GunaiKurnai Elder Uncle Russell Mullett on the balcony of Cloggs CaveJessica ShapiroA recent discovery in Cloggs cave, Australia, revealed something extraordinary about humanitys relationship with time. Several metres into the limestone grotto, archaeologists working with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation found telltale signs of an ancient ritual: two ceremonial sticks covered in animal fat and highly specific burn marks. Here is the amazing part. The sticks were 12,000 years old, and they were almost identical to ones used for rituals in the late 19th century by local mulla-mullung, or sorcerers.That means the GunaiKurnai people

Starbucks is hosting a three-hour meeting for store employees later this month.The meeting will focus on ways that employees can make Starbucks "a welcoming coffeehouse" again.Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is trying to turn around results at the coffee chain.Starbucks store employees in the US will have to attend a three-hour training session later this month, Business Insider has learned, as the coffee chain's new CEO attempts to revitalize it.Starbucks' role as a place for customers to hang out is expected to be a key topic at the meeting, according to a description from Starbucks' intranet seen by BI."We will be talking about an opportunity to refocus on what has always set Starbucks apart a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather and we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by skilled baristas," the description reads.The meetings will take place at different times at different stores, four store employees told BI. They'll happen between January 21 and 26 and will be entitled "Welcome Back to Starbucks," according to one sign posted at a store and seen by BI.Store employees, whom Starbucks calls "partners," have to attend the meeting, even if that means going to another store's version because it fits their schedule better, two partners said. In some cases, partners will fill in shifts at other stores so that employees there can be present, one partner said.Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.Starbucks is in the midst of a turnaround effort after reporting slumping sales in recent quarters.Brian Niccol, who oversaw major changes at Mexican grill chain Chipotle, became Starbucks' CEO in September. Since then, he's unveiled several changes, from the reintroduction of self-service condiment bars to instituting a goal of four minutes or less for preparing customers' orders.Niccol has also said that he wants Starbucks stores to be "inviting places to linger" while also serving customers who want quick to-go service.One partner at a Starbucks store in Florida told BI that he hopes Starbucks will unveil more changes to streamline workflow at his store during the meeting.He pointed to some adjustments that Starbucks has already made under Niccol's leadership, such as instructing baristas to prepare some drinks with a blender instead of shaking them a small change that saves each barista valuable seconds when filling orders."I would love to see a continuation of that," he said.Do you work at Starbucks and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com.

2025-01-09T20:20:17Z Read in app Angle down iconAn icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. DAVID SWANSON/AFP/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? At least five separate wildfires are ravaging Los Angeles and Southern California.The Palisades Fire alone has burned through over 17,000 acres of land in two days.For context, the entire island of Manhattan is 14,600 acres.A series of wildfires have battered Los Angeles and other surrounding areas of Southern California since Tuesday, killing at least five people, burning through tends of thousands of acres of land, and destroying at least 1,000 structures.The damage so far is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.When natural disasters strike, numbers like these that reach the thousands, millions, and even billions can become difficult to comprehend.To put the wildfire destruction in California into perspective, here are seven statistics to help understand the damage they have inflicted. The Palisades Fire alone has burned through 17,000 acres. That's larger than the entire island of Manhattan.A home burns during the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025. AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images That makes the fire, which started on Tuesday morning, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles' history, according to multiple reports.The island of Manhattan in New York is roughly 15,000 acres.In total, more than 26,978 acres had been burned as of 1:45 a.m. Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported. Officials ordered 130,000 to evacuate, a number that's greater than the population of Kansas' capital city.A resident rides through smoke from a brush fire pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds on January 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades. VCG/VCG/Getty Images That number is more than the population of Topeka, the capital of Kansas, which has a population of 125,457, according to 2023 population estimates by the US Census.Los Angeles' total population is just under 4 million people. That means around 3% of the city's population has been displaced. More than 420,000 people are estimated to be without power. That's roughly the population of Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota.A home burns during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, California on January 8, 2025. JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images The number comes from PowerOutage.us, which has been tracking power outages across California. One estimate puts damage and economic losses at $52 to $57 billion, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in US history.The sun is seen behind smoke above charred structures after the passage of the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025. AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP/Getty Images That preliminary estimate, from forecasting service Accuweather, could increase if the fires spread to further areas.For comparison, the total GDP of the country of Libya is $48 billion, according to the IMF.If this was a hurricane, that'd make it the 10th-costliest storm in history, right below 2012's Hurricane Sandy. More than 7,500 LA firefighters have been deployed, but that's still not enough.Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire in strong winds as many homes burn on January 7, 2025, in Pasadena, California David McNew/Getty Images Governor Gavin Newsom is sending in the state's National Guard, and more firefighters are coming from Nothern California. The Los Angeles Times reported Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone requested aid from fire departments in Oregon, New Mexico, Washington, and Utah. Wind gusts have reached 90 mph. That's equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.Workers attempt to remove a tree that fell on a car due to high winds in Glendale on January 8, 2025. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images The powerful winds contributed to the quick spread of the fires and hampered firefighting efforts.For comparison, Category 1 hurricanes have wind speeds of between 74 and 95 mph, and they can do a lot of damage. Hurricane Florence was a Category 1 storm when it made landfall in North Carolina in September 2018, and was one of the costliest hurricanes in history. Universal Studios was forced to close for the first time since COVID-19 in 2020.The entrance of Universal Studios in Hollywood. GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images Universal Studios said in a statement it closed its gates on Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution" due to the high winds and fires, closing for the first time since the park shut down in March 2020, per People. It remained closed on Thursday.Disneyland, located in Anaheim, has been able to remain open. CaliforniaLos AngelesClose iconTwo crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

The Griffith Observatory offers free public telescopes and sweeping views of downtown Los Angeles.The Griffith Observatory. dszc/Getty Images The structure, which spans 67,000 square feet, includes a planetarium, observatory, and exhibits about the cosmos.The observatory's telescopes were rendered useless due to thick clouds of smoke.Smoke from wildfires in the sky over Griffith Observatory. Andy Bao/AP The Griffith Observatory wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that it will be closed until further notice due to the current weather and fire conditions. The Hollywood sign, visible from the Griffith Observatory, is the most famous landmark in Los Angeles.The Hollywood Sign. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images The Hollywood sign has been featured in countless TV shows and movies over the years as the most iconic location in the city. As fires blazed across the city, the normally blue skies turned gray with smoke and ash.The Hollywood sign was surrounded by smoke from the Los Angeles wildfires. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images As of Thursday, the sign was not located in an evacuation warning area, but the site is closed due to damage from surrounding fires.After false images of the sign burning began to circulate on social media, the Hollywood Sign clarified in a Facebook post that it "continues to stand tall!" Sunset Boulevard boasts luxury shops, restaurants, and nightlife.Sunset Boulevard. ANDREY DENISYUK/Getty Images The famous 1.7-mile-long Sunset Strip along Sunset Boulevard is located between Hollywood and West Hollywood.Part of Sunset Boulevard has been hit hard by the wildfires.Sunset Boulevard damaged by wildfires. Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Part of Sunset Boulevard, which spans 25 miles, is located in Pacific Palisades. The Palisades fire caused heavy damage, and many buildings along the famous street have burned down. The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena is home to the UCLA Bruins college football team.Rose Bowl Stadium. Kirby Lee/Getty Images The stadium also hosts its namesake Rose Bowl Game annually on New Year's Day.Aerial views of The Rose Bowl were obscured by smoke.The Rose Bowl covered in smoke from wildfires. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images Some sports games have been postponed due to the wildfires. On Wednesday, the National Hockey League delayed a match between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames that was supposed to take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Getty Center, a giant museum complex in the Santa Monica Mountains, spans 110 acres.An aerial view of the Getty Center in Brentwood, California. Michael Rosebrock/Shutterstock Designed by architect Richard Meier, the Getty Center houses collections of paintings, manuscripts, photography, and sculptures from Europe and the US.The effects of the wildfires could be seen in the distance behind the museum on Wednesday at sunset.Fire and smoke behind the Getty Center. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images Clouds of smoke billowed around the complex, but the museum was undamaged. The Getty Villa, situated on a 64-acre estate, houses Greek and Roman antiquities.The Getty Villa. Arellano915/Shutterstock The Getty Villa, built by J. Paul Getty, is located about 11 miles from the Getty Museum. Wildfires scorched the grounds of the Getty Villa, but the building itself remains safe.Buildings and trees around the Getty Villa went up in flames. David Swanson / Contributor / Getty Images Katherine E. Fleming, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that the organization "had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year.""Some trees and vegetation on-site have burned, but staff and the collection remain safe," she said. Located near the Getty Villa, the Kauffman Estate has appeared in music videos such as "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga and "Haunted" by Beyonc.The Villa de Leon, known as the Kauffman Estate, is seen in Malibu, California. GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images Also known as the Villa de Leon, the French Revival estate was built in Malibu in 1927 for wool merchant Leon Kauffman. The 12,000-square-foot mansion was barely visible in the orange sky.The Kauffman Estate was threatened by the flames of the wind-driven Palisades Fire. DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images Winds of up to 90 miles per hour made the California wildfires difficult to control.The Kauffman Estate, now a private residence, appeared to still be standing as of Tuesday evening, but the extent of the damage is unclear. Will Rogers State Historic Park in the Santa Monica Mountains was once the luxury residence of one of the highest-paid actors of the 1930s.The old horse barn at Will Rogers State Historic Park. trekandshoot/Shutterstock In the 1920s, Rogers built a ranch on the 359 acres of land he owned featuring a 31-room house, stables, and a golf course. His widow donated it to the California State Parks system in 1944.The Palisades Fire destroyed "multiple structures" including Will Rogers' historic home, according to California State Parks.Will Rogers' house at Will Rogers State Historic Park was destroyed by the Palisades Fire. California State Parks, all rights reserved "California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area," California State Parks director Armando Quintero said in a statement.

Fox isnt exactly known for fostering ethical work environments. However, a new lawsuit against Fox Sports, marquee commentator Skip Bayless, and network executive Charlie Dixon has sent shockwaves through the sports broadcasting industry, emphasizing a bleak reality for women in the field.On January 3, a former hairstylist for the network, Noushin Faraji, filed a lawsuit accusing Bayless, the former co-host of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed from 2016 to 2024, of making unwanted sexual advances toward her, including offering her $1.5 million to sleep with him. The plaintiff also says that Dixon, executive vice president of content at Fox Sports 1, groped her at a party and sexually pursued other women employees. Other notable defendants listed in the complaint include popular Fox Sports 1 host Joy Taylor, who allegedly dismissed Faraji when she confided in her about the groping incident in 2017 and began mocking her accent in 2021. In one of the lawsuits more salacious claims, the plaintiff says that Taylor engaged in a sexual relationship with Dixon to get a position on Undisputed. The lawsuit alleges a harrowing saga of systematic abuse and complicity over almost a decade. Despite the breadth of the allegations, the majority of online backlash by sports fans, tabloids, and even some commentators has unsurprisingly been directed at Taylor. It reveals a double bind for women working in male-dominated environments, who find themselves in a damned if do, damned if you dont position when it comes to sexuality in the workplace. The online response to Taylor, however, shows a gross enthusiasm by men to discredit women in sports journalism. In an industry that on the surface seems like its embracing more women, there seems to be no way to win. What exactly is Faraji alleging? In the 42-page lawsuit, initially reported by Front Office Sports, Farajis attorneys say that she was forced to endure a misogynistic, racist, and ableist workplace where executives and talent were allowed to physically and verbally abuse workers with impunity. It includes counts of sexual battery, hostile work environment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Faraji is also requesting that her suit be certified as a class action. The complaint includes allegations on behalf of other anonymous Fox employees in California regarding unfair wages and illegal business practices. Fox Corporation, Fox Sports Holding, LLC, Fox Sports 1 LLC, Fox Sports 2 LLC, Dixon, Bayless, Taylor and several anonymous Fox employees are listed as defendants.In the initial reporting of the lawsuit, Fox Sports told Front Office Sports, We take these allegations seriously and have no further comment at this time given this pending litigation. Representatives for Dixon, Bayless, and Taylor have yet to comment on the situation. Taylor, however, resumed hosting on FS1s show Speak on Monday without addressing the lawsuit. According to the complaint, Faraji began as a part-time hairstylist for Fox in 2012 before being hired full-time in 2016. In 2016, she befriended Taylor, who was then working on a day-to-day basis for the network. It was through Taylor who Faraji eventually styled on Undisputed and, later, Speak that she first became aware of Dixons alleged sexual impropriety with women employees at Fox. Faraji says she discovered that Taylor and Dixon had a sexual relationship in 2016 after he began accompanying Taylor on their social outings. A couple of months later, it was announced that Taylor was hired for the then newly announced Undisputed television show as a moderator. The complaint alleges that Dixon gave Taylor the job as a reward for their relationship. Faraji also claims she heard that Dixon also punished women at the network for not obliging to his sexual demands. Faraji says in the lawsuit that an anonymous woman employee claimed to have been let go for rejecting Dixons advances and that another talk show host had reported his predatory behavior to the network. Joy Taylor at Billboard Women in Music on March 6, 2024, in Inglewood, California. Oscar Del Aguila/Billboard via Getty ImagesIn 2017, Faraji had her own run-in with Dixon at Taylors birthday party. Faraji alleges that the executive grabbed her butt while they were standing at a bar. Faraji says that when she confided in Taylor about the incident, Taylor told her to get over it. At the same time that Taylor was allegedly seeing Dixon, Faraji claims Taylor also began dating ex-NFL player and network talent Emmanuel Acho, in hopes that he would recommend her for Speak. Faraji says she advised her not to see Dixon and Acho at the same time, as Dixon might retaliate against her. Taylor allegedly responded that she would tell the company that Dixon forced himself on her and that she wouldnt be forced out by Mr. Dixon like other women.Faraji alleges that she started experiencing harassment from Bayless while working as a full-time hairstylist on Undisputed beginning in 2017. Faraji says that Bayless would give her lingering hugs and kisses on the cheek before becoming more aggressive and direct with his advances, which she consistently declined. In 2021, she told Bayless about a cancer scare involving her left ovary hoping he would back off. In response, she says, he offered her $1.5 million to have sex with him, which she rejected. According to the complaint, Bayless continued making advances over the years, eventually accusing Faraji of sleeping with his co-star and rival Shannon Sharpe which she denies and threatening her job at one point. Throughout her tenure, Faraji, whos Iranian, says she experienced sexual and racial harassment from a mic technician (who allegedly doubled as an on-set cocaine dealer). She claims she was called a Persian b**** by an unnamed employee (called Ms. M in the suit).Taylor also allegedly mocked her English and complained about her habitual humming, which Faraji says is a coping mechanism for her diagnosed PTSD. Faraji says a co-worker reported Ms. M to human resources on her behalf in 2020 while she told a supervisor about her issues with Taylor to her supervisor in 2023. But she says both incidents were ultimately dismissed or handled poorly by higher-ups. By August 2024, Faraji was taken off the work schedule. Her termination came a year after she participated in an internal investigation in which she says she was asked about Taylors relationships with Dixon and Acho. During this time, Faraji claims that Bayless was asked by human resources whether she had offered him sex. When Bayless responded no, they allegedly impli[ed] that they wanted him to say otherwise. Her complaint describes this as the companys common tactic of retaliating against employees who were either witness[es] or target[s] of bad behavior, although Fox told Faraji they could no longer afford her services. Faraji is now seeking unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial. Indeed, this is hardly new territory for Fox, although most of the corporations history of misconduct allegations have occurred under their news arm. In 2016, a number of women Fox News employees, including anchors Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, accused now-deceased CEO and chair Roger Ailes of sexual harassment. In 2017, a bombshell New York Times investigation found that Fox News and Bill OReilly paid tens of millions of dollars to settle six allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse. Foxs sports division isnt unfamiliar with public scandals either. The same year, Fox Sports ousted its former president of national networks, Jamie Horowitz, for sexual harassment claims. The coverage of the lawsuit within the sports world hasnt been much better. Incendiary former Fox Sports host Jason Whitlock, known for his controversial takes on racial issues, had some sexist words for Taylor when discussing the lawsuit. On his show Fearless With Jason Whitlock this week, he called her a symbol of this whole feminist movement and said she exemplifies the consequences of sharing everything with women. Meanwhile, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy defended Taylors alleged relationships with her colleagues but rejected Farajis allegations, calling the lawsuit a shakedown. Notably, Sharpe didnt have anything to say about his former co-host Bayless alleged behavior or his own involvement in the lawsuit when it was brought up on his podcast Nightcap. That aint got nothing to do with me, he said. So theres nothing to address.Its not a surprise that most of the attention has fallen on Taylor in the aftermath online while Farajis allegations against Bayless and Dixon have caused less outrage. Many social media users expressed anger about the claim by the claim that she had planned to accuse Dixon of sexual misconduct if she faced retaliation for dating another man. Meanwhile, jokes about Taylors alleged relationships including the fact that these salacious claims have the heat off of Bayless and Dixon abound online. Sideline reporter Erin Andrews interviews Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons after the Cowboys defeated the New York Giants on November 28, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesSeveral users have suggested that Taylors alleged actions will negatively affect other women in sports journalism and cast doubt over their accomplishments. On one hand, its hard not to assume that Taylors part of the lawsuit will have negative repercussions for women. Male sports fans online are figuratively foaming at the mouth to purport the narrative that Taylor allegedly slept her way to the top, and some are even implying that other women sports reporters may have done the same. However, the discourse surrounding Taylor has exposed a long-standing problem facing women in the field. The landscape of sports broadcasting has changed a lot at least, cosmetically for women over the past 50 years. In 1978, Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa Ludtke had to sue the Major League Baseball for denying her access to players locker rooms. Now, women sports journalists, like Jemele Hill, Taylor Rooks, Erin Andrews, and Mina Kimes, are some of the most recognizable faces and awarded reporters in the industry while still having to navigate their own challenges.Andrews notably became a flash point the sort of misogyny women sportscasters can experience when a nonconsensual nude video of her was posted online in 2009 after she was stalked and secretly recorded in a hotel room. In 2017, after Hill called Donald Trump a white supremacist on social media, she faced a wave of misogynoir from critics online. More recently, Kimes was called a Japanese slur by a Boston radio host, while Rooks has had to defend her way of dressing against finger-wagging sports fans. Many issues remain for women in the industry regarding casual sexism, equal pay, and the ability to challenge sports narratives vocalized by their male counterparts. Outside of issues they may face directly in the workplace, theres the struggle to be taken seriously by audiences when reporting on a subject that only men are viewed as having true expertise in. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton famously got in trouble in 2017 when he told a woman journalist that it was funny to hear her ask him about football. In a 2022 interview with The Cut, several women sports reporters spoke about the anxiety of having any sort of slip-up on-air, given the way male sports fans are eager to label them uninformed. The fear of being wrong and losing credibility because of something really dumb is real, NFL Network host Colleen Wolfe said. The worry of being labeled unqualified and the harassment that comes with it seems to have made this lawsuit particularly bleak for women sports commentators. Contrary to popular takes on the internet, its not something that the allegations in this lawsuit has newly brought on but that misogynistic sports fans are happy to perpetuate. Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

By AJ Dellinger Published January 9, 2025 | Comments (10) | Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger icons displayed on a phone screen Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Apparently not everyone is ready to live in a post-truth world. In the wake of Mark Zuckerbergs announcement that Meta platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will ditch professional fact-checkers in favor of a Community Notes-style crowdsourcing approach to accountability, searches for deleting Meta accounts have spiked significantly. Searches for how to delete Facebook and how to delete Instagram peaked in the days following the announcement that accuracy is no longer a priority for posting on the platforms, according to Google Trends data. Related searches like how to quit facebook, how to delete threads account, and how to delete instagram account without logging in have also achieved breakout trend status, meaning they have seen 5,000% increases or higher in interest, as TechCrunch pointed out. Screenshot via Google Trends Fittingly, Facebook competitors are also seeing a spike in interest. Bluesky saw a nearly 1,000% increase in searches during the same period that saw people looking to exit the Meta-verse of social apps. Zuckerberg accused people leaving his companys platforms of virtue signaling, presumably because he assumes everyone is as deeply unscrupulous and malleable as he is and wouldnt do anything simply out of principle.Alas, for those looking for a landing spot, there arent a lot of suitable replacements for platforms like Instagramor Facebook, for that matterfor folks looking to leave the platforms behind as they turn into post-fact AI slop factories.Zuckerberg has successfully cornered major parts of the social web, and escaping his grasp is difficultespecially when it requires convincing the people you want to stay connected with to follow suit. Facebook has successfully amassed more than three billion monthly active users globally and Instagram has two billion. Want to chat with your friends? Meta-owned WhatsApp has nearly three billion active chatters and Messenger has more than one billion of its own. Even if you delete your accounts or never made one to begin with, Meta retains data about you and continues to track your activity across the web for its massive digital advertising business. Of course, that should not stop you from trying to limit your exposure to the tentacles of the monster that is Meta. And just statistically speaking, since you likely landed here by searching something along the lines of how to delete facebook, the least we can do is give you what youre looking for. You get your guide, we get some clicks, and everyone leaves happy. How to Delete Your Facebook Account A quick preface here: Facebook, through what could probably best be described as a willfully inefficient user interface, has created a labyrinthian maze of menus that you have to navigate in order to find the option to delete your accountand that maze will be different depending on what operating system, platform, and version of the Facebook that you are accessing.That said, if you are on an iPhone or Android device: Click the three-bar Menu button on the bottom right of the Facebook app Tap the Settings & privacy header If Accounts Center appears in this menu, tap it. If it doesnt, tap Settings and the app should redirect you to Accounts Center following a popup explaining its function Tap Personal details Tap Account ownership and control Tap Deactivation or deletion Choose the account or profile you want to delete Tap Delete account Tap Continue and follow the instructions on screen to confirm If Accounts Center appears for you, you should be able to delete your Facebook and Instagram accounts at the same time, assuming they are linked together. If you are viewing Facebook on a desktop, the same steps apply, except your first step is to click your profile picture in the top right. From here, find Settings & privacy and follow the same steps as above.Regardless if you are on desktop or mobile apps, if the Accounts Center doesnt appear for you, do the following: Follow steps 1 and 2 above Once in Settings & privacy, tap Profile Access and Control Tap Deactivation and Deletion Choose Delete Account and tap Continue to Account Deletion Follow the instructions on screen to confirm How to Delete Your Instagram Account If your Instagram account is not linked to your Facebook account, you can delete it separately in the iOS and Android app by doing the following: Tap profile or your profile picture in the bottom right Tap the three-bar More menu on the top right Tap Accounts Center Tap Personal details Tap Account ownership and control Tap Deactivation or deletion Tap the account youd like to delete Tap Delete account Tap Continue and follow the steps on screen to confirm If youre visiting Instagram on desktop, your first step will be to Click More on the bottom left of the screen, then click Settings. From there, follow steps 3 through 9 above. Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published January 9, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published January 7, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published January 7, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published January 6, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published January 3, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published January 2, 2025

DC Studios Max adult animated show Creature Commandos took fans new and old by surprise. Not only was its first season yet another marvelous show to add to the comic book juggernauts repertoire of phenomenal series, it also served as a harbinger for what the future of DC Studios will look like under James Gunns guiding hands. It certainly didnt hurt that it had all the flair, humor, heart, and sex appeal that, until now, was unheard-of for a DC project. Much like The Suicide Squad (Gunns version), Creature Commandos sees a weird assortment of DC oddballs tasked with completing deadly missions fit for a monster. Key among its cast of rejects are Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo), the Bride (Indira Varma), GI Robot (Sean Gunn), Weasel (also Sean Gunn), Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), Dr. Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), Frankenstein (David Harbour), and Circe (Anya Chalotra). While many of the characters above reveal themselves to be more than they initially appear as a force for good throughout the show, Princess Ilana Rostovic proves herself to be the quite the opposite. In tandem with the shows season finale, we spoke with Princess Ilana actor Maria Bakalova to ask her whether those fluttering eyelashes and Disney Princess front were genuineor if she was just playing with the audiences sympathies.This interview has been edited for brevity. Isaiah Colbert, io9: This isnt your first time working on a James Gunn comic book project. Your first was in Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as the talking space dog, Cosmo.What drew you to joining another Gunn work? Maria Bakalova: Its James. Im just a huge admirer of everything hes doing. Hes such a master storyteller [in] the way he builds characters, the way he builds stories, [and] the way he tells stories is exceptional. Its extraordinary.You can always find his signature because of the humor, the love within these characters, and the idea of finding your place in life somehow and finding people that you can recognize yourself. You can find your chosen family to a degree. You can find friends and feel like you belong somewhere, which I feel we, as human beings, are always born with this feeling of I want to belong somewhere. I want to be seen by somebody. I want to be understood by someone. We see that with Creature Commandos. We saw that with Guardians of the Galaxy. Max All of these projects have these misfits, monstrous creatures that somehow get united by the idea that theyre outsiders of the world and they dont fit anywhere. Yet, they can be the greatest heroes at the end, and you can find yourself falling in love with them, rooting for them, wanting them to be successful in their mission. Even though Im a little bit biased here [and] I dont want them to kill my princess, lets say shes also part of the creature commandos team, because I dont wanna end up in the prison as well. io9: Creature Commandos is filled with a cast of characters who arent what they seem on first blush, including Ilana. Throughout the show, Ilana rubber-bands from being a Disney Princess-type figure to a cold and plotting villainess. How did you balance those two disparate tones between her character?Bakalova: Ilana is a character that I havent really played before. Ive gotten to work on a lot of interesting projects [that were] very different to each other, but I havent played a villain before. I havent played somebody that is using manipulation to get what they wanted. To sacrifice their dignity and humanity to achieve a goal of power and control over society. Its interesting. Im always curious how people end up in this place and how they transition from just having this as a thought to actually starting to take action on it. Shes a complex woman. She can be seen as innocent and fragileand someone who really needs protection. But she is not as silly as she plays it to be and is not as fragile as she wants people to think she is. Max Even though she reveals a little bit in front of Rick, shes like, Im a woman, and I get what I want. I know that Im capable of dealing with a lot of stuff. I dont need a boy. I want a man. Its a bit of a glimpse that maybe she is not exactly who they think she is. She wants to play with her charm, and she wants to play with her femininity. She wants to play with the idea [that] she is not dangerous, she is in dangerwhen shes actually the biggest danger of them all. I did get to play something similar when I was trying to convince people that my character is a real human being back in 2020 with Borat [Subsequent Moviefilm]. Sometimes, you just have to let people believe what they want to believe, and I think thats her goal as well. She just lets Rick and the creatures believe that they need to protect her. So thats why she plays it like, Okay, I need protection, just dont stay [in] my way. Later, we reveal that, especially when she speaks her language, she is a completely different human being. Shes a monster. She has some terrible ideas for the future. But yeah, shes an interesting character to play. Max io9: You mentioned Ilana striking up a relationship with Rick Flaga nonprofessional relationshipthat leads to the hilarious scene where Doctor Phosphorous covers for them being intimate. James Gunn shared the clip of you kissing the back of your hand to make that noise on his social media. Was that a scene that required an intimacy coordinator, or was it simply going in the booth and performing as many takes as necessary to make it work? Bakalova: No. As much as I do think you need to be provided an intimacy coordinator if you need one, for this specific scene, at the end of the day, I personally didnt need it. If I needed somebody to be there with me, I could have always asked for it. Its always an open conversation with James and with everybody behind DC. But what James does pretty well is using humor all the time. Yeah, its animation for adults, but its done with a lot of humor. Its not that serious. Even when we look at the scene itself, We look at the people in front of the door, listening to them being so angry and violent. And its like, How long is this going to last? What is even happening? Its not like a romantic scene. Its not like Pretty Woman. Its a scene about two characters that somehow use, lets say, passion to distract themselves from the real danger and the real problem. And its funny. Its hilarious. Max Theyre not supposed to be doing that, but theyre doing that. Rick is fully aware thats not his job there, but hes doing it. Ilana is aware that she should not be doing that because she might expose herself, but shes doing it. And its weird. And its funny. And its strange.Its been fun to have fun with it because Creature Commandos is a great show. Its a very layered show rich with characters, places, and music. Its beautifully edited, but its also a lot of fun. Its not that heavy and pointing a finger [saying] This is wrong and this is right. Its a fun show. Dark but fun. I didnt need an intimacy coordinator. I dont know about Frank [Grillo]. Maybeif he needed onehe would have had one, but we just had a lot of fun doing it. Max io9: Speaking of darker moments, in a future sequence from Circe, we see Ilana take over the world and kill a pantheon of DC heroes, including Peacemaker and the Justice Leagues Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman. Which member of the Justice League do you think Ilana would have been the most merciless against and why? Bakalova: Oof! Maybe If I knew that the Bride is going to kill me, I would have been the most vicious against her. Thats my biggest enemy here because I can pretty much trick everybody else, but the Bride is my biggest problem. Max io9: Throughout the show, Ilanas status as a villain is played vaguely, given the runaround the Creature Commandos go through regarding whether Circes visions were correct. This all wasnt helped by Ilana endearing herself to characters like Flag and Weasel. Was Ilanas affection for them genuine, or was it a facade?Bakalova: I think its a little bit of a facade. Maybe with Weasel, [its] not that much of a facade. But to be completely honest, you just have to play the game. If she wants to succeed [in] her goal, shes just putting on a mask that [pretending] shes so fun, joyful, and enjoys the company of them. Its so fake at the end of the day. She has a bigger mission. She has domination of the world. If she has to pretend that she likes them so much, shes gonna like them. Maybe, when were not on her, shes kicking Weasel and throwing him away when Flag is not around. Maybe there is somebody else that she can have fun with. I dont really buy that she has empathy for them. Max io9: Despite your character being dead at the end of Creature Commandos, are there other comic book roles youd love to take on? Bakalova: Who knows? Im going to keep this for myself for now, but definitely. I do want to play a few more comic book roles.All seven episodes of Creature Commandos are streaming on Max. Season two is on the way. 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.

First Apple TV+ made its original programming free to watch during the first weekend in January. The streamers effort to woo potential new subscribers continues with its latest promotion: its showcasing one of its most acclaimed seriesSeverance, which returns for its long-awaited second season next weekfor a limited time free on the Roku Channel. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Roku announced today that season one of Severance will be available on the Roku Channel through January 19, part of an exclusive fan experience (which sounds both sincere and like a reference to Severances infamous, in-universe music dance experience). The trade further notes in addition to the first season, Roku Channel will get a preview of season two of the Adam Scott-starring thriller, as well as behind-the-scenes content. Users will also be eligible for three free months of Apple TV+. (No additional details were provided on the three free months offer, but presumably becoming a paid subscriber would be a part of that.) Putting season one of Severance on the Roku Channel, and making it directly accessible from the platforms home screen at that, actually makes a lot of sense; as THR points out, Roku has an enormous reach with its 90 million users and is one of the biggest free streaming video platforms on the market. According to an IndieWire report in March 2024, Apple TV+ does not share subscriber numbers, though outside estimates have it at around 25 million. (Netflix, by contrast, had over 260 million at the time of the IndieWire article.)So really, its a win-win-win-win situation: a win for Roku to be hosting season one of Severance; a win for Apple TV+ to get way more people hooked on Severance ahead of its new season and become subscribers; a win for Severance to expand its fan base; and a win for viewers, because Severancea dystopian, deeply original, mystery-driven office drama about a world where employees home lives and work lives are medically separated, with chaotic resultsis one of the best shows out there right now.Severance comes from director and executive producer Ben Stiller, and creator, writer, and exec producer Dan Erickson. It has won Emmy and Peabody awards, and stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquette. Season two kicks off January 17 on Apple TV+. 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.

Atelier 111 House / Andr Simo & Nuno BessaSave this picture! Carlos Eduardo VinagreHousesBarcelos, PortugalArchitects: Andr Simo & Nuno BessaAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:379 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Carlos Eduardo VinagreManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: FamCozinhas, Gercima, RMC Lead Architects: Andr Simo, Nuno Bessa More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. This intervention takes place on a partially ruined building, located in the historic center of Barcelos, a small city in the northwest of Portugal. The project installs a multifunctional program: a single-family house and an architecture studio. Taking advantage of the two facades (north and south) of the pre-existing building, facing two streets at different levels, the following functional distribution was organized: the parking and storage area are located on the ground floor, with access from the street at a lower level (facing north); the studio, on the first floor, with access from the street located in a higher level (facing south); the housing unit, occupying the third and fourth floors.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The project recovers and revisits traditional construction methods, particularly with regard to the structure (wooden beams supported on the perimeter walls made of granite masonry) and the composition and materiality of the facades (ornamental stonework and wooden frames). A floor was added (to accommodate the private area/bedrooms of the house) and its elevations highlight the guiding lines of the geometry of the primitive building. This floor is set back in relation to the alignment of the existing facades, allowing a response to three fundamental objectives: the creation of outdoor living areas/balconies; the demarcation between eras and languages (on this floor, corrugated sheet metal is adopted as the predominant exterior covering material, typically used in blind gables between buildings); reducing the impact of the construction on the profile of the two streets that border it.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!On the inside, two strategies were implemented: the articulation between contemporary and traditional elements, alluding to the building's various historical periods; the creation of open-plan spaces and the use of materials and devices permeable to light, so that in each compartment you can experience the simultaneous presence of the lighting and environment of each of the streets that the building faces.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on January 09, 2025Cite: "Atelier 111 House / Andr Simo & Nuno Bessa" [Casa Atelier 111 / Andr Simo & Nuno Bessa] 09 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025402/atelier-111-house-andre-simao-and-nuno-bessa&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

The BepiColombo spacecraft during its sixth flyby of Mercury on January 8, 2025.ESA/BepiColombo/MTM ShareThe BepiColombo spacecraft has sent back some incredibly detailed images of Mercurys north pole. The snapshots were collected during its closest ever flyby of our solar systems smallest planet. You can check out the awe-inspiring images below.On January 8, the robotic explorer operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) came as close as 183 miles above Mercury. The newly released images show permanently dark craters spotting the surface of the planet closest to our Sun. Nearby volcanic plains and the largest impact cater on Mercuryover 930 miles wideare also visible. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.The spacecraft launched in 2018 and has completed five previous flybys. This most recent approach puts BepiColombo on a course to enter orbit around Mercury in late 2026. It holds one orbiter for Europe and one for Japan that will circle the planets northern and southern poles.M-CAM 1 took this long-exposure photograph of Mercurys north pole at 07:07 CET, when the spacecraft was about 787 km from the planets surface. The spacecrafts closest approach of 295 km took place on the planets night side at 06:59 CET. In this view, Mercurys terminator, the boundary between day and night, divides the planet in two. Along the terminator, just to the left of the solar array, the sunlit rims of craters Prokofiev, Kandinsky, Tolkien and Gordimer can be seen, including some of their central peaks. Because Mercurys spin axis is almost exactly perpendicular to the planets movement around the Sun, the rims of these craters cast permanent shadows on their floors. This makes these unlit craters some of the coldest places in the Solar System, despite Mercury being the closest planet to the Sun! Excitingly, there is already evidence that these dark craters contain frozen water. Whether there is really water on Mercury is one of the key mysteries that BepiColombo will investigate once its in orbit around the planet. CREDIT: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM. The image shows that large regions of Mercurys heavily cratered surface are smoothed over by lava from volcanic eruptions. This smoothing over is visible inside the 290 km-wide crater at the right of the image, called Mendelssohn. While its outer rim is still visible, it has been largely filled by the same smooth material that makes up the surrounding plains. Smaller, more recent impact craters dot the otherwise smooth crater. The vast plains surrounding Mendelssohn, called Borealis Planitia, were formed by the widespread eruption of runny lava some 3.7 billion years ago. The volume of lava making up Borealis Planitia is similar in scale to mass extinction-level volcanic events recorded in Earths history, notably the mass extinction event at the end of the Permian period 252 million years ago. Borealis Planitia is bordered by older and hence more heavily cratered terrain. CREDIT: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM. BepiColombos main mission phase may only start two years from now, but all six of its flybys of Mercury have given us invaluable new information about the little-explored planet, Geraint Jones, BepiColombos Project Scientist at ESA, said in a statement. In the next few weeks, the BepiColombo team will work hard to unravel as many of Mercurys mysteries with the data from this flyby as we can.The bright patch near the planets upper edge in this image is the Nathair Facula, the aftermath of the largest volcanic explosion on Mercury. At its centre is a volcanic vent of around 40 km across that has been the site of at least three major eruptions. The explosive volcanic deposit is at least 300 km in diameter. Nathair Facula is a major target for several BepiColombo instruments, which will measure the composition of the erupted material. This will teach us about what Mercury is made of, and how the planet formed. Also visible is the relatively young Fonteyn crater, which formed a mere 300 million years ago. Its youth is apparent from the brightness of the impact debris that radiates out from it. Older material on Mercurys surface has become much darker from weathering as it aged. Rustaveli, seen roughly in the centre of Mercury in this image, is about 200 km in diameter. Within its rim is a ring of peaks, making it a so-called peak ring basin. These peaks barely poke above smooth material on Rustavelis floor, which suggests the crater has been flooded by lava. CREDIT: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM.