Not all laptop deals will get you a reliable device. Some budget-oriented laptop brands put the price tag above all else. That wont be an issue with the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, which you can buy from Dell with a $120 discount that drops its price to a more affordable $430 from $550. Its an excellent companion for students and work-from-home professionals, but were not sure how much time is remaining before this offer expires. If you dont want to miss out on this bargain, youre going to have to act fast add it to your cart and proceed with the checkout process as soon as possible.Made by one of the best laptop brands, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is a device thats similar to your daily driver. With the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and 16GB of RAM that our guide on how much RAM do you need says is on the level of top-tier machines, this laptop will be able to handle all of your everyday tasks. From managing spreadsheets to creating reports, and from watching streaming videos to browsing social media, everything will run smoothly on the Dell Inspiron 15 3520.The Dell Inspiron 15 3520 is equipped with a 15.6-inch Full HD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes it easy on the eyes, and theres a built-in HD webcam so youll also be looking good whenever you join online conferences and answer video calls. The laptop ships with Windows 11 Home pre-installed in a 512GB SSD, which will provide lots of storage space for all the apps and files you need. For the clumsy ones, the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 promises durability, as it passed military-grade testing.RelatedFor a laptop that will function well as a daily companion, you cant go wrong with the Dell Inspiron 15 3520, especially now that its available from Dell at $120 off. From its original price of $550, its down to just $430, which is a steal considering this devices capabilities. We think this offer is already attracting a lot of attention, so if you want to get the Dell Inspiron 15 3520 for a lower price than usual, you need to complete your purchase before the stocks that are up for sale run out.Editors Recommendations

Bleeker StreetTable of ContentsTable of ContentsCaptain Fantastic (2016)Gloria Bell (2018)Pulse (2001)Its the first weekend of 2025, and youre probably too tired to do much of anything. I know I am; if I look at another firework or attend another party, I may just scream out loud. Instead, what Im doing this weekend is staying in, logging on to my Max account, and watching some good movies.The streamer has tons to choose from, including recent additions like Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagaand Juror #2. If youve already seen those excellent films, then the following three movies should be just the ticket to start your year off on the right foot.Recommended VideosWe also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max,andthe best movies on Disney+.RelatedCaptain Fantastic Official Trailer #1 (2016) - Viggo Mortensen, Kathryn Hahn Movie HDWe all share a fantasy of escaping from it all and living in the woods, secluding ourselves from the pitfalls of the modern world. But what if someone actually did that? What would life be like, not only for him, but for his family as well? Those are the questions Captain Fantastic asks, and the answers it finds arent exactly comforting.Ben (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife, Leslie, made a decision years earlier to live in the Washington wilderness on a 10-acre homestead, far away from normal society. Through the years, the couple have six children, and Leslie leaves for a while to seek help for her bipolar disorder in New Mexico. After Ben finds out Leslie has killed herself, he decides to take his children on a road trip to attend her funeral. Now exposed to the outside world, some of the kids begin to question their father and their secluded existence.Bleeker StreetCaptain Fantastic explores issues of parenting, mental health, and life on the margins of society that few other movies even attempt to confront nowadays. The supporting cast, which features Agatha All Alongs Kathryn Hahn and The Beasts George MacKay, is stellar, but its Mortensen as Ben who impresses the most. The Lord of the Rings actor earned a surprise Best Actor nomination for his performance, and by the end of the movie, youll be convinced he deserved to win the award.Captain Fantastic is streaming on Max.Gloria Bell | Official Trailer HD | A24Julianne Moore is one of the most gifted actresses alive, and she had one of her best roles in this little-seen 2018 comedy-drama thats a remake of an acclaimed 2014 Chilean film. Moore stars as Gloria, a middle-aged divorcee with two kids who likes to spend her nights dancing. One night, she meets a fellow divorcee, Arnold (Severances John Turturro), and soon they begin a tentative romance that involves meeting each others children.Complications ensue, as they usually do in situations like this, and Gloria realizes that love in her 50s isnt the same as it was when she was younger. Even though her children are grown, she still has to be a full-time mother to them all while living a single life fraught with everyday challenges. Still, she manages to find laughter through heartbreak, and always finds time to hit the dance floor to shake away her momentary blues.A24Gloria Bell isnt anything more than a showcase for Moores talents, and to me, thats enough. Shes luminous here, and whether shes tripping her brains out in the desert or shaking her groove thang to Bonnie Tylers Total Eclipse of the Heart on the dance floor, shes never less than captivating.Gloria Bell is streaming on Max.PULSE (KAIRO) (2001) Trailer Remastered HDYouve probably heard of Ringu, the 1998 horror film that pretty much put J-horror on the map and spawned dozens of imitators, remakes, and rip-offs. Most of them arent as good as that one, but theres one thats arguably better: Pulse. Kiyoshi Kurosawas creepy horror movie melds the supernatural with technology in its tale of ghosts haunting people in downtown Tokyo via computers.The unfortunate targets for this supernatural wraith are the young employees at a plant shop. After Taguchi is found dead, hanging in his apartment, his co-workers Michi, Junko, and Yabe experience strange visions and phone calls of him staring at his computer monitor and saying, help me. Soon, one of them falls victim to this strange haunting, and its up to the survivors to figure out whats going on and how to stop it.Pulse is streaming on Max.Editors Recommendations

Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsAMD RX 9000 series: availabilityAMD Radeon RX 9000 series: specs and architectureAMD RX 9000 series: lineupAMDs RX 9000 series is right around the corner, and its almost ready to compete against some of the best graphics cards. While leaks about the lineup have been scarce for many months, things are getting better. As were leading up to the official announcement at CES 2025, a lot of information has come out.Initially referred to as the RX 8000 series, the RDNA 4 generation is now expected to come with a name change and an interesting spread of GPUs. Heres everything you need to know about the RX 9000 series.Recommended VideosJacob Roach / Digital TrendsA year ago, many thought that wed see the RX 9000 series in 2024. Some were optimistic and speculated that AMD would launch it in the summer of 2024. That didnt happen, and now, we know for a fact when these cards will be announced but their release dates are still a subject of speculation.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming AMD is set to announce the RX 9000 series during its CES 2025 keynote, which will take place at 11 a.m. PT on January 6. Its currently unclear which cards will be announced, but most leakers agree that well see at least the presumed flagship RX 9070 XT, with perhaps the non-XT version or the more budget-friendly RX 9060 XT thrown into the mix.RelatedAs for availability, its anybodys guess right now. Its likely that the RX 9070 XT will be available by the end of January, although current reports say that itll be hard to come by until February.By all accounts, it seems like AMD will launch at least two to four GPUs under the RDNA 4 umbrella, and those cards are likely to be available within the first quarter of the year. For specifics, we have to wait until January 6 and possibly beyond, depending on which cards will be included in the first announcement.AMD RDNA 4Process nodeTSMC N4PArchitectureRDNA 4ChipNavi 48, Navi 44Memory typeGDDR6Maximum bus width256-bitMaximum clock speed3GHz-3.3GHzIt became clear very early on that AMD may not be trying to compete against the best of Nvidias RTX 50-series this time around. Various hardware leakers have been saying for well over a year that even AMDs flagship may only rival the likes of Nvidias upcoming RTX 5070, and this is reflected in the rumored specs for each card.AMDs senior vice president, Jack Huynh, spoke to Toms Hardware, pretty much confirming what leakers have been saying: AMDs plan for the RX 9000 series is to focus on the mainstream PC gaming market. Huynh said: Do I want to go after 10% of the total addressable market (TAM) or 80%? Im an 80% kind of guy because I dont want AMD to be the company that only people who can afford Porsches and Ferraris can buy. We want to build gaming systems for millions of users.This mindset implies that Nvidias two most high-end cards, the RTX 5080 and the RTX 5090, will not see any direct competition in this generation.Well dive into GPU-specific leaks below, but first, lets talk about what to expect from RDNA 4 as a whole.So far, it seems that the lineup itself might be pretty slim. Only two GPUs have been mentioned: Navi 48 and Navi 44. Some leakers, such as Moores Law Is Dead, claim that the flagship used to be Navi 41, which wouldve been capable of challenging at least Nvidias RTX 5080, but it is said to have been scrapped alongside the Navi 42. That leaves us with the Navi 48 as the flagship card and the Navi 44 as the mid-to-low-range option.AMD doesnt appear to be introducing any major architectural changes in RDNA 4. Hardware leakers, such as RedGamingTech, used to mention that AMD may be switching to an MCM design in RDNA 4. Those rumors have since gone quiet were likely looking at a monolithic die.Package sizes:Navi 23: 35 x 35mmNavi 44: 29 x 29 mm Everest (@Olrak29_) October 14, 2024According to Olrak29 on X, AMD may be reducing package sizes in the new generation by a considerable amount, scaling down to 29 x 29 millimeters for Navi 44 which is the smaller of the two GPUs. AMD is also likely to switch to a more efficient node, which most leakers currently expect to be the TSMC 4nm process (most likely the N4P).The company is said to be sticking to GDDR6 memory modules for reference, Nvidia has used GDDR6X in the RTX 40-series and will use GDDR7 in Blackwell. Kepler_L2, a known leaker, also claims that AMD may limit the bandwidth to 18Gbps, whereas Nvidias RTX 5080 might use faster 30Gbps modules. Again, AMD may have planned to use GDDR7 VRAM in the high-end portion of the lineup, which is most likely not going to make it to market.Only 18Gbps Kepler (@Kepler_L2) April 23, 2024On the upside, many leakers agree that AMDs focus may have been firmly on ray tracing with the RX 9000 series. We might see the introduction of more specialized ray tracing hardware that would help boost such workloads at a hardware level.AMD CEO Lisa Su also promised major gaming improvements in the new architecture. We know that improvements are subjective here, what with the flagship potentially not rivaling AMDs current top GPU, but its still possible that well see generational gains in that mainstream bracket.Confirmed, this is RX 9070 XT. Hoang Anh Phu (@AnhPhuH) December 23, 2024For many months, almost everyone expected AMDs next-gen lineup to be called the RX 8000 series. It made sense, as this wouldve followed the naming scheme that AMD had used since the RX 5000 series. Many myself included also thought that the flagship would be the RX 8800 XT, marking the step-down from the previous RX 7900 XTX.In December, that narrative changed. Many sources reported that the RDNA 4 lineup was now being referred to as the AMD RX 9000 (or RX 90) series, and the flagship was most likely going to be the RX 9070 XT. This is pretty sudden, as just a couple of weeks before the news broke, weve seen the RX 8800 XT mentioned in Seasonics power calculator.AMD may have had a last-minute name change, but the two GPUs have remained the same. Below, Ill talk about what we can expect from the RX 9070 XT and the RX 9060 XT.AMD Radeon RX 9070 XTJacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe Radeon RX 9070 XT is currently expected to be the star of the RDNA 4 lineup, and its also the GPU Im most excited about in 2025.Current leaks estimate that the RX 9070 XT will be based on the Navi 48 XTX GPU, and itll come with 4,096 cores. Its also said to feature 16GB of VRAM across a 256-bit bus, clocked at 18 to 20Gbps. The maximum memory bandwidth to expect from such a configuration is 640GB/s.The card is also said to offer an impressive maximum clock speed that may hit as high as 3.1GHz. All of this will be achieved at a total board power of roughly 260 watts, as per VideoCardz.These specs position the RX 9070 XT as a direct rival to cards like Nvidias RTX 5070, and early performance leaks do nothing to dispel that notion. Although many believed that AMD might deliver something along the lines of the Nvidia RTX 4080 (and some still believe that), it seems like a more conservative estimate is needed but performance leaks are really all over the place.For example, zhangzhonghao on the Chiphell forums recently shared that the RTX 4080 and the RX 9070 XT are within just 5% of each other. No matter which ones the winner in that equation, thatd be great news for the RX 9070 XT, but most leakers tend to disagree. Previous estimates pinpoint the RX 9070 XT at around the same level as the RX 7900 XT.This kind of performance level puts the RX 9070 XT in a difficult position, one where itll be forced to compete not just against cards like the RTX 4070 Super or the RTX 4070 Ti Super but also AMDs own RDNA 3 offerings. As a result, a lot of it will come down to pricing, which is still unknown at this stage.Many say that the card may cost up to $700, which would make sense given the fact that it might be marketed as a competitor to the RX 7900 XT. However, with the latter priced at $650 or less, it might be a hard sell for AMD. Its also possible that AMD may price the 9070 XT lower, in the $500 range, which would make it a great value offer, similar to the RX 7800 XT.This GPU is most likely to be the first to hit the market, with some availability expected before the end of January. AMD may also be working on an RX 9070 non-XT.AMD Radeon RX 9060 XTJacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe rumored RX 9060 XT is still a huge enigma. Its expected to be based on the Navi 44 GPU, which may, in turn, come in two flavors: one with a 192-bit bus, and the other with a 128-bit bus.We might be looking at a similar situation to what weve seen in the RX 7000 series, where AMD released an RX 7600 and an RX 7600 XT. The latter had twice the VRAM, sitting at a whopping 16GB, but still limited to a 128-bit memory bus. If the above leak is true, we might still see an RX 9060 with 8GB memory and an RX 9060 XT with 16GB, but the XT model might now get a wider, 192-bit interface.48 256 64 20 48 256 64 1848 192 48 1944 128 32 18 16 04 20 256 32 8533 04 02 64 6400 All The Watts!! (@All_The_Watts) August 28, 2024However, some leakers, such as All_The_Watts, only mention just one variant of the Navi 44. This same leaker revealed that the RX 9060 XT might come with 32 compute units (CUs) and 18Gbps of memory speed, which is the same as the RX 7600. However, architectural improvements between RDNA 3 and RDNA 4 should still hopefully provide the GPU with some sort of a boost, even if these specs check out.Availability for this card is expected around March this year. If the previous generations pricing is anything to go by, the RX 9060 XT should cost around $250 to $350.Editors Recommendations

Designed by the studios Agnes Northrop for the Pennsylvania estate of a wealthy businesswoman, this three-part window from 1912 is a meticulously crafted, aesthetically sublime depiction of floral abundance.

finally VW will offer highly competitive leases on ID.4 as sales restart Dealers can also start fixing the door handles on almost 100,000 recalled ID.4s. Jonathan M. Gitlin Jan 3, 2025 4:18 pm | 20 Instead of giving the ID.4 complicated door handles that recess into the side of the car, VW has designed these to be flush yet always accessible. Credit: Volkswagen Instead of giving the ID.4 complicated door handles that recess into the side of the car, VW has designed these to be flush yet always accessible. Credit: Volkswagen Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreLast September, faulty door handle hardware caused Volkswagen to take the rather drastic steps of suspending sales and production of the electric crossover, as well as recalling almost 100,000 customer cars. Now, it says it has new parts that will allow it to fix existing cars, lift the stop-sale order, and soon, resume production at its factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee.The ID.4, like many new EVs, features flush door handles in service of the all-important effort of drag reduction. Instead of conventional mechanical handles that interrupt the laminar air flow down the side of the car, VW instead went with an electromechanical solution.Unfortunately, the door handle assemblies weren't sufficiently waterproofed, allowing the electronics inside to corrode. Consequently, early last year VW started getting complaints of ID.4s with doors that would intermittently open while driving, with reporting almost 300 warranty claims by September, when it pulled the car from sale, issued the recall, and stopped the production line.That line will restart "in the coming weeks," VW says, and now that there are new and improved door handles available, dealers will now be able to complete the recall. That also means that any ID.4s in inventory can be fixed and then sold. To sweeten the deal, the automaker says that it will offer some "highly competitive lease offers," as it hopes to send its clean crossover back up the sales charts.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 20 Comments

Alabama: Abbie StockardMiss Alabama 2025. Miss America Abbie Stockard, 22, is a nursing student at Auburn University and a member of the college's dance team.Stockard raises money for cystic fibrosis. She was inspired by her best friend, who was diagnosed with the disorder. In her Miss America bio, she said she hosted the largest fundraiser for the cause in Alabama in 2024, raising over $200,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The organization named her its 2024 Hero of Hope. Alaska: Jordan NaylorMiss Alaska 2025. Miss America Jordan Naylor, 27, is the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women development director in Anchorage, Alaska.Naylor wants to educate people about emergency heart aid, ensuring businesses in Anchorage are prepared to help people having cardiac emergencies and that people know hands-only CPR, working with organizations like the AHA and the Anchorage Fire Department.In her Miss America bio, she also shared that she loves platypuses. Arizona: Shailey RingenbachMiss Arizona 2025. Miss America Shailey Ringenbach, 21, is a real-estate agent in Maricopa, Arizona. Her Miss America bio says she became a licensed real-estate agent at just 18 and is one of the youngest sales representatives at D.R. Horton. Ringenbach has sold over $2 million in real estate to date.She also brought therapy dogs to pageants through her Share the Love: Improving Mental Health Through Pet Therapy initiative. Arkansas: Camille CatheyMiss Arkansas 2025. Miss America Camille Cathey, 22, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama, graduating summa cum laude. She will attend the University of Arkansas School of Law.Cathey is an ambassador for Wish Upon a Teen, an organization that supports teens with severe medical conditions. She also created the Proudly Volunteer initiative, encouraging people to engage in service work across the US.Cathey said in her Miss America bio that she can perform accents. California: Kimberly VernonMiss California 2025. Miss America Kimberly Vernon, 28, is a marketing consultant from Santa Clara, California.Vernon spearheads the Arts for All initiative, helping over 40,000 students access arts education. Her Miss America bio says she has raised over $130,000 for the program.She also said she traveled the globe in just 18 days. Colorado: Alexandra LotkoMiss Colorado 2025. Miss America Alexandra Lotko, 27, has her degree in elementary education from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. She lives in Denver today but said in her Miss America bio that she has lived in six states.Lotko, a twin, is a mental-health advocate through her initiative, It's Okay to Not Be Okay. She also supports the American Heart Association and the Miss America Scholarship Foundation through the Miss America's Ladies Who Launch initiative. Connecticut: Monica FenwickMiss Connecticut 2025. Miss America Monica Fenwick, 24, is a speech and language pathologist from Watertown, California. Her work is her passion, and she helped create a Connecticut day of recognition for communication disorders and launched the initiative #CommunicationIsKey to support people with communication disorders.Fenwick was also a member of the UCA All-American cheerleading team. Delaware: Nova Rae GaffneyMiss Delaware 2025. Miss America Nova Rae Gaffney, 24, is from Milford, Delaware, and works as a professional ballerina. She recently performed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Savannah Ballet Theatre's production of "The Nutcracker."She also launched the Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence Awareness initiative, raising awareness about indicators of domestic violence and the resources available to those dealing with it. District of Columbia: Katie Ann PowellMiss District of Columbia 2025. Miss America Katie Ann Powell, 26, has an MBA and is a public relations specialist in Washington, DC. Powell also said in her Miss America bio that she played the harp for 20 years, studying at four different universities and performing in seven countries.Powell also champions financial literacy as the president of Jump$tart Greater Washington and hosts the personal finance podcast "Full Confidence Ahead." Florida: Casana FinkMiss Florida 2025. Miss America Casana Fink, 26, founded the clothing label The Unverified and is the chief operating officer for More Transplants More Life, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing organ donation. The Ocala, Florida, resident is also an MBA candidate.Fink dedicates much of her time to raising awareness and support for organ donation. She was named the Donate Life Florida Ambassador of the Year and wrote a children's book about organ donation. Georgia: Ludwidg LouizaireMiss Georgia 2025. Miss America Ludwidg Louizaire, 27, works in marketing in Atlanta. Her initiative, Education for Every Student, promotes equal educational opportunities for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. It includes legislative efforts and mentorship programs.Louizaire was named the Boys and Girls Club of America's role model of the year. In her Miss America bio, she also said she could recite every word of the musical "Hamilton." Hawai'i: Hayley Cheyney KneMiss Hawai'i 2025. Miss America Hayley Cheyney Kne, 27, is a preventive medicine educator and doctor-in-training from Kaneohe, Hawai'i. Kne said in her Miss America bio that she is passionate about educating people about women's heart disease prevention, and she thinks the "aloha" lifestyle of Hawai'i can help combat the disease.Kne is the first gay Miss Hawai'i to date. She performed hula dancing and singing simultaneously as her talent during the competition. Idaho: Madison AndreasonMiss Idaho 2025. Miss America Madison Andreason, 22, is from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and studies paralegal studies and political science at Idaho State University.Andreason was Idaho's representative at the National Speech and Debate Tournament. She modernized an article about domestic violence for the Idaho State Bar and champions healthy living through her initiative Get Up and Get Out. Illinois: Breana BagleyMiss Illinois 2025. Miss America Breana Bagley, 27, is an attorney from Decatur, Illinois.Bagley champions awareness for rare diseases, inspired by her mother's experience with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis. After helping to found the National Pancreas Foundation's junior board of directors and Camp Hope, she was given the organization's Vision of Hope award for her efforts.She is also the chair of the National Organization for Rare Disorders Policy and Advocacy Taskforce. Indiana: Kalyn MelhamMiss Indiana 2025. Miss America Kalyn Melham, 23, is from Muncie, Indiana. She studied information and communication science at Ball State University and founded the service initiative Acts of Service, advocating for underprivileged communities across the US.Melham also said in her Miss America bio that she loves film scores, listing Michael Giacchino, Hans Zimmer, and Justin Hurwitz among her favorite composers. Iowa: Abigaille Batu-TiakoMiss Iowa 2025. Miss America Abigaille Batu-Tiako, 22, got her degree in business management from William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. She is the first grandchild of 25 in her family to earn a college degree. Batu-Tiako played both soccer and track and field when she attended the school.She founded the United Voices initiative, encouraging people to celebrate other cultures without appropriating them.She has also played the trombone for a decade. Kansas: Alexis SmithMiss Kansas 2025. Miss America Alexis Smith, 25, is a cardiothoracic ICU nurse in Witchita, Kansas.Smith advocates against domestic abuse, working with organizations like One Love, the Domestic Violence Hotline, and the Kansas Health Foundation to promote healthy relationships and bring awareness to domestic violence. The City of Witchita awarded her an outstanding service award for her efforts.Smith is also an accomplished ventriloquist, practicing for nearly 20 years. Kentucky: Chapel TiniusMiss Kentucky 2025. Miss America Chapel Tinius, 24, is a multi-talented contestant with a background in public speaking, extreme running, singing, and playing multiple instruments namely the fiddle, violin, and harp.She has two degrees from Belmont University and is now a spokesperson for Kentucky Proud, a local agriculture marketing program, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.According to her Miss America bio, Tinius also runs a fundraising operation called Operation Gratitude: For the Fallen, For the Fighting, For the Veterans. Her grandfather, who served and was injured in WWII, inspired her. Louisiana: Olivia Grace GeorgeMiss Lousiana 2025. Miss America Olivia Grace George, 20, is one of the youngest contestants in this year's Miss America competition. She's an aspiring elementary education teacher and studies at Lousiana Tech University.She's already gotten her start in the field. George previously collected and donated school supplies for local classrooms and founded an initiative called Education is Key Knowledge Empowers Youth.So far, as she shared in her Miss America bio, her efforts have reached over 4,500 students. Maine: Jennie DaleyMiss Maine 2025. Miss America Jennie Daley, 28, is a biomedical systems engineer who graduated in the top 4% of her class at the University of Maine's College of Engineering.In her current position, where she's the youngest staff engineer employed, she's been promoted four times over the past five years.Daley is now eager to help others achieve similar success in the field. She founded Equity in Engineering: Breaking the Glass Ceiling for Women and Rural America to help the career path become more accessible to diverse workers. Maryland: Bridget O'BrienMiss Maryland 2025. Miss America Bridget O'Brien, 23, is studying to earn a master's degree in sports management at the University of Alabama. However, she also dreams of becoming the first member of the Miss America organization to appear on "Dancing With the Stars."That's partially because O'Brien knows a thing or two about dance. She was previously a member of the USA's tap-dancing team and won two gold medals with the group.She's also a singer and the founder of Boomerang, an initiative that helps people reframe their failures into opportunities for success. Massachusetts: Kiersten KhouryMiss Massachusetts 2025. Miss America Kiersten Khoury, 23, owns Savvy Solutions, a coaching business she founded when she was 16.She's also a real-estate agent who earned her license while in college and holds the title of top sales associate in New England, according to her Miss America bio.For fun, Khoury is learning Arabic from her father, who spoke the language while living in Lebanon. She's also dedicated to her initiative, Redefining Dyslexia, which educates people about the condition and advocates for those who experience it. Michigan: Jenae LodewykMiss Michigan 2025. Miss America Jenae Lodewyk, 25, works within the NBA as the manager of player and family engagement for the Detroit Pistons. She's held the role for five seasons and is only the third woman in the league's history to be an assistant equipment manager.The experience has led her to advocate for equal career opportunities in male-dominated fields.Her Miss America bio says Lodewyk also enjoys watching Broadway shows, sewing, and completing New York Times puzzles with her sisters. Minnesota: Emily SchumacherMiss Minnesota 2025. Miss America Emily Schumacher, 25, has made her mark on the healthcare industry. Previously named a PHW Hero for Young Hearts Allied Health Professional Advocacy Champion award winner, she now works as a certified nurse's assistant in her local emergency room.She told the Miss America organization that she's also worked with the American Heart Association and has widely advocated for CPR and AED training. Mississippi: Becky WilliamsMiss Mississippi 2025. Miss America Becky Williams, 23, is the first woman in her family to graduate from college and she's determined to help others succeed in education.Now an elementary school teacher, Williams helped secure full-tuition scholarships at Mississippi State University for winners of their state's local Miss and Miss Teen competitions.As she said in her Miss America bio, she's also passionate about fitness and started an initiative called Make a Move to help others develop healthy habits. For fun, Williams is learning how to fly planes and has over 10 hours as a pilot in command under her belt. Missouri: Ashley BerryMiss Missouri 2025. Miss America Ashley Berry, 21, studies journalism and political science at the University of Alabama. Her biggest passion, though, is supporting young professionals.She's secured a full-tuition scholarship for future Miss Missouri Teen winners and founded a day in her state dedicated to engaging teens in politics. She's also worked to add media literacy lessons to school curriculums and started the Media Smart initiative to further her advocacy.Berry is a bungee fitness instructor and a professional dancer in her spare time, having previously performed with the Missouri Symphony. Montana: Kaylee WolfensbergerMiss Montana 2025. Miss America Kaylee Wolfensberger, 20, is a student working toward her degree in business marketing.That said, she's already had some experience in her field. In 2024, she met with representatives of two NFL teams, the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins, and discussed women in business leadership roles with them.She also founded the Healing Harmonies initiative to help provide music education to communities in need. Nebraska: Raechel WarrenMiss Nebraska 2025. Miss America Raechel Warren, 28, wears many hats. She is a merchandiser and logistics specialist within the agriculture industry and a published researcher.And that's not to mention her success in figure roller skating, which she's been competing in since childhood. She's now a two-time champion in the sport and aims to skate in all 50 states.In her Miss America bio, Warren shared that she's also passionate about mentorship and launched her initiative, Passion to Purpose, to help students have access to people who can guide them through life. Nevada: Karrina FerrisMiss Nevada 2025. Miss America Karrina Ferris, 22, has a degree in history and political science, which led her to work the 82nd Nevada legislative session for the Senate majority leader.She's also a dancer and the creator of a civic education curriculum available across Nevada.Ferris also founded the service initiative Inform To Reform: Educating America's Future, which focuses on teaching young people about voter participation. New Hampshire: Emily SpencerMiss New Hampshire 2025. Miss America Emily Spencer, 24, is a choreographer, pilates instructor, and professional dancer.She previously earned her bachelor of fine arts in dance with a minor in biology, graduating fourth in her class and accepting her degree on the Miss New Hampshire stage. Spencer hopes to later earn a doctorate in physical therapy.Additionally, Spencer founded a nonprofit and adaptive pageant organization called Miss Inspiration, which provides scholarships to women who have disabilities. New Jersey: Elizabeth MendelMiss New Jersey 2025. Miss America Elizabeth Mendel, 23, is a business student and advocate for people who experience eating disorders, like she has in the past.She's worked with New Jersey assemblywoman Andrea Katz and provided her testimony to help pass two bills in New Jersey that raise awareness of eating disorders. Her initiative, Image is Everywhere, also focuses on the subject.In her Miss America bio, Mendel said she's also raised over $50,000 for her community and is a twin. New Mexico: Emille Marie EnriquezMiss New Mexico 2025. Miss America Emille Marie Enriquez, 24, is an emergency room nurse at a level-three trauma center. She's been nominated twice for a Daisy Award, which recognizes excellence in nursing.To help serve her community, Enriquez has administered vaccines, mentored graduate nurses, and advocated for safe ratios of nurses and patients.In her Miss America bio, the contestant shared that she lives in a "glamper," or a glamorous camper van, and enjoys shopping at Marshall's with her grandmother. New York: Abigail QuammenMiss New York 2025. Miss America Abigail Quammen, 25, can be described as a bookworm. Not only is reading one of her biggest hobbies, but she's also an advocate for literacy via her initiative Read to Succeed, which provides students with tutoring and after-school reading programs.Her work has previously taken her to places like the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy's National Celebration of Reading, where she served as the featured impact speaker.She previously graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in musical theater and is now an MBA candidate at New York University. North Carolina: Carrie EverettMiss North Carolina 2025. Miss America Carrie Everett, 20, is passionate about taking advantage of your circumstances.She founded a service initiative called Seize the Opportunity, with which she advocates for equitable access to the Miss America competition. The program works on contestant recruitment, individual funding, and training workshops.Previously, as she told the Miss America organization, she played tackle football and was the only woman on her team. North Dakota: Sophia RichardsMiss North Dakota 2025. Miss America Sophia Richards is a North Dakota State University graduate and currently works as a host and producer for North Dakota Today.The 23-year-old is also a volunteer and mentor for BIO Girls, a preventive mental wellness program in the Midwest. She once performed the national anthem in front of 45,000 people at a country music festival. Ohio: Stephanie FinotiMiss Ohio 2025. Miss America Stephanie Finoti, 22, is a biomedical scientist and vocational nurse. She began doing research at the James Comprehensive Cancer Center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital when she was just 16 and has been recognized for her work by the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine.Finoti also founded a nonprofit organization to help provide mentorship and tutoring to over 10,000 marginalized students. Oklahoma: Lauren Frost

The US Surgeon General released a report directly linking alcohol to cancer.A BI analysis found that spending on most kinds of alcohol has declined especially among young adults.It's reflective of Gen Z's shifting habits when it comes to alcohol consumption.By the time the US Surgeon General dropped its report linking alcohol to cancer on Friday, Americans had already been curbing their spending on booze over the last several decades especially young people.Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in his latest advisory that alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the US, following tobacco usage and obesity. He recommended updating warnings on alcohol packages to raise awareness of the harmful effects of drinking. However, doing so requires an act of Congress."For individuals, be aware that cancer risk increases as you drink more alcohol," Murthy wrote in a post on X on Friday. "As you consider whether or how much to drink, keep in mind that less is better when it comes to cancer risk."Do you plan to change your drinking habits in response to the Surgeon General's recommendation? Tell us why in this survey.Many Americans have already been cutting back. Business Insider analyzed alcohol spending data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to get a sense of how alcoholic beverage consumption has changed. It showed that spending has decreased over the past few decades, especially among Americans under 25.With spirits and beer in particular, Bureau of Economic Analysis data shows that personal spending as a share of personal consumption expenditures has dropped since 1959. Spending on wine as a share of personal spending, meanwhile, has seen a small uptick.Additionally, expenditure data adjusted to 2023 dollars using the consumer price index shows that younger adults under 25 years old spent less on average than this age group years prior. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that spending on alcoholic beverages by Americans under 25 is similar to people aged 75 and over.The decrease in alcohol spending among young people is reflective of Gen Z and millennials' shifting habits and priorities compared to other generations. A Gallup survey from 2023 found that 62% of adults under 35 said they drink, compared to 72% two decades ago, with some of them citing health concerns as a key reason.Gen Z is also favoringmore active settingslike fitness groups to socialize instead of drinking, marking a shift in younger Americans' behaviors.It's unclear how the alcohol industry will respond to Murthy's latest report. However, warning labels on alcoholic drinks have not been updated since the '80s, and Murthy urged Congress to take action by updating labels and revising recommended consumption limits to prevent cancer among the US population.

Puerto Rico's power was restored after a New Year's Eve blackout sent the island into darkness.Still, the island's power company warned that there could be more electricity outages.Local business owners in San Juan told BI about their struggles to recover.Small business owners and workers in Puerto Rico say they're struggling to recover from a massive power outage earlier this week that left the entire island without electricity.Puerto Rico's electricity has mostly been restored after the blackout on New Year's Eve cut the power for more than 1.2 million customers. But the local energy company warned that it may need to schedule more rolling outages because the power grid is so fragile.One business owner told BI that they'd tried their best to recover from the New Year's Eve outage, only to be hit with another outage on Friday"It's very, very surreal because we were about to have the whole system online today and the technicians were already working before we opened the lunch service and all of a sudden the system went out again," Gabriel Hernandez, the chef and co-owner of Verde Mesa restaurant in San Juan, told Business Insider.The restaurant had already had to cancel its New Year's Eve dinner service because even though power was restored on Tuesday afternoon, it was too late to scramble to open."Once the power's restored, there's another layer of work that has to be done, which is to check our produce, check if our refrigerators are working, check our antenna and WiFi," Hernandez said. Puerto Rico was without power on New Year's Eve and beyond as seen in San Juan on Tuesday. The local electricity company says things are back to normal for the most part, but business owners say it'll take a while to recover. Ricardo Arduengo/REUTERS And in the days since, he's also had to reduce the restaurant's seating capacity to below 50% of normal, he said. The blackout caused the restaurant's WiFi antenna to go out, downing its point-of-sale system, which Hernandez said he hasn't been able to get fixed.Operating at less than half capacity has been especially difficult during one of the busiest weeks of the year, he said. He estimated the restaurant's losses are already in the thousands of dollars. And, he said, the restaurant will never be able to make that back. "Unless we have somebody inject money that we lost, we don't recuperate money," Hernandez said.Puerto Rico's power company warns of more outagesLuma Energy, the private company that transmits and distributes power in the territory, said in an X post on Thursday morning that 99% of its 1.4 million customers were back in service. It didn't respond to multiple inquiries from Business Insider.The company urged customers to limit their energy consumption and use backup energy wherever possible as the electric system gets back up to speed. Luma initially attributed the blackout to the failure of an underground cable, but said on Thursday the cause was still under investigation.The island-wide blackout, which happened around dawn on Tuesday, threw the New Year's Eve plans of the territory's more than 3 million residents into disarray.The owner of another restaurant in San Juan, who didn't want to be named, told BI that she lost about a thousand dollars worth of refrigerated items mostly produce and fish when the power went out on Tuesday.Luckily, she said, the restaurant was already closed that day, but because she doesn't have backup generators, she couldn't save her perishable inventory. And her restaurant's margins are already very slim, she said, so it won't be easy to make back that lost money. San Juan could be seen from the air without power. Some people have generators, but many business owners were left scrambling. Ricardo Arduengo/REUTERS Hotels, too, lost money during this week's power outage. Jose Lopez told Business Insider that the small eight-room hotel Villa Herencia, where he works in San Juan, had to refund a few guests who left early during Tuesday's outage.But, he said, power service has been good since it was restored, and the hotel hasn't experienced any smaller outages.One caf worker in San Juan, who didn't want to be named, said that while his caf suffered some losses this week, it was able to continue operating through the blackout thanks to its generator. People from around the neighborhood were able to come in and get food during the outage, he said.Though some businesses and residences had their power restored by Tuesday afternoon or evening, others had to wait longer. Ryan Pamplin, a 36-year-old business owner, told BI that the power at his house in Dorado took 23 hours to come back on. Once it did, it went out again a few hours later and remained out for most of New Year's Day.The island's power system has been an issue for a long timePuerto Rico has for years dealt with a sometimes rickety power system, highlighted in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and Hurricane Fiona in 2022.Tuesday's widespread outage came as the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, or PREPA, has been trying to restructure its debt, which The Associated Press said stood at more than $9 billion.Puerto Rico's new governor, Jenniffer Gonzlez Coln, who was sworn in on Thursday, has called out the territory's ailing power grid and promised that stabilizing it will be her top priority.

Elon Musk appears to have invaded Britainif only via tweet. This week, the rightwing American billionaire stirred chaos by unleashing a tweet-storm against Keir Starmer, the Labor Party leader and current U.K. prime minister. Musk has had it out for Starmer ever since he was elected, and this week, he took things up a notch when he used his platform, X, to urge King Charles to dissolve Britains parliament and dethrone the new prime minister.In general, Musk has attempted to depict Starmers government as a corrupt, incompetent regime that is harming Britain. To capstone that messaging effort, Musk reposted a message this week from a commenter that read: Who also thinks the KING should Dissolve Parliament and order a General Election be called for the sake and security of the country? The King must ACT before it is too late! Musk replied to the users post, stating merely: Yes. Thats not all Musk got up to. The American billionaire also seized on a scandal involving child grooming street gangs and used the episode to accuse Starmer of failing to hold child rapists in his country to account, claiming Starmer was complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN. The scandal in question involves the phenomenon of grooming gangs in north England, which are said to be composed largely of perpetrators of South Asian or British Pakistani heritage. Musk was subsequently accused of politicizing the rape of young girls as a means of pushing his own rightwing agenda.At the same time, Musk announced support for Tommy Robinson, a far-right political activist and convicted fraudster with a violent criminal record who is currently serving a prison term. Robinson, whose given name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been called an anti-Islam activist and accused of Islamaphobia. Free Tommy Robinson! Musk posted. Robinson/Lennon is the founder of the English Defense League, a now defunct organization that lobbied against Islamic extremism. Musk stirred up so much trouble that conservative political allies of Trump reportedly had to distance themselves from the comments. Indeed, Bloomberg reports that senior politicians on the UK right reached out to Donald Trumps allies, urging the US President-elects team not to endorse British far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Why does Musk have it out for Starmer so bad? No one really knows for sure, though its difficult not to see it as a broader effort to make the incoming liberal government look bad so that a different (presumably conservative) government might soon take its place. That said, its not like Musk is the first American plutocrat to mess with U.K. politics. Indeed, the connection between U.S. billionaires and the effort to remake Britain into a rightwing dystopia, has been well-established for quite some time.The U.S.-led push to make Britain more rightwing One reason that Musk and his cohort may be freaking out so much about Starmer is that he is the first British prime minister in years who hasnt enjoyed political affiliations with the American right. Boris Johnson, who served as PM between 2019 and 2022, notably schmoozed with pro-Trump folks, called himself a libertarian, and his policies were largely shaped by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a think-tank that is part of a global libertarian network known as Atlas. While the Atlas Network was founded by a British citizen, it is based in the U.S. and enjoys associations with a variety of American organizations, including the Heritage Foundation and ALEC (the pro-corporate, American Legislative Exchange Council). Prior to her rise to become Britains shortest-tenured prime minister, the notorious Liz Truss met with a number of rightwing U.S. think tanks, including Heritage, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and ALEC. Later, when she became prime minister, much of Trusss economic policy agenda was also largely developed by IEA. When Truss attempted to solve Britains woes with massive tax cuts for billionaires (a notably Trumpian solution), she was swiftly laughed out of government and abruptly resigned. Since stepping down from her PM role, Truss hasnt done a whole lot except fangirl out over Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak, the interim prime minister who served between Truss and Starmer, also enjoyed dense ties to America and attempted to deploy free market, libertarian policies, the bulk of which were deeply unpopular. Musks propaganda role The effort to transform Western nations into conservative strongholds has been bolstered by propaganda efforts designed to shake confidence in liberal governments. It should be noted that, at the same time that Musk has sought to very publicly attack Starmers liberal government, he has also increasingly allied himself with many of the organizations and forces that have supported Britains cultural and economic drift towards the right.I recently wrote that Musk is basically the new Steve Bannon, meaning that Musklike Bannon before himhelped Trump get elected by serving as a messaging guru who could incite political support by tapping into voters cultural and economic grievances. Bannon, who helped Trump get elected in 2016, is also credited with helping to bring American-style nativism to British political culture. Bannon also notably supported Tommy Robinson long before Musk began tweeting about him. As far back as 2018, Bannon was openly complimenting the rightwing agitator. In leaked audio, Bannon ranted: Tommy Robinson is the f***ing backbone of this country. You lose guys like Tommy Robinson, youre not going to have a country, he apparently said, of Britain. In February of last year, Bannon appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland (alongside Liz Truss) and called Robinson a hero.What Bannon did in a relatively quiet fashion, however, Musk is doing in broad daylight. Through his platform X, Musk has managed to promote a slew of rightwing conspiracy theories and misinformation that seems designed to shake public confidence in Starmers government. Before his pro-Robinson tweets and his comments about dissolving parliament and street rapes, Musk also used his platform to comment on a stabbing episode that led to riots throughout Britain. Musks comments were even credited with exacerbating the riots. Musk also recently called for new elections so that Starmer could be voted out of office. So while it may be happening on a different continent, Musks propaganda efforts in the U.K. would appear to be identical to the ones hes carrying out in the U.S. Those efforts also cant help but be seen as a continuation of a broader effort by the American political rightwing to use racial and economic grievances as a means of radicalizing lower and middle-class populations and herding them towards economic agendas that are designed by and for the wealthy. That said, this program may work a whole lot better in the U.S. than it has in Britain, where the average IQ may be slightly higher.

Zendaya is one of Hollywoods most fashionable stars of the momentif theres a red carpet, shes going to be wearing something distinctive and drop-dead gorgeous. But in a new interview, the star of Dune: Part Two confessed the elaborate costume she wore to portray Arrakis-dwelling Fremen warrior Chani presented physical challenges far beyond towering heels or haute couture suits of armor.Speaking to W Magazine(via Variety), Zendaya explained that despite being in excellent shape after filming tennis drama Challengers, she still wasnt quite prepared for Dune: Part Twos heavy and restrictive wardrobe situation. From the sound of it, nobody would be. While filming in Jordan, she said, It was very hot, and I remember thinking, Oh, man, the bathrooms are so far away, because we had to hike to the locations. If you have to pee, you need at least 10 minutes to get out of the costumes.With that in mind, she said, I was like, Damn, I dont want to drink too much water. I had such a fear of peeing myself or shitting myself, honestly, in the suit on set. One day, I didnt drink enough and I had a heatstroke. I felt so barfy. I remember calling my mom on the bathroom floor, saying, I feel terrible. She was like, Did you drink water today? I said no. I thought I was being smart, but you cant do that. So, lesson learned. Not for nothing, Zendayas remarks might remind you of another critically acclaimed sci-fi blockbuster with restrictive costumes: The Shape of Water. When it came out in 2018, Doug Jones said he had to take care of bowels in advance of pulling that suit. Because when Im in the suit, itll be for a good 16, 17 hours a day. So you have to make sure that youre not going to have a little accident. And that is my biggest fear in this world is that theyre going to pull the suit off me one day and be disgusted by the aroma.Hey, The Shape of Water went on to win Best Picture. Maybe thats a good omen for Dune: Part Two? Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.