United and Delta are expanding flights to Europe to capitalize on strong travel demand.United and Delta are running 23% and 13% more flights to Europe compared to 2019, respectively.Both airlines are upping their European presence with new transatlantic routes. Airlines say Europe remains among the biggest money-makers going into 2025 as people eagerly flock to more international destinations.United Airlines and Delta Air Lines said in recent earnings calls that they are deploying more seats than ever to Europe to take advantage of the booming travel demand, which has remained strong since the COVID-19 pandemic halted overseas vacations.In the fourth quarter of 2024, United's passenger revenue to Europe increased 9.5% compared to 2023, with just a 2.3% increase in seat capacity.Delta saw a 4% increase in transatlantic passenger revenue during the same period, despite a 2% reduction in capacity. (Delta's figures include Europe as well as half a dozen destinations in Africa and the Middle East.)Both airlines have increased their planned transatlantic presence further into 2025, operating more than 100,000 flights total between the two, well above prior years according to data from Cirium. Europe is no longer just a seasonal hot spotAndrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said during Wednesday's earnings call that Europe is becoming a "year-round destination" after being a less valuable revenue stream during off-peak months in previous years, like between January and March."Now we're seeing a totally different result, where people are willing to go on a Southern European vacation," he said. "And that really helps de-seasonalize Europe."Nocella later said United expects quarter one to boast the best transatlantic financial performance in its first-quarter history.He added that stronger hub connectivity with Star Alliance partner Lufthansa in Germany and money-making business traffic returning to London Heathrow are also helping United across the Atlantic.Delta expressed a similar sentiment about Europe's desirability as a year-round destination for US travelers, specifically noting the strong dollar's additional buying power and the smaller crowd sizes compared to peak holiday periods. Delta flies aging Boeing 767s and newer Airbus A330s and Airbus A350s across the Atlantic. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images "You go to a restaurant in New York and then go to a restaurant in Europe, you'll see a vast difference in the bill," Delta president Glen Hauenstein said in the airline's January 10 earnings call. "This is a great time to travel to Europe. People are seeing that."The Atlanta-based carrier also said it does not believe strong off-peak season demand for transatlantic flights this winter will eat into consumers' appetite for summer travel.Bernstein analyst David Vernon maintained a buy rating for United following its earnings report, saying international flying and premium services are particularly driving revenue.CFRA Research analyst Ana Garcia said the firm expects United to see continued profitability. She said earnings are "buoyed by network optimization and operational improvements."United's stock is up about 13% year-to-date, while Delta's is up about 9%.New routes to Europe from United and Delta in 2025United has become so bullish on Europe that it plans to launch new routes to off-the-beaten-path destinations in 2025 that aren't offered by competitors.For example, this summer, the carrier will fly nonstop to Palermo, Italy, Faro, Portugal, and Nuuk, Greenland. These flights will complement United's already extensive transatlantic network, which includes flights to more than 30 European cities from the US.Expected deliveries of the long-haul single-aisle Airbus A321XLR the first expected in January 2026 will help United push further into Europe as the jet can fly routes previously unprofitable with a widebody or unreachable with older narrowbodies. It will replace the airline's aging Boeing 757s. United plans to replace nearly every Boeing 757 route with the Airbus A321XLR come 2026. It will largely fly to Europe. Craig Russell/Shutterstock Still, United said widebody supply constraints, including for airframes and engines, will impact its long-haul operations through at least the end of the decade.The carrier has placed orders for 150 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and expects to receive 11 in 2025. That is down from the 18 expected in February 2024 . Delta has not purchased the A321XLR, and it flies only a handful of Boeing 757 aircraft across the Atlantic.The airline instead relies on a large fleet of older Boeing 767 and newer Airbus A330 and A350 widebodies to run more than 700 flights a week to 33 European destinations.This summer, Delta will add new routes to locales in southern Europe, such as Barcelona and Catania and Naples in southern Italy.

Ritesh Verma earns almost $15,000 monthly from side hustles alongside his Capital One job.Verma's side hustles include AI agents, YouTube, mentorship, and software services.He uses automation to work on multiple projects at once and earn more money.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ritesh Verma, a 23-year-old software engineer in Jersey City. It's been edited for length and clarity.After graduating from college in 2023, I was hired as a software engineer at Capital One with a $136,000 base salary, but it's not my largest source of income.I've been building side hustles for years, and they now earn me almost $15,000 a month.When I got hired at Capital One, I was worried about a full-time job disrupting my side hustles, but I've created a system that makes it manageable. Here's how I stay on top of my work and why I won't take my side hustles full-time yet.AI agents are my main side hustleIn late 2019, a friend of mine asked me to code a purchasing bot to help him buy and resell sneakers. I had no idea what bots, or AI agents, were, but I agreed and spent over six months teaching myself how to make software programs that perform tasks.In 2022, I decided to post a YouTube tutorial on how to create a simple bot, and it got 200,000 views. A man saw my video and asked me to make him a purchasing agent for high-end golf clubs. I accepted the offer and made $600 every time I got him a golf club. Suddenly I was earning $1,800 a month.Word spread, and I started getting more clients in the golf club collection space and other niche communities. I built purchasing bots for anything from hats to wine bottles to baby clothes.I didn't want to be known as just the bot guy, so I started building services and tools as well. I built a scheduling bot that helps shift-based workers, such as servers, in the Nevada area snag competitive shifts.I started using Reddit to find clienteleEarly last year, I watched a YouTube video where the creator described how he used Reddit to grow his startup. I decided to give it a try.I made a Reddit post saying, "I suck at getting these shifts, and I need help. Does anyone else relate?" Then I DMed the roughly 20 commenters who sympathized and pitched them my tool. I got eight of my clients from Reddit and now make about $9,000 monthly from it.I also trainedAI assistantsto make Reddit posts for me, advertising my services and sending potential clients my phone number.Reddit takes my posts down because they're promotional, but within 30 minutes of them being up, I'll usually have several people in my DMs. I've been kicked off Reddit and had to make multiple accounts, but it's all part of the process, and I think it's worth it.I also have less lucrative side hustlesYouTube: I use my YouTube channel to gain clientele and as a side hustle. I get ad revenue from videos, and in one month, I made $1,400 from three sponsors.Mentorship program: I also started a six-week mentorship program where I teach others how to code bots. For $3,000 in any given month, usually, two to three students get bi-weekly meetings to discuss assigned projects and learn concepts.SaaS products: In 2024, I launched two SaaS products, which are basically just more conventional software engineering services. One is Instagram outreach software, which earns me $900 a month. My other SaaS product, which allows people to put Instagram reels on their website, has yet to turn a profit.How I manage my side hustle and 9-to-5My secret to success is working on several projects at once. I can stay on top of so many because it's highly automated.I might spend 20 hours building a new AI agent or project, but after that, my weekly commitment might only be two hours. I also might spend a few additional hours getting clients or troubleshooting, but the hard work is done.My Capital One job is a hybrid 9-to-5 with two days in the office each week. After work, I eat and have a four-hour deep work session where I focus on my side hustles. I also work a few hours each day of the weekend.It's a lot of work, but I find it fun. I also make sure to have time for myself. A few friends and I travel every three months. In 2024, I spent a total of a month overseas in places like Brazil, Japan, and Italy, doing no work. Those trips are a good sanity check and keep me looking forward to something.I won't leave my full-time job until I meet a specific metricA mentee asked me why I don't leave my full-time job, and I told him I don't feel like it's taking up space.I've probably tried 15 projects recently, and most fail. I give every project a month or two of serious dedication before deciding if it's worth continuing. Sometimes, the project is just too hard, and growing it is a pain.Other times, I just lose the spark of the idea. In those cases, I'll put it on a major backburner or ask a mentee if they'd like to take responsibility for equity in the product.Plus, I'm following a rule that I won't leave my full-time job until I make three times my Capital One base salary from my side businesses. Once I achieve that, I'll drop it. That's the goal.If you make six figures from a side hustle and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump signed executive orders that ranged from addressing petty grievances to radical overhauls of American democracy. But one of the actions that stood out in particular was his decision to issue pardons and commutations for the people more than 1,500 charged with crimes after being involved with the insurrection on January 6, 2021.At best, these pardons excuse the violence that took place on January 6, and at worst, encourage that kind of violence in the future by essentially promising would-be insurrectionists forgiveness. And while some of the organizers and rioters from that day were charged with low-level crimes like trespassing, others faced far more serious charges. One example is Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right militant group the Proud Boys, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other felonies but now walks free. Trump also commuted the sentences of other members of extremist, far-right groups that promote political violence. The deadly assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a serious threat to our democracy a direct result of an incumbent US president being unwilling to concede an election that he clearly lost. It sullied the tradition of the peaceful transfer of power that Americans had come to believe was a guarantee. And now, its participants have been let off the hook.Trumps pardons are paradoxical. The January 6 insurrection was a disturbingly undemocratic act, and yet Trump returned to power and pardoned the insurrectionists through democratic means. If anything, its an (unfortunate) example of how the pardon power has its own type of democratic legitimacy. In the end, Trumps decision to let those who rioted in his name out of prison as he repeatedly said he would do during the campaign reflects what the electorate voted for and as such, represents the final rewriting of the history of January 6, which the country is, at least for now, willing to forget. Like it or not, Trumps pardons were a democratic exerciseThe pardon is so important because it is a democratic tool that the public can wield. For the most part, the public doesnt have much of a say when federal courts make bad decisions. The pardon power is an exception, giving the electorate a chance to undo convictions or stymie criminal cases that they think are unjust by electing a president who thinks the same and promises to take action. Whether these are actual instances of injustices are real or perceived isnt the key thing just because the public wants something, that doesnt make it right. The key is that the pardon power injects public accountability into the criminal justice system. For example, on his first full day in office, President Jimmy Carter pardoned hundreds of thousands of Americans who had evaded the draft during the Vietnam War, fulfilling a campaign promise that reflected Americans changing mood about the war. Other presidents, most recently Joe Biden and Barack Obama, have also used the pardon in a way that represented a shift in public attitudes by granting clemency, for example, to people convicted of nonviolent drug charges.In the same vein, Trumps pardons of those who participated in assaulting the Capitol on January 6 is a reflection of public opinion, even if they are also self-serving. After all, Trumps actions on Monday didnt exactly come as a surprise; throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump promised to pardon the insurrectionists (though he often sidestepped the question of whether he would grant clemency to those who assaulted law enforcement officers, and his campaign at one point said that the pardons would be decided on a case-by-case basis). He called those who were convicted political prisoners, many of whom, he said, deserved an apology. Americans voted for him anyway. That doesnt mean that Americans by and large support these pardons. A December poll, for example, showed that the majority of Americans actually oppose them. But since Trump didnt keep his intentions secret, the place to reject these pardons was back at the ballot box in November and the electorate made clear that this was a line that Trump could indeed cross.This distinguishes it from other examples of presidents who have routinely misused the pardon to advance their own corrupt interests with zero input from the public. In his first term, Trump pardoned his cronies and his son-in-laws father to help himself, for example, and Biden pardoned his own family members. These were all actions that Americans did not have an opportunity to weigh in on. This time, however, the public knew exactly what they were likely to get.So while the January 6 pardons allow Trump to minimize the damage he inflicted four years ago making the attack of the US Capitol a forgivable offense, one that he claims the Justice Department unfairly prosecuted the fact that Trump made pardoning January 6 defendants a signature campaign promise and went on to win the presidency makes this act of clemency a more democratic exercise than his previous actions. The pardons are a rewrite of January 6Even if the pardons are flawed or even dangerous a move that shows tolerance for right-wing political violence and likely emboldens fringe groups they represent a public that is ready to move on from the assault on the Capitol as though it was just another political protest. Public polling has shown that as the years went by, Americans softened their stance on January 6, with a growing number of respondents viewing it as a more peaceful event than they originally thought and believing that the punishments were too harsh. And by electing Trump in November, the plurality of the electorate seemed to be ready to either, at the very least, forget about January 6 or change the historical record perhaps remembering it as a display of noble patriotism as opposed to a violent assault on their government. Thats exactly what Trumps pardons are: the rights final rewrite of January 6. They cant be undone, meaning that the possibility of ensuring full accountability for the events of that day is all but vanquished.There is certainly something perverse about all of this that a deeply undemocratic event, an effort to overturn an election no less, is now being rewritten through democratic means. But that is not the fault of the pardon power, which remains a critical tool that presidents ought to use. Instead, critics of Trumps decision have only this to reckon with: Elections have consequences, and this is just the start.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:

The blinding flash of fluorescent lights, the sound of a mechanical scrubber buffing off layers of plaque, the minty burn of a mouthwash rinse each of these are sensory experiences that can be off-putting for even the most relaxed visitor to the dentists office. But for an individual with sensory sensitivities, these, and other healthcare-related sensory stimuli, can be reasons to avoid medical spaces altogether. Sensory sensitivity, also referred to as sensory processing sensitivity, or SPS, is often a comorbidity to forms of neurodivergence, like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). What might be a tolerable change in light, sound, touch, smell, taste, movement, balance, and interoception (internal body awareness) for most people can become an overwhelming or downright painful experience for an individual with sensory sensitivities. Despite evidence that roughly 1 in 4 individuals have a sensory need or an invisible disability, most of the world from schools to recreational spaces to offices to healthcare spaces is not designed with these sensitivities in mind. As Virginia Spielmann, PhD, an occupational therapist at the Star Institute for Sensory Processing, puts it, There is a belief that there is one right way to be human. Instead of helping these humans belong, we ask them to adapt in the hopes that one day they maybe can belong. Fortunately, a movement of doctors, activists, corporations, and community members around the world are working to change beliefs around sensory sensitivity and other forms of neurodivergence at a systemic level. Theyre shifting the narrative from one rooted in deficiencies or shortcomings towards one of acceptance and the embrace of differences. But changing this narrative also requires work and reflection at a more individual scale. Weve accepted the myth that theres one right way to be human the neurotypical way and its to our detriment, said Dr. Spielmann. I think the narrative needs to move from sensory inclusive spaces being the exception to them being the norm. These are spaces that prioritize the embodied human experience and the wellness of our nervous systems and our connection to each other over economic gain and moving people through our healthcare systems as fast as possible.Dr. Spielmann sees the shift towards sensory sensitivity as a fundamentally additive movement that raises the standard of living for everyone. Universal design should be sensory design, she said. For example, ramps into the building can be used by everyone. Dimmed fluorescent lighting and reduced volume creates a more hospitable environment for everyone. When a building accommodates sensory differences, you are going to have more success, greater productivity, less burnout, less stress for everyone, she said. By creating and advocating for more sensory sensitive environments, these changemakers are creating a more inclusive world for everyone. Meet some of the individuals on the front lines of this paradigm shift, some of whom appear in the documentary Sensory Overload.Lola Olley has always looked to her community for support. It was true when her family immigrated to the states from Nigeria when she was young, and it was particularly true when it became clear that there was something different about her brother Kunles development. One day he just stopped talking and we would never hear his voice again, she said. Olley remembers seeing the way her parents struggled to raise a child in a time when resources for neurodivergence and sensory sensitivities were few and far between. She was witnessing firsthand what research reinforces that caregiver strain is often linked to financial strain, family conflict, loss of a sense of freedom, and negative effects on personal health. Theres this Nigerian song called Suffering and Smiling, she said, and thats what I felt like my parents were going through. They were in pursuit of this American dream, and suddenly they had a child who had this level of healthcare related needs that they werent expecting, so their American dream suddenly looked a lot different. When her own children, Alero, 11, and Fela, 13, started displaying neurodivergent and sensory sensitive symptoms, Olley intuited what other studies seem to confirm: It would be crucial for her own well-being as a caregiver to children with special needs to surround herself with supportive community. We decided to put together a life group where at least one family member was neurodivergent, she said. [Its] a group of people that just really understood. And we truly do life together.This network of supportive, similarly experienced friends and caregivers have been instrumental in building a healthy, sustainable existence for Olley and her family. And its a collective that extends beyond their inner circle. We looked into special education, adaptive parks and rec, library systems and hospital systems, she said. We had to look at what it meant to raise children in an inclusive way. We settled on Plano, Texas. Olley is determined to help build inclusive communities not just for her own children, but also for all children with sensitivities and for the caregivers supporting them. Its work that she undertakes as a lawyer, advising on behalf of the Americans With Disabilities Act. It also takes shape in her advocacy as a storyteller, sharing her familys neurodivergent journey on her Not Your Mamas Autism podcast. Not that long ago, these sensitivities were viewed as there being something wrong with that individual, Olley said. Not that this is literally how they were born, how their body works, how their mind works. I wish my brother had that. Kunle is the blueprint. I try to make a world for my children where they have those resources that their uncle and their grandparents [could] only dream of.The Dentist On a MissionJacob Dent, DDS, didnt graduate from dental school with an eye towards building a sensory sensitive practice. Even if it had been a goal, he wouldnt have been prepared. When I left dental school, I had zero training on special needs, he said. We were given the mindset in dental school that if there is a special needs patient that comes into your practice . . . basically, its not your problem. Dr. Dents experience wasnt unique. Studies show that only 50% of dentists feel well equipped to understand the individual sensory needs of their patients, and just 8% of dentists actually have a formal process in place for providing sensory sensitive accommodations.It wasnt until Dr. Dents son, Ethan, started displaying symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a toddler that Dr. Dent started realizing the ways his practice and the world at large wasnt doing enough to meet the needs of individuals with sensory sensitivities. Ever since, hes been part of a growing wave of healthcare professionals who have been reimagining their practices to be more sensory sensitive. My role as a dentist and a dad in the world of special needs has kind of been on a parallel path, he said. Ive been learning everything I can about my own son and then applying that to my patients.Practically, Dr. Dents work begins long before a patient reaches his chair. Its about understanding that patients with sensitivities may require several appointments to work up the comfort to complete a single aspect of a dentistry check-up: an exam, a cleaning, or an X-ray. Even the experience of spending time in a crowded waiting room can be overwhelming for individuals with sensory sensitivities, which is why Dr. Dent offers sensory friendly hours with fewer patients (and a correspondingly calmer environment). In the exam room itself, Dr. Dent has made modifications to his lighting and design, opting for warmer bulbs and calming wall colors. If a patient has sensitivities to sound, hell offer headphones, and sunglasses for those with visual sensitivities. Finally, he works with caretakers to offer best practices for continuing sensory sensitive oral healthcare regimens at home. Today, Dr. Dent has become one of the go-to sensory inclusive practitioners in the Greater Louisiana area. Given the dearth of sensory sensitive dentists in the country, its not uncommon for Dr. Dents patients to travel up to three hours to see him. In order to ensure that even those outside of driving distance can get what they need, Dr. Dent and his family have begun mailing oral healthcare kits filled with sensory sensitive implements (many of his own design) to patients around the country. Dr. Dent also realizes that making systemic change requires a broader, fundamental shift in his industry. Whether its medicine or dentistry, theres got to be an alternative way than the standard way of practicing, he said. As a parent and as a dentist, I can show other providers how to do that and open up the doors to so many more possibilities.The Student ActivistIncreasingly, a new generation of activists are taking up the mantle for the sensory sensitive community. But for many of them, who are members of the neurodivergent and sensory sensitive communities themselves, this leadership role was hard earned. Sixteen-year-old Sophie Yang remembers first feeling a minor irritation to everyday sounds chewing and slurping, finger tapping, the vacuum cleaner about four years ago. And it just kept getting worse. Gradually, Sophie began isolating herself from friends and family, hoping to avoid auditory triggers that would lead to anger and anxiety. I noticed as time went on when I had dinner or lunch with my parents, I began to get irritated and I would ask them to stop chewing so loud, she said. And eventually it gave me such severe reactions that I had to tell them something was wrong.Her parents, who initially labeled her as difficult, quickly realized that this was something serious. Many trips to multiple doctors later, they discovered that Sophie had misophonia a chronic auditory sensory sensitivity that causes people to have an extreme emotional reaction to specific sounds.The past few years since her diagnosis have been all about adaptation: learning which environments to avoid, how to set herself up for academic success, and how to maintain relationships with friends and family. This is not an insignificant challenge as a teenager, a time of life that can be inherently messy, busy, and noisy. Its definitely affected my home life because my family dynamic really revolves around quality time, Yang said. With certain friends, I found myself getting angry eating around them. In school its usually the biggest issue when Im taking tests or when the classroom is quiet because people are making all sorts of bodily noises and its really triggering. Once she started digging into treatment and coping strategies, Yang realized how little was understood about misophonia. She took it upon herself to fill in those gaps, and created a platform to share all that shes learned called Teens for Education and Advocacy on Misophonia (or TEAM for short). Since launching TEAM last April, Yang has already gotten her work in front of lawmakers, meeting with California Congresswoman Young Kim in June of 2024. They discussed possible solutions specifically in schools, such as how to make 504 plans more accessible for those in need. But Yang isnt just content merely addressing the symptoms of misophonia shes on a mission to truly understand the condition that may affect nearly 20% of adults. To do so, Sophie has regular conversations with doctors and holistic healers and psychologists of all stripes. A lot of the medical research doesnt focus on the root cause, just the symptoms. I want to learn more, she said. For myself and for others.The Sensory Sensitive WorkerBurnett Grant has been fortunate to be among the 21% of persons 16 years and over with disabilities who have managed to find employment for much of their adulthood. But it hasnt been easy. The self-described, agender, non-binary, autistic neurodivergent individual with ADHD has always found most environments fraught on both interpersonal and sensory levels. Theyre prone to missing social cues and feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed. Ive only had two full-time jobs where I felt safe, they said. For the most part, Ive been bullied out of workplaces. The safest Grant feels is with their identical twin sibling, Bernard, who shares their sensory sensitivities and neurodivergence, and who understands that these arent shortcomings, just realities. I realized its just so much easier to have someone validate my experiences, so Bernard and I often go places together, Grant said. We seem to use less energy that way, and going out is so exhausting anyway. But life necessitates that they arent each others only company. Fortunately, in recent years, the two of them have discovered a whole new community of like-minded individuals in a sensory safe online environment people with similar sensitivities and an understanding of their accompanying challenges.Studies show that online communities are important sources of social support and interaction for neurodivergent people, evidenced in the popularity of online neurodivergence and sensory sensitive communities. For Grant and their twin, these digital communities have also become spaces for advocacy. I started volunteering at an organization that was mostly creating online events where neurodivergent people would come speak and share stories about their experiences in the workplace, said Grant. Both online and in their place of employment, Grant is working to raise awareness around neurodivergence, and pushing for improved sensory accommodations in the workplace, which have been shown to meaningfully help individuals with sensory sensitivities avoid professional burnout. Grant is advocating for things like providing noise-canceling headphones, quiet spaces, or adjusting lighting to reduce glare, allowing flexible work hours or remote work options to avoid peak activity times, using written instructions, optical aids, or checklists to help with processing and paying attention to details, creating a fragrance-free environment, allowing employees to wear comfortable clothing that accommodates tactile sensitivities, providing ergonomic furniture, and crucially, fostering understanding and empathy among colleagues by creating awareness about sensory sensitivities in the workplace. Recently, Grant has found reasons for cautious optimism evidence of whats possible when workplaces not only accommodate their sensitivities, but celebrate them. Theyve started working in quality assurance in a food manufacturing plant, a role that employs their heightened sensory sensitivities to provide detailed taste profiles. This is the most inclusive, easiest work environment Ive been a part of, they said. Theres diversity and a sense of belonging seems to be built in.Sensodyne has launched the Sensory Inclusion Initiative to raise awareness of the importance of sensory inclusivity in oral care. To support this mission, Sensodyne has partnered with Vox Creative on the release of the documentary, Sensory Overload. To further its impact, Sensodyne has partnered with the American Dental Association and sensory accessibility non-profit Kulture City to develop training and resources for dentists and patients to improve oral health outcomes for those with sensory sensitivities. Learn more here.

That probably assisted their evolutionary diversification

Whether it is a negotiating ploy remains to be seen

By Matt Novak Published January 22, 2025 | Comments (0) | Blackrock's Larry Fink at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2025. Screenshot: Bloomberg / YouTube Blackrock CEO Larry Fink thinks bitcoin, which is currently priced at around $104,200, could go as high as $700,000. But thats only if people get really nervous about the stability of their own currencies around the world. And while its anyones guess whether Finks logic is sound and people would indeed flock to crypto in times of crisis (that extremely common thesis hasnt yet been proved), its certainly true that the election of Donald Trump has the potential to inject plenty of instability into the global economic landscape. Fink made the prediction about bitcoins future price on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, while discussing the outlook of technologies like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency with Bloomberg. Fink had previously been a skeptic of crypto in the late 2010s, saying back in 2017 that, Bitcoin just shows you how much demand for money laundering there is in the world. But the billionaire changed his mind in more recent years, becoming a true believer in the promise of crypto by 2021. Fink seems to not only believe that crypto is now a positive thing, but that this reliance on fear is actually an asset. The billionaire thinks people can make a lot of money from instability or at least the worries over instability around the world. As I became a student of crypto, it was very clear to me that crypto is a currency of fear. And thats okay, Fink during the panel Wednesday thats available on YouTube. Fink was sharing the stage with Peng Xiao, the CEO of AI company G42, who interjected with to some extent on Finks contention that fear drives bitcoin. But Fink just doubled down on the idea that it was okay for bitcoins fortunes to rely on fear.If youre frightened of your debasement of your currency or youre frightened of your economic or political stability of your country, you could have an internationally-based instrument called bitcoin that will overcome those local fears. And so Im a big believer in the utilization of that as an instrument, said Fink. Fink went on to say that bitcoins price could reach $500,000, $600,000, $700,000 per Bitcoin while emphasizing Im not promoting that, by the way.Fink also said that he believed bonds and stocks should be tokenized. Why? That part isnt clear, since it makes no fucking sense. But why not? We went through this same bullshit hype cycle a few years ago when everyone jumped on the NFT bandwagon and tokenizing things that didnt need to be tokenized may very well have another resurgence. The fact that we are not moving forward in tokenization, every bond and stock is crazy, said Fink. We should be moving towards that frontier. Obviously, theres winners and losers and all that. But we need to be prepared for the tokenization. And it would democratize more finance if we tokenized bonds and stocks. Fink also discussed the power needs of the enormous data centers that continue to be built around the world to serve the needs of AI. Those data centers require a great amount of power, which Fink addressed by talking about nuclear power as a potential fix. We need a lot of energy partners to be able to make this a viable global undertaking, Fink said. And hopefully this raises a conversation about what role nuclear play in the energy mix.Fink gave a nod to renewables, saying they would be part of the mix, but said that unless fusion actually works and we have new sources of power, theres a need to work with whats available. There are some big questions about the future of the U.S. economy that are currently getting hashed out at Davos and beyond. Inflation, for instance, doesnt seem to be something the ruling class is too scared about anymore, despite the 2024 U.S. presidential election essentially hinging on whether a new president would be able to get prices down. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon was asked about Trumps plans for across the board tariffs against Mexico and Canada, which are expected to get implemented around Feb. 1. And Dimon, whos worth $2.7 billion, seemed very chill about the prospect.If its a little inflationary, but its good for national security, so be it. I mean, get over it, Dimon told CNBCs Andrew Ross Sorkin on Wednesday. That does sound like a good mantra for the wealthy in this new era of Trump: So be it, get over it. Were probably going to be hearing that a lot if Trump manages to torpedo the economy. Thats probably not what most Trump supporters thought they were signing up for when they cast a vote for the 47th president. But thats certainly what theyre going to get.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published January 22, 2025 By Todd Feathers Published January 16, 2025 By Matt Novak Published January 9, 2025 By Matt Novak Published December 13, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 12, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 5, 2024

Ever since our new president, Donald Trump, temporarily saved TikTok from a nationwide ban, Americans have wondered which deep-pocketed businessman will throw his hat in the ring to buy the popular social media platform. Now, we have a new contender: viral influencer Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast). Okay fine, Ill buy Tik Tok so it doesnt get banned, Donaldson posted on X last week. Unironically Ive had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, lets see if we can pull this off, he added. On Tuesday, Donaldsons attorney communicated to CNN that the reality TV star was serious about buying the social media platform, and that Donaldson is now part of a group of U.S. investors who are pushing to procure the site. The Paul Hastings law firm, which is representing the group, has said that the bid comes in response to the Supreme Courts decision to uphold the previously issued law that would force TikTok to be sold or banned in the U.S. It makes total sense that Donaldsonwhose whole business revolves around generating braindead viral contentwould want to own the platform most responsible for distributing braindead viral content. Buying TikTok would effectively hand him an infotainment monopoly which, for the worlds most powerful influencer, is basically the equivalent of winning the lottery. The whole reason were in this mess to begin with is that, last April, Joe Biden signed a bill that would force TikToks Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to either sell its app to a U.S. company or face a nationwide ban. Commentators have noted what a political fumble this was, given how overwhelmingly popular TikTok is with young voters. When he returned to the White House this week, Trump easily took advantage of Bidens unpopular decision. By signing an executive order, Trump gave the TikTok bill a 75-day extension window, during which time ByteDance will be allowed to find a suitable buyer, provided America gets to retain 50 percent ownership of the platform. Trump has already made it known that he would be open to other well-known personalities purchasing the siteincluding fellow billionaires Elon Musk and Larry Ellison. There are signs that Trump could be supportive of the Donaldson deal, however. Bloomberg has reported that Brad Bondi, the brother of Pam Bondi, Trumps pick for Attorney General, is representing the investor group behind Donaldsons push to acquire the platform. Trump and Bondi have a history together. Bondi was part of the legal team that helped merge the presidents struggling Trump Media & Technology Group Corp (which owns his social media platform, Truth Social) with a blank check company last March, Bloomberg writes. The deal was broadly viewed as a bailout for Trump when his legal troubles were at their worst. Bondi also previously represented Elon Musk in 2018 when the tech billionaire was accused of securities fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Lever previously reported.The reason why the U.S. has so aggressively moved to ban its childrens favorite social media platform isnt fully understood yet. The dominant narrative has been that U.S. officials are worried about the platforms ties to China and wanted to sever a connection between the company and its geopolitical foe. An alternative theory, however, has been that TikTok has served as a popular vector by which pro-Palestinian activists can distribute evidence of Israeli atrocities, thus turning Americas children against its special ally in the Middle East. Mitt Romney said as much last year, when he intimated that the reason there was overwhelming support for us to shut down TikTok was the overwhelming number of mentions of Palestinians, relative to other social media sites. An op-ed in Time last year similarly blamed the plethora of pro-Palestinian content for a rise in anti-semitic incidents on college campuses in the U.S. Ever since TikToks resurrection, rumors have circulated that the platform is now suppressing pro-Palestinian content. Those rumors may be slightly exaggerated, however. A 404 Media investigation published Wednesday found that the site did not seem to be consistently suppressing pro-Palestinian content. The site communicated to journalists that pro-Palestinian content did not violate its terms of service.If the point of bringing TikTok under U.S. control is, indeed, to halt the flow of pro-Palestinian content to U.S. audiences, there would be a certain precedent for it in the behavior of other American tech companies. A recent Human Rights Watch report on Meta found that the company had been practicing systemic censorship of Palestine content on Instagram and Facebook. X and YouTube have also ran into their own controversies involving Israeli-Palestinian content.

House of the Alley / Estdio ArtigasSave this picture!HousesSao Paulo, BrazilArchitects: Estdio ArtigasAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:180 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 ManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Amazonas Pedras, Impacta Brasil, MR Marcenaria, Manoel Vieira e equipe, Oficina Tucambira, Pau Pau, Polysistem, utton CompanyMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Moving to a house, having contact with the land, enjoying plenty of natural light and ventilation, and being able to accommodate future transformations in life. The Casa da Travessa was born from these requests, which reflect both the period of isolation caused by the pandemic and the deep-rooted desires of its inhabitants. The response we gave to this project came from balancing these desires with what we believe architecture to be at this moment (2023-24). We sought to design a house that breathes, both through its interior/exterior relationship and the use of materials.Save this picture! Pedro KokSave this picture!The basic concept of the project was to insert new wooden elements- structural and sealing- into the internal and external spaces of the house. Where there were new openings, they would be marked with translucent elements.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The first decision was to incorporate the old garage as an internal area of the house. The area previously intended for cars was transformed into the access garden, with various species of plants. The structure of this space is made of garapeira wood, wrapped in corrugated alveolar polycarbonate, fixed with aluminum frame sets, providing a space of multiple sensations.Save this picture!In this same area is the staircase leading to the bedroom floor. The transition from the social area to the intimate area is made through an intermediate space, with a mix of solid garapeira wood flooring and perforated metal sheet, which allows you to see the garden on the lower floor and the front door, as well as being permeated by natural ventilation.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The bedroom wing is organized by a central wood frame structure that supports the entire technical area of the house, as well as defining the two bathrooms of the smaller bedrooms and the wardrobe of the master bedroom. The bathroom of this master bedroom occupies the roof of the old laundry room, expanding the area of the house. It is fully lit by the double polycarbonate facade.Save this picture!The annex is an extension of the grassy area. Completely open, it was constructed with more weather-resistant materials, using masonry and exposed reinforced concrete. Its roof is a garden, improving the microclimate of the area and beautifying the view from the bedrooms and the building attached to the back of the house. Finally, the exterior part of the house and its relationship with the street: the possibility of seeing a city where houses have no walls. Of course, we are aware of the privileged situation of being in a village, but it still allows us to dream of a less individual and imprisoned future.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on January 22, 2025Cite: "House of the Alley / Estdio Artigas" [Casa da Travessa / Estdio Artigas] 22 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025823/house-of-the-alley-estudio-artigas&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

Both impersonators admitted to trespassing in the evacuation zone multiple times. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department / Popular ScienceShareTrained, professional firefighters like those battling the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires are vital to saving lives and mitigating disastersbut firefighter impersonators? Not so much. Even if they own their very own fire truck.As the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department detailed in its Facebook post on January 19th, law enforcement located two individuals dressed in firefighting gear inside the Palisades Fire evacuation zone. Both wore CAL-Fire t-shirts under actual turnout jackets and helmets, as well as possessed multiple handheld radios. But the biggest prop of all was a bright red fire truck allegedly from Oregon emblazoned with Roaring River Fire Department.According to Jalopnik on Tuesday, however, investigators still felt the pair did not appear to be legitimate. A look into the fire trucks registration information revealed the vehicle not only wasnt in service at the Roaring River Fire Departmentthe Roaring River Fire Department didnt actually exist in the first place. It turned out that the truck had previously been purchased at an auction, presumably then decorated with the fake name.Some of the gear seized by law enforcement from the impersonators. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Both suspects admitted to having unlawfully been inside the Palisades area on January 17th and 18th, one of whom also has a record in Oregon for criminal mischief and arson. Their exact motives for repeatedly visiting the evacuation area remain unclear. Investigators subsequently arrested the trespassers, charged them with impersonating a firefighter and entering an evacuation zone, and impounded the fire truck.ABC News noted that a similar firefighter impersonation incident occurred earlier this month in Malibu, while dozens of others have also been arrested for various other incidents. On January 9th, an unapproved commercial drone flying above the Palisades fires struck the wing of a Canadair CL-415 Super Scoopers operating in Los Angeles. No one was injured, but the aircraft was forced to land and remains out of commission. Only one other Super Scooper plane is currently available to aid firefighting efforts there.The Palisades fire alone has burned through an estimated 23,700 acres and destroyed over 6,000 structures since its outbreak on January 7th. At least 28 people have died as a result of the multiple blazes, while the Palisades fire is currently around 68 percent contained at the time of writing.For verifiable information from actual professionals and community members, thousands of users have recently turned to Watch Duty, a free, crowdsourced wildfire information app. Secret Los Angeles features a resource list to help emergency responders and evacuees.