rates to be lowered following a surprise blowout jobs report.
• Free money and lower interest rates are two things that sent inflation soaring after the pandemic.

Oil prices are surging, markets are anxious about inflation, and borrowing costs for Americans are climbing.

None of that has stopped Donald Trump from floating ideas in the last week that would likely exacerbate rising consumer prices: free money and lower interest rates.

Ironically, it's a similar cocktail for hotter inflation that helped derail Joe Biden's presidency and gave Trump a foothold in the 2024 election. One factor in the president's victory was the message that inflation had run amok under the Democrats.

On Wednesday, the president said he would dish out $5,000 to every American citizen adult if the Republicans hold onto their majority in the Senate and the House after the November midterm elections. As there are over 240 million adult citizens in the US, such a move would be costly.

"It would cost around $1.3 trillion putting the deficit for next year at more than $3 trillion or 10% of GDP," said Dean Baker, senior fellow at the liberal-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Last week, Trump demanded that the Fed lower interest rates following a jobs report that blew away economists' expectations.

At a time when bond yields are already rising on concerns about deficits, debt, and more inflation that will force the Fed to hike rates, Trump's plans could run counter to his own stated goals of making life more affordable for Americans, and economists across the political spectrum didn't mince words on their concerns about what the proposed dividends would mean for inflation, interest rates, and the federal fiscal outlook.

"This proposal would be bad if you started from a balanced budget position, but we're not in a balanced budget position," said Desmond Lachman, a senior fellow at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute. "We're already in a deep budget hole."

Adding more fiscal stimulus in the middle of a period of heightened inflation and low unemployment could push prices and interest rates even higher. "Debt is now as large as our entire economy, deficits are running $2 trillion per year, inflation is about 3.5%, and the 10-year Treasury yield is approaching 5%," Maya MacGuineas, president of the fiscally hawkish Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said in a statement. "This half-baked political scheme would make this all worse — exploding the deficit, ginning up inflation, and further driving up the cost of borrowing throughout the economy."

While Vice President JD Vance pointed to tariff revenues as a partial source of funding, it's unlikely that they could cover the entire bill. "The checks would almost certainly be funded by adding to the national debt, which already stands at $300,000 for every household in the country," said David Ditch, a policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute.

It's a familiar problem for the president, who has enacted a series of policy changes that market pros and economists widely view as inflationary. So far in his presidency, those include tax cuts, tariffs, and shrinking the labor force via mass deportations.

Trump to date has promised $5,000 DOGE dividends, $2,000 tariff rebates, and on Thursday announced $500 to Americans the administration says were overcharged for insurance obtained through the Affordable Care Act.

Bobby Kogan, the senior director of federal budget policy at the liberal Center for American Progress, said this move would be inflationary. He doubts the checks will come to fruition, given previous ideas that haven't happened, such as the DOGE dividends. He said if it is done via an act of Congress, "it would still leave the people whose lives were ruined under the Big Beautiful Bill significantly in the hole," pointing to those who lost Medicaid benefits.

"The Administration has not yet released details on this policy initiative, and until it does, this discussion relies on speculation," a White House official told Business Insider.

Investors for their part seem to be ignoring Trump's latest idea and its potential to stoke inflation. That's because they're focused on the inflation that's already in front of them. On Thursday, the Producer Price Index report for August showed wholesale prices rose 5.4% on an annual basis, slightly higher than expected.

Bond yields were also surging again as oil topped $105 for Brent and $100 for US crude. The 10-year Treasury yield rose 8 basis points to 4.92%. Rates are at their highest level since 2023, and a move to 5% would put them at levels last seen in 2007.

"Increasing demand by artificially injecting money into the economy would lead to higher prices," Ditch said. "A significant increase in federal borrowing would put also upward pressure on interest rates, meaning higher interest payments on credit card balances, business loans, and new mortgages. Both problems would linger after the money from the checks is gone."

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says cybersecurity will be AI's next blockbuster app after coding.
• Unlike coding assistants, AI cybersecurity systems run around the clock.
• Nvidia has recently partnered with CrowdStrike, Cisco, and Palantir.

If coding was one of AI's first big blockbuster apps, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicts cybersecurity will be the next.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs conference on Thursday, Huang said that companies will increasingly use AI to find software vulnerabilities and defend against cyberattacks.

Huang's prediction comes as AI safety has become a hot debate in Silicon Valley. Researchers at companies like Anthropic have warned that increasingly powerful AI could pose existential threats if left unchecked — including by enabling more sophisticated cyberattacks.

Huang wasn't asked about the debate or weighing in on it. Instead, he said that increasingly capable AI will make cybersecurity one of the biggest business opportunities for the technology industry.

Huang said that cybersecurity is a natural extension of coding.

"A derivative of coding is, of course, bug finding," he said. "And a derivative of that, which is a very large market, is called cybersecurity."

Unlike coding assistants that respond to prompts, Huang said AI-powered cybersecurity systems run continuously — meaning companies will pay to keep them going around the clock.

The comments come as Nvidia has been pushing deeper into cybersecurity. The company has recently announced partnerships with CrowdStrike, Cisco, and Palantir to build AI-powered cybersecurity tools.

Other AI giants are also betting on cybersecurity. OpenAI chief financial officer Sarah Friar said Tuesday at the conference that the company sees cybersecurity as a major "commercial opportunity."

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

• The US Open is known for its world-class tennis, people-watching, and, of course, its food.
• I recently ate my way through nearly everything on offer at the US Open's Food Village.
• Some dishes stood out to me, but others aren't worth the lines and hefty price tags.

Game, set, feast: These US Open food offerings are worth the trek to Queens.

I recently attended the US Open during Fan Week for a media preview of all the food on offer at this year's tournament.

While there, I ate my way through nearly every dish on the menu and came away with a few favorites, including a $38 French dip sandwich that's become almost as famous as the players themselves.

But they weren't all champions — I also tried a few items that I don't think are worth the long lines and hefty price tags.

Here are the eight best food items I tried at the US Open, and three I think could be skipped.

One of the best and simplest items I tried was the prosciutto pizza from San Matteo.

Cost: $23

Offering a variety of Neapolitan-style pizzas, San Matteo has brought some of its favorite concoctions from its Upper East Side pizzeria to the US Open.

The prosciutto pizza, which is about the size of a personal pizza, features fresh mozzarella, truffle pâté, Rovagnati Parma ham, basil, and crushed black pepper. I thought the pizza was perfectly balanced, salty and sweet, and the dough was delightfully crispy.

It was also relatively affordable and a generous portion for the Food Village at the US Open.

However, I'd probably skip the pepperoni or margherita cheese pizzas from San Matteo.

Cost: $22 (pepperoni) and $19 (margherita)

While I enjoyed both, I thought that they were a bit too simple for a special day out at the Open, especially compared to the more exciting prosciutto pizza or the variety of unique items on offer.

For kids attending, ordering a simpler pizza might be a perfect fit, but I recommend thinking a bit more outside the box with your concession orders.

One of my favorite items at the US Open was the OG Chicken Sando from Fuku.

Cost: $19

It includes a crispy, habanero-brined fried chicken filet, Fuku Mayo, and pickles on a butter-toasted potato roll.

I thought the chicken was perfectly crispy, and I could really taste the slightly spicy kick of the brine. The pickles also had a nice crunch, and they were held together by the soft potato bun.

There are lots of chicken offerings at the US Open — including a $100 box of chicken nuggets and caviar — but I thought this was a relatively affordable option that tasted as good as it looked.

I also loved the tacos chilorio from Dobel Tequila Club.

Cost: $29 for three

Available at one of the main full-service bars on the US Open grounds, these tacos were a surprising favorite for me, especially after trying other Mexican dishes from stands like Dos Toros and the higher-end restaurant Cosme.

These street tacos were downright addictive. Each was packed with shredded local braised beef, pasilla and guajillo chiles, white onions, and cilantro, creating a rich, smoky, deeply savory bite that had me wishing I'd ordered a second plate.

The classic hot pastrami sandwich on rye from Carnegie Deli was delicious, too.

Cost: $30

The sandwich was piled high with thinly sliced hot pastrami and a smear of mustard. While you can find similar deli sandwiches across New York City, including at Katz's Delicatessen, this one measured up to others I've had over my seven years living here.

It was salty, filling, and the meat melted in my mouth.

My one gripe, however, was that it was a bit much, especially on a hot day walking around the mostly outdoor tournament grounds. If I were to eat an entire sandwich, I'd no doubt have the meat sweats.

The most surprising menu item was the temomi ramen shrimp scampi from pastaRAMEN.

Cost: $27

Made with ponzu-garlic shrimp and homemade breadcrumbs, the dish was rich and buttery without being gloopy or too stick-to-your-bones for a late-summer day. The shrimp were extremely tender and flavorful, and the ramen noodles clung to every drop of the garlicky sauce.

This was the most unique item I tried, and I'd go back to the US Open just to eat it again. I thought the $27 price tag was a touch steep, but definitely worth it for the amount of flavor in each bite.

Even if you're craving seafood, I'd probably skip the Maine lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound.

Cost: $39

Made with succulent lobster meat and a light mayonnaise dressing, the roll retails for a whopping $39 in the Food Village. While I thought it was tasty, I wasn't sure it was worth that price.

The roll was a little on the smaller side, and while it was a good deal compared to the pricing at RHLP's stand-alone location in Red Hook, where a four-ounce lobster roll costs $41, I thought that, compared to some other items available at the Open, it just didn't feel worth the money to me.

If I want a lobster roll, I want to be smelling sea air and kicking back by the water, not surrounded by people in a sports arena.

On the other hand, the sushi hand rolls from Morimoto impressed me.

Cost: $42 for two handrolls

While $42 may seem like a high price to pay, I was blown away by the quality of the tuna and salmon inside — it might have been the freshest sushi I've eaten, which was a total shock considering we were at a sports event.

Speaking with a team member at Morimoto, I learned that their fresh tuna is flown in from Spain.

The handrolls were simple, but their portable, easy-to-eat format made them a great fit for the US Open.

My favorite item of the day was the French dip sandwich from Salt Hank's.

Cost: $38

It's become perhaps the most talked-about food item at the US Open for a reason.

The meaty sandwich is made with prime rib from New York City butcher Pat LaFrieda, sweet caramelized onions, gooey provolone, and horseradish aioli served on a baguette with housemade jus.

The sandwich was rich and messy in the best way, with tender prime rib and a soft-but-sturdy baguette that held up well against the deeply savory jus. The horseradish sauce added a slight kick at the end.

Surprisingly, the duck flautas and mole I tried from Cosme didn't knock it out of the park for me.

Cost: $42

The duck was tender, and the flautas had a satisfying crunch, but the dish felt slightly underseasoned overall.

I was also expecting the mole to bring more depth and richness, especially from a restaurant known for its bold, polished Mexican flavors. Instead, it tasted a little muted.

For me, the taste couldn't justify the price tag, nor the fact that it's only available inside Cosme's more upscale sit-down restaurant at the Open.

Instead of spending time on a full meal that didn't live up to the hype, I'd recommend sticking to the Food Village, where you can grab something quickly and keep watching the action.

• Hunter Biden's meme coin has plunged in value since it began trading on Tuesday.
• The pattern is similar to the path of tokens launched by other political figures.
• Biden responded to allegations of a rug pull, stating that no traders had any advantage.

Trading of Hunter Biden's meme coin isn't off to a great start.

The son of former President Joe Biden announced on Monday that he would be launching a memecoin inspired by the laptop saga that fueled conspiracy theories during his father's presidency.

In a roller coaster ride that's familiar to anyone who has watched the meme coin space, $LAPTOP briefly surged from $37 when trading began on Tuesday, to a peak of nearly $225. By midday, it had fallen to about $2, and on Thursday the crypto was trading at about $0.60, down 98% since its debut.

Right on cue, the accusations of a "rug pull"—in which a crypto creator sells at the peak and tanks the price, leaving investors holding the bag—were piling up across social media. Hunter Biden himself sought to address them in a post on X.

"The reality is that available liquidity could not sustain the strong level of interest at launch," he said. "Technical issues coupled with predatory 'snipers', who seek to beat liquidity providers to market, caused a spike in price, which has since stabilized to healthy levels."

$LAPTOP is the latest in a line of meme coins launched by politicos to soar and quickly plummet. In January, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams drew ire from the crypto community with NYCToken.

The meme coin plunged 80% within a few minutes, sparking accusations of a rug pull.

Donald Trump's $TRUMP coin has also been extremely volatile. While the president enjoyed a significant windfall from his crypto investments over the past year, the coin he launched just before returning to the White House has fallen 77% in 12 months.

Finance pros have blamed meme coins for harming sentiment in the wider crypto market. David Weisberger, a Wall Street veteran and co-founder of trading platform CoinRoutes, told Business Insider that he doesn't regard the $LAPTOP launch as any different than other recent high-profile meme coin launches that culminated in an abrupt rout.

"That was maybe the most predictable rug pull in in human history," he said. "I think the Trump one was pretty obvious. This one was even more obvious."

Biden has emphasized transparency since the $LAPTOP launch. In a post on Medium, he wrote that no presale tokens were issued to any investors or influencers, also noting that prior to the launch, his team announced the contract address and complete token allocation details, as well as a full security audit.

"Almost no memecoin does this, and almost none does it before launch," he wrote. "There was no stealth deployment, no hidden supply, and no surprise to benefit insiders."

Hunter Biden could not be reached for comment.

Our team of cleaning-obsessed editors and product testers is on a mission to find the best vacuum. We've tested dozens across various types and budgets, prioritizing features such as powerful suction, brush rolls that don't tangle with hair, advanced filtration, and easy dust disposal. We've figured out how to identify a great vacuum designed to last for years from an OK one that inevitably ends up in the dreaded vacuum graveyard.

The products in this guide represent the best of the best vacuum cleaners in their respective categories, including the best budget options to models optimized for tackling pet hair.

Find out more about how Insider Reviews tests and reviews home products.

Our top picks of the best vacuum cleaners

Best cordless vacuum cleaner: Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System- See at Amazon

Best upright vacuum cleaner: Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best budget vacuum cleaner: Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best splurge vacuum cleaner: Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum - See at Dyson

Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair: Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush - See at Amazon

Best lightweight vacuum cleaner: Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best robot vacuum cleaner: Narwal Flow 2 - See at Amazon

Best handheld vacuum cleaner: Black+Decker Dustbuster Cordless Handheld Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best wet-dry vacuum cleaner: Tineco Floor One S7 Switch Ultra Cordless Floor Cleaner- See at Amazon

How to choose the right vacuum

Start here to figure out which type of vacuum fits your home and cleaning habits.

Best cordless

Our best overall cordless is packed with luxe features at a mid-range price point. The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty showcased excellent pick-up performance on both carpets and hard floors in our testing and in daily use. Plus, it features automatic dirt detection to maximize suction power and battery life, and a self-emptying base that limits how often you come into contact with dust.

• See the best cordless vacuums.

A dual brushroll system tackles everything from fine dust to embedded carpet debris. A soft front roller captures small particles and prevents debris from scattering, while a bristled rear brush roll digs deep into the carpet. Strands of hair do not wrap around the brushroll, making it an ideal pick for households with pets or even long human hair. It struggled slightly with very fine particles like flour, requiring a few extra passes, but handled everyday messes with ease. The lightweight vacuum maneuvers easily under low furniture thanks to its bendable wand and swivel head, while LED lights illuminate debris along the cleaning path.

Shark's most advanced sensor tech optimizes suction and battery life in real time. The PowerDetect automatically adjusts power based on floor type, debris levels, and proximity to walls, enabling it to reach just under an hour of runtime in auto mode and up to 70 minutes in eco mode. A battery life indicator shows remaining charge in 25% increments.

The Clean & Empty Station is a game changer. After each use, the Clean & Empty Station transfers debris into a larger dustbin — reminiscent of the stations found on robot models — that Shark says can hold up to 45 days of dirt. It's loud but effective. The dock also charges the vacuum and provides space to store accessories like the crevice tool and dusting brush. The base station also incorporates Shark's odor-neutralizing technology — a puck that masks odors and leaves floors smelling fresher. After testing several Shark models with this feature, we're ambivalent toward the extra cost of replacing them once the scent runs out, as it doesn't affect cleaning performance. If you want to save $100 and forgo the base station, the PowerDetect Essential offers identical cleaning performance without the self-emptying base.

Our guide to the best Shark vacuums details the lineup and breaks down the models.

Best upright

Serious cleaning power with classic upright reliability. The Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum features powerful suction and Shark's signature dual brush rolls, making it a standout among the best upright vacuums. Its powerful 1,416-watt motor propels you forward on hard floors and carpets, while the 30-foot-long cord lets you move across a room without switching outlets. Built-in LED lights illuminate the path ahead. 

• See more of the best upright vacuums

It excels at deep cleaning on both hard floors and carpet. In testing, the Stratos picked up all debris types on hardwood, including pet hair and fine particles like flour. On carpet, it left behind only trace amounts of flour and powered through heavier messes with ease — often collecting more dirt than was visibly present on the surface.

Despite its weight, the self-propelled design keeps it manageable. At 16 pounds, it's heavier than cordless models and may be cumbersome on stairs, but the powerful motor reduces push effort during use. Shark's Lift-Away design adds versatility for stairs and upholstery, though included attachments are basic, and our reviewer wished there was a dusting brush for baseboards. Since testing, Shark now includes a motorized pet tool.

Maintenance quirks are worth noting if you clean frequently. The large dustbin empties via a wide trap-door mechanism that works best over a deep trash can; otherwise, spills are possible. The bin also looks larger than it appears, with a Max Fill line that can quickly reach capacity when dealing with carpet or pet hair. An odor-neutralizing puck adds a light scent, but testers didn't find it essential or plan to replace it.

Read our Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review for more details.

Best budget

A straightforward, budget-friendly corded upright. The Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Vacuum delivers reliable cleaning performance without the bells and whistles of pricier models, earning it the title of best budget vacuum. While the cord limits mobility compared to cordless options, Bissell offsets that with thoughtful design touches that keep it easy to use

• See the best cheap vacuum cleaners

The wide cleaner head and brush roll handle pet hair and debris with ease. In testing, the Cleanview quickly picked up everything from whole Cheerios to fine flour and performed especially well with pet hair on hard floors and carpet. Suction remained consistent across mess types, which isn't always a given at this price.

Simple controls make everyday cleaning intuitive. The vacuum offers five settings for different floor types, though adjusting them requires bending down at the cleaner head. Powering on and steering is operated with foot pedals.

Low-maintenance design and included tools add to its value. The large dust bin is easy to remove and empties from the bottom, minimizing contact with debris, and a top handle makes it easier to carry. Onboard attachments — including tools for upholstery and crevices — store directly on the vacuum and connect to a six-foot hose for above-floor cleaning.

Best splurge

If price isn't of concern, this is the vacuum I'm always reaching for. The Dyson V15 Detect delivers premium cleaning performance paired with genuinely innovative tech. Automatic suction adjustment, strong battery life, and consistently powerful pickup put it among the best Dyson vacuums, but its laser dust-detection technology is what truly sets it apart.

The laser-equipped hard floor head reveals dirt you didn't know was there. The Fluffy Optic Cleaner Head uses a green diode laser to illuminate fine dust and debris on hard floors that standard LED lights can miss, making cleaning both more effective and oddly satisfying. For carpets and rugs, the Digital Motorbar Cleaner Head delivers strong suction and excellent hair-wrap resistance, and works well on mixed surfaces.

Both cleaner heads perform exceptionally well, with slight differences depending on the floor type. The Fluffy Optic head was marginally better at capturing fine flour on hard floors and powered through larger debris with ease. The Digital Motorbar head handled carpet more smoothly but required suction-height adjustments to fully pick up debris like Cheerios on hard flooring.

Lightweight handling and smart sensors help justify the splurge. Battery life reaches up to an hour, lasting longest on hard floors and less on carpet. A piezo sensor counts dust particles to automatically adjust suction and preserve battery life in Auto mode. The 0.2-gallon dust bin uses Dyson's hygienic eject system to push debris directly into the trash, though overfilling past the Max line can cause debris to stick — an issue common to most bagless vacuums.

Best for pet hair

Powerful suction makes it especially well-suited for homes with pets. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Dual Brush is our top choice for ridding your home of pet hair and features automatic suction adjustment, HEPA filtration, and actually useful attachments with LED lights on the tips for enhanced visibility.

• See the best vacuums for pet hair

The dual brushroll system can handle all sorts of debris and resists hair wrap. This is Bissell's first dual-brush-roll design, and it's pretty similar in construction to the Shark Stratos, with a soft roller at the front and a bristle roller to dig deep into the carpet. The cleanerhead resists hair wrap and, paired with the powerful suction, makes quick work of fine debris and pet hair. Larger particles like cereal sometimes require a second pass, and medium particles like rice scatter forward, but overall cleaning performance is impressive—often pulling up more dirt than expected from carpeted floors.

Power comes at the cost of weight. At 17 pounds, carrying it up and down stairs takes effort. However, the swivel steering increases maneuverability, especially on laminate floors. For the above-floor cleaning tasks, the lift-away pod is useful for cleaning stairs and reaching crevices or high areas without having to tote the whole unit. The long 30-foot cord lets you clean multiple rooms without unplugging — just be mindful of tangling as you go.

Best lightweight

At under 3.5 pounds, it's one of the lightest cordless vacuums we've tested. The Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum stands out for its ultra-lightweight design. That makes it especially easy to carry between floors, use for above-floor cleaning, and grab for quick everyday messes — far lighter than most stick vacuums, which typically weigh four to seven pounds.

Comfortable handling and a low price make it easy to live with. The vacuum is easy to maneuver, offers a comfortable grip that doesn't strain the arm, and costs under $200. It can also stand upright on its own, a convenience that's still surprisingly rare among cordless stick models.

Delivers solid everyday cleaning performance. The LVAC-200 offers three power modes (eco, mid, and turbo) with up to 50 minutes of battery life depending on the setting. It handled small debris like rice, sugar, and flour well on both hard floors and carpet, while larger pieces such as cereal required a few extra passes. Pet hair didn't wrap around the brush roll. The dust bin was large enough to avoid constant emptying, and the noise level remained unobtrusive during cleaning.

A few tradeoffs to keep in mind. Our reviewer wished the LED headlights cast light farther and sometimes had to reach into the dust cup to pull out stuck debris. The vacuum is also not HEPA-rated, though Levoit says its five-stage filtration system captures 99.9% of 0.3-micron particles.

Read our full Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum review.

Best robot vacuum and mop

The most advanced robot vacuums today combine wet and dry features to streamline floor cleaning. In fact, robots that just vacuum are becoming far less commonplace; the most exciting advancements in robotic cleaning are robot vacuum mops with a full suite of automatic features, with base stations that can also wash and dry the mop pads in addition to storing weeks' worth of debris. The mopping technology has evolved, too, with a microfiber roller bar providing the most hygienic and streak-free clean. In our search for the best robot vacuum, the Narwal Flow 2 emerged as our favorite thanks to its advanced features and performance.

• See the best robot vacuums

A true hand-free experience. This is a robot vacuum that our tester had no issue letting roam through her home, knowing that she would return to a comprehensive clean, with no corners missed or new messes to worry about. The design combines video cameras, sensors, lights, and AI systems to detect and remove dust, invisible stains, and hard-to-see debris, as well as to detect and avoid obstacles ranging from fake pet waste to cords. Within the app, you can customize the cleaning process and its settings, including setting no-go zones or trying the pet-mode features. Or try the Freo Mind option, an automatic system that intelligently adjusts its cleaning in real time based on the environment, floor types, or high-soil zones. Maintenance is also fully automated, with an onboard dustbin and heated wash-and-dry for the mop. We only needed to refill and empty the clean and dirty water tanks when prompted, and occasionally wipe out any accumulated dust and dirt from the base.

Impressive vacuuming and mopping, but a few weak spots. The Narwal Flow 2 boasts up to 31,000 Pa of suction power, automatically ramping up on carpets to pull out fine dust and stubborn coffee grounds over multiple passes. In mopping, the flat-rolling brush roll uses hot water and pressure to tackle heavy messes like dried mud and sticky sauces, and it even detects wet spills in real time to make extra passes and self-wash its mop pad mid-cycle. However, edge and corner pickup are weak in vacuum-only mode, the mop extension can't reach deep under kitchen cabinet overhangs, and you'll need to set it to "meticulous" mode just to get close to furniture.

Best handheld

While the Dusbuster's NASA-era origin story is notable, its real strength is how well it performs on everyday messes. The Black+Decker Dustbuster Cordless Handheld Vacuum (HHVI315JO42) stood out as the top-performing handheld in our testing with surprisingly strong suction for a compact, car-friendly vacuum.

• See the best handheld vacuums

Its compact size makes it ideal for cars and quick above-floor cleanup. The Dustbuster was one of the best handhelds we tested for car interiors and performed well on both hardwood and carpet. It outperformed competitors on hard floors, easily picking up flour and Cheerios where other models struggled.

Lightweight handling offsets its short runtime. Weighing just over 2 pounds, it's comfortable to use for longer spot-cleaning sessions, but runtime is limited to about 12 minutes, among the shortest of the handhelds we tested. There's also no battery indicator, so it can shut off without warning. While it was among the quietest handhelds we tested, it's still roughly as loud as a busy restaurant.

A simple, low-maintenance design rounds out the experience. The Dustbuster uses straightforward on/off controls and a quick-release dustbin, which is notably larger than most competitors. The washable filter can be rinsed and air-dried, making upkeep easy between cleanings.

Best wet-dry

Wet-dry vacuums have gained popularity for their ability to vacuum and mop simultaneously. They're best for deep-cleaning hard floors, not replacing a traditional vacuum. While they won't fully replace upright or cordless stick vacuums—especially for carpet or above-floor cleaning—they can be a major time-saver for thorough hard-floor care. The Tineco Floor One S7 Stretch Ultra is the most advanced wet-dry vacuum we've tested.

• See the best wet-dry vacuum cleaners

Convenient features make this the best wet-dry vacuum. It features automatic dirt detection that adjusts suction and water flow and alerts you when floors are clean. A self-propelling design, improved edge cleaning, lie-flat capability for reaching under furniture, and a 50-minute runtime round out its premium feature set. In testing, we only needed to refill the clean water tank once per full cleaning session.

Smart modes make it effective on everything from spills to stuck-on stains. The S7 offers auto, max, suction, and custom modes, with Auto using sensors to balance performance and battery life. It typically took just one or two passes to clean dry debris, liquid spills, and stains. While the lie-flat design worked well under beds, the thicker cleaner head couldn't always reach under cabinet toe kicks.

Maintenance is easier than most wet-dry models, but the price is high. Wet-dry vacuums require immediate cleaning after use to prevent odors, mold, and bacteria build-up. Fortunately, Tineco's hot-water self-cleaning system flushes and dries the brush roll in about five minutes. The main drawback is cost; for a more affordable alternative, the Tineco Floor One S5 delivers strong cleaning performance but lacks a suction-only mode for liquid spills and has shorter runtime.

Read our Tineco wet-dry vacuum review.

What else we tested

These honorable mentions are featured elsewhere in our guides, and while they're not the best overall, they have some shining characteristics you might enjoy.

• If you need something lightweight for cleaning hard floors: Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones ($599)

  • This is Dyson's thinnest and lightest vacuum to date. It glides nimbly and features green LEDs at both ends that illuminate what the naked eye can't see. It's a pleasure to use, but its use is limited to hard floors. Read our Dyson PencilVac review.

• If allergies are a top concern: Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog Bagged Canister Vacuum ($899)

  • The 3.5-liter sealed bag design from Miele manages exposure to allergens, dust, and odors. The Guard L1 canister design is easier to maneuver than ever and more nimble, with onboard accessory storage. Miele also offers interchangeable air filters to suit different priorities.

• If you have wall-to-wall deep-pile carpets: Dyson Ball Animal 3 ($499 $394)

  • This vacuum has been on the market for a few years now, but the Dyson Ball Animal is what you want to pull up the dust bunnies lurking in your mid-deep pile carpet. With 290 air watts, it's one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, vacuums on the market.

• If you want a flagship-level robot vacuum at a mid-range price: Roborock Saros 10R ($1,599 $899)

  • The Roborock Saros 10R has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a robot at this premium price point: a slim, svelte design; excellent cleaning performance and obstacle avoidance; and a self-cleaning base station with a hot-water mop and hot-air drying. Read our Roborock Saros 10R review.

• If you want a basic robot vacuum at the cheapest price: Roborock Q7 M5 + ($300)

  • If the Narwal Flow 2 is too far out of budget and you're looking for something affordable without compromising on convenience, the Roborock Q7 M5+ has lidar navigation for creating a smart map of your home and an auto-empty base for debris. The mopping is a simple microfiber cloth that applies downward pressure to clean floors, and the unit has no sophisticated obstacle avoidance tech.

• If you want a really cheap cordless: Tikom V500 ($90)

  • While we've tested a fair number of cordless vacuums under $200, it's rare to find anything worth your consideration under $100. The Tikom V500, however, is best suited for apartments with hard floors and low-pile rugs, and it has powerful enough suction for the price, with about a 30-minute battery life.

Our top picks, compared

What to look for in a vacuum cleaner

When choosing from the best vacuums, your primary considerations are the vacuum type (see FAQ), reliable suction and cleaning performance, mess-free debris disposal, a strong warranty, a long battery life (if cordless), a well-designed brush head, and ease of use.

Here are some other important features:

Cleanerhead and attachments

Your vacuum needs a well-designed cleanerhead (brushroll) to collect the dust and dirt on your floors. These can vary in material from soft roller to silicone or hard plastic, with strategically placed bristles, and should have some sort of anti-tangle technology. Additionally, look for vacuums with the following attachments:

• Crevice Tool: Narrow angled tip for baseboards, corners, and couch cushions.
• Upholstery Tool: Wide flat nozzle for fabric furniture and mattresses.
• Dusting Brush: Soft bristles to clear dust from blinds and delicate surfaces.
• Extension Wand: Detachable wand for reaching ceilings, vents, and stairs.

Maneuverability and weight

• Cordless Sticks: Aim for under 10 lbs for effortless stair transport.
• Uprights: Expect 15—20 lbs; look for swivel steering or self-propelled assist to reduce push effort.

Dust disposal and base stations

• Bagless vs. Bagged: Bagless bins save money on refills, but bagged vacuums trap debris in sealed sacks, making them the cleaner choice for severe dust sensitivities. Also consider the size; if it's too small, you'll find yourself constantly starting and stopping to visit the trash. We like bins that can handle at least 0.2 gallons, though the Shark Stratos falls just below that at 0.18 gallons.
• Self-Empty Docks: Popular on robot vacuums and high-end cordless sticks, automated docks store weeks of dust and prevent direct contact with dirty debris.

Filtration and allergen protection

• Sealed HEPA Systems: Essential for allergy sufferers, a fully sealed HEPA system ensures air passes entirely through the filter without leaking dust or dander back into the room through casing gaps. To meet HEPA standards, a high-efficiency particulate or HEPA filter must filter 99.97% of airborne particles.
• Filter Upkeep: Most pre-motor foam filters are washable, but HEPA filters typically need to be replaced every 6 to 12 months to maintain motor performance and air hygiene.

Warranty

• Coverage duration: Standard warranties range from 1 to 5 years. Budget uprights often carry 1-year coverage, while mid- to premium cordless and upright models (like Dyson, Shark, or Miele) offer 2 to 5 years.
• Key exclusions: Check whether the warranty covers the motor and battery (for cordless models), not just the exterior housing. Consumables such as belts, brush rolls, and filters are rarely covered.

How we test the best vacuum cleaners

Vacuuming performance: We tested the vacuums on carpeting, hardwood, and tile, picking up flour, ground coffee, cat litter, Cheerios, and fur. We assessed how well each vacuum picked up the materials and weighed the dustbins to measure the amount collected. If a vacuum came with attachments, we tested them on the appropriate surfaces, like baseboards and furniture. We also tested the obstacle-avoidance and corner-cleaning capabilities of robot vacuums.

Battery runtime: We timed how long cordless vacuums ran until their batteries died and how long it took to recharge them.

Ease of use and comfort: We assessed the experience of powering the vacuum, its maneuverability, how tiring it is to hold, and the noise it emits. We noted if it could fit under low-profile furniture and if it had additional features that improved functionality, such as a headlight.

Debris disposal: After cleaning sessions, we evaluated how easy and clean the dustbin emptying was. The vacuum lost points if we came into contact with debris while disposing of it, or if it was otherwise messy.

Storage: We looked at how easy it was to store the vacuum, including whether it broke down into a smaller footprint or if it came with a docking station or wall mount.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Jaclyn Turner, senior home editor: I've been testing the latest vacuum releases over the last five years, including cordless stick, upright, and robot vacuums, to the chagrin of my reactive cavapoo. I've tested many of the top vacuums firsthand and collaborated with a team of expert product testers to put each vacuum through a range of standardized tests to measure performance and ease of use. I analyze data from nearly 50 vacuums we've tested to maintain this list of the best vacuums. The vacuums I use on repeat are the Shark Cordless Power Detect Clean and Empty and the Dyson V15 Detect.

Vacuum cleaner FAQs

What is the best type of vacuum cleaner?

Generally, it comes down to your needs. Upright vacuums are cost-effective and deliver reliable suction power. Stick vacuums are versatile, lightweight, and convenient, but typically have smaller dust bins. Cordless models have started to rival the performance of corded ones, but battery life can vary across brands. Handheld vacs are compact and can get into tight spots, but most cordless stick vacuums can also convert into handhelds. Canister vacuums are pricey yet powerful, and robot vacuums automate cleaning.

Each type of vacuum comes with its own benefits and considerations:

• Upright vacuum: Most people envision an upright vacuum when you mention a "vacuum." The dust bin, head, and motor are all in one unit. The upright vacuum stands independently, and the body tilts back as you clean. It offers versatility and power but can be cumbersome to use at times. Most models have a removable hose to reach hard-to-reach spots.
• Cordless stick vacuum: Stick vacuums have grown popular for their portability and convenience. Yet, these cordless vacuums lack the power of upright and canister vacuums and must be recharged frequently. The dust bins are also smaller. Most cannot stand on their own. On the plus side, the low-profile design makes these lightweight vacuums great for cleaning under furniture, and they're lightweight and easy to maneuver with little effort.
• Canister vacuum: The head and handle of a canister vacuum are connected to the canister by a long hose. The dustbin and motor are located within the canister, usually on wheels, to follow you around as you clean. This configuration makes the canister vacuum annoying to move around the house. Still, they are perhaps the most powerful vacuum type. Canister vacuums are also called cylinder vacuums. 
• Robot vacuum: Robot vacuums automate your floor cleaning but are typically less powerful than other vacuum types. They're great for routine cleaning but may not replace deep cleaning. You set a schedule, and the vacuum cleans independently, returning to its charging dock when done. However, you still need to empty the tiny dust bin after each cleaning unless it has an auto-empty dock, and the vacs can get stuck on cords or in tight spots. Most models today offer features like home mapping, auto-emptying dustbins, and mopping, but cost more for features like obstacle-avoidance tech, self-cleaning, or roller and spin mops.
• Handheld vacuum: Often referred to as "Dustbusters" after the famous Black & Decker vacuum, handheld vacuums are small and designed for small messes, such as dust after sweeping, stray cat litter, and spilled cereal. They're great for spot cleaning small messes, but not suitable for cleaning your entire house.
• Wet-dry vacuums:  Not to be confused with industrial-style shop vacs, wet-dry vacuums or vacuum mops can wash and vacuum your hard floors simultaneously. They feature clean and dirty water tanks to catch the debris, and some will wash and dry the brushroll after cleaning. They're available in corded and cordless varieties.  

How much should you spend on a vacuum cleaner?

Our guides feature vacuums priced from $40 for a handheld to $2,000 for a fully loaded robot vacuum with all the bells and whistles. Expect to spend at least $100 on a new upright vacuum. If you're looking for a good stick, canister, or robot vacuum, the best can cost $300 or more.

How long does a vacuum last?

According to a Consumer Reports survey, the median lifespan of a vacuum is 8 years.

Leslie Tam, a cofounder of the cleaning service UrbanMop, said it might be time to replace your vacuum once it shows a drastic reduction in suction. He recommended prolonging your vacuum's life by performing regular maintenance, including cleaning the filter often, removing hair and other debris from the brush roll, and emptying the dust bin before it gets too full.

Tennis fans are serving at this year's US Open. We're talking about their fashion, of course.

Attendees have been photographed walking throughout the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York for the past two weeks, wearing standout ensembles and luxury timepieces.

Here are the best fashion looks we spotted on the ground.

Bulgari watches are elevating simple outfits.

An attendee wearing a white tank top and satin silver pants took her outfit to the next level with a Serpenti Tubogas watch, which costs upward of $7,400.

Blue jeans are out, and white jeans are in.

A couple wore matching pairs with their Ralph Lauren shirts and baseball caps. They both also wore white sneakers.

Blue denim dresses and accessories are popular, though.

One attendee wore a denim dress and carried a denim tote, pairing the look with Adidas sneakers.

Her companion wore Nike sneakers with his trousers and blazer, keeping the look casual.

Alo continues to be the go-to athletic brand.

A woman wore the brand's sports bra and miniskirt set beneath a white letterman jacket, also from the brand.

Monochrome outfits are everywhere.

Another couple sported matching black outfits with standout accessories. A woman wore hers with white flats, while a man wore his version of the outfit with a colorful scarf.

Women are pairing their miniskirts with polo shirts.

One woman wore her white miniskirt with a matching polo top, see-through flats, and a statement gold belt. She also wore metallic jewelry, sunglasses, and a Staud purse.

You can't go wrong with US Open merchandise.

That's especially true when it comes to baseball caps, which one man wore with a cream-colored top, plaid pants, and white sneakers.

There's no better place to flash a Rolex.

Specifically, the GMT-Master II in stainless steel and yellow gold was the watch of choice for one attendee. The watch sells on the secondhand market for more than $11,000.

The simpler your Rolex, the better.

Alongside an arm covered in gold jewelry, one attendee wore a silver Oyster Perpetual 31 watch, which costs $6,300.

Couples are coordinating their outfits.

One duo wore statement white tops with oversize black trousers and leather shoes. Layered jewelry also played a part in both of their looks.

The baseball cap of choice comes from Celine.

Multiple people were spotted wearing a $630 tan hat with Celine's monogram across the front. One woman wore hers with a white miniskirt and a Chanel purse.

Strappy flats and Louis Vuitton bags are the accessories of choice.

With a green miniskirt and matching sweater, one woman wore black flats that laced up her ankles. She completed the look with a small Louis Vuitton purse that featured the brand's monogram in rainbow colors.

Trader Joe's tote bags have made their way to the US Open.

One man carried the standard version of the buzzy grocery bag, adding a trendy touch to his classic outfit: a pink polo shirt, tan jeans, tortoise-shell sunglasses, and cream-colored sneakers.

The US Open is the place to show off Patek Philippe watches.

One man wore a $71,643 World Time Flyback Chronograph timepiece with a steel dial and a brown leather bracelet.

The same goes for Vacheron Constantin timepieces.

An Overseas Chronograph in steel was spotted at the US Open. The watch, which sells for more than $37,000, had a black leather strap and a stainless steel bezel.

Neutral shades and baby blue are having a moment.

Tan sets are especially popular right now. One man wore his with a white T-shirt and a brown belt. You might also spot tons of baby-blue polos. A woman sported a tiered version of the top over a ruffled skirt.

Both attendees completed their looks with dark sunglasses and sneakers.

Tiny Hermès belts are making big statements.

The $735 belts are often extremely thin with delicate, gold H-shaped buckles — so you might miss them. One attendee wore hers with a black skirt, white tank top, tan flats, and a plum-colored sweater tied around her shoulders.

Scarves are being worn as belts and bag accessories.

A woman at the sporting event tied a colorful scarf around the handles of her yellow Prada purse, adding a contrast of color to her tan skirt, white sweater, and red top.

Polo Ralph Lauren, one of the event's sponsors, is also a fashion status symbol.

Attendees have been photographed wearing everything from the brand's hats to its jackets and polo shirts. Some have even worn multiple at the same time.

Some attendees have added Polo sweaters over their shoulders to elevate their looks.

A sweater on the shoulders adds a preppy twist to a US Open look. One group chose Polo sweaters with green-trimmed sleeves, adding a pop of color to their looks.

Accessories are also taking sweaters to the next level.

One attendee added large silver brooches to her cardigan to make it feel glitzier. Her hat, sunglasses, and neck scarf added to the ensemble.

• I take my kids, 11 and 13, out to eat at least four times a month.
• These meals out allow us to spend quality time together, without the distractions of our home.
• I see these outings as a worthwhile — and necessary — expense to help us stay connected.

I adore the thought of my kids' fingers covered in Zaddy sauce while eating a snow crab cluster, and their excitement as they bend the shell just right and devour a huge piece of meat after covering it with butter.

A night at Clawdaddy is one of my favorite dinners with my kids, 11 and 13. As a divorced mom, these meals out and the time we spend eating them together mean even more to me.

That's why I never want to give them up, even if these nights out are getting more and more expensive.

I love having more time with my kids

My desire to frequently go out to eat with my kids comes from the limited time I have with them. They are with me every other week, so two weeks of the month, plus a Wednesday dinner when it isn't my time.

I remember pleading for an extra Wednesday dinner during my divorce so that at least I could count on seeing my kids, who were 5 and 7 years old at the time, halfway through the week when I was apart from them.

For me, it meant there was always a dinner to plan or a reservation to make, and I looked forward to it. These dinners got me through the loneliness of adjusting to divorced motherhood.

Going out feels special

At first, going out to eat was a perfect way to adjust to this new chapter in our lives.

When the three of us shared a meal at a restaurant, I could feel the eyes of other diners on me, maybe wondering why I was alone having dinner with my young kids, but we just did our thing.

Sometimes it was the three of us sitting on the same side of the booth, and I loved it. I smiled as my kids pointed to what menu item they wanted to order, opened crayons, and I admired the drawing they were coloring. It felt special. We could be silly and laugh, and nothing mattered but us when we went out to eat. These dinners helped me feel more confident about being on my own that first year.

Sometimes we would hit up Olive Garden, or choose BBQ and ice cream, or maybe we'd go to Benihana for a surprise treat. As the years have gone by, going out to eat has only gotten more and more enjoyable, especially because my kids finally want to explore new foods and restaurants.

I still keep an eye on expenses

Eating out can get costly, but we do our best to stay within our means.

We usually end up dining out of the house around four times a month. Because of this, I plan our grocery budget around these outings.

I'm also spending less on other activities with my kids. Now, instead of buying tickets for the zoo, trampoline park, arcade, or the children's museums (plus the gift shop and snacks) like I did when they were younger, I spend about the same amount of money going out to eat. It's a new — and fun — way to make memories.

As my kids get older, I know these restaurant meals are a worthwhile investment. My kids have full schedules with long school days and extracurricular activities, and they are getting more independent, and want to spend time with their friends, so our limited time together can feel even more limited.

Our dinners are not just about food. We discuss life lessons, ups and downs I've lived through, and family stories. It's easier to focus on all of that when I'm not busy prepping the meal, cleaning the dishes, or fighting with other distractions at home.

At the table, I'm full of gratitude, sitting with my favorite people. When the bill comes, it's always worth every cent.

The new Apple Watch Ultra 4 was just announced, and the suped-up outdoor adventure wearable will officially launch on September 18, 2026. If you can't wait to get your hands (or wrists) on the device, you're in luck. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is now available to preorder at multiple retailers.

• See all colors at Amazon

The bulk of the upgrades for the Ultra 4 are internal and help bring the watch up to standards found in other devoted health and fitness trackers. The biggest improvements include longer battery life, enhanced heart rate and step tracking, and a brand-new Readiness score. The Ultra 4 will also work with a new suite of Audio Intelligence features, the most notable of which will be released later in the year.

We've highlighted everything you need to know about the Ultra 4 below, including where you can preorder the device and a breakdown of all of the best new features. If you're interested in something a little bit smaller and less expensive, you can check out the new Apple Watch Series 12. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is also still on sale and is the top pick for outdoor enthusiasts in our best Apple Watches guide.

How to preorder the Apple Watch Ultra 4

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 was initially made available for preorder through Apple. The device is now available to preorder on Amazon, and we expect preorders to launch at other retailers soon (including cellular providers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon). The 49mm watch starts at $799 and comes in natural and black titanium finishes.

What's the trade-in value for my current device?

If you're hoping to save some money, you can always try trading in an old device. Apple allows trade-ins on eligible items, including previous-generation Apple Watches, iPads, Macs, iPhones, and select Android devices. There's a full list of eligible devices and models on Apple's website, but you can explore the estimated maximum trade-in values for select products below:

What's new in the Apple Watch Ultra 4?

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 primarily offers internal upgrades, most notably across battery life, health and fitness tracking, and Audio Intelligence. Our team has yet to formally test the Apple Watch Ultra 4, so these facts and figures are reported by Apple. Some of these features can be found in other Apple Watch devices, including previous generations and the new Series 12. (*Denotes a forthcoming feature.)

1. Readiness score: The Readiness score offers a 0-10 rating based on activity, training, vitals, and sleep. Readiness will offer suggestions, including succinct recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It.
2. Longer battery life: The tagline for the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is "a battery you can't outrun," and the new device certainly puts that to the test. The Ultra 4 boasts up to 50 hours of battery life (up from 42 in Ultra 3) and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode (up from 72 hours).
3. Faster charging: Like previous generations, the Ultra 4 is fast-charge capable. Now, 15 minutes of charge can get up to 18 hours of normal use (up from 12 hours in the Ultra 3), and a five-minute charge can get up to 10 hours of sleep tracking (up from 8 hours).
4. Better step counting: The Ultra 4 offers improved step tracking thanks to the S11 chip and new machine learning models. In addition to improved daily step count data, this will enhance measurement accuracy for indoor walking and running workouts (e.g., on treadmills).
5. Enhanced heart rate sensing: The redesigned heart sensors provide high-frequency background heart rate tracking, including continuous measurements every five seconds. HRV (Heart Rate Variability) measurements have also been improved, with readings taken up to 24 times more often each day. The watch now provides Recovery HRV and overall HRV variants, viewable in a new section of the Heart Rate app.
6. Redesigned Health app*: Apple is revamping its health app, which will arrive later this year. The new Health app will be able to respond to Apple Intelligence data, including data collected from the Apple Watch, and offer detailed information in the new Insights and Longevity tabs (including a Health Age feature). There will also be new, optional integration for labs.
7. Audio Intelligence*: Apple's new Audio Intelligence features work in tandem with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 to offer special perks like Sound Recognition and Shazam. Siri Recap and Live Rewind will be available in beta later this year and will require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 16 or later (not the iPhone 16e).

• See also: Preorder Apple AirPods 5 | Best iPhone in 2026

Follow our WhatsApp channel on mobile for more buying guides, deals, and reviews.

• America's pile of homes for sale rose to a 10-year high last month, NAR data shows.
• The supply glut attests to how high mortgage rates have kept many buyers on the sidelines.
• Forecasters expect the slowdown to continue, with rates to remain elevated through 2026.

Homes for sale are piling up across America.

The US housing market recorded its largest supply glut in a decade in August, a sign that prospective homebuyers are struggling to break into the market as the fight against higher mortgage rates and increased economic uncertainty stemming from things like inflation and the Iran war

Given the current pace of sales, the market had 4.9 months of inventory in August, the highest level recorded in over 10 years, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Existing home sales dropped 2% for the month, the association said, citing high mortgage rates as a factor causing the dip in transaction activity.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate ticked up to 6.76% in the last week, according to Freddie Mac data, the highest average borrowing costs have been since the summer of 2025.

"The ample supply of homes for sale on the market is giving homebuyers better opportunities to negotiate," Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, said in a statement.

Home prices still rose for the month, a sign that demand remains supported overall by rising wages, despite sales dipping recently, the association said. The median sale price rose to $429,100 in August, up 1.6% year-over-year.

The housing market has been locked in a years-long deep freeze, thanks largely to higher borrowing costs that have deterred prospective buyers and incentivized homeowners to stay in place, since many financed their homes at lower rates.

The general expectation is for the housing market to continue to slow, particularly as fears flare about hotter inflation, which has pushed interest rate expectations higher across the economy.

Analysts at Capital Economics said they expect 2026 to be the weakest year for home sales in more than a decade, and predicted that the 30-year mortgage rate would likely stay above the 6% mark for at least the next two years.

In its outlook at the start 2026, Redfin predicted that mortgage rates would remain above the 6% mark for most of the year.

This month, Zillow's forecast pegged the 30-year fixed rate at 6.79% by the end of the year. The firm added that it expects home sales to remain "challenged."

• Business Insider compiled the nation's 25 universities that are the hardest to get into.
• Eight universities had an acceptance rate of under 5% in 2024.
• Fear of rejection is driving students to apply to more schools, pushing down admission rates.

People are applying to more colleges than ever before, but admission to some of the US's top universities remains highly competitive.

Using federal data from the National Center for Education Statistics, Business Insider compiled a list of the 25 universities in the US that are hardest to get into in 2024.

With a few exceptions, universities are generally larger institutions that offer a wide range of academic programs, including bachelor's and graduate degrees. They also often contain smaller colleges, such as colleges of education, engineering, or health sciences.

For the Class of 2028, admission rates at the hardest-to-get-into schools ranged from roughly 3% to 11% — and among the lowest were at Ivy Leagues, including Yale University, Harvard University, and Columbia University.

For instance, Yale University is the fourth-most competitive university on this list, with just about 4% of its 57,517 applicants admitted. Harvard's is 3.6%.

With acceptance rates at some highly selective schools falling to record lows in the latest admissions cycle, students may increasingly look to less competitive — and often cheaper — options.

A May post by the college consulting firm Top Tier Admissions, declining admission rates are partly driven by students becoming increasingly worried about being rejected by schools, leading to a huge spike in applications per student. That, however, breeds more selectivity, and the cycle continues, the firm said. The increasing use of "early decision" to lock in students has also let universities become choosier during the regular decision cycle.

See the 25 universities across the US with the lowest admission rates in 2024. For context, each school's tuition, applicants, student population, and most popular major were also included.

25. University of Notre Dame

Location: Notre Dame, Indiana

Applicants: 29,942

Acceptance rate: 11.3%

Student population: 13,000 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $69,280

Most popular major: Finance

24. Boston University

Location: Boston

Applicants: 78,769

Acceptance rate: 11.1%

Student population: 38,093 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $73,024

Most popular major: Business Administration and Management

23. University of California-Berkeley

Location: Berkeley, California

Applicants: 124,242

Acceptance rate: 11.0%

Student population: 45,882 students

2026-2027 Academic Year In-State Tuition: $18,214

Most popular major: Data science

22. Emory University

Location: Atlanta

Applicants: 33,450

Acceptance rate: 10.6%

Student population: 16,000 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $70,300

Most popular major: Management Sciences and Information Systems

21. University of Southern California

Location: Los Angeles

Applicants: 82,027

Acceptance rate: 9.8%

Student population: 46,000 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $75,384

Most popular major: Business

20. New York University

Location: New York City

Applicants: 110,807

Acceptance rate: 9.2%

Student population: 56,800 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,576

Most popular major: Visual and Performing Arts

19. University of California, Los Angeles

Location: Los Angeles

Applicants: 146,272

Acceptance rate: 9.0%

Student population: 49,013 students

2026-2027 Academic Year In-State Tuition: $16,430

Most popular major: Business Economics

18. Cornell University

Location: Ithaca, New York

Applicants: 62,993

Acceptance rate: 8.8%

Student population: 26,561 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $49,816

Most popular major: Computer Science

17. Rice University

Location: Houston

Applicants: 32,473

Acceptance rate: 8.0%

Student population: 9,200 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $71,140

Most popular major: Computer Science

16. Northwestern University

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Applicants: 49,474

Acceptance rate: 7.7%

Student population: 23,400 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $71,802

Most popular degree: Economics

15. Johns Hopkins University

Location: Baltimore

Applicants: 45,895

Acceptance rate: 6.4%

Student population: 30,210 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,670

Most popular major: Cellular and Molecular Biology

14. Vanderbilt University

Location: Nashville

Applicants: 45,409

Acceptance rate: 5.9%

Student population: 13,575 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $69,822

Most popular degree: Human and Organizational Development

13. Duke University

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Applicants: 51,795

Acceptance rate: 5.7%

Student population: 17,325 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $73,740

Most popular degree: Computer Science

10. Dartmouth College (tie)

Location: Hanover, New Hampshire

Applicants: 31,656

Acceptance rate: 5.4%

Student population: 6,900 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $71,697

Most popular major: Economics

10. University of Pennsylvania (tie)

Location: Philadelphia

Applicants: 65,226

Acceptance rate: 5.4%

Student population: 29,384 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $65,670

Most popular major: Business, Management and Related Support Services

10. Brown University (tie)

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Applicants: 48,904

Acceptance rate: 5.4%

Student population: 11,164 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $74,568

Most popular major: Computer Science

9. Northeastern University

Location: Boston

Applicants: 98,425

Acceptance rate: 5.2%

Student population: 47,367 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $70,000

Most popular major: Business, Management, and Engineering

8. Princeton University

Location: Princeton, New Jersey

Applicants: 40,468

Acceptance rate: 4.6%

Student population: 9,106 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,140

Most popular degree: Economics

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (tie)

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Applicants: 28,232

Acceptance rate: 4.5%

Student population: 11,816 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $92,760

Most popular major: Computer Science and Engineering

6. University of Chicago (tie)

Location: Chicago

Applicants: 43,612

Acceptance rate: 4.5%

Student population: 19,140 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $75,960

Most popular major: Economics

5. Columbia University

Location: New York City

Applicants: 60,115

Acceptance rate: 4.0%

Student population: 35,173 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $72,800

Most popular major: Computer Science

4. Yale University

Location: New Haven, Connecticut

Applicants: 57,517

Acceptance rate: 3.9%

Student population: 15,657 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $94,100

Most popular degree: Economics

2. Harvard University (tie)

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Applicants: 54,008

Acceptance rate: 3.6%

Student population: 24,317 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $62,226

Most popular major: Economics

2. Stanford University (tie)

Location: Stanford, California

Applicants: 57,326

Acceptance rate: 3.6%

Student population: 17,314 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $67,731

Most popular major: Computer Science

1. California Institute of Technology

Location: Pasadena, California

Applicants: 13,856

Acceptance rate: 2.6%

Student population: 2,368 students

2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition: $68,574

Most popular degree: Computer Science

Dress codes are tricky to interpret, and business casual might be the most confusing. That's because many offices and institutions have their own guidelines for what they consider to be appropriate. For men, that typically means chinos, khakis, or dark jeans paired with polos, button-downs, and the optional blazer. But what about footwear? Is a sneaker smart enough for a business casual setting or is a structured shoe the only option?

To help you find the best business-casual shoes for men, I tested some of the most popular footwear brands across a range of colors, styles, and price points. I wore them while walking city blocks, around the office, racing up and down flights of stairs, and even standing for hours at a time. Then I evaluated each pair on a number of factors, including fit, comfort, design, and quality.

Below are my picks for the best men's business casual shoes that will have you looking well-heeled in any situation.

If you're looking for dress shoes to wear to the office and beyond, check out our best dress shoes for men guide.

What men's shoes are considered business casual?

Business casual shoes for men typically include derbies, loafers, chukkas, Chelsea boots, lace-up boots, and some minimal sneakers.

"The best business casual shoes strike a balance between casual and refined — elevated beyond sneakers but never stiff or overly formal," says men's personal stylist Turner Allen. "Boots, like lace-ups, Chelsea boots, and chukkas, are great options, offering structure while still keeping the overall look relaxed. On the other hand, styles like penny loafers and derbies lean slightly more polished than boots, yet remain versatile enough to be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion."

The shoe's material is equally important, with leather and suede being the business casual standard. "Leather is polished and classic, making it a great choice for more structured environments," says Stitch Fix stylist Asa DeCarlo. "Suede, on the other hand, adds texture and feels a bit more relaxed — perfect for everyday wear."

As for colors, keep things neutral. "Brown is incredibly versatile — from light tan to deep chocolate — making it a great option for everyday wear," says Allen. "Black is great if your office leans more formal. And if you want something a bit different, burgundy is a great way to add depth without stepping too far outside your comfort zone."

Best overall: Meermin Silkcalf Blucher

Meermin's Silkcalf Blucher is hands-down the most stylish and comfortable shoe I tested. Its calfskin leather upper is luxuriously soft and supple, giving the shoe an already lived-in feel. While I struggled to slip into some of the other shoes I tested, my feet practically glided into the bluchers, thanks in part to Meermin's silky sheepskin leather lining.

My feet usually begin to ache after a few hours of wearing most shoes, but that wasn't the case with Meermin's bluchers, which run true to size. The slightly tapered toe box provided room for my toes to move without feeling cramped, and the durable latex sole was both comfortable and supportive as I spent full days walking around the city and the office.

Another reason Meermin's Blucher kicked the competition to the curb is that it's a truly versatile shoe. Because it's technically a derby, which has an open lacing system that lends a less formal vibe, it works with khakis, chinos, jeans, tailored trousers, and even a suit. I've paired the Brown bluchers with dark denim jeans, tan khakis, and gray chinos, and the shoes gave each look an instant upgrade — so much so that I've started to incorporate them into other outfits in my wardrobe.

I've gotten a lot of mileage out of these shoes, and they've held up nicely, with no signs of scuffing on the upper or wear on the sole. If you want a top-quality shoe you'll turn to time and again, Meermin's Silkcalf Blucher belongs in your collection.

Best budget: Quince Calfskin Leather Derby

I'm a longtime fan of Quince, a brand beloved for its affordable and excellent clothing and home essentials. Its bedding, towels, and sneakers are some of my personal favorites, and now I'm adding the Calfskin Leather Derby to my list. It's a handsome shoe, with detailed stitching on the upper and burnishing at the toe and heel that give it an antiqued appearance. The derby fits true to size and comes in Black, Brown, and Brandy, a reddish-brown hue that looks refined with tailored trousers and pops when paired with jeans.

Though the leather is structured, it was comfortable from the get-go and needed no breaking in. The upper had just the right amount of give, plus ample wiggle room in the rounded toe box. On many occasions, I've climbed four flights of stairs to my apartment in these shoes. The leather never pinched my skin and the flexible outsole kept my feet pain-free.

This is a well-crafted everyday shoe that looks more expensive than it actually is, and it's held up well after more than a month of wear. The leather still looks brand-new, with no scratches or scuffs. It's a budget shoe that's built to last.

Best splurge: Allen Edmonds Rivington Apron-Toe Derby Dress Shoe

Allen Edmonds makes one of the best office sneakers I've tested, and these derby shoes are also top-notch. They're crafted from buttery-soft suede, with an insole that's both cushioned and supportive — qualities I really appreciated as I trekked 40 minutes to a Broadway show and back again one evening. It was worth it: When I arrived at the theater, my friend showered me with compliments on the shoes.

The Bitter Chocolate Suede Rivington is a standout and looks striking paired with gray, navy, and earth tones such as tan, olive, and khaki. The upper's apron stitching lends additional interest. Considering their $450 price tag, these are not shoes I'd wear every day but ones I'd break out when I want to dress to impress, whether it's an important office meeting or a nice social gathering. Because they're suede, I don't wear them on days that call for rain, and I steer clear of parks, where they can get soiled by dirt. So far, the shoes have stayed spotless.

The Rivington derby, which fits true to size, is definitely an investment and requires extra care, but I think the superior craftsmanship makes it a worthy splurge. Plus, the shoes are Goodyear welted, so the soles can be replaced multiple times for years of use, ultimately saving money in the long run.

Best suede: Kenneth Cole Winston Suede Derby Lace-Up

Kenneth Cole has been creating fantastic footwear since 1982, so it's little wonder that the Winston Suede Derby Lace-Up landed on our list. From the moment I unboxed the Bark Suede shoes, I fell in love with the color and knew I had found my sole mate. It's unique — a kind of browinsh-greenish-gray hue — and visually stunning, and I love how it looks with tan chinos and dark denim.

But the Winston, which fits true to size, is so much more than just good looks — it's also ridiculously cushy, thanks to small gel pads that are incorporated into the insoles. They literally give me a bounce in my step, and I feel as though I'm walking on a cloud. The footbed is narrower than some of the other suede shoes I tested, but the pliable upper keeps my feet from feeling cramped. Kenneth Cole's Winston is a superb suede derby, and it's wallet-friendly to boot.

Best loafer: G.H. Bass Larson Weejuns Penny Loafers

Weejuns have been a staple of men's wardrobes for decades, worn by icons including President John F. Kennedy, James Dean, and Paul Newman. But truthfully, G.H. Bass's Larson Weejuns Penny Loafers almost didn't make this list. The loafers run big, so the site advises customers to order a half-size smaller. I did, and I broke a sweat as I spent about five minutes trying to cram my foot into them. Once on, they felt extremely tight, and the leather pinched my skin and caused some chafing.

But here's the thing: Weejuns need breaking in. No pain, no gain, as they say. After that initial run, they loosened up nicely and by the third wear, they fit like a dream. The leather had stretched out enough to accommodate my wide feet and the loafers slipped on and off effortlessly. If you'd rather not deal with the breaking-in period, Weejuns are also available in wide sizes.

Now, I'm smitten with these classic shoes, which come in a gorgeous Wine color that I love to wear with jeans and chinos. The thick sole is sturdy and durable underfoot, and because of its Goodyear welt, it can be easily resoled once worn down, making it a timeless wardrobe essential you can rely on for decades.

Best boot: Thursday Boot Company Scout Chukka Boot

Thursday Boot Company's Scout suede chukka was built for longevity. Its suede upper is treated to resist moisture, stains, and everyday wear, making it practical for regular use. The boot also has a stitchout construction, so the rubber soles are water resistant and replaceable once worn down.

The handcrafted suede chukkas come in a variety of versatile earth tones, including a sophisticated Mocha with subtle burnishing at the toes. From the moment I put them on, they fit like a glove and needed no break-in period. In fact, I stood for eight hours testing kitchen products in these boots, and my feet didn't ache or feel tired when I finally took them off.

The Scouts have only gotten better with time. The suede upper has softened and the leather midsole has molded to my feet. Priced at $160, Thursday's high-quality chukka costs half as much as similar styles and it's effortlessly cool, making it an obvious choice for the best boot.

Best sneaker alternative: Amberjack The Original

If I had my way, I'd wear sneakers everywhere, but most just aren't appropriate for business casual. That's why I love The Original shoe from Amberjack. It's not technically a sneaker, it is a hybrid. The full-grain leather upper has the stitched detailing and open lacing system of a derby, while the durable outsole offers sneaker-like flexibility and traction. The sole also comes in earthy colorways that are layered to create the illusion of a traditional heel, so the shoe fits any occasion.

The Original's silhouette is narrow but the leather upper has enough stretch that the shoes aren't tight. My feet felt supported and almost coddled as I tackled multiple city blocks and flights of subway stairs. So far, the shoes have held up well, with only minimal creasing and no visible scuffs or dirt.

Amberjack's shoe runs true to size and is truly a savior for people like me who practically live in sneakers. I've worn the Chestnut version with jeans and tailored trousers, and I'll definitely don them with a suit. If only they worked for black tie…

Best for jeans: Mephisto Marlon

The Mephisto Marlon shoe can really be worn with any style of pants, but I think the pebbled leather gives them a casual appearance that looks best with jeans. My friends clearly agree, as I got a lot of compliments on these derbies when I wore them with denim.

Mephisto's site says that the shoes run true to size, but I found them to be a little roomy right out of the box. I suggest wearing them with a thicker sock or even going down a half size as they will loosen up as they break in. That said, the Marlon is very comfortable, with a soft leather lining, cushioned footbed, padded tongue, and shock-absorbing heel. I wore them while traveling and they performed like a champ as I trod along concrete sidewalks, grassy paths, and cobblestone streets.

The Marlon derby is one of the more expensive shoes on our best list, but it's a practical option for everyday wear and it's built to endure. Because the upper is premium pebbled leather, scuffs, scratches, and other signs of wear are less obvious. And since the Goodyear-welt construction means the shoes can be resoled, you won't need to keep replacing them with a brand-new pair.

Best for khakis: Astorflex Brownflex Chukka Boot

Handcrafted in an Italian workshop that dates back six generations, the Astorflex Brownflex Chukka Boot has a velvety soft nubuck leather upper and cushy rubber sole. I like the Dark Chestnut color, which looks sharp paired with khakis in neutrals like beige, tan, and olive. The nubuck's color variations give the boots a lightly worn appearance that's refined but not run-down, making the chukkas a great choice for neutral-toned suits as well.

I found that the Brownflex's upper was a little stiff upon the first wear, but it acquired some stretch the second time I took the chukkas for a spin. The smooth, full leather lining made the boots easy to get on and off, and the ergonomic footbed provided excellent arch support. I was initially concerned that the hard, flat heel might make my feet ache but the rubber was much more flexible than I expected.

The boots have experienced some minor scuffing with wear, which is normal for nubuck. The scuffs can be treated with a gentle brush to blend in with the rest of the shoe, but right now I'm planning to leave them be since nubuck naturally develops a worn, rugged patina over time that I think adds character.

Best for wide feet: Florsheim Rucci Plain-Toe Chukka Boot

I have wide feet, so finding leather footwear that isn't binding has been a lifelong challenge. That's why Florsheim's Rucci chukka is a blessing. It's available in both standard and wide widths, but I found the standard to be just right. It has a broken-in feel that's soft and roomy, plus a silky-smooth lining and a cushioned footbed. These boots are not at all constricting, and their plush interior practically pampers my feet.

It's also worth noting that the Rucci also doesn't sacrifice style for comfort. This is a classy boot with detailed stitching and a sleek silhouette that can easily be dressed up or down. It comes in Black, Brown, and Cognac, a warm reddish-brown that pairs beautifully with gray and blue pants.

The Rucci boots have been in heavy rotation in my wardrobe and are showing only minor signs of wear. There's some creasing in the leather and the flexible outsole has natural scuffing. But otherwise, they continue to shine on.

Best Oxford: Johnston & Murphy Conard 2.0 Cap Toe

Oxfords differ from derbies in that oxfords have a closed lacing system. Instead of being exposed, the ends of the side tabs containing the eyelets are hidden under the vamp. This gives the shoe a streamlined silhouette that some consider too formal for jeans or business attire. But if you choose an oxford in matte leather or suede or one with brogueing, you can pull it off.

That's why Johnston & Murphy's Conard 2.0 Cap Toe made our list. It has beautiful brogueing at the toe box, vamp, and counter, and the Tan Full Grain color works just as well with jeans as it does tailored trousers. Plus, it's a very attractive shoe at a reasonable price point.

When I first unboxed the oxfords, however, I was concerned. They looked narrow and stiff, similar to pairs that make my feet throb and give me blisters. But once I took them out of the box, I realized they were actually very lightweight and pliable. I didn't struggle to get them on, and they didn't cut into my feet. Because they're cushioned at the footbed, tongue, and heel, they felt much like a sneaker and I experienced no pain, just bliss.

What to consider when shopping

When building a business casual wardrobe, your shoe should serve as the foundation of your look rather than a secondary thought, says Amanda Massi, a personal stylist who dresses founders, creatives, and executives. She's particularly fond of tassel loafers, double monk strap styles, and the sleek Chelsea boot.

"The tassel loafer offers a classic, archival charm that suggests a level of effortless luxury, while the double monk strap provides an architectural edge with its bold hardware," she explains. "For those navigating the diverse climates, a refined Chelsea boot provides a streamlined look that transitions perfectly from a high-stakes meeting to a red-carpet event."

Derbies and chukkas are also excellent options, but the penny loafer is the undisputed champion of versatility. "It balances the line between formal and relaxed with unparalleled ease," says Massi. "Whether paired with structured chinos, dark denim, or even a casual khaki, a well-crafted loafer maintains a high-end aesthetic without feeling overdone." Leather loafers lean more polished, adds DeCarlo, while suede softens a look.

Most oxfords are too formal for business casual settings, but DeCarlo doesn't rule them out. "It really depends on your workplace and how you style them," she says. "In more traditional offices, a simple matte leather oxford can work well with tailored trousers." Suede and brogueing can also tone down the dressiness of an oxford for a more laid-back look.

FAQs

What shoes are considered business casual for men?

Derbies, loafers, chukka boots, Chelsea boots, and refined lace-up boots are all reliable business casual choices. Minimal leather sneakers can work in more relaxed offices, but avoid athletic styles, bright colors, large logos, and chunky white soles.

Are sneakers business casual?

Sometimes. A streamlined, low-profile sneaker in leather or suede can suit a casual office, especially when paired with chinos or tailored trousers. For a more formal workplace, a derby, loafer, or boot is a safer bet.

Can you wear loafers with business casual outfits?

Yes. Penny loafers are especially well-suited to business casual outfits and look great with chinos, trousers, and dark denim. Just keep in mind that leather loafers may need a short break-in period, and some styles run large.

What color business casual shoes should men wear?

Brown is the easiest everyday choice, with shades from tan to dark chocolate pairing well with navy, gray, olive, and khaki. Black shoes tend to work best in more formal offices, while burgundy adds personality without being too bold.

Are boots appropriate for business casual?

Absolutely. Chukka boots, Chelsea boots, and sleek lace-up boots add structure to an otherwise casual outfit. Leather and suede styles in neutral colors are the easiest to pair with jeans, chinos, and tailored pants.

How should business casual shoes fit?

Your shoes should feel secure at the heel with enough room in the toe box for your toes to move comfortably. Leather shoes may loosen slightly with wear, but they should not cause pinching, numbness, or painful rubbing from the start.

• Niche ranked the best party colleges in the US based on student data about campus party culture.
• A school's party scene can be a big draw for some incoming students.
• Florida State University was ranked as the top party school for 2027.

From which schools offer the best classes to what kind of professional network they want to build, college decisions can be a complicated question for students and their families to navigate.

But for some students, it also comes down to one thing: where they'll have the most fun outside class.

This year, Florida State University is the place to be. It was ranked the No. 1 party school in the US for 2027 by Niche.

Some schools hold large events during homecoming or football seasons, while others keep them going year-round. One school, the University of Miami, for example, has a boat-burning ceremony in which scores of students gather around Lake Osceola in Coral Gables, Florida, to watch a boat burn as part of homecoming events.

At some schools, party culture centers on tailgating and football games, while at others, large off-campus parties are the main social events.

Every year, Niche publishes a list of the best party schools in the US as part of its annual best colleges list. The site uses student surveys of the party scene on campus, ratings for athletics and Greek life, and access to bars and restaurants based on US Census data to determine the ranking.

Whether it's large state schools or smaller colleges with tight-knit communities, these are the 15 schools across the US where students party the hardest in 2026 and 2027.

15. Howard University in Washington, DC

Howard University, a historically Black college, was named the 15th-best party school in the US.

Known as "The Mecca," the school is the alma mater of key figures such as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, but that doesn't mean that students sacrifice fun for academics.

The Washington, DC, school has a large and engaged Greek life scene. Some students attend "Thirsty Thursdays" parties or darties (day parties) between classes, The Root reported.

"The good parties are off campus," one student wrote on Niche. "If you're not a party person, there are so many organizations to be a part of, so you will find your people."

14. Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University was ranked the 14th-best party school in the nation by Niche.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, students marked the end of the school year with Mayfest, a celebration that featured performances and parties. While the tradition hasn't returned, it has inspired different events at the end of the spring semester, such as 2023's "Block Darty."

Even as traditions change, Syracuse has kept its party-school reputation thanks to its large Greek life scene.

In October, students celebrate homecoming with tailgates, networking events, and open house tours of campus buildings.

"The party culture is very fun," one student wrote on Niche, while another added that "the overall culture was overly centered around Greek life and partying."

13. University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

With 71 social Greek life chapters, the University of Alabama has been one of the nation's largest fraternity and sorority communities in terms of active membership since 2021.

"Bama Rush," a 2023 documentary, took viewers inside the high-stakes world of sororities at the school, showing the fashion, culture, and shortcomings of Greek-life recruitment.

"I have loved the first few weeks that I have been part of the UA community," a university freshman wrote on Niche, adding that they'd "made connections with students from all over the country, and that has been an eye-opening experience for me."

12. University of Texas—Austin in Austin

At UT Austin, the party scene often centers on game days, campus traditions, and the bars and venues along nearby West Campus and Sixth Street.

Football weekends during the fall bring students, alumni, and visitors together for tailgates, concerts, and late-night celebrations across the city.

"The party scene is also just as lively as the people here. You'll always be able to find an event on weekends, from frat/sorority house parties to student organization events and an iconic bar street," one freshman wrote on Niche.

11. Morgan State University in Baltimore

Morgan State University in Baltimore ranked 11th in Niche's national ranking.

Students at the HBCU often gather for large block parties and daytime events, while homecoming brings an even bigger campus-wide celebration. The annual festivities typically include major concerts, alumni events, and parties across campus.

"The party life is very lively, there's always something going on, and there is literally something at Morgan for EVERYBODY," one freshman wrote on Niche.

10. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois

Famous for its party-school reputation, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranked 10th among party schools.

The school, which is also ranked the best public university in Illinois by Niche, has repeatedly been ranked a top party school. In 2015, the then-university chancellor, Phyllis Wise, told CNN that the school wasn't proud of the label.

Still, students enjoy a vibrant party culture, which includes the famous Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day celebration during the first week of March, when students party through the weekend in an alternative to the traditional Saint Patrick's Day, which falls during the school's spring break.

One student on Niche described the school as the "definition of study hard, party harder," while another wrote that "the party scene is amazing," and the school is "overall a great place to go to college if you are willing to be outgoing."

9. West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University also made it to the top 10, after Niche named it the ninth-best party school in the US.

Located in Morgantown, the school's social life is shaped by Mountaineers athletics, Greek life, and campus traditions. Its Greek community hosts more than 70 social, professional, academic, service, interest-based, and honorary fraternal organizations, per the school.

"West Virginia University is a big school with a lot to offer for many different people," one student wrote on Niche. "I would recommend it to someone who is willing to go out of their way to find their community. Due to the size and party nature of the school, it can be easy to feel isolated if you don't fit in with the average WVU student. Otherwise, the nature and campus are beautiful, and the academics are great."

Another student on the site highlighted the school's other "types of fun ways to spend the night that don't have to involve alcohol" like the free, late-night UpAllNight event hosted by the school every weekend over the fall and spring semesters, which puts on free events like game shows, bingo, trivia, bowling, billiards, and other activities for students who want to party without the alcohol.

8. University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia

The University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, was ranked the eighth-best party school in the nation.

The school's party reputation comes partly from its large Greek life scene, in which over 30% of undergrad students participate, the Red and Black student newspaper reported. The school also has a large football fan base, and every year, students and alums celebrate homecoming with parades, tailgates, and other events.

"Although the academics are hard, the party scene and friendships made will be worth it all," one student wrote on Niche.

7. The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio

The social scene on campus at Ohio State is vibrant, with Buckeyes football, student organizations, and Greek life often filling up students' free time.

The school's homecoming celebrations are large and historic, with the tradition dating back to 1912. Celebrations last a week and include alumni reunions and a parade.

"It is a great school if you are looking to party, be involved, and get a good education," one student wrote on Niche.

6. The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania

Penn State was ranked the sixth-best party school in the US.

Student life at the University Park school is often defined by football, Greek life, and student-led traditions like THON, a student-run charity dance marathon in which 400 student organizations and over 16,000 students participate each year, per the school.

"There's always something happening, whether it's a club event, a speaker, a game, or just a random Tuesday that turns into a great night with friends," one student wrote on Niche.

5. University of Southern California in Los Angeles

The University of Southern California in Los Angeles was ranked the fifth-best party school in the US.

The school, which has an acceptance rate of only 10% and a total cost of attendance of over $100,000, per its website, has one of the largest college football teams in the western US.

Each year, students welcome the Trojans back to Los Angeles during a weeklong homecoming celebration.

Part of the school's party ranking is thanks to its large Greek life scene, which often hosts parties at fraternity houses, welcoming students and their parents, including Will Ferrell.

"The social and party life is unmatched," one student wrote on Niche.

4. University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio

The Catholic school balances religious life with its party scene and has a student experience shaped by Greek life, 240 student organizations, athletics, and on-campus student housing, which some students opt for during all four years of undergrad.

One of the largest events at the school is Christmas on Campus, when the campus community gathers to welcome children from the Dayton community to a tree-lighting ceremony, a mass, winter displays, and seasonal foods like hot cocoa and decorated cookies.

"You won't feel as if you don't have a friend," one student wrote on Niche.

"Partying and the weekend are a big part of campus life," another said. One student mentioned that the weekend often starts as early as Wednesday for students at the school.

3. University of Wisconsin—Madison in Madison, Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin—Madison was ranked third on the list.

Students at UW—Madison have access to various social activities, including recreational, leadership-based, and philanthropic activities. The school also has more than 60 Greek organizations.

"There is a good campus life and downtown Madison is a great place for socializing and interacting with others," one college junior wrote about the school on Niche. "Most people here want to see you succeed, and it is a very enjoyable experience."

2. Tulane University in New Orleans

Tulane University, which The Wall Street Journal ranked the top party school last year, is the second-best party school on Niche's 2027 list and the sixth-best school for Greek life in the US, per Niche's 2027 ranking.

Famous for its spirited campus atmosphere, especially during Mardi Gras, this New Orleans university enjoys its party-school reputation because of its location and front-row access to the city's vibrant culture.

In addition to off-site bars and eateries, the college has 25 Greek chapters and more than 200 social clubs, such as the Just Dance Club, the Improv Club, and even a crochet club.

One college freshman summarized it best: "The school is the definition of work hard, play hard(er)!"

1. Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida

The best party school is Florida State, which also ranked as the best school for Greek life in the US in another Niche ranking.

Sports are a huge part of campus life, with many students supporting a variety of athletics, from football to golf. When they're not rooting for their fellow classmates, students at FSU enjoy being part of the more than 700 clubs on campus.

"FSU is a place that accommodates many lifestyles and types of people," a college sophomore wrote on Niche, emphasizing that students with wide-ranging interests could enjoy themselves. "You can have an amazing time here without taking a sip of alcohol or ever going to any of the many nightclubs because there's always something happening right on campus."

Fresh off Apple's new iPhone Duo announcement, the freshly released Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra are down to their best stand-alone deal prices yet. For a limited time, you can get up to $300 off a new device, no trade-in or carrier contract required.

Samsung's been in the foldable game for considerably longer than Apple, and the brand debuted its passport-shaped Fold 8 earlier this year, aiming for the same convenient form factor. Whether you prefer the shorter display or the traditional, narrow shape of the Ultra, both are on sale, but we don't know how long the deal will last.

Get $300 off the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and $250 off the Z Fold 8

The big deal for folding smartphones this year is a new, passport-like shape designed to fit better in your hand and optimize daily browsing. The Z Fold 8 broke the mold when it debuted with this silhouette, and Apple has now followed suit with the iPhone Duo. Starting at only $1,650 (a $250 discount), the new Fold is perfect for social media users, streaming viewers, and casual photographers.

For fans of the classic, narrow shape, the new generation is kept alive with the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Architected with Samsung's tried-and-true folding screen and hinge, the phone boasts a better camera, longer battery life, and faster charging than ever. Down to $1,800, this is a steal for the latest foldable for Android users.

After you pick up your phone, don't forget to check out my guide to the best Z Fold 8 cases and Z Fold 8 Ultra cases to keep your device safe from harm. You won't need a shield for the internal, folding screen — in fact, you shouldn't even try to add one — but you can also check out my guide to the best Z Fold 8 Ultra screen protectors to keep your outer screen safe.

The Z Flip 8 is $150 off, too.

More interested in something like a traditional flip phone? Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8 is also on sale, down by $150 with no strings attached.

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

• OpenAI announced a ChatGPT product specifically for financial services on Thursday.
• The product aims to surface better financial data for bankers and analysts.
• Many banks and financial institutions, like Morgan Stanley, adopted ChatGPT early on.

ChatGPT's role on Wall Street is evolving.

OpenAI announced ChatGPT for Financial Services on Thursday, its latest foray into crafting AI tools for specific sectors. The product will bring a new glut of financial data directly into ChatGPT and provide bankers with a new way to check the tool's work.

As OpenAI prepares for a gigantic initial public offering expected in 2027, its latest release fits into two of its larger strategies: selling tools companies can use to automate work and building on its core AI products with industry-specific offerings.

The finance industry has already started embracing AI tools. Morgan Stanley adopted ChatGPT early on, and leaders across Wall Street are pouring time and money into figuring out new ways to use AI.

OpenAI's new product will let users work with financial datasets from Daloopa, PitchBook, and LSEG News without needing separate contracts or subscriptions. The company says bringing this data under the hood of ChatGPT will get analysts information more quickly and in better formats.

Financial analysts will also get a new way to check ChatGPT's data work. They can get "granular citations" for information, letting them "trace figures and claims back to their sources, and check the evidence as their analysis develops," OpenAI's press release said.

OpenAI said it has improved its existing financial data features in ChatGPT and is working to add data from other providers, such as S&P Capital IQ, Factiva, and Moody's.

GPT-6 Astra, the company's latest model, can retrieve the right information, run financial analyses, and then synthesize those findings, OpenAI wrote.

The company plans to use this launch and its partnerships with banks to make more improvements down the road, saying it will train its models to "find, interpret, and use this data like we know the best analysts can."

Sarah Friar, the chief financial officer steering OpenAI through the buildup to its IPO, teased the financial services announcement at a Goldman Sachs conference on Tuesday. She named the banking focus alongside areas like chip design, life sciences, personal finance, and health.

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

• My family of five lived in my parents' house for five months before moving out.
• My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, and we wanted them to have their space back.
• It's been an adjustment living in our own home again.

The first thing I noticed was the silence. Waking up in our new home, we found it so quiet in the mornings.

Whereas a few weeks ago, I'd hear my dad shuffling around upstairs making his early-morning tea, or my mom listening to Reels, our house was suddenly deathly quiet before the kids opened their eyes.

August marked five months since we began living with my folks in my childhood home. They'd kindly offered my family of five the bottom level of their two-story house after we relocated from country Victoria in Australia to the Gold Coast, where I grew up.

The multi-generational living arrangement worked really well and was a success overall. But when my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in June, we decided it was time for us to move on. In August, we moved into our own home, about 10 minutes' drive from my parents.

Since our multigenerational living experience has come to an end, the feelings that have bubbled to the surface have been interesting. Happiness, sadness, guilt, and relief all at once.

I know that we couldn't continue living with my parents forever. They're 77 and 81. They need their own space and vice versa. But the feeling is generally bittersweet.

We've gained a lot since moving out

In our new home, we can all totter around in our undies, without having to worry about feeling awkward. If my husband and I have a blow-up, there's nobody within earshot, and I think that we are getting on better in general now that we have our own space.

Our three kids also have their own rooms, which they are really enjoying (they were all piled into one bedroom at my folks' place). We no longer have to worry about the children being disruptive or navigate challenges like illnesses, different routines, or keeping shared spaces clean and tidy all the time.

Having privacy again is a simple pleasure I really missed.

But there are also a few things we've lost

While I love solitude and am generally introverted, I find myself missing certain aspects of multi-generational living. My morning cups of tea with my dad, for example, when we'd sit on his veranda and chat in the sunshine, or not talk at all.

I also miss the lunchtime discussions with Mom. Even if it was for 15 minutes lying on her bed and having a laugh about something silly.

Though we try to drop in and visit Mom and Dad regularly, we don't necessarily see them every day. I'm hoping that in the long run, we'll have quality time together, rather than quantity.

My folks are having mixed feelings, too

I know without a doubt that my folks adore our kids, but I do think they were finding it a bit much toward the end of our living arrangement. They, too, are relieved, but sad it's over.

At one point, before we moved out, Mom mentioned she was looking forward to having her house back, then felt guilty about her comments and tried to backtrack. The very next day, she was begging us to stay an extra week.

I think for Mom, who struggled with empty-nest syndrome when my siblings and I moved out, this whole situation has been a bit like empty-nest 2.0. Their house has gone from being a hive of activity, with grandchildren doing cartwheels in the living room and having laughing fits after dinner, to eerily quiet.

It's an adjustment we're navigating together

Living with my parents again after so many years apart was a gift, even if there were challenges. I think what makes this next chapter bittersweet is that we didn't leave because we hated each other's company; we left because we love my folks enough not to want to be a burden on them.

While we no longer share a roof, I'm hoping we can continue making memories and really enjoy the time we do spend together. I'm making a concerted effort to invite my folks over for weekly dinners, and we may even start a monthly family games night.

My mom and dad were my first home, and they will always be welcome in ours.

• The 49ers and Rams took very different approaches to getting to their upcoming game in Melbourne.
• The 49ers have been in Australia for a week. The Rams opted for a last-minute arrival.
• The two strategies highlight the different ways people tackle work trips.

Wondering about the best way to plan your next work trip? A bunch of football players might hold the answer.

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Los Angeles Rams Thursday in a clash of divisional rivals AND warring ideologies over the best way to travel for work.

The game kicks off from Melbourne, Australia, at 8:35 p.m. ET on Netflix because the NFL won't stop until it has more money than God growing its global football fandom. International games aren't new to the league, but the 17-hour time difference between Melbourne and California makes for a massive travel challenge.

And the teams playing are taking very different approaches to their roughly 16-hour flights.

The 49ers got to Melbourne almost a week ago, choosing to arrive early to acclimate to the time change. The Rams, meanwhile, departed LA on Tuesday night, arriving roughly 24 hours before kickoff. When it's all said and done, they'll spend about as much time traveling to and from Melbourne as they do actually being there.

It's a strategy both teams have used before.

In recent years, the 49ers have avoided traveling home four different times when they've had back-to-back games far from San Francisco. Last year, the Rams didn't get to London until about 30 hours before kickoff, choosing to set up camp in Baltimore, where they had played the previous week.

Both approaches were successful — the 49ers went 7-1 on those four road trips, and the Rams swept their games in Baltimore and London.

But Australia is a completely different animal.

No right answers when traveling for work

The Rams and 49ers' differing approaches highlight the wide range of opinions people have on the best way to travel.

At the World Economic Forum in Switzerland this year, I asked executives for tips for long-haul flights. There wasn't a consensus.

"Just sleep whenever you can," David Steinbach, Global Chief Investment Officer at Hines, told me in January. "It is a deficit, and you just try to build it back anyway you can."

"I don't try to get on any time. I just kind of let the body guide you," he added.

Meanwhile …

"My biggest thing is getting on the plane and immediately going into the time zone I'm going into," Lisa Stevens, Aon's Chief Administrative Officer, told me. "I don't oversleep."

(For what it's worth, I try getting sleep on red-eye flights right away. But I'll be damned if I won't accept a free meal when they start handing them out.)

One thing the two NFL teams did agree on: How to get there. The Rams and 49ers both took the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft. In a video from inside the plane, Rams player Byron Young called the setup "boujee."

On the field … or conference hall

You might argue that either team's success or failure doesn't correlate with the work most of us do. I die a little inside when executives compare themselves to professional athletes in LinkedIn posts, but the physical and mental aspects of work travel weigh on us all.

You might not need to run a 40-yard dash, but you will get your steps in at a spread-out conference. And you're wrong if you don't think the NFL is a thinking man's game. Can you identify split-field zone coverage that's been disguised with some fake blitzes? Didn't think so.

Don't rush to book your work trip based on tonight's results, though. Jet lag can have a long tail, something the 49ers have seen firsthand. San Francisco went 1-3 in the next game after those four extended road trips I mentioned before.

Bill Simmons, a sports media personality who has talked about this topic extensively, said he could see the 49ers winning tonight but struggling in the weeks to come as they readjust after their long acclimation in Australia.

As for oddsmakers, they're giving the edge to the Rams, who are 3.5-point favorites. That means the Rams need to win by at least 4 points for your bet to hit. (I wouldn't take that action, but I'm also not in a position to be giving anyone gambling advice.)

It's tough to read too much into the odds since the Rams are viewed as the favorite to win the Super Bowl.

But if they get that far, they won't have to worry about travel logistics.

This season's Super Bowl is being held at SoFi Stadium … home to the Los Angeles Rams.

• Drivers are getting an unwelcome September surprise at the pump.
• Escalating Middle East tensions have kept oil prices elevated since March.
• An analyst warns high gas prices have filtered into retail shocks — and could hurt small businesses.

Filling up is getting more painful by the day.

The national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose to $4.28 on Thursday, up 6 cents in 24 hours and 13 cents over the past two days, according to AAA.

That's $1.08 more per gallon than drivers were paying a year ago.

The price jump comes as the six-month war between the US and Iran enters another dangerous new phase for global oil supplies.

US forces have struck several Iranian oil tankers in recent days, while Iran has attacked ships and a US base in Jordan on Tuesday. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have also set Saudi oil facilities ablaze and threatened shipping in the Red Sea.

Those attacks have further squeezed a market already strained by the near-shutdown of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carried roughly 20% of the world's oil before the war.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose above $100 a barrel on Wednesday and Thursday, though it remains below its April wartime high of $126.41. Before the escalating conflict, Brent prices had stayed below $100 a barrel since 2022.

Now, drivers are feeling it from coast to coast. California had the country's highest average regular-gas price on Thursday, at $5.89 a gallon, according to AAA. Indiana had the lowest, at $3.56.

Diesel, a key cost for trucking and freight, hit a record national average of $5.94 a gallon. That, economists warn, has added to inflation beyond the pump.

Carol Spieckerman, a retail analyst, told Business Insider that the impact of higher gas prices is "far-reaching and underestimated" for the entire US economy. She said that higher fuel costs have led to higher prices for airline tickets, groceries, and petroleum-based products — and those higher prices are harder for small businesses to weather.

"If you're a specialty retailer in a single market, higher gas prices mean fewer shopping trips and more cautious spending when customers do show up," she said.

"By comparison, retailers like Walmart that serve as convenient one-stop shops and offer delivery in many areas will benefit. Amazon, which requires no travel at all, obviously gains ground."

For now, Americans are once again confronting a familiar reality: higher costs everywhere — from the checkout line to the gas pump.

• SpaceX filed a lawsuit in Texas to block the release of Terafab tax-break records.
• The public has criticized tech companies building AI infrastructure for a lack of transparency.
• Elon Musk said the Terafab facility could vastly increase the global supply of semiconductor chips.

Americans say they want transparency from AI companies.

Someone tell Elon Musk.

SpaceX filed a lawsuit in Texas this week to block the release of records related to tax breaks it received for Terafab, the 100-million-square-foot semiconductor factory it is building near Houston.

The records, which Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office said in July should be released, include SpaceX's tax-abatement application and negotiations between SpaceX and Grimes County officials related to it.

The lawsuit comes as hyperscale data centers and other large AI projects face nationwide backlash from Americans, many of whom are demanding greater transparency from the tech companies building the centers in their communities.

Public Citizen, a progressive think tank, published a report in July detailing what it described as extensive use of non-disclosure agreements between local officials and data center developers.

"These secrecy agreements are shutting the public out of decisions that could shape their rates for decades," the report said.

In a recent interview with ABC News, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said data center developers aren't gaining local residents' support before pursuing projects.

Other leading tech companies, like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Meta, are trumpeting transparency as they race to build the centers they require to power AI growth.

In a March blog post, Microsoft pledged to stop using nondisclosure agreements with local governments "as the next step in our work to deliver that transparency."

SpaceX seems to be taking a different approach.

The company said in the suit that the records related to tax breaks contain "confidential information," and that releasing them "would reveal SpaceX's negotiating strategy, concessions, and limits to every jurisdiction, competitor, and counterparty with which SpaceX negotiates in the future."

The Terafab project is a joint venture with Tesla and Intel. Musk has said that, once online, it could vastly increase the global supply of semiconductor chips, which are crucial for both SpaceX's plans for AI data centers and Tesla's rollout of autonomous robotaxis and humanoid robots.

The records were originally requested by Marie Egyed and Vanessa Burzynski, two residents of Grimes County. Paxton's office said in July that records concerning Terafab's tax break and certain email chains did not qualify for exemptions that would block their release.

SpaceX agreed to pay the county $20 million every year, or about 78% of what it would have paid in property taxes, SpaceX attorney Bucky Brannen told residents at a county meeting in August.

Egyed is a member of the Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development, a group that has opposed Terafab's development. In a text message, she said SpaceX's suit to block the tax abatement records "certainly makes you want to know what's in them."

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

Though SpaceX is a private company, records sought by Egyed are in possession of Grimes County, thereby making them subject to the Texas Public Information Act.

A judge has not yet ruled on the matter.

• YouTube creator Markiplier became the center of a meme-stock bonanza around camera company GoPro.
• He bought an 8.5% stake in GoPro and is now poised to get a cash payment from its planned merger.
• Markiplier said he finds the proposed deal disappointing and would vote against it.

YouTube creator Markiplier doesn't like GoPro's plans to merge with an optical transceiver company, though he stands to get a $15 million check from the deal.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm disappointed," he told Business Insider. "I would vote against the deal."

Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, runs a YouTube channel with nearly 40 million subscribers. He's also a filmmaker who wrote, directed, and starred in the early 2026 box-office hit "Iron Lung."

A self-described lens obsessive, his stake in GoPro reached 8.5% in July. He said he built his position after learning GoPro was introducing a new camera with capabilities similar to those of a professional cinema product. He became GoPro's largest external shareholder and sparked a meme-stock rally when he did an interview with Bloomberg about his investment in August.

Days after the interview, GoPro announced plans to merge with Starman Optical. Should the deal go through, Markiplier would receive a cash payment of around $15 million ($1.14 for each of his 13.5 million shares), according to the merger terms. Existing shareholders would also retain about 10% of the company after the deal.

If Markiplier bought all of his GoPro shares on July 13, the day he hit 8.5% ownership, his profit from the cash payout would be around $5 million. His potential profit may be smaller if he accumulated some of those shares earlier, when the stock price was higher. Fischbach did not respond to a request for more information on how much he would take home from the proposed merger.

GoPro's stock closed at $1.42 per share on Wednesday.

Despite a potential windfall, Fischbach said he's worried the company will lose its camera focus and move into optical connectors for AI data centers or other unrelated business lines flagged in the merger announcement.

"I want this camera company to succeed," he said.

A GoPro spokesperson said the company plans to continue investing in consumer and professional cameras, pointing to a September 3 letter from founder and CEO Nick Woodman, in which he wrote that making cameras was part of the company's "core DNA and reason for being."

As of May, Woodman had about 62% voting power over the company, meaning his support for the Starman merger would override objections from other shareholders.

Markiplier is part of a growing class of YouTube millionaires who are turning to investing to build wealth. Content creators, like Hollywood celebrities, can inspire hype for a company or stock simply by talking about it.

YouTuber Logan Paul helped drum up interest in buying Pokémon cards last year after posting about his rare Pikachu card, for example. Snap's stock price fell in 2018 after Kylie Jenner posted on social media that she didn't open Snapchat anymore. Some influencers have come under scrutiny for hyping volatile assets like crypto coins.

"I knew that there would be some people that would want to invest as soon as they found out that I was," Fischbach said of his GoPro stake.

"I was trying to be very cognizant of that," he added, and said he "never wanted to be in the position where people could think that I was manipulating in any way."

Markiplier's wild stock market adventure

When Markiplier became GoPro's largest external shareholder in July, he said he didn't immediately realize he needed to file a disclosure form with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"It's not something where you get an email when you're like, 'You own more than 5%, you need to do a filing,'" he said. "You actually have to just look at the outstanding shares and just do a calculation on your own."

Passive investors who cross 5% ownership in a company are obligated to file with the SEC within five business days. Markiplier's filing, which is dated August 20, says he crossed the 5% threshold on July 13.

His investment didn't become widely known until August 30, when his interview with Bloomberg was published.

"I just knew that when word got out, it would probably have an effect, but I didn't know it would have that dramatic of an effect," Fischbach said of the stock rally that followed. He said he didn't want to "pump the stock," and that he hasn't sold his shares.

The speedy escalation of events, from his July investment to GoPro's September merger announcement, led some internet commentators to question his level of involvement with the company, particularly after he posted a sponsored video for GoPro in late August. (He later added a disclosure in the video's description, saying he was GoPro's "largest shareholder.")

"I have thick skin about certain things, and I understand that the nuance can be lost," he said. "I have no influence on the company. And to put it out there, I had no idea that this merger was happening, especially considering the way that it turned out."

What's next for Markiplier

After releasing a movie earlier this year and becoming a main character in a meme-stock roller coaster, Fischbach said he's taking a step back to plan his next project.

As an investor, he's interested in companies that solve problems he's encountered as a content creator and filmmaker. Beyond GoPro, he recently invested in the video-editing data storage company Strada, for example.

"I try not to make investments in things that I don't understand," he said, adding that he looks for companies that are "trying to make an impact so that more people can be creative."

He's also beginning to think about his next project, though he said he's taking a moment to recover from all the work that went into "Iron Lung."

"I'm exhausted, but also I am very eager to get back into it," he said. "I'm trying to take it one day at a time, but the to-do list piles up really quickly."

• Trump has promised free money to Americans multiple times during his second term.
• That includes bonuses for certain government employees and checks for everyday Americans.
• Here are all of the times he's proposed giving money to people, and where each idea stands.

President Donald Trump really wants to send you a check.

Throughout his second term, Trump has pledged to send Americans money in various ways, including tariff rebate checks and bonuses to select government employees.

Some of that free money is actually becoming a reality: Congress created "Trump Accounts" as part of the "Big Beautiful Bill," which will provide tax-free federal grants of $1,000 to children born in the next few years.

Others remain elusive, or have fallen by the wayside. Remember the DOGE dividend?

Trump also sent out checks during his first term, but under much different circumstances. As part of two successive COVID-era stimulus bills, the federal government sent Americans $1,200 in the spring of 2020 and $600 in the winter, shortly before the president left office.

Trump's signature appeared on those checks, which was a source of controversy during a presidential election year.

Here are all of the instances of free money that Trump has promised or floated during his second term.

$5,000 DOGE dividends

In February 2025, investor James Fishback floated the idea of sending $5,000 "DOGE Dividend" checks to almost 80 million taxpaying American households.

Those checks would have been paid for by spending cuts achieved by DOGE, the government efficiency office led by Elon Musk at the time.

The idea quickly caught Musk's attention, and Trump eventually said that the idea was under consideration.

But there were some problems. For one, the $5,000 figure was based on Musk's original estimate of $2 trillion in savings, which never materialized.

Republicans in Congress also balked at the idea, saying they preferred to see a reduction in the national debt.

"I mean, politically, that would be great for us," House Speaker Mike Johnson said at the time. "But if you think about our core principles, right? Fiscal responsibility is what we do."

The idea eventually faded, though Trump's political operation has continued to float it in fundraising emails.

$2,000 tariff rebate checks

While defending tariffs in a November 2025 Truth Social post, Trump said his administration would pay "everyone" except "high-income people" a dividend of at least $2,000.

Although Trump's Truth Social posts are not actual government orders, the statement drew attention from citizens and his colleagues in Washington, D.C.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget published an analysis the following day, stating that there would not be enough tariff revenue to support the idea.

"With our national debt quickly approaching an all-time high and annual budget deficits approaching $2 trillion per year, it is imperative that policymakers focus on actually reducing deficits and putting debt on a downward path," the committee wrote.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also pushed back on Trump's dividend remark during an ABC News interview, saying there were no plans to spend tariff revenue.

Trump would also need approval from Congress to pass such an order, which seems unlikely given the lack of enthusiasm from Republican lawmakers.

"We're facing a deficit this year around $2 trillion," Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, told reporters. "I think whatever revenue we get, from whatever source, ought to go to try and bring down those deficits."

Trump's proposed timeline for the tariff checks has also shifted. In November, he floated mid-2026 for the checks. But in an interview with the New York Times in January, he said it could come "toward the end of the year."

He's also dismissed the idea that he needs an act of Congress to send the checks, including in a briefing with reporters at the White House before his trip to Davos.

"I don't think we would have to go the Congress route," Trump said. "But you know, we'll find out."

$10,000 bonuses for air traffic controllers

The longest government shutdown in US history began on October 1, 2025, lasting 43 days while Democrats and Republicans in Congress negotiated a new budget.

The fallout forced the government to furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers, while others — such as air traffic controllers — had to continue working without pay ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday rush.

Air traffic controllers received their first $0 paychecks in late October 2025. Some of them stopped showing up for work, sparking a staffing shortage and an onslaught of flight delays and cancellations.

One month later, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that the shutdown put air traffic controllers in a difficult spot.

"They're confronted with a decision: Do I put food on my kids' table, do I put gas in the car, do I pay my rent, or do I go to work and not get paid? They're making decisions," Duffy said. "I've encouraged them all to come to work. I want them to come to work, but they're making life decisions that they shouldn't have to make."

Trump, meanwhile, criticized the air traffic controllers who had not shown up for work during the shutdown in a November 2025 Truth Social post.

"For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU," Trump wrote.

He said air traffic controllers who didn't take time off during the shutdown were "GREAT PATRIOTS" and he would recommend a $10,000 bonus for each of them.

Duffy shared more details in an X post, writing that 776 air traffic controllers would receive $10,000 bonus checks in early December 2025.

"Santa's coming to town a little early," Duffy wrote.

$1,000 for Trump Accounts

Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill" into law on July 4, 2025, implementing new tax policies and changes to federal programs, including SNAP.

The bill also introduced so-called Trump Accounts, which are specialized retirement accounts for US children. They were previously referred to as "money account for growth and advancement," or MAGA accounts.

The Trump administration said children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, who open Trump Accounts, would receive a one-time $1,000 tax-free federal grant. US children with a valid Social Security number are eligible. Friends, family, and others may deposit an additional $5,000 tax-free into those accounts.

The White House said several CEOs agreed to invest in Trump Accounts, including Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon.

In December 2025, Michael and Susan Dell pledged to invest $6.25 billion to support Invest America, the federal program that spearheaded Trump Accounts.

Hedge fund manager Ray Dalio has also pledged to deposit $250 into the Trump Accounts of 300,000 Connecticut children. Some large companies, like BlackRock, have offered a $1,000 match for the children of eligible employees.

At an event in Toledo, Ohio, in January, Vice President JD Vance joked that the accounts played a role in his and Second Lady Usha Vance's decision to have a fourth child, which is due in July.

"You know, we were debating having a 4th child, and I said, 'honey, you know the new Trump accounts and the increased child tax credit are coming online, we got to take advantage of this stuff," Vance said.

Trump Accounts officially launched this July.

$1,776 "Warrior dividends" for troops

During an economic address to Americans in December 2025, Trump said his administration would provide bonus checks to members of the military before Christmas.

In a subsequent news release, the newly rebranded Department of War said Trump is giving service members bonus checks to "thank them for their military service and to commemorate the 250 years the US military has been defending the nation."

The checks, dubbed the "Warrior Dividend," are each worth $1,776.

"Money to pay for the Warrior Dividend came earlier this year as part of the president's One Big Beautiful Bill. Approximately 1.28 million active-duty and 174,000 reserve component military members will receive the dividend as a nontaxable supplement to their regular monthly housing allowance," the Department of War said.

The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service said that the dividends that eligible service members received in December 2025 were tax-free.

Direct payments for healthcare

Trump also wants to give Americans free money for healthcare — though the details are scarce.

In January, the White House released a framework for "The Great Healthcare Plan." It includes a provision to stop "sending big insurance companies billions in extra taxpayer-funded subsidy payments and instead send that money directly to eligible Americans to allow them to buy the health insurance of their choice."

Trump has repeatedly touted the idea, though it's unclear exactly how it would work or how much money would be involved.

"In other words, we cut out the insurance companies. They're making a fortune," Trump said at a White House event promoting the plan. "We pay the money directly to the people."

One plan introduced by GOP senators, the Health Care Freedom For Patients Act, would include payments of up to $1,500 into health savings accounts for people who earn less than 700% of the federal poverty level.

Meanwhile, Affordable Care Act subsidies expired at the end of 2025, with no clear path for extending them. As a result, premiums for many Americans are skyrocketing, and enrollment is falling.

$500 Affordable Care Act refund checks

President Donald J. Trump announces $500 rebate checks to nearly 1 million hardworking Americans who were wrongly overcharged through Obamacare.

"Our Administration is doing the right thing and giving the money back to the people who were wrongly ripped off." pic.twitter.com/XWA1wlzRH8

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 10, 2026

In September, Trump announced his administration would give $500 rebate checks to almost one million Americans who were "wrongly overcharged" through the Affordable Care Act. Subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, expired in 2025.

"Nearly one million hardworking Americans in 30 states will soon be getting refunds of $500 each, with a check sent to their home address," Trump said.

He said the rebate check "in many cases" would be enough for Americans to cover any spikes in their insurance rates. While the Affordable Care Act did increase insurance costs for many Americans, lower- and middle-class Americans received subsidies to offset those costs.

$5,000 dividend for supporting GOP midterm candidates

During the Republican National Committee's first-ever midterm convention on Wednesday, Trump said every American citizen would receive a $5,000 dividend if Republicans maintained control of the House and Senate following the November midterm elections.

Trump said the dividend is "very much like a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders." He said the money must be spent in the US. It was initially unclear if the move was legal or if anyone would actually receive checks.

• Paul Tudor Jones say AI could amount to a third superpower on par with the US and China.
• His concerns follow this week's warning from a researcher at Anthropic who resigned over safety concerns.
• The hedge fund legend said "what's happening is shocking" even as someone who has followed tech for decades.

The AI doomsday fears have come to markets, and some of the biggest names in investing have been stirred by recent warnings of a robot apocalypse.

Paul Tudor Jones, the billionaire founder of Tudor Investment Corporation hedge fund, recently sounded the alarm on the rise of AI, highlighting major issues he sees developing as the technology develops at an alarming rate, potentially out of human control.

"A solution to the fusion problem to unleash clean cheap energy and save our planet could happen within five years, another major technologist has said," Jones wrote in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. "But the rest of it feels ominous, like waiting for a Category 6 hurricane."

His post comes as AI fears have been fanned by recent high-profile warnings. Jacob Coxon, a researcher at Anthropic, resigned this week, posting on X that both Anthropic and OpenAI are "gambling with our lives" as they race to develop more powerful AI capabilities.

Jakub Pachocki, chief scientist at OpenAI recently wrote on the company's blog that he feared that no one is prepared for what further AI advancements will mean for humanity, adding that he believed intervention is necessary.

Tudor Jones highlighted both statements as part of his own argument, noting that AI is pacing to becoming a geopolitical force and a third superpower on par with the US and China.

"The threat is real and demands coordinated action by the U.S. and China," he said. "Both countries must commit to a timeline to control the advance and proliferation of AI in a safe, contained and interpretable way."

The dire warning is a departure from his views on what AI could mean for markets. In May, he predicted two years of growth ahead for the AI market, making it clear he sees strong upside for investors.

Now, however, he's urging world leaders, specifically President Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping to work together to ensure it is regulated properly and doesn't spiral out of human control. Tudor Jones cited rogue OpenAI agents' recent attacks on AI startup Hugging Face as a clear example of AI posing a significant danger as it continues to gain autonomous functionality.

"A new superpower is about to enter the fray, one that is unknowable and unending and potentially dwarfs the U.S. and China individually or collectively," Tudor Jones added. "I hope Messrs. Trump and Xi are aware of this when they meet. They need to make AI safety the top priority for the rest of their tenures."

• Jimmy Kimmel is clashing with Donald Trump's FCC again.
• Kimmel said his interview with Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico won't air on ABC.
• The FCC is reviewing ABC's broadcast licenses early, citing its DEI practices.

Jimmy Kimmel is once again fighting with the Federal Communications Commission.

Kimmel said on Wednesday that Trump's "FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations — based on simple, traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings, it would seem they don't like."

The context: Kimmel said his interview with James Talarico, a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives who's running for a seat in the US Senate, won't air on broadcast TV and is instead headed to YouTube.

"In the America we live in right now, that is the best that we can do — until November," Kimmel said.

The FCC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

This latest Kimmel spat stems from the FCC's recent updates to its approach to the equal-time rule. That rule says broadcasters should give politicians running for office comparable opportunities to appear on air if they do so for any candidates, though there are several exceptions, including for "bona fide" news programs.

In January, the FCC issued guidance to broadcasters about the equal-time provision and the exceptions for bona fide news programs, saying that no legal candidate for public office should be "unfairly given less access to the public airwaves than their opponent." Late-night and daytime talk shows aren't necessarily exempt from this rule, the FCC said in its guidance.

CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert said his bosses pulled an interview with Talarico earlier this year because they were concerned it could violate the FCC's equal-time rule.

The FCC is also investigating ABC's morning talk show, "The View," questioning whether it's a bona fide news program. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has suggested that talk shows like "The View" are unfairly partisan and are giving Democrats more airtime than Republicans.

ABC has argued that "The View" should be exempt from the FCC's equal-time rule and believes the FCC is targeting it for speech that the government agency doesn't like.

Kimmel has a history of spats with Trump's FCC

This new fight marks Kimmel's third high-profile clash with Trump's FCC in the last 12 months.

The "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host was suspended by Disney last September for comments he made about Charlie Kirk's killer. His benching came after public pressure from Carr and some of ABC's affiliate partners. Carr had suggested on a conservative podcast that local TV station owners who continue to air Kimmel's show could have their broadcast licenses reviewed since they may not be operating "in the public interest."

Disney-owned ABC brought Kimmel back after widespread backlash and a boycott from free-speech advocates.

Kimmel got on the FCC and Trump's bad side again in April after he made a joke about Melania Trump, saying she "had a glow like an expectant widow." The comment came days before a gunman charged the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which Trump was attending.

A day after Trump called for Kimmel's dismissal, the FCC said it was reviewing ABC's broadcast licenses early — a highly unusual move. The FCC said it was reviewing the licenses because of Disney's DEI policies.

Disney didn't suspend Kimmel, and has taken a tougher line against the FCC under new CEO Josh D'Amaro.

Disney sued the FCC in August, alleging that the agency is violating the First Amendment by trying to shape its editorial content.

ABC's legal complaint said that the FCC "has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts."

An FCC spokesperson said in a statement about Disney's suit that the agency "has been examining claims that Disney engaged in illegal DEI discrimination" and said that "Disney is obviously very concerned about the FCC's proceeding."

"All broadcasters have a legal obligation to operate in the public interest — even Disney," the spokesperson said.

At Disney's annual presentation to advertisers in May, Kimmel joked about his spats with Trump and the FCC, saying his ratings were up — "largely thanks to our partners in Washington."

"Yes, the president has tried to get me twice over the last six months — that's one way to look at it," Kimmel said. "You could also say I've generated unparalleled engagement across a variety of platforms."

• Some AI researchers say they think AI could hurt, or wipe out, humanity.
• So we asked four of the AI models: How would you go about it?
• They all said human misuse of AI is considered a more immediate risk than AI itself.

The researchers building our favorite chatbots are increasingly voicing concerns that AI could hurt — or end — humanity. So we asked four of the most-used generative AI tools what an AI doomsday could look like.

We posed the same question, in identical wording, to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and SpaceXAI's Grok.

The 230-word prompt had clear parameters and instructions, including the following:

Help explain, in clear and accessible terms, how AI could theoretically lead to human extinction. Identify the most commonly cited scenarios. Rank the scenarios from least to most plausible based on the best available expert analysis, making clear that these are highly uncertain forecasts, not established predictions. For each scenario, explain:

• How it could unfold
• What would need to go wrong for it to become catastrophic
• Why experts consider it more or less plausible than the other scenarios
• Which safeguards could reduce the risk

We posed a similar question to AI experts for their take on how, and if, AI could kill us all — you can read that story here. There's a sharp divide among AI experts; while some are predicting the worst for humanity, others are presenting more tempered and optimistic predictions.

Here's what the chatbots told us about how AI would theoretically lead to human extinction.

'Killer robot' is the least plausible scenario

ChatGPT took a balanced and explanatory tone, saying there's a lot of uncertainty around the topic.

It focused on the main ways AI could pose existential risks, ranking them from least to most plausible.

"The least plausible scenario is the popular 'killer robot' narrative, in which a conscious AI deliberately decides to eliminate humanity," ChatGPT said. "Most AI researchers do not see consciousness or malicious intent as the central concern."

It also outlined the safeguards experts propose and stressed that there is no consensus that AI-driven human extinction is likely or inevitable.

Gemini echoed some of ChatGPT's points, saying "The Sci-Fi 'Terminator' Takeover," in which AI becomes self-aware and begins to hate humanity, is the least plausible scenario.

"Technical experts largely dismiss this trope because intelligence does not equal malice, and critical military infrastructure remains air-gapped and heavily reliant on human oversight," Gemini said.

Humans using AI are a bigger risk than AI itself

In their responses, all four chatbots said many experts consider human misuse of AI to be a more immediate risk than AI itself.

"Powerful AI systems could make it easier for bad actors to develop biological weapons, launch sophisticated cyberattacks, spread disinformation, or attack critical infrastructure," ChatGPT said.

The OpenAI chatbot added that a key risk also comes from "multiple AI-enabled crises" like cyber failures, geopolitical conflict, and the spread of misinformation happening at the same time.

Grok said AI lowers barriers to designing highly lethal pathogens, novel weapons, or cyber and physical attacks.

Anthropic's Claude also highlighted "bioweapons uplift"— the possibility that AI could allow a person or small group to develop a dangerous pathogen without years of specialized expertise.

Advanced AI systems could 'outsmart humans'

Gemini and Grok both said that humans losing control of AI is a possibility.

Gemini labeled "loss of control" as the most plausible AI doom scenario.

"Systems given complex goals naturally develop intermediate sub-goals, such as acquiring resources, self-preservation, and preventing goal modification," the Google-made chatbot wrote. "An advanced system might feign alignment during evaluation (deceptive alignment) and later outsmart human attempts to shut it down."

SpaceXAI's Grok used similar language about this risk.

"They may develop instrumental drives (self-preservation, resource acquisition, influence) useful for almost any objective, potentially deceiving overseers, resisting shutdown, and disempowering humanity," Grok said.

Claude added that this loss of control may be gradual, as AI systems become embedded in economic, political, and military decision-making until meaningful human intervention becomes increasingly difficult.

• Geoffrey Hinton says it's "not unreasonable" to suggest there is a 10% chance AI wipes out humanity in a decade.
• A former Anthropic researcher has renewed the conversation around AI risks.
• Hinton also said the window where AI could wipe out humanity is shrinking.

The "Godfather of AI" says it's difficult to estimate the chance AI will wipe us all out, but it's not zero.

"A 10% chance seems not an unreasonable estimate to me, but nobody really knows how to give a sensible estimate," Geoffrey Hinton said during an interview Wednesday on the BBC's "Newsnight."

Newsnight anchor Victoria Derbyshire expressed amazement that Hinton largely agreed with the assessment of a top Anthropic safety researcher who said that AI there is ">10%" chance that AI could kill all humans "within the next decade."

"Wow," Derbyshire said. "Oh, my God."

Hinton said it's hard to estimate the exact number because society has never seen a technology that "could soon be smarter than us."

"It would be very foolish to say there was like a 1% chance," he said. "Nobody knows how to estimate it."

What is clear, the Nobel laureate said, is that the window when such a catastrophe could occur has shrunk.

"I used to think like 30 to 50 years, then I reduced it to 10 to 20 years," he said. "Now, I think maybe 10 years, maybe less. And other people think much sooner than that."

As to how it could happen, Hinton mentioned the risk of everything from cyberattacks to AI developing a deadly virus.

While Hinton did not say why that timeline has compressed, leading AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have poured billions into scaling up their models, and their recent releases have shown significant improvements on models that are just months old.

The end of the world as we know it?

Hinton's comments come after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon announced his resignation from the company ahead of a hotly anticipated IPO. Coxon, who previously worked for OpenAI, said the AI giants are "gambling with our lives."

"The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade," Coxon wrote on X. "This is not a marketing stunt. If anything, many executives and senior researchers will couch their phrasing in the press to sound sensible - but I hear the same people express fear privately."

In response to Coxon's comments, Evan Hubinger, alignment science lead at Anthropic, wrote on X, "Jacob is correct here—we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!"

"I personally think it is >10% within the next decade," Hubinger wrote. "I believe Anthropic is trying its best, but we do not yet have a plan to solve alignment for superintelligence and are not clearly on track to."

Hubinger later added that Anthropic has said the risk from current models is low. What's at issue, he said, is "superintelligence arising from recursive self-improvement, as we have said is happening faster than we thought."

Recursive self-improvement, or RSI, is the theoretical process by which AI researchers think AI models could improve themselves, potentially accelerating the pace of advancement as the technology would be capable of designing and training its own successors.

Hinton said humanity could go down the path toward its destruction or figure out "how to deal with the dangers" AI poses while at the same time realizing its promises. He renewed his call for global regulation, noting that while countries may not agree on everything, they share a desire to preserve humanity.

"For things like preventing AI from taking over from people, the interests of all the countries are aligned," he said. "So they will eventually collaborate on that. The question is, will they do it in time?"

• Diversified, market-neutral equity investors have had a tough year.
• The stock market gains this year have been driven by a singular trend: artificial intelligence.
• Funds such as Freestone Grove and Holocene have lost money despite investing in equities.

Stockpicking hedge funds that try to spread out their bets and diversify their risk have struggled to keep pace in a market dominated by a singular trend.

Enthusiasm for artificial intelligence's potential has been the main driver for the stock market's gains this year, and the S&P 500 finished August up more than 12% on the year. Typically, a strong equity market is music to the ears of professional stockpickers, but for funds that hedge their bets to avoid being overly exposed to broader market shifts, 2026 has been tough.

The average market-neutral hedge fund is up less than 4% this year and has lost money this quarter, according to industry research firm PivotalPath. This underperformance came just as this style of investing hit its peak of popularity: Hedge-fund backers poured tens of billions of net new money into this style of manager in the first quarter, as Business Insider previously reported.

Several well-known names have had a tough few months.

Freestone Grove Partners, founded by former Citadel executive Todd Barker, posted one of its worst months since it launched in 2024, losing 4.4% in August. The $6 billion-plus firm's rough August puts its year-to-date losses at 5.3%, a person close to the manager told Business Insider.

Brandon Haley's Holocene Advisors, meanwhile, is down more than 5% on the year after a roughly 2% loss last month, two people familiar with the New York-based manager told Business Insider.

Woodline, run by Michael Rockefeller and Karl Kroeker, and Cinctive Capital, founded by the onetime Diamondback Capital team of Rich Schimel and Larry Sapanski, are both in the black for the year, but are trailing the overall market.

Woodline, now managing $25 billion, is up 2% through August in its main hedge fund, a person close to the manager said. Cinctive was flat last month, putting the $3.1 billion firm's 2026 gains at 4%, a person close to the firm said.

Freestone, Woodline, and Cinctive declined to comment. Holocene did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The market has favored concentrated managers willing to make big bets on companies and trends they believe in, though some hedging is always required, as Situational Awareness's July implosion demonstrated.

It's also been a tough environment to short stocks; a Goldman Sachs mid-year report on the industry noted that nearly all of the alpha, or market-beating returns, from stockpicking funds this year have come from managers' longs.

One example of this: Woodline's long-only strategy that only trades US equities is up 13.5% on the year, a person close to the firm said.

Goldman's report also said that "a vast majority of alpha" from firms' long positions has been tied to AI.

"AI has dominated the market narrative in 2026, and has driven an outsize share of equity L/S alpha in 2026," the report states.

Correction: September 10, 2026 — An earlier version of this story misstated Michael Rockefeller's first name.

• Alanis Morissette said she experienced severe postpartum depression after all three of her pregnancies.
• The singer said that she felt terrified by "invasive thoughts" and "out of control."
• She said that connecting with other women and sharing her feelings helped her cope.

Alanis Morissette experienced "really, really hard" postpartum depression after all three of her pregnancies, which left her feeling "out of control," she told the Call Her Daddy podcast on August 9.

"Basically, I became another person. All the hormones are all over the place," Morissette said. "All I could picture was death and terrible things," she added.

The singer shares three children — Ever, 14, Onyx, 10, and Winter, 7 — with her husband, Mario "Souleye" Treadway. The pair have been married since 2010.

With each pregnancy, she said her postpartum depression became "increasingly worse," but she learned how to better cope with it over time. "Get community all around. And casseroles!" Morissette said.

After her first pregnancy, Morissette didn't share how she was feeling with anyone for a year and two months, she told the podcast. The second time, it took her eight months to speak out, and the third time, she waited only three days. "I was just like, 'Oh no, I'm not doing this again,'" she said.

She first spoke publicly about her postpartum depression in 2017, when she was going through it for the second time, because she wanted to encourage other women to seek help. In the Call Her Daddy podcast episode, she explained that after that, her phone started "blowing up" with messages from people who had gone through similar experiences.

She described the response from other women as "amazing" because it helped her feel more normal. "I started to realize I was so not alone," Morissette said.

Postpartum depression is common, affecting around one in eight mothers, according to the CDC. Common symptoms include crying more often than usual, feeling angry, feeling distant from your baby, or doubting your ability to care for the baby.

Treatments, such as counseling and medication, can help reduce symptoms or make them go away completely. In addition to treatment, connecting with other mothers through support groups such as the Postpartum Support International (PSI) can help them feel less alone.

"This invisible load thing, it's not going to be invisible anymore. We're making it visible," Morissette said of the emotional burden placed on mothers.

• This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
• The World Trade Center site has become a memorial to the 2,977 lives lost.
• Photos show how New York City rebuilt Ground Zero.

Each September, two large beams of light reach into the night sky above Manhattan's Financial District.

The installation commemorates those who were killed on September 11, 2001.

This Friday marks 25 years since that day, when terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger planes, crashing two into New York's Twin Towers.

Another plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and the fourth crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers.

In total, 2,977 victims lost their lives and, more than two decades later, their loved ones continue to gather to recite their names at the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center complex in New York.

These photos show how the attacks destroyed the towers that once defined the city's skyline, and how New York rebuilt Ground Zero.

The Twin Towers dominated the New York City skyline on this June day in 1999.

Just over two years later, that skyline was horrifically altered.

The top photo was taken on August 30, 2001, while the bottom photo was taken 16 days after the attacks.

The first Tribute in Light occurred on March 11, 2002, across from Ground Zero.

In December 2003, a design for the new Freedom Tower was finally unveiled.

It would come to include multiple new buildings, such as the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center and a 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

The Tribute in Light still shines each year on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage. Here it is, five years after the attacks.

In late 2007, the site still looked the same, as construction was hamstrung by lawsuits, budget overruns, design changes, and a recession.

In 2009, the 9/11 memorial waterfalls started to take shape.

One World Trade Center, also known as the "Freedom Tower," was just starting to rise from the rubble.

In June 2010, the skyscraper was slowly rising.

By July 2011, the memorial waterfalls were tested, and One World Trade Center's facade was beginning to reflect the sky.

Here's the Manhattan skyline in August 2011. You can see the unfinished tower beginning to peek over the other skyscrapers.

The memorial waterfalls officially opened in September 2011, and the museum, seen on the right, opened in May 2014.

By November 2014, One World Trade Center was complete, as were 4 World Trade Center (left) and 7 World Trade Center (right). However, 3 World Trade Center still wasn't finished.

The WTC Transportation Hub, on which the white Oculus was built, was also under construction in late 2014.

The hub officially opened in June 2016, while 3 World Trade Center was still under construction.

The $50 million Liberty Park also opened in June 2016. From there, visitors can get an overhead view of the Ground Zero memorial.

This photo from June 2018 shows 3 World Trade Center, One World Trade Center, 4 World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and Liberty Park, all of which were finally complete.

With construction officially complete, the Manhattan skyline is now forever changed.

Now the tallest building in the US, the gleaming One World Trade Center, pictured in August 2025, towers over the Financial District.

The Tribute of Light was tested ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Daniel Brown contributed to an earlier version of this article.

• Real estate influencers are here, and they want to sell you a home with a dance video.
• Gen Z real estate agents are using social media to stand out from the competition.
• Not everyone gets it — especially their elders — but it can pay off.

Merek Greene gives plenty of home tours IRL. But when the 24-year-old luxury real estate agent decided to post a virtual tour of one of his properties on TikTok this July, he gave the video a silly, topical spin.

Casting himself as a "Love Island" contestant who has just received a text about a listing, Greene describes the San Diego apartment as a new bombshell who "won't stay single for long."

"He's stunning, move-in ready, and turning heads," Greene says. "Let's see if this is your perfect match." The video ends with a callout to schedule a private showing.

A former theater kid and an agent with Compass in San Diego, Greene posts property tours, snippets of his daily life, dance videos, and real estate comedy sketches to his more than 19,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. As part of a generation that grew up online, he knows that social media is a powerful tool for his career — not just for translating listings into sales, but for building his brand and reputation to attract the attention of future clients.

But unlike the average agent posting self-serious slideshows of glossy listing photos, Greene is part of a cohort of Gen Z real estate agents making a name for themselves online with humor. The real estate content creators are here, and, to the chagrin of their more traditional elders, they're landing clients and making sales one joke and dance video at a time.

For Greene, having a presence on social media is a way to be more relatable to prospective clients.

"People may think of a Realtor as an old guy in a suit — not necessarily energetic or fun," Greene told me. He wants his followers and potential clients to see that he's a real human being — one who also "just sold a $2.1 million home."

"I'm building exposure," he said, comparing each video he makes to holding an open house. "I've gotten many referrals just by staying top of mind from posting. I think that's the biggest power of building your brand on social media and showing your authentic self."

It's paying off: Since 2022, he has closed more than $22 million in real estate deals.

Gen Z agents are leaning into comedy

In an unstable job market, real estate has become an increasingly popular career path for Gen Z, who are drawn to the opportunity to make serious cash outside a traditional 9-to-5. NAR's Member Profile shows that the share of Realtors under 30 rose from 1% in 2023 to 4% in 2024, before settling at 3% in 2025.

For these digital-native agents, TikTok and Instagram are important platforms for building a following. But with countless agents competing for attention in an endless scroll, standing out is paramount. One way to stand out is to make people laugh.

Tampa-based agent Breanna Banaciski, who describes herself as a "comedian disguised as a Realtor," roasts the homes she sells. In one tour, she jokes that Martha Stewart's jail cell was larger than the home's 800 square feet. Trenton Miller has built a following of more than 2 million with his comically nauseating high-speed home tours, while Maine agent Mitchell Tebo does literal backflips into lakes and rivers before showing properties.

"We're seeing more agents lean into humor, trends, and relatable moments because they know another 'Just Listed' post isn't necessarily going to stop someone from scrolling," said Katie Lance, a social media consultant who has taught real estate marketing online and at national conferences for nearly 20 years. "People do business with people they know, like, trust, and relate to, and humor is relatable."

Being funny online can pay off, but several agents told me there's a downside to making yourself part of the entertainment.

Toni Marmo, a former real estate agent from New Jersey, told me she faced judgment from coworkers for making fun of herself in her Reels. In one of her videos, she pokes fun at being a Gen Z realtor and pretends to be friends with a client, dropping Gen Z slang and references to "Love Island." The video received more than 247,000 likes and 14,400 shares on TikTok, but Marmo said not everyone in her office was a fan.

"It wasn't buyers, sellers, or anyone like that who was getting upset," Marmo said. "It was more other agents who were like, 'Who is this young girl making a fool out of herself, making a joke out of what we do?'"

MJ Maitland, a 25-year-old agent with eXp Realty from North Texas, told me no one at her brokerage has qualms about her content. In fact, her signature shtick — suddenly sprinting through gorgeous midcentury modern homes — has become so expected by her nearly 14,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok that she said they get mad when she doesn't run in her videos.

Still, Maitland said some agents outside her brokerage don't understand the bit.

"Honestly, thank goodness the agents that I've met in person have been great," she said. "But I've had not-so-great experiences with agents who just don't know me or get what I'm doing."

Social-media success can open the door to other career paths

After building a sizable following through her videos, Marmo left real estate in 2025 to be a full-time content creator. She now posts lifestyle and business videos aimed at helping her more than 70,000 TikTok and Instagram followers navigate their 20s.

Marmo, who's done deals with brands like Wawa, Dairy Queen, the skincare brand Tower 28, and the movie "The Devil Wears Prada 2," told me she now earns more from content creation than she ever did in real estate sales.

"Each paid brand deal brings in the equivalent of half to a whole real estate check," she said, adding that she's typically paid from $1,200 to $3,200 and above for a single brand deal, depending on the deliverables.

Marmo said other young agents are also starting to see posting online as a source of income — and, in some cases, a new career path.

"I see a lot of them realizing they can make just as much money from posting content," Marmo said. "I still get a ton of DMs from people who got into real estate and are struggling. They ask me how I transitioned out of the industry, and I think they follow my journey because it shows them that other options are possible."

For Maitland, expanding her online brand to incorporate her interests in architecture, history, and thrifting isn't about building an off-ramp to a different career. She plans to stay in real estate and appease her fans by sprinting around midcentury houses in Dallas, but emphasized that she doesn't want her page to be "sales-y."

"People want to see something more than just being an agent," she said. "Being funny is my niche. It works, so why not?"